Eastern District of California
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Atwater Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children Through Instagram, Omegle, Kik, and Other AppsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Nikko Adolfo Perez, 26, of Atwater, charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of children, one count of coercion or enticement of a minor, and one count of receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Perez, using the Instagram screen name captainamerica272018, victimized two boys, ages 8 and 10, in Utah by coercing them into creating and then sending to him images of them engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Perez offered to pay the boys with Google Play credits if they engaged in requested sexual acts or poses. When one of the victims said he would “call 911,” Perez threatened to disseminate images of the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He also threatened to harm family members of the victims. Perez used Omegle, Instagram, Snapchat, Kik, and other social media apps.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Salt Lake City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation offices in Salt Lake City and Fresno. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Perez faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for the sexual exploitation count, a mandatory minimum of 10 years to a maximum of life in prison for the coercion and enticement count, and five to 20 years in prison for the count of receipt of child pornography. For all counts there is a potential $250,000 fine and a lifetime term of supervised release. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
San Francisco and Los Angeles Area Residents Charged with Operating an Illegal Gambling Business, Money Laundering, Witness Tampering, and Making False Statements to the Grand Jury in Superseding IndictmentRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A superseding indictment was unsealed today, adding four defendants and additional charges to a case involving an illegal gambling business operating in Sacramento and elsewhere in California, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Yaniv Gohar, 35, of Berkeley; Orel Gohar, 28, of San Francisco; and Eran Buhbut 33, of Oakland were indicted in December 2017, charged with conducting an illegal gambling business. According to court documents, from September 2015 through November 2017, Yaniv Gohar, Orel Gohar, and Buhbut operated a gambling business that installed and maintained video slot machines at smoke shops and convenience stores throughout Northern California, including in Sacramento, in violation of California laws prohibiting such machines.
The superseding indictment adds four new defendants and several new charges, including two different money laundering conspiracies, two counts of witness tampering, one count of making false statements to the grand jury, and two counts of failure to appear. According to the superseding indictment, Orel Gohar conspired to launder the proceeds of the gambling business with Atir Dadon, 34, of Sherman Oaks, and Bar Shani, 26, of San Francisco. To do so, the three allegedly engaged in coded conversations referring to financial transactions as an exchange of bottles or records and exchanged cash for checks from a company controlled by Dadon and Shani to make Orel Gohar’s income appear legitimate. Yaniv Gohar and Orel Gohar are also charged with conspiring to launder proceeds with Adam Atari, 34, of Sherman Oaks. Atari allegedly used multiple companies under his control to send checks and electronic bank transfers to Yaniv Gohar in exchange for Yaniv Gohar and Orel Gohar paying his San Francisco area employees in cash that was derived from the gambling business.
Atari is also charged with two counts of witness tampering for allegedly attempting to corruptly persuade two of his employees to lie to the FBI about issues related to the money laundering investigation. Raz Razla, 48, of Sherman Oaks, is charged with making false statements to the grand jury for his statements that he only learned of the charges against Yaniv Gohar in February 2018, when in fact he allegedly knew of those charges in December 2017. Finally, Yaniv Gohar and Orel Gohar are charged with failing to appear at court hearings in January 2018 after having been released from custody after their arraignment on the original indictment.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice – Bureau of Gambling Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Yelovich and Miriam R. Hinman are prosecuting the case.
Yaniv Gohar and Orel Gohar fled the United States upon their release in December 2017 and remain at large. Atari was arrested on September 1, 2018, at Los Angeles International Airport, and has been detained pending his appearance in Sacramento. Shani was arrested in San Francisco Monday and ordered detained pending his appearance in Sacramento. Dadon and Razla have their initial court appearances today in Los Angeles.
If convicted, Yaniv Gohar, Orel Gohar, and Buhbut face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the gambling offense. For the money laundering conspiracies, Dadon, Shani, Yaniv Gohar, Orel Gohar, and Atari face a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved, whichever is greater. For each count of witness tampering, Atari faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Finally, Raz Razla faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the false declarations before a grand jury charge, and Yaniv Gohar and Orel Gohar face the same maximum penalties for their respective failures to appear. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Broker” Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Bribing DMV Employees to Alter Records so Unqualified Drivers Could Receive Commercial Driver LicensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Damanpreet Singh, 33, of Los Angeles, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to two years in prison for conspiring to commit bribery, identity fraud and unauthorized access of a computer, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between April 2016 and July 2017, Singh conspired with two DMV employees, Lisa Terraciano and Aaron Gilliam, who, in exchange for bribe payments, would alter DMV records to fraudulently show that individuals had passed DMV tests needed to obtain commercial licenses, which the applicants had not taken or passed. At least 60 individuals’ DMV records were fraudulently updated as a result of Damanpreet Singh’s conspiracy with the DMV employees. Singh received approximately $90,000 for his role in the conspiracy, some of which he in turn paid to the corrupt DMV employees.
Terraciano and Gilliam have pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bribery, identity fraud and unauthorized access of a computer and are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on October 5, 2018.
This case is part of a series of ongoing investigations by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Office of Internal Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd A. Pickles and Rosanne L. Rust are prosecuting the cases.
Sixteen MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for Assault and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury in Fresno returned a five-count indictment Thursday against 16 members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California announced.
The defendants are charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering (two counts); conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana; and being an alien in possession of a firearm (two counts). The defendants are:
- Denis Barrera-Palma, 24, of Mendota, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (a pipe) and drug conspiracy;
- Mario Alexander Garcia, 31, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Francisco Lizano, 24, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy and alien in possession of a firearm;
- Jefferson Guevara, 19, of Los Angeles, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Ever Membreno, 18, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Edgar Torres-Amador, 21, of Mendota, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (a pipe);
- Lorenzo Amador, 20, of Mendota, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (a stabbing instrument) and drug conspiracy;
- Jose Wilson Navarette-Mendez, 21, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Denis Alfaro-Torres, 22, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Santos Bonilla, 26, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Henry Bonilla, 18, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Marvin Villegas-Segovia, 21, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Christian Hidalgo, 21, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Brenda Yajaria Morales, 25 of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy and alien in possession of a firearm;
- Claudia Lizaola, 39, of San Bernardino, charged with drug conspiracy; and
- Oscar Reyes, 29, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy.
According to court documents, the defendants were members of MS-13 operating in Mendota and Los Angeles. MS-13 is a violent criminal street gang that engages in racketeering activity, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking. Its members span the nation and are active internationally as well. The charges allege that in May 2018, Denis Barrera-Palma and Edgar Torres-Amador assaulted another individual with a dangerous weapon in furtherance of MS-13 and in order to gain entrance to, or maintain or increase their status within, MS-13. They further allege that in August 2018, Lorenzo Amador assaulted another individual with a dangerous weapon in furtherance of MS-13 and in order to gain entrance to, or maintain or increase his status within, MS-13. The charges also allege that all defendants, except Amador-Torres, engaged in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana.
These charges follow initial charges filed via complaint in August 2018, after which most of the defendants were arrested on August 30. As set forth in the complaint, MS-13 allegedly engaged in street level drug sales to fund the gang’s various criminal activities. The gang allegedly would acquire drugs, parse them out among members with a directive that they sell the drugs within a certain period of time and return all proceeds to the gang. Those proceeds would then allegedly be used for a variety of purposes, including funding trips to obtain drugs or commit acts of violence, putting money on the books of incarcerated MS-13 members, sending money to MS-13 members in El Salvador, and obtaining more narcotics to sell. Among the alleged assaults gang members engaged in were the May 2018 pipe attack in front of an elementary school in Mendota and an August 12 stabbing in Mendota. Both events involved MS‑13 members assaulting individuals believed to be members of a rival gang to MS-13.
A number of the defendants are also facing charges in Fresno County Superior Court, including Denis Barrera-Palma and Ever Membreno, who are charged with conspiracy to commit murder with a gang enhancement.
The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). The CHP Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol that provides statewide enforcement to combat violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers. Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson, Angela Scott, Kathleen Servatius and Kimberly Sanchez are prosecuting this and related cases. Senior Fresno County Deputy District Attorney Dennis Lewis is prosecuting related cases in Fresno County Superior Court.
All defendants, except Lorenzo Amador are in custody. Amador is at large and a warrant for his arrest is outstanding. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
West Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Zaid Bader Jacob, 49, of West Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between January and April 2015, Jacob used a computer to receive files depicting child pornography. Jacob was identified by law enforcement after they identified an IP address at Jacob’s residence that was making child pornography available over the internet via a peer-to-peer file sharing program.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.
Jacob is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on November 29, 2018. Jacob faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Sacramento Woman Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison for Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Denna Chambers, aka Denna Rice, 36, of Sacramento, formerly of Fairfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to three years and one month in prison for a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between approximately January 2011 and June 2013, Chambers and co-defendant Starsheka Mixon, 35, of Pinole, conspired together and with others to fraudulently obtain tax refunds by filing false tax returns in the names of other people with the Internal Revenue Service. The tax returns included false statements about the taxpayers’ income, dependents, and occupations in order to obtain refunds and tax credits to which the taxpayers were not entitled, including the Earned Income Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit. Some of the fraudulent tax returns used the name and personal information of individuals without their knowledge or consent.
The fraudulently obtained refunds were typically placed on prepaid debit cards controlled by Chambers, Mixon, or their associates. In their respective plea agreements in February 2018, Chambers and Mixon both admitted that in all, approximately 174 false federal income tax returns were filed seeking over $880,000 in tax refunds, of which approximately $477,348 was paid out by the IRS.
Judge England also ordered Chambers to serve two years of supervised release. She was ordered to self-surrender on November 29, 2018, to begin serving her sentence. Co-defendant Mixon was previously sentenced on August 9, 2018, to three years and one month in prison.
This case was the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger prosecuted the case.
For 2018, the IRS, the states, and the private-sector tax industry are working together to identify and apply safeguards to better protect taxpayers and fight identity theft. You can find identity theft prevention and detection tips as well as victim assistance at: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-protection.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison for Advertising Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mark A. Richards, 49, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to 17 years and six months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for advertising child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in January 2018, Richards made child pornography available over a peer-to-peer file sharing network and provided passwords to undercover officers who asked him for access to his files. On two occasions, January 7, 2018, and January 11, 2018, those undercover officers in locations outside California obtained child pornography from Richards.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Morris prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Recent Prosecutions of Firearm Offenses in Sacramento AreaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced the following cases involving illegal firearms offenses.
Kenneth Bryant, 27, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to dealing firearms without a license and illegally possessing a machine gun. According to court documents, Bryant met with an undercover agent and two confidential sources on 17 occasions between September 12, 2017, and December 8, 2017, and sold them a variety of firearms, including a fully automatic machine gun, several AR-15-type rifles and pistol, and handguns. In all, Bryant sold investigators 46 firearms, many of which lacked a serial number or other identifying markings. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on January 3, 2019.
Christopher Alexander Kemp, 29, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr., to seven years in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. In April 2018, Kemp pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon.
These two cases are the product of an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with special assistance from the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office’s Gangs, Hate Crimes, and Narcotics unit.
John Allan Trotter, 36, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, Trotter was arrested after leading Sacramento County Sheriff’s detectives on a high speed chase. Trotter crashed his car and ran from law enforcement officers before being apprehended. Trotter had a loaded gun, methamphetamine, and a scale in his car at the time of the crash. Trotter is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on January 10, 2019. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Quinn Hochhalter is prosecuting the case.
Christopher Dyer, 34, of Rancho Cordova, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a gun. According to court documents, on May 3, 2018, sheriff’s deputies pulled alongside a pickup truck in which Christopher Dyer was the passenger. As soon as Dyer saw the deputies, he took a handgun from his lap and placed it in the back seat. The deputies recovered a Glock 23 handgun with seven live rounds in the magazine during a subsequent search. A records check revealed that the gun was stolen. Dyer is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Dyer is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on December 13, 2018. This case is the product of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rancho Cordova Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Spencer is prosecuting the case.
A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Dustin Joseph Albini, 35, of West Sacramento, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. In May of this year, Albini was charged in a separate indictment (2:18-cr-101 JAM) with assaulting a Bureau of Land Management law enforcement officer who was in the course of performing his official duties on July 8, 2015, in Modoc County. That case is pending. The current indictment charges Albini with possessing two firearms, a loaded .45-caliber Colt MK IV handgun and a loaded .40-caliber Glock 27 handgun. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip Ferrari and Matthew Thuesen are prosecuting the case.
The charges against Albini are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The maximum statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm or for illegal possession of a machine gun is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for dealing firearms without a license is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The statutory penalty for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense is a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Executive Director of Fairfield Nonprofit Pleads Guilty to Embezzling DOJ Funds Intended for Domestic Violence Victims and Altering Records to Thwart a Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Claudia Humphrey, 62, of American Canyon, pleaded guilty today to theft of public money and falsifying records in a federal investigation, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Humphrey was the executive director of LIFT3 Support Group Inc., a non-profit organization in Fairfield that offered transitional shelter assistance and other services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence, primarily serving residents in Solano County. Humphrey, through LIFT3, sought and received federal grants from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in 2011 and 2012. Humphrey caused to be transferred over $270,000 in grant money that was to be used only for assisting victims of domestic violence into her own bank accounts, and she used over $50,000 of the funds on personal expenses such as travel, shopping, and payments to her family members, among other things.
According to court documents, between October 2014 and August 2015, in an effort to conceal her embezzlement of federal funds, Humphrey obstructed the efforts of the OVW audit of LIFT3. Humphrey falsified purchase documents showing that computers were purchased, and she altered and falsified expense ledgers and time sheets.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles is prosecuting the case.
Humphrey is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on January 3, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. Humphrey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for theft of public money, and 20 years in prison for falsifying a record in a federal investigation. Additionally, Humphrey faces a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross loss or gain. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins with Community Partners Host a Daylong Opioid Awareness SummitRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has teamed up with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society, the Sacramento County Opioid Coalition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Sacramento State University, to host a daylong conference focused on finding and implementing solutions to the opioid and narcotics epidemic.
U.S. Attorney Scott stated: “Today’s Opioid Awareness Summit brings educators, treatment professionals and law enforcement together to address one of the most urgent law enforcement and public health challenges facing our country today. Law enforcement’s efforts to remove illicit drugs from our streets are insufficient on their own; we need the help of all our partners. This summit highlights the our office’s ongoing commitment to working together to erase the menace of drug addiction and overdose deaths from our communities and to ensure a brighter future for all Americans.”
“DEA is committed to ending the opioid crisis occurring in our communities and preventing prescription drug misuse,” said DEA Assistant Administrator John Martin. “This summit presents a unique opportunity for government agencies and community partners to come together to discuss solutions to this complex issue and work together to reduce the illegal use and sale of opioids across the country.”
“The Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society provides ongoing safe prescribing education to physicians, encourages complimentary methods of pain management as appropriate, and works proactively to increase access to naloxone. We are proud to sponsor and participate in the important educational event,” said Aileen E Wetzel, CEO, SSVMS.
Sacramento State’s Pharmacist in Charge Janet Dumonchelle stated: “Sac State is proud to be part of this historic collaborative effort to educate and to call to action our Sacramento community and government partners in combating this epidemic. We will not be able to solve this epidemic today, but we can solve it together.”
“The opioid epidemic is a serious and challenging public health problem,” said Dr. Olivia Kasirye, Sacramento County Public Health Officer. “In 2016 when Sacramento County faced a crisis with counterfeit fentanyl pills being sold on the street, it took a collaborative effort including Public Health, the hospitals and medical community, law enforcement and service providers to end that crisis; we need to sustain that collaborative effort as a community to turn the tide on the opioid epidemic.”
Wednesday’s agenda focuses on three aspects: law enforcement efforts, treatment, and prevention solutions. During the first part of the day, the U.S. Attorney and Drug Enforcement Administration officials will discuss national and local trends, U.S. Department of Justice policy, and current enforcement efforts aimed at reducing the illegal use and sale of opioids in our communities.
Drawing on his extensive experience as a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, and more recently his service as the Assistant Administrator of the Diversion Control Division of the DEA, John Martin will outline the scope of the national opioid epidemic, with particular attention to heroin, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. He will discuss in detail the DEA’s coordinated law enforcement response to the crisis, including both clandestine and diverted opioid supply chains and other DEA efforts.
During the second half of the day, physicians will discuss safer prescribing practices, complementary pain management techniques, and medication-assisted treatment programs. Industry experts will cover best practices for the treatment and prevention of opioid abuse. Edward Heidig, Regional Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will speak about the U.S. Health and Human Services’ policy priorities in the area of opioid abuse and prevention.
Stanislaus County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Adam Alan Henry, 39, of Turlock, today to 20 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation offenses, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
During the supervised release, Henry will be required to register as a sex offender, and his access to minors, the internet, and computers will be restricted. He was also ordered to pay $2,500 and $500 in restitution to two victims whose images Henry obtained.
On November 17, 2017, a federal jury in Fresno found Henry guilty of conspiring to sexually exploit a minor and receiving child pornography. According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, from May 2012 until September 19, 2013, Henry conspired with another person to create video and still images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. From 2007 through September 2013, Henry used a file-sharing program to receive child pornography.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Ceres Police Department with assistance from Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David L. Gappa and Ross Pearson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Sacramento Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shonda Mayshack, 42, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in April 2000, the Social Security Administration (SSA) began paying disability benefits to Mayshack’s grandmother. When the grandmother died in May 2001, Mayshack did not report it to SSA, and SSA continued to mail benefit checks to the grandmother’s address where Mayshack lived. Between May 2001 and February 2017, Mayshack stole approximately $247,933 of her grandmother’s Social Security benefits for her own use, knowing that she was not entitled to the benefits. For example, she fraudulently endorsed her grandmother’s signature on the back of benefit checks and cashed or deposited them into her own bank account. She also called SSA and posed as her grandmother to update her address so that SSA would continue sending the benefits.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General Social Security Administration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.
Mayshack is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on November 26, 2018. Mayshack faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Stockton Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of a ChildRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Ricky Lee Richardson Jr., 42, of Stockton, was sentenced today my U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 11 years and three months in prison for sex trafficking of a child, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in November 2011, Richardson recruited a minor victim to engage in sex acts for money. Between December 2011 and March 2012, Richardson caused the then 16-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex acts in Stockton and elsewhere in Northern California. Richardson arranged for photos to be taken of the victim and he posted prostitution advertisements on the internet that contained nude photos of the victim. Richardson drove the victim to motels and gave her false identification cards that she used to rent rooms for the prostitution activity. Richardson took the money that the victim obtained from that activity.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Stockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Sacramento Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Toni Teresi, 75, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Teresi’s mother received divorced-spouse Social Security benefits following the ex-husband’s death in 1963. Teresi and her mother held a joint bank account where the Social Security Administration (SSA) deposited the mother’s monthly benefits. The mother was entitled to these benefits until her death on February 24, 1987. Teresi did not report her mother’s death to SSA, and SSA continued to deposit the mother’s benefit funds to the joint account from February 1987 to March 2014. Over this 27-year period, SSA paid approximately $247,236 to the joint account. During this period, Teresi stole the Social Security benefits for her own use, knowing that she was not entitled to the benefits.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.
Teresi is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on December 13, 2018. Teresi faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
U.S. Attorney Recognizes Fresno County District Attorney’s Office and Bakersfield Police Detective’s Contributions to the Mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott is pleased to announce two winners of the Eastern District of California Law Enforcement Awards, recognizing the outstanding professionalism and dedicated public service of our local and state law enforcement partners. These awards, presented annually to a law enforcement agency and an officer in each of the Sacramento and Fresno divisions of the Eastern District of California, recognize outstanding collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement in addressing public safety issues in this region.
The winner of the Fresno division’s Outstanding Investigator Award is Detective Robert Pair of the Bakersfield Police Department for his outstanding work as case agent for Operation Blind Mice, a multi-agency investigation into Bakersfield’s West Side Crips gang. Detective Pair was instrumental in obtaining federal indictments against 11 West Side Crips members or associates as well as state charges against approximately 30 individuals for crimes ranging from burglary to murder. He helped draft wire applications, monitored wires, and conducted associated investigations. As a member of the Bakersfield Police Department’s gang squad, Detective Pair brought an extensive knowledge of the West Side Crips gang to the investigation that the other investigators relied upon repeatedly.
The winner of the Fresno division’s Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency Award is the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office for its contributions to law enforcement in the Central Valley. In recent years, that office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have worked together closely as partners to tackle the violent gang problem in Fresno County, including MS-13, as well as on other major cases and outreach efforts. Not only is the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office a reliable partner in Project Safe Neighborhood, a national program to reduce violent crime, it has been an effective partner in investigating and prosecuting child pornography and sexual exploitation cases.
U.S. Attorney Scott stated, “Both winners of this year’s award have demonstrated a deep commitment to collaborating with our office and other federal, state and local partners to work toward the mutual goal of public safety. Detective Pair’s tireless work has made Bakersfield a safer place for its residents. The open lines of communication between our office and the District Attorney’s Office have ensured that our violent-crime fighting efforts are maximized. We are grateful to their continued partnership in our joint effort to make Fresno County a safer place to live.”
Vallejo Defendant Pleads Guilty in Multimillion Dollar Mortgage and Foreclosure Rescue Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Zalathiel Aguila, 45, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty last Friday to conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from September 2004 through February 2008, Aguila and co-conspirators Sergio Roman Barrientos and Omar Anabo operated an entity named Capital Access LLC, in Vallejo. Capital Access preyed on homeowners nearing foreclosure, convinced them to sign away title in their homes, spent any equity those homeowners had saved, and used straw buyers to defraud federally insured financial institutions out of millions of dollars in home loans obtained under false pretenses. The equity stripped from the properties was then used for operational expenses of the scheme and personal expenses of the conspirators. Vulnerable homeowners across California lost their homes and savings as a result of the scheme, and lenders lost an estimated $10.47 million from the fraud.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Yelovich and Todd A. Pickles are prosecuting the case.
Barrientos and Anabo are scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2018, and April 26, 2019, respectively.
Aguila is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on November 16, 2018. Aguila faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Turlock Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Trafficking Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Edward Paul Cragg, 38, of Turlock, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to 20 years in prison for one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
The prison term will be followed by 10 years of supervised release during which Cragg will be required to register as a sex offender, and his access to minors, computers, and the internet will be restricted. Cragg was also ordered to pay $3,000 to $5,000 in restitution to multiple victims whose images Cragg obtained and made available to others.
Evidence introduced at trial established that from approximately August 1, 2015, through March 1, 2016, Cragg used a file-sharing program to search for and save more than 130 child pornography videos. Some of the videos depicted images of infants or toddlers being subjected to sadistic or masochistic abuse.
In sentencing Cragg, Judge O’Neill found that Cragg had completely failed to acknowledge what he had done was wrong or criminal and described the defendant’s conduct as “beyond destructive” to the victims whose images were involved in the offense.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Turlock Police Department with assistance from the Ceres Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Gappa and Ross Pearson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Over 20 MS-13 Gang Members Arrested in California for Assault and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
As part of a multi-agency operation, more than 20 individuals associated with Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) were arrested in Mendota and Los Angeles, California on federal and state charges in connection with their gang activities, including assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additionally, two federal indictments were unsealed today: one charging two MS-13 members with kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering and another charging three MS-13 gang members with conspiracy and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.
The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, and Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for northern California and northern Nevada.
The investigation leading to yesterday’s arrests began following reports that MS-13 had established a presence in Fresno County, California. The investigation centered in and around the City of Mendota, a Central Valley town 35 miles west of Fresno. Investigators found evidence of broad criminal activity, including murder, assault, firearms possession and drug trafficking activity.
“MS-13 is a brutal transnational criminal organization that has wreaked havoc in communities across the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The gang engages in indiscriminate and senseless acts of violence, as demonstrated by the charges announced today, which allege murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking in the State of California. Dismantling MS-13 and other violent gangs that terrorize our streets will remain a top priority of the Department of Justice. Today’s announcement is the result of comprehensive and coordinated federal, state, and local law enforcement action, and I commend the Eastern District of California and all of our partners for their hard work on this case. It is precisely this kind of coordinated effort that allows us to most effectively protect our communities and hold MS-13 members accountable for their heinous crimes.”
“The operation leading to today’s arrests reflects the incredible teamwork between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and our shared commitment to keeping our communities safe from violent criminal gangs like MS-13, said U.S. Attorney Scott. “This investigation had a strong impact not only in Fresno County, but across the state and country as we were able to provide information and leads to law enforcement in Los Angeles, Nevada, Texas, New York, and elsewhere to help prevent and solve serious crimes, including murder. Criminal enterprises like MS-13 will not be tolerated in any of our towns, no matter how small.”
“Global criminal organizations like the MS-13 strike fear into our local communities here in the United States by committing violent and often brutal crimes in our backyards; but by all levels of law enforcement working together, their vicious and dangerous acts will not go unpunished,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Spradlin. “While transnational gangs may have tentacles that reach globally, Homeland Security Investigations does as well and is well‑equipped to intercept these threats to our national security.”
“The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating and disrupting gang activity,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Ragan. “Through the Safe Streets Task Force and the Transnational Anti-Gang Initiative, the FBI leverages resources to target MS-13--the first and only street gang to be designated by the U.S. government as a transnational criminal organization--by focusing on the gang’s structure and leadership. To ensure success, the FBI it committed to working in close cooperation with federal, state, local and foreign law enforcements partners to coordinate operations and share information.”
The first federal charges filed as a result of the investigation were filed in January but were not unsealed until today. That indictment alleges that on Dec. 18, 2017, two MS-13 gang members operating out of Mendota – Israel Rivas Gomez and John Doe, aka, “Marcos Castro,” “Seco,” “Calakas,” and “Flaco,” – kidnapped and murdered a man in Fresno County in furtherance of MS-13’s criminal gang enterprise. Another indictment filed in April and unsealed today alleges that on May 5, 2017, Luis Reynaldo Reyes Castillo, aka “Molesto,” Jose Audon Reyes Barrera, aka “Calacas,” and Nilson Israel Reyes Mendoza, committed an assault with dangerous weapons for the purpose of maintaining MS-13’s presence in the community and to gain status within MS-13.
Several other MS-13 gang members were arrested yesterday based on a complaint filed this week and unsealed today. The complaint charges 16 individuals affiliated with MS-13 in Fresno County with various crimes, including two separate, gang-related assaults and drug trafficking activity to support the gang’s activity. Those documents allege that on Aug. 12, Lorenzo Amador, aka Catracho, along with two others, stabbed a rival gang member in the back at an intersection in Mendota. The victim was transported to the hospital, underwent surgery, and survived. Court documents also allege that on May 14, Denis Barrera-Palma, aka Gunner, Ever Membreno, aka Canecho, and Edgar Torres-Amador, participated in a gang-related assault of a man walking near an elementary school, which ended after school employees arrived on the scene while one gang member beat the victim with a metal pipe.
Additionally, the complaint alleges that between May 2017 and August 2018, 16 members of the MS-13 enterprise participated in a drug trafficking conspiracy in both Fresno County and Los Angeles. These defendants allegedly obtained, sold, and profited from street level drug dealing, and used the proceeds to further MS-13’s criminal objectives.
As part of this operation, 19 federal and four state search warrants were served in Mendota, Kerman, and Los Angeles. Additionally, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation conducted searches of 37 cells in 11 state prisons in California on individuals related to this investigation. Among the items seized were cellphones, drugs and weapons.
Amongst the 21 charged federally include:
- Henry Castro aka “Marcos,” 20, of Mendota, is charged with kidnapping and murder;
- Israel Rivas Gomez, aka “Pirra,” 23, of Mendota, is charged with kidnapping and murder;
- Ever Membreno, aka, “Canecho,” 18, of Mendota, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon – a pipe and drug conspiracy;
- Edgar Torres-Amador, 21, of Mendota, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon – a pipe;
- Lorenzo Amador, aka, “Catracho,” 20, of Mendota, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon – a stabbing instrument and drug conspiracy;
- Denis Barrera-Palma, aka “Gunner,” 24, of Mendota, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon – a pipe and drug conspiracy;
- Luis Reyes, aka Molesto, 24, of Mendota, is charged with conspiracy to commit and commission of assault with a dangerous weapon;
- Jose Audon Reyes-Barrera, 21, of Mendota, is charged with conspiracy to commit and commission of assault with a dangerous weapon;
- Nelson Hernandez, 20, of Mendota, is charged with conspiracy to commit and commission of assault with a dangerous weapon;
- Mario Garcia-Villanueva, aka “Ton,” 31, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Francisco Lizano, aka, “Javi,” and “Activo,” 24, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Jefferson Guevara, aka “Chino,” 19, of Los Angeles, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Jose Wilson Navarette-Mendez, aka “Wilson,” 21, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Denis Alfaro-Torres, aka Payin, 22, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Santos Bonilla, aka Cuervo, 26, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Henry Bonilla, aka “Repollo” and “Repollin,” 18, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Marvin Villegas-Segovia, aka, “Chaparro,” 21, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Christian Hidalgo, aka “Guero,” “Hero,” “Werito,” and “White Boy, “21, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Brenda Yajaira Morales, aka “Yari,” 25, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy;
- Claudia Lizaola, aka “Maniaka,” 39, of San Bernardino, is charged with drug conspiracy; and
- Oscar Reyes, aka “Tamagas,” 29, of Mendota, is charged with drug conspiracy.
Six additional MS-13 members were charged with state crimes.
The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the FBI, HSI, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). The CHP Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol that provides statewide enforcement to combat violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers.
Assisting in the arrests were the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Clovis Police Department.
Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section of the Justice Department, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez, Kathleen A. Servatius, Ross Pearson and Angela Scott of the Eastern District of California and Senior Deputy District Attorney Dennis Lewis are handling the prosecutions.
The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
25 Ms-13 Gang Members Arrested in Mendota and Los Angeles for Assault and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Murder, Kidnapping, and Assault Indictments Against MS-13 Members also Unsealed
FRESNO, Calif. — As part of a multi-agency operation, 25 individuals associated with Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) were arrested in California on federal and state charges in connection with their gang activities, including assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additionally, two federal indictments were unsealed today: one charging two MS-13 gang members with kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering and another charging three MS-13 gang members with conspiracy and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Brian Benczkowski, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, and Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.
The investigation leading to today’s arrests began after reports that MS-13 had established a presence in Fresno County. The investigation centered in and around the City of Mendota, a Central Valley town 35 miles west of Fresno. Investigators found evidence of broad criminal activity, including murder, assault, firearms possession and drug trafficking activity.
“MS-13 is a brutal transnational criminal organization that has wreaked havoc in communities across the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The gang engages in indiscriminate and senseless acts of violence, as demonstrated by the charges announced today, which allege murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking in the State of California. Dismantling MS-13 and other violent gangs that terrorize our streets will remain a top priority of the Department of Justice. Today’s announcement is the result of comprehensive and coordinated federal, state, and local law enforcement action, and I commend the Eastern District of California and all of our partners for their hard work on this case. It is precisely this kind of coordinated effort that allows us to most effectively protect our communities and hold MS-13 members accountable for their heinous crimes.”
U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott stated, “The operation leading to today’s arrests reflects the incredible teamwork between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and our shared commitment to keeping our communities safe from violent criminal gangs like MS-13. This investigation had a strong impact not only in Fresno County, but across the state and country as we were able to provide information and leads to law enforcement in Los Angeles, Nevada, Texas, New York, and elsewhere to help prevent and solve serious crimes, including murder. Criminal enterprises like MS-13 will not be tolerated in any of our towns, no matter how small.”
“When you terrorize communities, you must pay the price,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Today’s announced operation will lead to the vigorous prosecution and, I believe, conviction of violent criminal gang members. Operation Blue Inferno is a successful display of the dedication and hard work of our combined law enforcement personnel. We will continue working alongside our federal and local law enforcement partners to ensure safety and security for every California family.”
Fresno County District Attorney Smittcamp stated: “Operation Blue Inferno is an example of what happens when law enforcement agencies from the federal, state and local levels work together to eradicate criminal street gangs. MS 13’s cell in Fresno County is now destroyed, and we will continue to work together to keep them out of our communities. The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office is proud to have been an essential part of Operation Blue Inferno and is grateful to all our law enforcement partners who made these arrests possible.”
Fresno County Sheriff Mims stated: “This multi-agency operation will result in the disruption of MS-13 activity across the Nation. I appreciate the cooperation of all agencies involved to work together to help dismantle this extremely violent transnational gang. I am confident that our work will restore a stronger sense of safety for people living in the communities these gang members have been terrorizing.”
“The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating and disrupting gang activity. Through the Safe Streets Task Force and the Transnational Anti-Gang Initiative, the FBI leverages resources to target MS-13 — the first and only street gang to be designated by the United States government as a transnational criminal organization — by focusing on the gang’s structure and leadership,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “To ensure success, the FBI it committed to working in close cooperation with federal, state, local and foreign law enforcements partners to coordinate operations and share information.”
“Global criminal organizations like the MS-13 strike fear into our local communities here in the United States by committing violent and often brutal crimes in our backyards; but by all levels of law enforcement working together, their vicious and dangerous acts will not go unpunished,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, HSI Special Agent in Charge for northern California and northern Nevada. “While transnational gangs may have tentacles that reach globally, Homeland Security Investigations does as well and is well‑equipped to intercept these threats to our national security.”
The first federal charges filed as a result of the investigation were filed in January but were not unsealed until now. That indictment alleges that on December 18, 2017, two MS-13 gang members operating out of Mendota – Israel Rivas Gomez and John Doe (aka Marcos Castro) – kidnapped and murdered a man in Fresno County in furtherance of MS-13’s criminal gang enterprise. Another indictment filed in April and unsealed now alleges that on May 5, 2017, Luis Reynaldo Reyes Castillo and Nilson Israel Reyes Mendoza committed an assault with dangerous weapons for the purpose of maintaining MS-13’s presence in the community and to gain status within MS-13.
Several other MS-13 gang members were arrested today based on a complaint filed this week. The complaint charges 16 individuals affiliated with MS-13 in Fresno County with various crimes, including two separate, gang-related assaults and drug trafficking activity to support the gang’s activity. Those documents allege that on August 12, 2018, Lorenzo Amador, along with two others, stabbed a rival gang member in the back at an intersection in Mendota. The victim was transported to the hospital, underwent surgery, and survived. Court documents also allege that on May 14, 2018, Denis Barrera-Palma, Ever Membreno, and Edgar Torres-Amador participated in a gang-related assault of a man walking near an elementary school, in which one gang member beat the victim with a metal pipe.
Additionally, the complaint alleges that between May 2017 and August 2018, 16 members of the MS-13 enterprise participated in a drug trafficking conspiracy in both Fresno County and Los Angeles. These defendants allegedly obtained, sold, and profited from street‑level drug dealing, and used the proceeds to further MS-13’s criminal objectives.
As part of this operation, 19 federal and four state search warrants were served in Mendota, Kerman, and Los Angeles. Guns, knives, and machetes were found and seized as a result of these searches. Additionally, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation conducted searches of 37 cells in 11 state prisons in California on individuals related to this investigation. Among the items seized in the prisons were cellphones, drugs and weapons.
The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). The CHP Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol that provides statewide enforcement to combat violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers.
Assisting in the arrests were the U.S. Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Clovis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez, Kathleen A. Servatius, Ross Pearson, Angela Scott; Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey from the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Organized Crime and Gang Section; and Fresno County Senior Deputy District Attorney Dennis Lewis are handling the prosecutions.
The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Armed Mexican National Indicted for Marijuana Cultivation Operation in National ForestRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Marco Lizandro Duarte-Beltran, aka Marco Antonio Duarte-Beltran, 32, an undocumented alien from Mexico, charging him with conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, manufacturing marijuana, damaging public lands and natural resources, being an alien in possession of firearms, and being a previously deported alien found in the United States, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers located 1,865 marijuana plants in the Millwood Creek area of the Sequoia National Forest after a two-month investigation. Duarte-Beltran was apprehended at the marijuana cultivation site. He was armed with a loaded revolver and had access to a loaded rifle at his campsite where he was living while growing the marijuana.
The marijuana cultivation operation caused significant damage to the land and natural resources. Native vegetation and tree limbs had been cut and thinned out to make room for the plants. Three areas had been terraced for the campsite. Water had been diverted from a water source on federal land to irrigate the plants. Throughout the grow site, law enforcement officers found irrigation tubing, trash, seed trays, seed pots, fertilizers, and pesticides.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), California National Guard, Fresno Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the drug conspiracy and manufacturing offense, Duarte-Beltran faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison, as well as a $10 million fine. The environmental, firearms, and immigration crimes all carry a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. In addition, Duarte-Beltran may be liable for restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for damage sustained to the land and natural resources as a result of the cultivation activities. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Federal, State and Local Leaders and Experts Announce Results of Forest Watch, a Public Lands Marijuana Grow Eradication and Reclamation ProjectRead the Press Release
Today, federal, state, and local leaders joined with experts to announce the results of Operation Forest Watch, a coordinated effort to address the devastating damage done to our national forests by illegal, public-land marijuana grows. This months-long effort, led by U.S. Forest Service and joined by various federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the California National Guard, focused on the eradication of marijuana grows on public lands and sought to remediate the environmental damage caused by such activity.
Making the announcement today were Acting Associate U.S. Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the U.S. Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, U.S.D.A. Forest Service Chief Forester Vicki Christiansen, U.S.D.A. Director of Law Enforcement and Investigations Tracy Perry, U.S.D.A. Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore, Integral Ecology Research Center Director Mourad Gabriel, Bureau of Land Management California State Director Jerry Perez, Major General Matthew P. Beevers Deputy Adjutant General of the California Military Department, California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force Commander and Coordinator Colonel Robert Paoletti, and Bill Ruzzamenti of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.
“Marijuana cultivation on our nation’s public lands is unlawful and is causing significant harm to communities across the West,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “The clear evidence shows that this dangerous activity is polluting our streams and rivers with toxic pesticides, harming protected fish and wildlife, and endangering the health and safety of the American people who otherwise look to our national forests and national parks for recreation and conservation. The Justice Department, including our Environment and Natural Resources Division, is providing full support to fighting this illegality, in close cooperation with other federal, state, and local partners. By joining together to oppose the illegal growth of marijuana on public lands, we are working to enforce the rule of law in our conservation areas and to protect the environment and natural resources upon which we all depend.”
“Large-scale, clandestine illegal marijuana grows pose a serious threat to our national forests and public lands,” said U.S. Attorney Scott. “Those who plant and tend the marijuana grows leave a path of destruction: clearcutting vast amounts of timber, diverting thousands of gallons of water, and using deadly and illegal pesticides that seep into the ground and harm wildlife. These types of grows are illegal under any law, and the destruction of our shared national treasures in its cultivation will not be tolerated. We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to working with all of our law enforcement and community partners to fight this ongoing threat to our public lands.”
“This joint law enforcement operation underscores that we will not tolerate illegal cannabis operations harming our communities and damaging our public lands,” said California Attorney General Becerra.
“The USDA Forest Service aggressively strives to address marijuana cultivation on National Forests, an illegal occupancy and use of National Forest System lands,” said Regional Forester Randy Moore. “Marijuana growers endanger our visitors, employees and nearby communities. The Forest Service is committed in this joint effort to eradicate, reclaim and rehabilitate our public lands to preserve our natural resources for current and future generations to enjoy.”
“The environmental deprivation caused by criminal organizations to our public lands should be intolerable for everyone,” said Bill Ruzzamenti of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). “Bringing law enforcement from across the spectrum of local, state and federal agencies together in Operation Forest Watch is a testament to our combined resolve to protect our pristine public lands for the future.”
“The California National Guard has been a key partner with many local, state and federal agencies over the last quarter-century, combatting illegal marijuana grows on public lands with federal funds,” said Major General Beevers. “This combined effort and support helps protect the environment while adding safety to our communities."
“This year’s unprecedented use of illegal pesticides on federal lands is deeply alarming to the scientific community on both the environmental and human health fronts,” said Director Gabriel.
Sheriffs from the California counties involved in Operation Forest Watch also joined the announcements: Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, Madera County Sheriff Jay Varney, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon E. Lopey, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Hencratt, Trinity County Sheriff Bruce Haney, and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
Operation Forest Watch officially began on October 1, 2017, and will end September 30, 2018. So far, over 80 investigations have been conducted on suspected and active marijuana cultivation on federal public lands. U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers and federal, state and local counterparts have conducted interdiction, eradication and reclamation efforts to restore public lands back to normal. Over 118,000 pounds of infrastructure and trash and over 20,000 pounds of fertilizer, pesticides and chemicals were removed in eradication and reclamation efforts.
Grow sites were found with both aerial and ground reconnaissance. Numerous warrants were served, resulting in the arrest of over 77 people and the seizure of 82 firearms, approximately 638,370 plants, and 25,334 pounds of processed marijuana and various other drugs. Night interdiction teams in the past week have also been successful in conducting traffic stops and seizing over 10,000 plants, $225,000 in cash, multiple firearms and other illegal drugs.
Much work lies ahead in order to undo the damage caused by these grows. Only 160 grow sites have been reclaimed this year, and from those sites alone over 103,603 pounds of trash were removed along with toxic and illegal pesticides and other chemicals used by the growers. There are 766 sites still left to be reclaimed from various grow sites, some of which date back to 2010.
Eighty-nine percent of sites have been confirmed or strongly suspected to have carbofuran or methamidophos present, up from last year the running total of 75 percent.
Incorporated in the Forest Service results are the results to-date for the California Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), which is the largest marijuana eradication program in the nation. This year CAMP has eliminated 488,502 plants in over 164 illegal growth sites across the state. Agents have made 35 arrests and seized 87 weapons.
Federal, State and Local Leaders and Experts Announce Results of Forest Watch, A Public Lands Marijuana Grow Eradication and Reclamation ProjectRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, federal, state, and local leaders joined with experts to announce the results of Operation Forest Watch, a coordinated effort to address the devastating damage done to our national forests by illegal, public-land marijuana grows. This months-long effort, led by U.S. Forest Service and joined by various federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the California National Guard, focused on the eradication of marijuana grows on public lands and sought to remediate the environmental damage caused by such activity.
Making the announcement today were U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Acting Associate U.S. Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the U.S. Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S.D.A. Forest Service Chief Forester Vicki Christiansen, U.S.D.A. Director of Law Enforcement and Investigations Tracy Perry, U.S.D.A. Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore, Integral Ecology Research Center Director Mourad Gabriel, Bureau of Land Management California State Director Jerry Perez, Major General Matthew P. Beevers Deputy Adjutant General of the California Military Department, California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force Commander and Coordinator Colonel Robert Paoletti, and Bill Ruzzamenti of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.
“Marijuana cultivation on our nation’s public lands is unlawful and is causing significant harm to communities across the West,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “The clear evidence shows that this dangerous activity is polluting our streams and rivers with toxic pesticides, harming protected fish and wildlife, and endangering the health and safety of the American people who otherwise look to our national forests and national parks for recreation and conservation. The Justice Department, including our Environment and Natural Resources Division, is providing full support to fighting this illegality, in close cooperation with other federal, state, and local partners. By joining together to oppose the illegal growth of marijuana on public lands, we are working to enforce the rule of law in our conservation areas and to protect the environment and natural resources upon which we all depend.”
U.S. Attorney Scott stated, “Large-scale, clandestine illegal marijuana grows pose a serious threat to our national forests and public lands. Those who plant and tend the marijuana grows leave a path of destruction: clearcutting vast amounts of timber, diverting thousands of gallons of water, and using deadly and illegal pesticides that seep into the ground and harm wildlife. These types of grows are illegal under any law, and the destruction of our shared national treasures in its cultivation will not be tolerated. We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to working with all of our law enforcement and community partners to fight this ongoing threat to our public lands.”
“This joint law enforcement operation underscores that we will not tolerate illegal cannabis operations harming our communities and damaging our public lands,” said California Attorney General Becerra.
“The USDA Forest Service aggressively strives to address marijuana cultivation on National Forests, an illegal occupancy and use of National Forest System lands,” states Regional Forester Randy Moore. “Marijuana growers endanger our visitors, employees and nearby communities. The Forest Service is committed in this joint effort to eradicate, reclaim and rehabilitate our public lands to preserve our natural resources for current and future generations to enjoy.”
Maj. Gen. Beevers stated: “The California National Guard has been a key partner with many local, state and federal agencies over the last quarter-century, combatting illegal marijuana grows on public lands with federal funds. This combined effort and support helps protect the environment while adding safety to our communities.”
Sheriffs from the California counties involved in Operation Forest Watch also joined the announcements: Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, Madera County Sheriff Jay Varney, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon E. Lopey, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Hencratt, Trinity County Sheriff Bruce Haney, and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
Operation Forest Watch officially began on October 1, 2017, and will end September 30, 2018. So far, over 80 investigations have been conducted on suspected and active marijuana cultivation on federal public lands. US Forest Service law enforcement officers and federal, state and local counterparts have conducted interdiction, eradication and reclamation efforts to restore public lands back to normal. Over 118,000 pounds of infrastructure and trash and over 20,000 pounds of fertilizer, pesticides and chemicals were removed in eradication and reclamation efforts.
Grow sites were found with both aerial and ground reconnaissance. Numerous warrants were served, resulting in the arrest of over 77 people and the seizure of 82 firearms, approximately 638,370 plants, and 25,334 pounds of processed marijuana and various other drugs. Night interdiction teams in the past week have also been successful in conducting traffic stops and seizing over 10,000 plants, $225,000 in cash, multiple firearms and other illegal drugs.
Much work lies ahead in order to undo the damage caused by these grows. Only 160 grow sites have been reclaimed this year, and from those sites alone over 103,603 pounds of trash were removed along with toxic and illegal pesticides and other chemicals used by the growers. There are 766 sites still left to be reclaimed from various grow sites, some of which date back to 2010.
Eighty-nine percent of sites have been confirmed or strongly suspected to have carbofuran or methamidophos present, up from last year the running total of 75 percent.
Dr. Gabriel stated, “This year’s unprecedented use of illegal pesticides on federal lands is deeply alarming to the scientific community on both the environmental and human health fronts.
Bill Ruzzamenti of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) stated, “The environmental deprivation caused by criminal organizations to our public lands should be intolerable for everyone. Bringing law enforcement from across the spectrum of local, state and federal agencies together in Operation Forest Watch is a testament to our combined resolve to protect our pristine public lands for the future.”
Incorporated in the Forest Service results are the results to-date for the California Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), which is the largest marijuana eradication program in the nation. This year CAMP has eliminated 488,502 plants in over 164 illegal growth sites across the state. Agents have made 35 arrests and seized 87 weapons.
Recent Indictments for Illegal Possession of a Firearm for Defendants from Bakersfield and FresnoRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — As part the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced the following recent indictments for previously convicted felons being found in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
On August 23, 2018, James Escandon Jr., 34, of Bakersfield, was charged in an indictment with two-counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Escandon possessed a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver and a Rock Island Armory .45‑caliber handgun. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department.
On June 7, 2018, Marcus Ivey, 35, of Bakersfield, was charged with one-count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Ivey possessed a Heckler & Koch 9 mm pistol. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bakersfield Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie L. Alsworth is prosecuting the above cases.
On August 16, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Felipe Barajas, 23, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, during a traffic stop, a police officer saw two rounds of ammunition in Barajas’s lap. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Couple Charged with Crimes Committed in Vacaville, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, and RocklinRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 17-count indictment Thursday against Cody Patrick Cannon, 30, and Candice Nicole Freitas, 31, both transients, charging them with a scheme involving mail theft, aggravated identity theft, bank fraud, and possessing stolen credit and debit cards and stolen driver’s licenses and passports, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to the indictment, between January 2018 and August 2018, Cannon and Freitas engaged in a scheme in which they used counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys to open apartment complex mailboxes in Vacaville and steal mail. They then harvested personally identifiable information, financial information, and credit and debit cards. They defrauded banks by using the stolen cards to purchase goods and withdraw cash from ATMs in Vacaville, Folsom, Rocklin and Rancho Cordova.
According to court documents, on August 2, 2018, Cannon and Freitas were arrested at their RV parked in a hotel parking lot in Rancho Cordova. They were found to be in possession of stolen mail, checks, multiple stolen and fake California driver’s licenses, at least two passports bearing the names of others, and at least seven counterfeit U.S. Postal Service mail keys.
This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, Folsom Police Department, and Vacaville Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of bank fraud, Cannon and Freitas face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. If convicted of aggravated identity theft, they face a mandatory sentence of two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The maximum sentence for possession of stolen mail is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum sentence for possession of USPS keys and possession of unauthorized access devises is 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. The maximum sentence for unlawful possession of identification documents is 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney and Shasta County District Attorney Join Forces to Warn Against Wildfire-Related Disaster FraudRead the Press Release
REDDING, Calif. — U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie A. Bridgett joined forces today to raise public awareness of the potential for fraud in the wake of the wildfires currently plaguing Northern California. The public is urged to be vigilant in reporting suspected fraudulent activity relating to recovery and cleanup operations, fake charities claiming to provide relief for victims, individuals submitting false claims for disaster relief, and any other disaster fraud related activity.
U.S. Attorney Scott stated: “While most people respond to tragic events like the Carr Fire with compassion and generosity, others take advantage of such disasters to fraudulently enrich themselves. I strongly encourage the public to report any suspected fraudulent activity occurring in the aftermath of our state’s devastating wildfires. With the combined resources of federal and local law enforcement, we will aggressively pursue and prosecute fraud and abuse.”
Shasta County DA Bridgett stated: “Since the day the Carr Fire blew into our community we have been working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure you are not further victimized by fraud. We believe these cases are a priority and will ensure maximum resources are directed to the investigation and prosecution of each offender.”
The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which allows the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud.
Members of the public are reminded to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before trusting anyone purporting to be working on behalf of disaster victims, and to be especially cautious of anyone who contacts you seeking personal identifying information or financial information. Members of the public who suspect fraud involving disaster relief efforts, or who believe that they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. The telephone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected]. Learn more about the NCDF at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud and watch a public service announcement here.
Four Tulare County Residents Charged with Producing and Selling False Identification DocumentsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment today against Elfego Alcala, 46; Aida Corona, 37; Tamilene Cisneros, 48; and Lupita Cisneros, charging them with conspiracy, production and transfer of false identification documents, and fraud and misuse of visas, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from approximately February through August of 2018, in Tulare County and Visalia, the defendants conspired to manufacture and sell false identification documents, including Social Security cards and green cards. During the relevant time period, the defendants allegedly arranged for the production and sale of green cards and Social Security cards to a confidential informant on two occasions.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fairfield Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Online Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Donald Threatt, age 67, of Fairfield, California, pleaded guilty today to attempted online enticement of a minor, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in April of 2017, Threatt began conversing through the Kik messenger service with an individual who identified herself as “Sarah,” a 15-year-old girl who was interested in online games, soccer, and track. Off and on over the course of many days, Threatt used Kik to tell “Sarah” the various sexual things he wanted to allow him to do to her. The defendant discussed and agreed with the purported minor that he would visit her residence on Beale Air Force Base while her mother was away. According to the Kik chat, the defendant suggested blindfolding her and tying her up with rope. He stated that he would engage in various sexual acts with her and proposed that they take photos and a video of their sexual activity. Threatt arranged to meet her at her residence on May 12, 2017, after her mother had left for the weekend.
Unbeknownst to Threatt, the minor was actually an undercover law enforcement agent. On the day of the planned meeting, law enforcement personnel surveilled Threatt as he left his home in Fairfield, purchased rope from a Lowe’s Home Improvement store, and drove to the house where the meeting with the minor was to occur. Threatt was arrested after he pulled into the garage of the house. In Threatt’s car, agents found a GoPro camera, a Nikon camera, a Samsung camcorder, a tripod, rope, and various sexual items.
According to court documents, this was not the first time Threatt attempted to prey on a child. Agents searched Threatt’s residence and seized a computer hard drive containing approximately 800 internet chats from 2008. Together, those communications showed the defendant had been communicating with several girls under the age of 18. In those communications, Threatt discussed how he wanted to have sexual relations with the underage girls and repeatedly solicited and received nude photographs from at least one minor. In addition, in 2013, Threatt was arrested after he used email to attempt to persuade someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl to meet with him to have sex. In reality, the defendant was communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew D. Segal, Jeremy J. Kelley, and Katherine T. Lydon are prosecuting the case.
Threatt remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on December 6, 2018. Threatt faces a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison as well as a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined by the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Member of Nevada City-Based Conspiracy Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Multimillion Dollar Bank and Title Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — George B. Larsen, 56, formerly of San Rafael, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison and ordered to pay $1,759,100 in restitution for his role in a fraudulent mortgage elimination scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
On December 6, 2017, Larsen was convicted following trial on one count of conspiracy and four counts of bank fraud.
According to court documents, between April 22, 2010, and November 18, 2011, Larsen was a member of a conspiracy that ran a mortgage elimination program purporting to help distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure. The conspirators fraudulently altered the chain of title on residential properties, sold the properties, and received the sales proceeds.
As a requirement for participation in the “mortgage elimination program,” the conspirators enrolled homeowners as members in a Nevada City-based church named Shon-te-East-a, Walks With Spirit, or its successor entity Pillow Foundation. The conspirators indicated to the homeowners these entities would offer protection against the banks.
Larsen ran a branch of the mortgage elimination program, recruiting homeowners into the scheme, marshalling the necessary recorded documents, and guiding the sale of the homes. Once the homeowner enrolled with Shon-te-East-a or Pillow Foundation, Larsen would have a sham deed of trust created and recorded, giving the impression that the homeowner had refinanced the mortgage loan with a new lender. In reality, the new lender was a fake entity controlled by the conspirators, and the homeowner owed no money to the purported new lender.
The next step in the process was also a recorded document. The conspirators caused a fake deed of reconveyance to be recorded, giving the appearance that the true mortgage loan had been discharged and that the true lienholder no longer had a security interest in the home.
With title appearing to be clear, the conspirators caused the sale of the home, with the proceeds split between the co-conspirators and the homeowners.
In total, 37 properties were sold through the Shon-te-East-a conspiracy. The conspirators recorded fraudulent documents on an additional approximately 100 homes, but were unable to sell these before the scheme unraveled.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath and Todd A. Pickles are prosecuting the case.
One co-defendant, Larry Todt, formerly of Malibu, was convicted at trial along with Larsen. Three other co-defendants have previously entered guilty pleas: Remus A. Kirkpatrick, formerly of Oceanside, Michael Romano, of Benicia, and Laura Pezzi, of Roseville. Tisha Trites and Todd Smith, both of San Diego, pleaded guilty in related cases. All are awaiting sentencing.
Co-defendants John Michael DiChiara, of Penn Valley, and James Castle, of Santa Rosa, are awaiting trial. The charges against DiChiara and Castle are only allegations: both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Solano County Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jerry Lyle Andrews Jr., 35, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr., to five years in prison for being a felon in possession a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on July 26, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Andrews’ home in Vallejo and at a hotel in Fairfield where Andrews was staying. When officers arrived at the hotel parking lot, they confronted Andrews, who discarded a .40‑caliber semi-automatic handgun under a car before he was arrested. The gun was loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition, including seven rounds of hollow point ammunition. Andrews cannot lawfully possess firearms because he has previously been convicted of felony offenses, including a January 2016 conviction in Solano County for assault with a firearm on a police officer.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Vacaville Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department of Justice’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marc C. Turner, 44, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 20 years in prison for receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, law enforcement agents searched Turner’s apartment in September 2016. Review of Turner’s computer located 90 videos and 171 still images depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors. At the time of the search, Turner was a registered sex offender based on a prior conviction in federal court in Sacramento for distributing child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Morris prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Manteca Woman Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison for Unemployment Benefits Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brittany Maunakea, 29, of Manteca, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to two and a half years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud for her role in a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing false unemployment insurance claims, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Maunakea was also ordered to pay $139,071 in restitution.
According to court documents, beginning in February 2015, Maunakea entered a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing false unemployment insurance claims with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), using the stolen identities of over 250 California workers. In total, the conspirators filed at least 269 false claims seeking over $2.5 million in fraudulent benefits. EDD’s actual overpayment was $898,899. Maunakea participated in the scheme by receiving and facilitating EDD documents at her home and using debit cards issued in the names of identity-theft victims to withdraw the fraudulently obtained benefits.
“Ms. Maunakea’s crime victimized citizens whose stolen identities were used in furtherance of her personal enrichment. The Office of Inspector General will continue to make it a priority to work with our law enforcement and state workforce agency partners to protect the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance program and to seek justice on behalf of the victims of these identity theft schemes,” said Abel Salinas, Special Agent-in-Charge, Los Angeles Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Employment Development Department, Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Schuller Hitchcock is prosecuting the case.
Maunakea is the first of five defendants charged in the scheme to be sentenced. Co‑defendant Sergio Reyna has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and is set to be sentenced on September 6, 2018. The charges against co-defendants Pamela Emanuel, Gregory Lee, and Russell White III remain pending. The charges against Emanuel, Lee and White are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Iraqi National Wanted for Murder in Iraq Arrested in SacramentoRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Omar Ameen, 45, an Iraqi national, wanted on a murder charge in Iraq, appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Sacramento today in connection with proceedings to extradite him to face trial in Iraq. Ameen settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee and attempted to gain legal status in the United States.
The arrest was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office.
An arrest warrant charging Ameen with the 2014 murder of an Iraqi police officer was issued on May 16, by a judge of the Baghdad Federal Al-Karkh Inquiry Court.
In accordance with its treaty obligations with Iraq, the United States filed a complaint in Sacramento seeking a warrant for Ameen’s arrest based on the extradition request. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan issued the warrant on Tuesday, and Ameen was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Sacramento today. At his initial appearance today, a new court date was set for August 20 at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Brennan.
The Iraqi arrest warrant and extradition request allege that after the town of Rawah, Iraq fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) on June 21, 2014, Ameen entered the town with a caravan of ISIS vehicles and drove to the house of the victim, who had served as an officer in the Rawah Police Department. On the evening of June 22, 2014, after the caravan arrived at the victim’s house, Ameen and other members of the convoy allegedly opened fire on the victim. Ameen then allegedly fired his weapon at the victim while the victim was on the ground, killing him.
Ameen, originally of Rawah, in the Anbar province of Iraq, fled Iraq following the alleged murder, and later settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee. It is alleged that Ameen’s family supported and assisted the installation of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in Rawah, and that Ameen was a member of AQI and ISIS. It is also alleged that he participated in various activities in support of those terrorist organizations, including helping to plant improvised explosive devices, and committing the murder that is the subject of the extradition request. Ameen concealed his membership in those terrorist groups when he applied for refugee status, and later when he applied for a green card in the United States.
Today’s arrest and the subsequent extradition are the product of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation—in particular the FBI Sacramento Field Office, which provided considerable resources to further this investigation and ensure the safety of the American people throughout — and ICE-Homeland Security Investigations. The details contained in the charging document are allegations and have not been proven in court.
Iraqi National Wanted for Murder in Iraq Arrested in CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Omar Ameen, 45, an Iraqi national, wanted on a murder charge in Iraq, appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Sacramento, California today in connection with proceedings to extradite him to face trial in Iraq. Ameen settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee and attempted to gain legal status in the United States.
The arrest was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office.
An arrest warrant charging Ameen with the 2014 murder of an Iraqi police officer was issued on May 16, by a judge of the Baghdad Federal Al-Karkh Inquiry Court. In accordance with its treaty obligations with Iraq, the United States filed a complaint in Sacramento seeking a warrant for Ameen’s arrest based on the extradition request. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan issued the warrant on Tuesday, and Ameen was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Sacramento today.
The Iraqi arrest warrant and extradition request allege that after the town of Rawah, Iraq fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) on June 21, 2014, Ameen entered the town with a caravan of ISIS vehicles and drove to the house of the victim, who had served as an officer in the Rawah Police Department. On the evening of June 22, 2014, after the caravan arrived at the victim’s house, Ameen and other members of the convoy allegedly opened fire on the victim. Ameen then allegedly fired his weapon at the victim while the victim was on the ground, killing him.
Ameen, originally of Rawah, in the Anbar province of Iraq, fled Iraq following the alleged murder, and later settled in Sacramento as a purported refugee. It is alleged that Ameen’s family supported and assisted the installation of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in Rawah, and that Ameen was a member of AQI and ISIS. It is also alleged that he participated in various activities in support of those terrorist organizations, including helping to plant improvised explosive devices, and committing the murder that is the subject of the extradition request. Ameen concealed his membership in those terrorist groups when he applied for refugee status, and later when he applied for a green card in the United States.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations and have not been proven in court.
Today’s arrest and efforts to initiate the extradition process are the product of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Department of Justice — in particular the Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs, which played a significant role — the U.S. Department of State, the FBI — in particular the FBI Sacramento Field Office which provided considerable resources to further this investigation and ensure the safety of the American people throughout it — and ICE-Homeland Security Investigations.
Fresno Men Plead Guilty to Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — On Monday, Devone Johnson, 32, and Anthony Thomas, 26, pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on October 9, 2016, Johnson and Thomas possessed an Uzi Model A, 9 mm rifle. Thomas was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a previous felony conviction. Johnson was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.
Johnson and Thomas were arrested on November 3, 2016, along with 18 other defendants following a year-long multi-agency investigation that targeted criminal street gangs in Fresno. Other defendants also have pleaded guilty to various firearms and drug offenses, including:
- Garry Sampson, 40, pleaded guilty on August 1, 2018, to unlawfully possessing a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22, 2018.
- Raymond Jones, 61, pleaded guilty on August 6, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2018.
- Danny Valenzuela, 51, pleaded guilty on July 30, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2018.
- Stephen Hill, 28, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2017, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On December 18, 2017, Hill was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
- Rashad Halford, 31, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2017, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On March 12, 2018, Halford was sentenced to two years and two months in prison.
These cases are the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Fresno Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit (SOU). The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Clovis Police Department, Fresno County Probation, and the California Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Christopher D. Baker are prosecuting the cases.
Johnson and Thomas are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on October 29, 2018, and November 5, 2018, respectively. They face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Owner of Bakersfield Catholic-Interest Website Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Michael Galloway, 63, of Bakersfield, to 21 months in prison for tax evasion, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Galloway was ordered to surrender to serve his sentence beginning on November 14, 2018.
On March 21, 2018, a jury in Fresno returned a guilty verdict today, convicting on four counts of tax evasion. Galloway owns and operates the website, Catholic Online. According to court documents, Galloway generated revenue by selling advertising and hosting to faith-based businesses.
“No matter what the source of income, all income is taxable,” said Tara Sullivan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Mr. Galloway received income from many sources, however, he failed to disclose his true income to the IRS. This sentence should send a clear message: tax evasion is a violation of federal law and can have severe consequences that can result in jail time.”
For tax years 2003 through 2006, Galloway improperly deducted personal expenses as business expenses, including his homeowner’s association fees for his personal residence, car payments and insurance, utilities and cable service for his personal residence, tile work, and personal legal fees.
For the four charged years, Galloway reported an income of $13,241 (2003); $28,846 (2004); $-60,438 (2005); and $23,053 (2006). During this time the defendant owned a 4,600 square-foot residence on a golf course in Bakersfield that he had purchased for $850,000. He made mortgage payments those years totaling $81,943 (2003); $78,694 (2004); $79,372 (2005); and $80,411 (2006). For the four years in question, these figures amounted to a claim by the defendant that he earned only $4,702 and yet was able to make $320,420 in mortgage payments.
Cumulatively, he underreported his and his spouse’s taxable income during those years by at least $671,755, resulting in an additional tax due and owing of over $102,000. The jury also found that he falsely claimed to IRS agents during a 2010 interview that he made his mortgage payments from cash that he had saved over 40 years. The jury found that this statement was an attempt to evade income tax.
This case was the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan A. S. Richards and Michael Tierney prosecuted the case.
Merced Former CEO and Licensed Nurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Sandra Haar, 57, of Merced, pleaded guilty today to health care fraud and conspiracy to receive kickbacks, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Haar was the founder and chief executive officer of Horisons Unlimited, a nonprofit public benefit corporation that provided health and dental services in Merced and surrounding communities. According to court documents, between January 1, 2014, and March 2017, Haar orchestrated a scheme to bill Medicare and Medi-Cal for services she knew were not reimbursable, and she profited by over $3.7 million from her fraud. For example, Haar billed Medi‑Cal for health and dental services that were not rendered and for unnecessary health care services. She also billed Medi-Cal for office visits with purportedly licensed doctors when the patients instead were dispensed Suboxone, an opioid medication, in the parking lots of McDonald’s and Rite Aid in baggies.
According to the plea agreement, Haar also received thousands of dollars in kickbacks in cash from an account executive at a laboratory in exchange for using it for Horisons patients’ laboratory testing.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), the California Department of Health Care Services, and the California Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee S. Bickley and Michael Tierney are prosecuting the case.
Haar is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on January 28, 2019. Haar faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of twice the value of Haar’s gain. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Northern California Woman Sentenced for Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Starsheka Mixon, 35, of Pinole, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to three years and one month in prison for a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
“The defendants used taxpayer information to enrich themselves by submitting false tax returns to the IRS,” said Tara Sullivan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “This scheme went on for three years and victimized innocent taxpayers and the government. Identity theft can have a negative financial impact on taxpayers and can take years to repair. Taxpayers must be careful who they share their personally identifiable information with when choosing a tax return preparer.”
According to court documents, between January 2011 and June 2013, Mixon and co‑defendant Denna Chambers, 35, of Fairfield, conspired together and with others to fraudulently obtain tax refunds by filing false tax returns in the names of other people with the Internal Revenue Service. The tax returns included false statements about the taxpayers’ income, dependents, and occupations in order to obtain refunds and tax credits to which the taxpayers were not entitled, including the Earned Income Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit. Some of the fraudulent tax returns used the name and personal information of individuals without their knowledge or consent.
The fraudulently obtained refunds were typically placed on prepaid debit cards controlled by Chambers, Mixon, or their associates. In their respective plea agreements in February 2018, Chambers and Mixon both admitted that in all, approximately 174 false federal income tax returns were filed seeking over $880,000 in tax refunds, of which approximately $477,348 was paid out by the IRS.
Judge England also ordered Mixon to serve two years of supervised release. She was ordered to self-surrender on October 18, 2018, to begin serving her sentence. Chambers is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13, 2018.
This case is the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.
For 2018, the IRS, the states, and the private-sector tax industry are working together to identify and apply safeguards to better protect taxpayers and fight identity theft. You can find identity theft protection for prevention, detection, and victim assistance at: www.irs.gov/identity‑theft-fraud-scams.
Fresno Man Indicted on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Kalif Eban Bess, 43, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on May 5, 2018, a .357 revolver with six live rounds was discovered in Bess’s backpack. Bess was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on prior felony convictions.
This case is the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno Police Department, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McKeon is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Bess faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Stockton Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Gun Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gary Loch, 29, of Stockton, and Eugene, Oregon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to five years in prison for conspiring to traffic firearms without a license, possessing an unregistered automatic weapon, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between January and June 2016, Loch was one of several Stockton-based conspirators who sold about 47 guns to an undercover agent. Loch personally owned and sold three of these weapons, including a machinegun with a partially obliterated serial number. Several other firearms were automatic, carried extended magazines, or had obliterated serial numbers. Agents saw Loch removing several of these serial numbers himself. In total, Loch was present as 31 firearms changed hands at 10 transactions in Stockton and Las Vegas, Nevada. During several of these meetings, the undercover agent said that he could not legally purchase weapons and that he would introduce the guns to the black market. Loch and others completed the purchases nonetheless.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Beck and Richard Bender prosecuted the case.
Loch has been in custody since October 18, 2017. Nearly all of his co-defendants have been sentenced for gun-related crimes: Jason Prom received 12 years in prison. Ronnie Dethvongsa received four years and nine months in prison. Kenny Prach received three years and six months in prison. Ariana Diaz received two and a half years in prison. Sean Chaichanhda and Hilberto Arevalos received 18 months each. Charges are still pending against co-defendant Adam Nhem, who is scheduled to appear in court on September 17, 2018. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hector Jonathan Hernandez, 26, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to eight years and one month in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in May 2016, in a series of recorded calls, Hernandez negotiated with a DEA confidential source about selling methamphetamine. On May 25, 2016, Hernandez met with the source at a Lowe’s parking lot in Elk Grove and sold him one pound of methamphetamine for $3,500. The substance was tested later at laboratory, and it tested at 100 percent purity for methamphetamine.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Modesto Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Everitt Aaron Jameson, 27, of Modesto, today to 15 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott made the announcement.
“There is no place in the United States for terrorists and terrorist sympathizers who threaten innocent people, and the National Security Division will relentlessly seek to identify them and bring them to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Jameson put his fellow Americans at risk by supporting ISIS and planning an attack on behalf of the terrorist organization. This is unacceptable, and I am grateful for the hardworking agents and prosecutors who are responsible for this successful result.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert stated: “Protecting our communities from terrorist threats is the Department of Justice’s highest priority. With the assistance of our investigative partners, we will continue to work to prevent such attacks and to vigorously prosecute those who seek to provide material support to terrorist organizations. We are grateful for the hard work of the FBI and the DOJ’s National Security Counterterrorism Division for their teamwork in bringing this case to a just conclusion.”
“This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identifying and disrupting plots to harm the American public. With assistance from our state and local partners, we completed a thorough investigation while ensuring that Jameson would not be able to carry out his plans,” said Special Agent in Charge Ragan, “The public also plays an active role in ensuring the safety of our communities. We encourage members of the public to always say something if they see or hear anything that raises concerns about a possible attack.”
Jameson pleaded guilty on June 4, 2018. According to the plea agreement, between September 2017 and December 20, 2017, Jameson voiced support for ISIS knowing that the organization was engaging in terrorist activity and terrorism. Among other things, he had several online interactions with a confidential source, and during those interactions, he stated that he was committed wholeheartedly to “the cause.” Jameson also expressed support online for the October 31, 2017, terrorist attack in New York City, as well as other terrorist attacks. In subsequent communications with an undercover agent, Jameson stated that he was ready to do whatever they needed done here and noted that his time in the military had trained him for combat and war. According to court documents, Jameson joined the Marine Corps and received basic training, including earning a sharpshooter rifle qualification, but was ultimately discharged for failing to disclose his asthma history.
Later, Jameson met with another undercover agent whom he believed to be associated with, and working for, the senior leadership of ISIS and offered to carry out violent acts and provide financial support for the terrorist organization.
According to court documents, on December 16, 2017, Jameson discussed what he could offer to the cause. Among other things, Jameson stated that he was well versed in the Anarchist Cookbook, and explained his desire to use explosives in an attack. He also noted that he could get PVC pipe, nails, and powder for explosive devices, and he asked for remote timing devices from that person. Jameson identified Pier 39 as a target location of an attack, noting that it was crowded and that explosives could be used to funnel people into an area so that he could inflict casualties by shooting people trying to escape. Jameson also offered to provide money to the cause.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawrence W. Rice Jr. and Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case with Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Marijuana Grower in Shasta-Trinity National Forest SentencedRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Carlos Gutierrez Gonzalez, 23, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to four years and two months in prison and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for growing marijuana on the National Forest and for depredation of Public Lands and Resources, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Gutierrez Gonzalez along with several other men, were growing marijuana in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest to the west of Weaverville, near Limedyke Mountain at an elevation of approximately 2,500 feet. On August 7, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search of the grow. When they arrested Gutierrez Gonzalez, a loaded .45-caliber handgun was found near him and a bullet for that gun was in his pocket. Over 2,500 marijuana plants were found and eradicated. A camp site was found where the men had camped.
The environmental damage to the grow site was investigated and documented by Integral Ecology Research Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems which has investigated over 100 of such public land marijuana grow sites.
The report of the investigation was filed with the court, and it found that at this grow site they found a half-full 33.8 oz. bottle of carbofuran hidden among the fertilizer bags and a bag containing an estimated 20 pounds of powder carbofuran. A food bottle found at the site had been reused and contained a mixture of refried beans and carbofuran (suspected bait for animals). Four cisterns were discovered with stopped-up mountain streams for use in the marijuana grow’s irrigation system with an estimated 4,500 feet of plastic water lines and over 1,500 pounds of soluble fertilizer. The report estimates that the operation used over 15,000 gallons of water per day. Open campsite latrines were found in proximity to waterways which would cause watershed contamination from fecal matter after the next substantial rain. About 1,000 pounds of trash and 500 pounds of plastic pipe were hauled out of the site. Tests on samples of the marijuana plants determined that carbofuran was present in the plant material.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with the assistance of agents from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the North State Marijuana Investigation Team and deputies of the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Bender prosecuted the case.
Co-defendant Sebastian Martinez Arreola, who had been in the grow site approximately 11 days at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to marijuana cultivation charges and was sentenced to 20 months in prison on February 28, 2018. Charges are pending against Armando Mayorga Garcia. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
California Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Everitt Aaron Jameson, 27, of Modesto, California, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, and a life term of supervised release, for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office made the announcement. The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill.
“There is no place in the United States for terrorists and terrorist sympathizers who threaten innocent people, and the National Security Division will relentlessly seek to identify them and bring them to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Jameson put his fellow Americans at risk by supporting ISIS and planning an attack on behalf of the terrorist organization. This is unacceptable, and I am grateful for the hardworking agents and prosecutors who are responsible for this successful result.”
“Protecting our communities from terrorist threats is the Department of Justice’s highest priority,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “With the assistance of our investigative partners, we will continue to work to prevent such attacks and to vigorously prosecute those who seek to provide material support to terrorist organizations. We are grateful for the hard work of the FBI and the DOJ’s National Security Counterterrorism Division for their teamwork in bringing this case to a just conclusion.”
“This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identifying and disrupting plots to harm the American public. With assistance from our state and local partners, we completed a thorough investigation while ensuring that Jameson would not be able to carry out his plans,” said Special Agent in Charge Ragan. “The public also plays an active role in ensuring the safety of our communities. We encourage members of the public to always say something if they see or hear anything that raises concerns about a possible attack.”
Jameson pleaded guilty on June 4. According to the plea agreement, between September 2017 and Dec. 20, 2017, Jameson voiced support for ISIS knowing that the organization was engaging in terrorist activity and terrorism. Among other things, he had several online interactions with a confidential source, and during those interactions, he stated that he was committed wholeheartedly to “the cause.” Jameson also expressed support online for the Oct. 31, 2017, terrorist attack in New York City, as well as other terrorist attacks.
In subsequent communications with an undercover agent, Jameson stated that he was ready to do whatever they needed done here and noted that his time in the military had trained him for combat and war. According to court documents, Jameson joined the Marine Corps and received basic training, including earning a sharpshooter rifle qualification, but was ultimately discharged for failing to disclose his asthma history.
Later, Jameson met with another undercover agent whom he believed to be associated with, and working for, the senior leadership of ISIS, and offered to carry out violent acts and provide financial support for the terrorist organization.
According to court documents, on Dec. 16, 2017, Jameson discussed what he could offer to the cause. Among other things, Jameson stated that he was well versed in the Anarchist Cookbook, and explained his desire to use explosives in an attack. He also noted that he could get PVC pipe, nails and powder for explosive devices, and asked for remote timing devices from that person. Jameson identified Pier 39 as a target location of an attack, noting that it was crowded and explosives could be used to funnel people into an area so that he could inflict casualties by shooting people trying to escape. Jameson also offered to provide money to the cause.
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawrence W. Rice Jr. and Christopher D. Baker of the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case with Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Yuba City Man Indicted for Fentanyl, Heroin, and Methamphetamine CrimesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Elmer Daniel Iglesias Lucatero, 23, of Yuba City, charging him with distribution of methamphetamine and heroin, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on February 12, 2018, Lucatero sold an undercover source about 430 grams of pure methamphetamine. Later, on February 26, 2018, Lucatero sold this source about 500 pills advertised as oxycodone. Laboratory analysis later showed that heroin was their active ingredient and, thus, that the pills were counterfeit. Finally, on April 5, 2018, agents executed a search warrant on Lucatero’s Yuba City apartment. There, they found about 13,000 more pills pressed to look like legitimate oxycodone. In reality, the pills contained fentanyl, a powerful and potentially lethal opioid pain reliever. The agents also found about 3,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills in a car that Lucatero had been driving. Laboratory analysis showed that these pills contained heroin.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Lucatero faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $26 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Vallejo Man Sentenced to Two Years and Nine Months in Prison for Passing Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — John Lamont Winn, 53, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to two years and nine months in prison for passing counterfeit $100 bills, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Winn was convicted by a jury on May 3, 2018 after a four-day trial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on June 13, 2017, Winn and two associates passed approximately $6,600 over six transactions in less than one hour at a casino in Lincoln. Those bills were detected as counterfeit by the casino’s bank. On June 16, 2017, Winn and another associate passed approximately $29,200 in counterfeit currency at two banks in Vallejo. The bills were held aside by the bank on the basis of their appearance, and they were later determined by the Secret Service to be counterfeit. Winn was also ordered to pay a total of $16,600 in restitution to the casino and bank.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew G. Morris and Quinn Hochhalter prosecuted the case.
Three Sacramento Airport Workers Indicted for Mail Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against Domingo Ene, 27, of Roseville; Joshua Hopoi, 22, of Sacramento; and Raymond Su, 29, of Sacramento, charging them with a conspiracy to steal U.S. mail and possession of stolen U.S. mail, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from April 2018 to July 2018, the three men conspired to steal mail that was passing through Sacramento International Airport. All three defendants worked at Sacramento International Airport as employees of a company that provided ground services. They were responsible for loading U.S. mail from the Sacramento area onto departing flights, as well as unloading incoming mail from arriving flights. The indictment alleges that they opened containers of mail and stole items, especially greeting cards. The defendants removed cash and gift cards from the stolen mail items, and they used the gift cards to make purchases.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Narcotics and Economic Crime Investigations Task Force, Roseville Police Department, Citrus Heights Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, and Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam R. Hinman is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Stockton Man Indicted on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Ruben Valdez, 26, of Stockton, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and illegal possession of a machine gun, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on November 13, 2017, Valdez was found in possession of a stolen Glock, Model 20 handgun, with a selector switch designed to convert a semi‑automatic firearm to a fully automatic machine gun. Valdez is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based on prior felony convictions.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Stockton Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea J. Kenny and Cameron L. Desmond are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Valdez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Riverdale Man Indicted on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Rodger Riquez Rodriguez, 33, of Riverdale, charging him with being a prohibited person in possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on May 22, 2018, Rodriguez was found in possession of a silver Kel-Tec P-3AT handgun. On July 24, 2018, he was found in possession of a weapon made from a rifle, Izhmash, Model SVD. Rodriguez was prohibited from possessing firearms based on a prior felony conviction and prior misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clovis Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McKeon is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Valdez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Final Defendant Sentenced for Stockton-Based Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Thongchone Vongdeng, 38, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to time served, which was three years in custody, for his participation in a scheme that involved hundreds of fraudulent transactions on Target REDcard accounts and at least 1,000 victims across the United States, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service stated, “Postal inspectors worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement to arrest and prosecute those individuals responsible for thefts of mail and identity theft crimes committed against the public.”
According to the court documents, between March 2014 and September 2015, Vongdeng and eight co-conspirators stole personal information from victims and created unauthorized accounts in order to purchase merchandise. Part of the scheme involved using Target REDcard account numbers to buy large amounts of electronics, prepaid gift cards, and other goods at Target locations throughout the Sacramento area, northern California, and elsewhere.
In all, more than 300 counterfeit accounts were used or trafficked by members of the conspiracy, and over 1,000 victims have been identified as having had their identities compromised as a result of the conspiracy. All defendants are residents of Stockton. All of defendants pleaded guilty, and their sentences are as follows:
Boone B. Khoonsrivong, 41, was sentenced to five years and five months in prison.
Daisy Sysengrat, 32, was sentenced to two and half years in prison.
Vuthiya Tim, 33; was sentenced to three years and two months in prison.
Meghan Paradis, 34; was sentenced to two and half years in prison.
Sequoia Valverde, 35; was sentenced to three years and one month in prison.
Amber Collins, 33; was sentenced to two and half years in prison.
Somaly Siv, 32; and was sentenced to two and half years in prison
Jaffrey Brown, 34, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Stockton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys André M. Espinosa and Rosanne L. Rust are prosecuting the case.
Three Sentenced for Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Three citizens of Mexico were sentenced on Monday for immigration offenses related to their prior deportations, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
U.S. v. Julio Cesar Delgadillo (1:18-cr-050) Delgadillo, 47, Mexican national residing in Visalia, was sentenced Monday to five years and three months in prison for being a deported alien found in the United States. He was indicted on March 8, 2018, and pleaded guilty on June 18, 2018. According to court records, Delgadillo was deported on December 1, 2016, following a prior conviction and sentence for being a deported alien found in the Unites States. According to the 2012 indictment, Delgadillo was convicted in Tulare County in 2003 of assault with a firearm and sentenced to three years in prison.
U.S. v. Ramon Quintero (1:18-cr-127) Quintero, 48, Mexican national residing in Kern County, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a deported alien found in the United States. He was indicted on June 14, 2018. According to the indictment, Quintero was previously deported on November 14, 2008, after being convicted of second degree robbery in 1999 and serving a six-year sentence.
U.S. v. Bernardo Guzman-Cruz (1:18-cr-128) Guzman-Cruz, 45, Mexican national residing in Kings County, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a deported alien found in the United States. He was indicted on June 14, 2018. According to the indictment, Guzman-Cruz was previously deported on July 14, 2012, after being convicted of a domestic violence offense in 2003 and sentenced to two years in prison.
These cases were the product of investigations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).