District of Connecticut
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Guilford Woman Admits Failing to Pay Taxes on Money Received During Gifting Tables Pyramid SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NANCY DILLON, 69, of Guilford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to a federal tax charge related to her participation in an illegal pyramid scheme known as “Gifting Tables.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, a Gifting Table is configured as a four-level pyramid, with eight participants assigned to the bottom row, four participants assigned to the third row, two participants assigned to the second row, and one participant assigned to the top row. The top row participant is referred to as the “Dessert,” the two participants on the second row as “Entrees,” the four participants on the third row as “Soup and Salads,” and the eight participants on the bottom row as “Appetizers.” To join a Gifting Table, new participants were required to pay $5,000, typically cash, to the Dessert, that is, the participant occupying the top position on the pyramid. The $5,000 payment, which was fraudulently characterized as a gift, secured the new participant a position as an Appetizer on the bottom row. Participants progressed from the bottom row of the pyramid by recruiting additional people to join the Gifting Table. When eight new participants joined a Gifting Table, each having made a $5,000 “gift” to the person occupying the Dessert position at the top of the pyramid, the Dessert left the Gifting Table and kept the $40,000 paid by the eight new participants. That particular Gifting Table was then split, with the two participants occupying the Entree position on the second row moving to the top position (Dessert) of two new pyramids. The other incumbent members of the Gifting Table moved up a row on one of the two newly-formed pyramids, and the search for 16 new participants began. The success of the Gifting Tables depended on new participants joining and making the $5,000 “gift.”
In 2009, DILLON received $40,000 while participating in the Gifting Tables scheme. Even though she had been advised by an attorney that the money was taxable income and not a gift, she failed to pay federal income taxes on the money she received.
DILLON pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to file a return, supply information or pay tax, a charge that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of one year and a fine of up to $25,000. Judge Thompson scheduled sentencing for September 24, 2014.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas P. Morabito and Peter S. Jongbloed.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]U.S. Attorney Again Warns Connecticut Residents of Jury Duty ScamRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a “Jury Duty Scam” has again been reported in Connecticut.
The Clerk’s Office for the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut recently learned that three people reported that they received a call from a man falsely identifying himself as “Lt. Steve Smith” with “badge number 8031” from the U.S. District Court in Bridgeport. The man referred to a case number, that the person had failed to appear for jury selection, and there was a warrant for their arrest. The caller told the people that a bond had been set and the matter would be resolved if they gave him four Green Dot pre-paid $500 VISA cards. In one instance, a victim purchased a Green Dot card and, at the caller’s direction, provided the card’s number to the caller.
The public is advised that this is a scam, and if a person were to receive a jury service-related call they should not provide any personal identification information or money to the caller. Federal and state courts in Connecticut do not call prospective jurors and ask for money or personal identifying information over the telephone. Juror information for the U.S. District Court in Connecticut can be found at www.ctd.uscourts.gov.
Anyone receiving a “Jury Duty Scam” phone call should report it, with any available Caller ID information, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven at 203-777-6311, or 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324).
U.S. Attorney Daly urged individuals who receive phone calls from suspicious sources never to disclose personal identifying information, as it may be used to cause serious financial harm and jeopardize a person’s credit.
“Identity thieves and scammers defrauding the public will be vigorously prosecuted when identified,” U.S. Attorney Daly stated.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New York Resident Admits Operating Investor Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CHARLES PRINCIPATO, 52, of Rye, N.Y., pleaded guilty on Monday in New Haven federal court to engaging in a scheme to defraud investors of more than $1.3 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately January 2011 and February 2014, PRINCIPATO acted as principal of Prince Direct, Inc., an entity that he represented to victim-investors as being in the business of marketing products through advertising such as “infomercials.” PRINCIPATO solicited money from victims, including Connecticut residents, for the stated purpose of funding the business operations of Prince Direct. However, instead of using victims’ money for the stated purposes, PRINCIPATO used it for his own personal expenses, including for vacations and home renovations, and for gambling. Through this scheme, PRINCIPATO defrauded victim-investors of more than $1.3 million.
On June 23, 2014, PRINCIPATO waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to one count of wire fraud. Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2014, at which time PRINCIPATO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
PRINCIPATO is currently released on a $250,000 bond.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan L. Wines.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYLON VAUGHN, also known as “Bucky B,” 36, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine and marijuana.
VAUGHN is one of more than 100 individuals charged as a result of “Operation Bloodline,” a joint law enforcement investigation targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in the Dwight-Kensington and Fair Haven sections of New Haven. Led by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the New Haven and Hamden Police Departments, the year-long investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps on numerous telephones, extensive physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, execution of search warrants, and seizures of narcotics and firearms.
On December 6, 2013, a jury found VAUGHN guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”) and a quantity of marijuana, and two counts of distributing cocaine base. According to the evidence at trial, VAUGHN received distribution quantities of crack from co-defendant Britt Martin, also known as “Big Baby,” and distributed crack and marijuana, as well as other controlled substances, to customers in Fair Haven. In May and June 2011, investigators made two controlled purchases of crack from VAUGHN.
VAUGHN’s criminal history includes 11 prior convictions, six of which were for drug offenses.
Martin pleaded guilty to his role in this conspiracy and is currently serving a 120-month prison term.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia and Meriden Police Departments. The United States Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, Parole and Community Services and the Milford, Hartford, New Britain, North Branford and Stratford Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Dave Vatti and Marc Silverman, with assistance from Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Hartford Grocery Store Owner Charged with Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in New Haven has returned an indictment charging SALIH KAYA, 53, of West Hartford, with one count of food stamp fraud. KAYA is the owner and operator of Green Apple Market, located at 264 Farmington Avenue in Hartford.
The indictment was returned on June 24, 2014, and KAYA was arrested yesterday. Following his arrest, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith in Hartford and was released on a $25,000 bond.
The federal food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (“SNAP”), is administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (“FNS”) and utilizes federal tax dollars to subsidize low-income households to provide them with the opportunity to achieve a more nutritious diet by increasing their food-purchasing power. SNAP recipients purchase eligible food items at retail food stores through the use of an Electronic Benefit Transfer (“EBT”) card. SNAP benefits may be accepted by authorized retailers only in exchange for eligible items. Items such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, paper goods and soaps are not eligible for purchase with Food Stamp benefits, and it is a violation of the rules and regulations governing the food stamp program to allow benefits to be used to purchase ineligible items. SNAP benefits may not lawfully be exchanged for cash under any circumstances. The program is designed so that the total amount of each purchase is electronically transferred to the retailer’s designated bank account.
According to the indictment and statements made in court, KAYA has owned Green Apple Market since it opened on July 1, 2008. Between July 2011 and May 2014, it is alleged that KAYA illegally exchanged food stamps for cash and other ineligible items with customers at the store. The FNS estimates that a reasonable sales figure for the store, given the size, amenities and location of the store, should be no more than $60,000 per year. During this approximately three-year period, sales for the store totaled approximately $2.8 million.
If convicted of the charge, KAYA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Former Connecticut Resident Sentenced to Prison for Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GARI-MARK THOMAS, 39, of Michigan, formerly of Norwalk, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to defraud the Federal Housing Authority through a mortgage fraud scheme. THOMAS pleaded guilty to the charge on February 4, 2014.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2008, THOMAS, while serving as a loan officer for Suntrust Mortgage, assisted his girlfriend in obtaining a residential real estate loan to purchase a property at 510 E. Main Street in Stratford by submitting fraudulent information to the lender and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). The fraudulent information included a false claim that his girlfriend was employed with a tax and accounting company, false paystubs, false IRS tax forms and phony bank statements to make it appear that she had a bank account with assets in it, when in fact she had no such assets.
Based on the fraudulent loan documentation, the loan was issued by the lender and insured by the FHA. HOMAS’ girlfriend ultimately defaulted on the loan, causing a loss of $184,538.37 to the FHA.
Judge Bryant ordered THOMAS to pay full restitution.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Unit.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Man Admits Defrauding Fema After Massachusetts Tornado in 2011Read the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ROBBIE ROSSI, 42, formerly of Massachusetts, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford to one count of mail fraud arising from a scheme to fraudulently obtain disaster relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, a severe storm and tornado outbreak struck central Massachusetts on June 1, 2011. After a Presidential Declaration authorized FEMA to provide disaster relief funds to local residents, ROSSI obtained more than $12,000 in disaster relief benefits by falsely representing that he lived at a residence on New Bridge Street in West Springfield, Mass., that had been damaged by the storm. As part of the scheme, ROSSI provided FEMA with false documentation of rent payments he claimed to have paid in the months following the storm. Between August 2011 and April 2013, ROSSI received payments at various addresses that he supplied to FEMA, including a residence in Enfield, Conn.
ROSSI is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on September 18, 2014, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. ROSSI also has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $12,718.60.
ROSSI has been detained since his arrest in Las Vegas on January 14, 2014.
This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with the assistance of the Las Vegas office of the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Felon Who Sold Firearms Out of Hartford Apartment Sentenced to Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERNIE NEGRONI, also known as “Omega” and “King Omega,” 33, a former resident of Mansfield, Ohio, and Connecticut, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 13, 2013, NEGRONI sold two firearms for $900 to an individual working with law enforcement. The sale occurred in an apartment on Franklin Avenue in Hartford. During the sale, the individual who purchased the firearms observed a suitcase with numerous other firearms and a backpack containing ammunition. NEGRONI also told the individual that he would be returning to Ohio in the near future to obtain more guns.
In the early morning hours of June 14, 2013, law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant at the apartment and seized nine handguns, a sawed-off shotgun and several hundred rounds of ammunition. NEGRONI was arrested on federal firearm charges at that time.
NEGRONI is believed to have acquired the firearms at gun shows operating in Ohio and surrounding states.
NEGRONI, an admitted member of the Almighty Latin King Nation, has a criminal history that includes multiple felony drug convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
NEGRONI has been detained since his arrest on June 14, 2013. On February 3, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, the Hartford Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Atf-led Law Enforcement Operation Targets Violent Crime in Bridgeport and New HavenRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
New Haven – Law enforcement officials today announced the results of a four-month joint law enforcement initiative to stem violent crime in Bridgeport and New Haven. The operation, headed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), resulted in the seizure of more than 73 illegal firearms and is expected to result in the prosecution of 154 individuals on federal or state charges. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly, ATF Special Agent in Charge Daniel J. Kumor, Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett, Jr., New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman, Commissioner Dora B. Schriro of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Fairfield State’s Attorney John Smriga and New Haven State’s Attorney Michael Dearington.
“There is no higher calling in law enforcement than preventing violent crime,” stated U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly. “Under the powerful leadership of the ATF and with the invaluable collaboration of the Bridgeport and New Haven Police Departments, the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and other local and federal law enforcement agencies, Operation Samson has successfully stemmed the violence in two of Connecticut’s largest cities. Samson included dangerous undercover operations. We commend the agents and officers who repeatedly risked their lives to remove over 70 illegal guns and a large number of violent offenders from our communities.”
“ATF is always focused on violent crime, as this four-month enhanced enforcement initiative has shown,” stated Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “The citizens of New Haven and Bridgeport have been victimized by violent criminals who act with total disregard for public safety and our goal is to take these offenders off the streets, period. The partnership of law enforcement and prosecutors in Connecticut taking a united stand contributed to the operation’s overall success. To this end, we are committed to utilize every resource to keep citizens safe. To those who choose to disregard the rules of our communities by committing violence, be warned, we will not rest until you are off the streets.”
In March 2014, the ATF and the Bridgeport and New Haven Police Departments launched “Operation Samson” a multi-layered initiative targeting violent criminals and illegal firearm possession and firearm trafficking in New Haven and Bridgeport. As part of the initiative, approximately 40 ATF special agents and personnel from Connecticut and across the country were deployed with New Haven and Bridgeport Police to conduct numerous covert operations. The combined law enforcement team brought a range of expertise to the operation, including tactical, technical, analytical, undercover skills and supervisory experience.
Several other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported the initiative as investigations expanded into other cities and towns in Connecticut and across state lines.
The initiative employed intelligence-led policing to determine where to place resources in order to have the greatest impact. During Operation Samson, law enforcement personnel conducted approximately 425 operations, which included undercover meetings, controlled purchases of firearms and narcotics, and the execution of search and arrest warrants. As a result, a total of 80 individuals have been charged, or are expected to be charged, with a variety of federal firearms, narcotics and robbery violations. In addition, 74 defendants have been charged, or expected to be charge, with various state offenses.
The operation resulted in the confiscation of 73 firearms, including sawed-off shotguns, sawed-off rifles and a silencer. Law enforcement also recovered more than one kilogram of crack cocaine, approximately 750 grams of powder cocaine, more than 200 grams of heroin, more than seven kilograms of marijuana, and approximately 400 prescription narcotic pills.
During Operation Samson, investigators uncovered an alleged firearms trafficking ring that used out-of-state straw purchasers who accepted narcotics in exchange for firearms. This ring was identified as having trafficked approximately 100 firearms into Connecticut. A second alleged firearms trafficking ring that used straw-purchasers within Connecticut is estimated to be responsible for delivering 30 illegal firearms into New Haven and Bridgeport. Both of these cases are still being actively investigated.
Investigators also identified and arrested alleged members of robbery crews, some of whom also trafficked in firearms and narcotics.
“I am deeply grateful to the ATF and also the state crime lab,” stated Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett, Jr. “For the last few months, ATF agents and our officers have worked together seamlessly every day and night. There was a common goal to take guns and dangerous criminals off the street. The technicians at the crime lab worked behind the scenes but they were equal partners in helping us build these cases. Any time law enforcement sent evidence for analysis, the response unfailingly was ‘We’ll get right on it. When do you need the results?’ Because of those efforts, the streets of Bridgeport are safer today.”
“Cooperation between police departments, law enforcement agencies and the community are what’s required to achieve progress,” stated New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman. “This collaboration, led by the ATF, is an impressive example of cooperation. We are particularly grateful to them, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory. This precedent-setting mission has targeted local gun violence and shown great results. We’re proud of those who’ve put in the long hours to see this operation through. New Haven and the State of Connecticut are safer for it.”
“The results of this initiative clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of cooperation between federal and state law enforcement,” stated Fairfield State’s Attorney John Smriga.
“This initiative has brought together all branches of law enforcement to strengthen partnerships, provide a sense of security and make our greater New Haven communities safer,” stated New Haven State’s Attorney Michael Dearington.
An instrumental component of Operation Samson has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence. NIBIN is an ATF-administered digital ballistics imaging system that aids law enforcement agencies in their investigations by capturing images of shell casings to link violent crimes involving firearms, and subsequently identify firearms users or “trigger pullers.” NIBIN-users are able to acquire digital images of the unique markings made on fired ammunition recovered from a crime scene or test-fired from a crime gun recovered by law enforcement, and then quickly compare those images against earlier NIBIN entries. If a potential match emerges, firearm examiners compare the original evidence with a microscope to confirm the match, or a “hit.”
Within recent months, the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory has entered ballistics evidence recovered from crimes committed within the state into NIBIN and identified a substantial number of NIBIN “hits.” To date, 42 such hits have linked 104 crimes involving the unlawful discharge of firearms that have occurred in Bridgeport, New Haven and surrounding areas. NIBIN has linked these unlawful discharges to robberies, aggravated assaults, and homicides. Importantly, these links have provided law enforcement with timely, actionable leads to assist in identifying serial shooters and violent criminal organizations. NIBIN has also been instrumental in the investigation of four separate homicides. One firearm recovered during Operation Samson has been linked to a previously unsolved homicide and five additional shooting investigations.
“I would like to thank the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives for its commitment of resources to the state of Connecticut and to Operation Samson,” stated Dr. Dora B. Schriro, Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. “Bridgeport and New Haven are to be commended as well for their leadership in making their communities safer places to live and work. The additional financial support provided by the Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force and the participation by the Connecticut State Police and the State Crime Laboratory were also critical to the success of the Operation. In just a matter of months, this partnership has helped to reduce gun violence and strengthen our communities.”
Operation Samson is the ninth Enhanced Enforcement Initiative (EEI) conducted by ATF since 2012. The cities of New Haven and Bridgeport were chosen for this EEI based on Uniform Crime Reports that ranked both cities as having high amounts of violent crime, and due to existing partnerships between ATF and the New Haven and Bridgeport Police Departments. Previous ATF EEI’s were deployed in New Orleans; Philadelphia; Oakland, Calif.; Flint, Mich.; Chicago; Stockton, Calif.; St. Louis, and Camden, N.J.
U.S. Attorney Daly and ATF Special Agent in Charge Kumor acknowledged and commended the investigative support and assistance of several additional law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction and the Milford, Norwalk, Stamford, Waterbury and West Haven Police Departments.The federal cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Violent Crime and Narcotics Unit under the leadership of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dave Vatti, Robert Spector and Tracy Dayton.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that charges contained in indictments and complaints are not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Venezuelan Man Arrested for Threatening Newtown Residents After School Shooting TragedyRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that WILFRIDO A. CARDENAS HOFFMAN, 30, of El Hatillo, Venezuela, was arrested on June 21 in Miami on a federal criminal complaint charging him with making numerous threatening phone calls to residents of Newtown, Connecticut, shortly after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting tragedy in December 2012.
On May 20, 2013, CARDENAS HOFFMAN was charged in a criminal complaint with transmitting threats in interstate or foreign commerce to injure the person of another. According to the complaint, a redacted copy of which was unsealed today, CARDENAS HOFFMAN made numerous phone calls to residents of Newtown on December 16, 2012, two days after the shooting that claimed 26 lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. In one of the telephone calls, HOFFMAN allegedly stated: “This is Adam Lanza. I’m gonna [expletive] kill you. You’re dead. You’re dead. You hear me? You’re dead.” In another phone call, HOFFMAN allegedly stated: “This is Adam Lanza. I’m gonna kill you. You’re dead. With my machine gun. You’re dead [expletive].”
CARDENAS HOFFMAN was arrested on Saturday as he transitioned through Miami International Airport en route to Mexico from Venezuela. He made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge William C. Turnoff in the Southern District of Florida and is scheduled to return to court on Thursday at 10 a.m. for a detention hearing.
UPDATE: On July 16, 2014, CARDENAS HOFFMAN appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis in New Haven. He waived his right to a probable cause hearing for 60 days and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He has been detained since his arrest on June 21.
Newtown residents who believe that they received a threatening call are encouraged to call Lori Vernali, the Victim/Witness Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, at 203-821-3818.
“This complaint charges that Cardenas Hoffman made dozens of threatening telephone calls to residents of Newtown when they were suffering from one of the worst tragedies in our nation’s history,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “Threatening such vulnerable people is reprehensible and inhuman criminal conduct. Further, it inappropriately stressed law enforcement resources at a critically demanding time. This case demonstrates the resolve of our office and the FBI to arrest individuals who believe that international boundaries will protect them from prosecution in the United States.”
“The motivation to catch criminals runs deep within the FBI, but the pursuit of criminals who prey on innocent victims motivates agents like nothing else,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Ferrick. “That someone can so callously prey on a community with such hate and vitriol is beyond comprehension. This arrest, a year and a half after the Newtown tragedy, speaks to the unrelenting commitment and compassion for victims and their families and sends an important warning to those inclined to commit similar crimes. The FBI’s reach is exceptionally far and wide and equally enduring.”
The charge of transmitting threats in interstate or foreign commerce carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that the filing of a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. The charges in a criminal complaint are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Chang and Krishna Patel, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Schall.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New London Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAURICE L. MILLIGAN, 35, of New London, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith in Hartford to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 11:30 p.m. on April 22, 2013, New London Police received reports of shots fired in the vicinity of a convenience store located on Ocean Avenue near the intersection of Evergreen and Sherman Streets. Responding officers did not find any victim of the shooting, but did locate and seize four spent 9mm Winchester shell casings in the immediate area. The investigation determined that two males had had a verbal altercation inside the convenience store and, shortly thereafter, a number of shots had been fired outside the business. Review of video from inside and outside the store led to the identification of MILLIGAN as the probable shooter.
On April 25, 2013, New London Police observed MILLIGAN sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle. Officers ordered MILLIGAN to exit the car and saw that he was wearing a bullet-proof vest. Officers then searched the vehicle and recovered from under the driver’s seat a Glock, Model 17, 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. The handgun was loaded with 19 rounds of Winchester 9mm ammunition. Further examination of the gun revealed that the serial number on the frame of the weapon had been removed.
A ballistics comparison made of the shell casings recovered on the night of April 22 with the Glock seized from under the driver’s seat of the car MILLIGAN was driving on April 25 established that the Glock was the weapon that fired the shots.
Prior to April 2013, MILLIGAN had been convicted in the Queens County (N.Y.) Supreme Court of third degree criminal possession of a loaded firearm and second degree robbery.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. It is also a violation of federal law for a convicted felon to wear protective body armor, and for an individual who has been convicted of a violent felony offense to possess body armor.
MILLIGAN is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on September 10, 2014, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He has been detained since his arrest on April 25, 2013.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New London Police Department and the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New London. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John H. Durham.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Two Danbury Residents Charged with Operating U.S. Postal Money Order Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY STERLIN CANTAVE, 34, and VENUS VERGES, 33, both of Danbury, were arrested today on an indictment charging them with participating in a conspiracy involving the theft of monies from the U.S. Postal Service. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in New Haven on June 18 and the defendants were arrested today.
According to the indictment, between August and October 2013, CANTAVE and VERGES purchased U.S. Postal Service money orders in amounts ranging from $400 to $1000 at post offices in Fairfield County. After the money orders were purchased, the defendants used a mobile banking application to deposit the funds into bank accounts they controlled. Shortly after depositing the funds, the defendants returned to the post offices from which the respective money orders had been purchased, failed to disclose that they had deposited the funds, returned the money orders and were refunded their money.
CANTAVE and VERGES are charged with one count of conspiracy to convert public money, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. In addition, CANTAVE is charged with 11 counts and VERGES is charged with five counts of conversion of public money, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
CANTAVE and VERGES appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered pleas of not guilty. They are currently detained.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John H. Durham.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Cocaine, Crack Cocaine and OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MICHAEL THOMPSON, 35, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to 168 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing cocaine, crack cocaine and oxycodone.
THOMPSON is one of more than 100 individuals charged as a result of “Operation Bloodline,” a joint law enforcement investigation targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in the Dwight-Kensington and Fair Haven sections of New Haven. Led by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the New Haven and Hamden Police Departments, the year-long investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps on numerous telephones, extensive physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, execution of search warrants, and seizures of narcotics and firearms.
On December 6, 2013, a jury found THOMPSON guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”), and a quantity of oxycodone.
According to the evidence at trial, THOMPSON received kilogram quantities of cocaine from suppliers, including co-defendant Christopher “White Boy Chris” Morley, which THOMPSON converted into crack cocaine and then sold to other narcotics distributors and customers. Morley also provided THOMPSON with quantities of oxycodone, which THOMPSON redistributed to others. At times, THOMPSON supplied powder cocaine to Morley.
THOMPSON’s criminal history includes at least nine prior felony convictions.
Morley pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia and Meriden Police Departments. The United States Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, Parole and Community Services and the Milford, Hartford, New Britain, North Branford and Stratford Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys S. Dave Vatti and Marc Silverman.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Monroe Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
The United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced that ANTHONY TESTO, 66, of Monroe, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford to fraud and tax charges stemming from a scheme to defraud a Bridgeport-based residential property owner. TESTO, the owner and president of ACT Builders, Inc., also entered a plea of guilty on behalf of his company.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ACT Builders, Inc. was contracted to serve as a property manager for an entity in Bridgeport that owned an apartment complex and several single and multi-family residences. TESTO’s role as property manager included filling vacant rental units, setting rental amounts, collecting security deposits, collecting rent from tenants and depositing rental payments in the property owner’s bank account. TESTO also was required to submit to the property owner a monthly “rent roll,” which was a spreadsheet showing the occupancy of the rental units, the rental amounts due and the rental payments collected from tenants.
From approximately January 2007 to August 2010, TESTO, ACT Builders and others schemed to defraud the property owner by submitting fraudulent rent rolls that misrepresented that certain rental units were vacant with no rent due when, in fact, the apartments were occupied and rent had been collected. The rent rolls also misrepresented that the rent due and collected for certain rental units was lower than the amount that was actually collected. TESTO deposited rental income that was due to the property owner into both his personal bank account and the ACT Builders bank account.
TESTO, who hired subcontractors to provide maintenance services for the property, also submitted fraudulent subcontractor invoices to the property owner.
TESTO defrauded the property owner of at least $275,000 through this scheme. He also failed to report this fraudulent income on his 2007 through 2010 personal federal income tax returns, resulting in a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service of $71,795.
TESTO pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. Act Builders pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of probation of five years.
TESTO has agreed to pay full restitution to the victim property owner, as well as back taxes, plus penalties and interest.
TESTO and Act Builders are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on September 2, 2014.
TESTO was arrested on March 13, 2014 and is currently released on a $500,000 bond.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Felice Duffy.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office Celebrates Annual U.S. Attorney’s AwardsRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut hosted its annual United States Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony this afternoon in New Haven. The ceremony at the City of New Haven’s aldermanic chambers recognized more than 160 individuals for their investigative efforts in 30 significant federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases in Connecticut.
The highlighted cases demonstrate the broad variety of work performed by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in Connecticut, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Defense, SIGTARP, the Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, and Connecticut Department of Banking. More than 30 of the award recipients are members of local police departments from across Connecticut.
“Today, we proudly recognize our law enforcement partners for their exceptional work,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “We are grateful for the courage and dedication they bring to the job. It is our great honor to work with them and to celebrate their accomplishments as they devote their lives to ensuring the safety and security of our communities and all those who live in our state.”
Several unit awards and special awards were also presented during the ceremony.
The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Investigator was presented to FBI Financial Analyst Elizabeth McCartney for her exceptional work on many significant financial fraud investigations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Partnership was presented to a group of local and state law enforcement officers who are assigned to various federal task forces. Award recipients include Captain Luis Sosa of the Connecticut Department of Correction, Detective Stanford Dowling of the Bridgeport Police Department, Detective Mark Solomon of the Greenwich Police Department, Detective Francis Bellizzi of the New Britain Police Department, Officers Michael Mastropetre and Jonathan Young of the New Haven Police Department, Officer Brian Laurie of the New London Police Department, and Officer Heather Bozentko, Detective William Brevard, Sergeant Christopher Broems and Sergeant Kevin Keenan of the Stamford Police Department.
The Civil Division Unit Award was presented to Debra Reale, who has been the Associate Area Counsel, Small Business, Self Employed Division for the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel for 26 years.
The National Security and Major Crimes Unit Award was presented to Peter Kenyon, Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency, for his investigation and prosecution of numerous major environmental cases in Connecticut during the past 23 years.
The Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Unit Award was presented to FBI Special Agents William Aldenberg, Stacy Bowery, Matthew McPhillips and Jeffrey Waterman, whose investigative efforts led to the successful prosecution of eight individuals who engaged in a scheme to direct illegal contributions into the campaign of a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit Award was presented to the lead investigators in Operation Bloodline, which targeted narcotics trafficking and gang violence in New Haven, and resulted in more than 90 federal convictions. The award recipients were DEA Special Agents Michael Cogan and Anastas Ndrenika, DEA Task Force Officers Tony Miranda and David Rivera of the New Haven Police Department, and DEA Task Force Officers Joshua Cameron and Dedric Jones, and Investigator Lance Helms, of the Hamden Police Department.
The United States Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut, and with representing the federal government in civil litigation in the District. The District is composed of approximately 64 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 60 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Hartford Man Indicted for Illegally Possessing Sawed-off Firearm and Bullet Proof VestRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Hartford has returned an indictment charging KIEJUAN HAUGABOOK, 35, of Hartford, with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a sawed-off firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of body armor by a violent felon. The indictment was returned on June 11 and was unsealed today during HAUGABOOK’s arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis in New Haven.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, HAUGABOOK escaped from a halfway house in Hartford. On February 3, 2014, a parole officer found him in an apartment in Hartford. Upon entering the apartment, the parole officer noticed a firearm in plain view and contacted the Hartford Police Department. Hartford Police arrived on the scene and seized a Harrington & Richardson, Model Topper 158, firearm with a sawed-off barrel, as well as ammunition, a Point Blank ballistic vest and a stun gun.
The indictment alleges that HAUGABOOK has previous state convictions for first and third degree robbery, possession of narcotics and carrying a pistol without permit. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. It is also a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a violent felony offense to possess body armor that has moved in interstate commerce.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ndidi Moses and Brian Leaming.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Texas Woman Admits Illegally Exporting Advanced Combat Optical Gunsights, Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JANIECE MICHELLE HOUGH, 41, of Kempner, Texas, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of smuggling goods from the United States. The charge stems from HOUGH’s sale of two Advanced Combat Optical Gunsights (ACOGs) destined for Germany in violation of the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations.
Following her plea of guilty, Judge Underhill sentenced HOUGH to six months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, the first eight months of which she must serve in home confinement. HOUGH was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and to forfeit $198,054.
According to court documents and statements made in court, HOUGH worked for a government contractor and was based at Fort Hood in Texas. On the side, she operated an online business selling surplus military clothing and equipment on eBay. While working at Fort Hood, HOUGH purchased military equipment from U.S. Army personnel, including Michael Bartch, for re-sale online. In June 2010, HOUGH sold and shipped two ACOGs to an individual in Connecticut with the understanding that the AGOGs were destined for Germany.
HOUGH did not have a license from the U.S. State Department, which is required to export ACOGs and other items on the U.S. Munitions List.
Bartch, of Copperas Cove, Texas, was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. On April 17, 2013, he was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment.
In the District of Connecticut, this case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Boston Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Chang and Hal Chen.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Ridgefield Man Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LOUIS VUCCI, JR., 45, of Ridgefield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 12 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for evading the payment of nearly $200,000 in federal taxes over a five-year period.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2005 through 2009, VUCCI failed to report more than $678,000 in income he received while serving as president and CEO of Diamond Ranch Foods (“DRF”), a publicly-traded company in the business of selling and distributing meat products in the New York area. VUCCI underreported his income by $112,310 in 2005, $109,473 in 2006, $174,300 in 2007, $187,704 in 2008, and $95,126 in 2009. The unreported income consisted of weekly pay checks from DRF in the amount of $2,500 that were made payable to VUCCI’s spouse, who did not work for DRF, and deposited into a bank account in his spouse’s name. Also, in 2008 and 2009, VUCCI had one of DRF’s customers pay him for purchases with blank checks, which checks he then completed and deposited into his personal bank account. The checks totaled $26,236 in 2008 and $65,387 in 2009.
In addition, large cash deposits totaling $16,100 in 2008 and $25,020 in 2009 were made into VUCCI’s personal bank accounts. These deposits were cash payments from another DRF customer for DRF sales to the customer.
VUCCI’s federal individual income tax returns reported income of $19,590 in 2005, $12,500 in 2006, $12,000 in 2007, $30,000 in 2008, $125,202 in 2009. The reported low income from 2005 to 2008 automatically qualified VUCCI for the Earned Income Credit yielding refunds rather than taxes owed.
From mid-2005 to mid-2007, VUCCI and his spouse rented a home in Greenwich for $8,500 per month, had car expenses in excess of $1,000 per month, and paid a housekeeper for approximately 20 hours per week. In 2007, VUCCI purchased a house in Ridgefield for $975,000 and continued to make the car payments.
Judge Bryant ordered VUCCI to pay back taxes in the amount of $196,425, as well as substantial interest and penalties.
On October 3, 2013, VUCCI pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.
VUCCI was ordered to report to prison on September 9, 2014.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Man Who Defrauded Numerous Oil Companies and Oil Customers Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARC CANNON, 40, of Bridgeport, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to one count of wire fraud stemming from a scheme to defraud both oil companies and individuals whose oil deliveries he fraudulently brokered.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately February 2010 and April 2011, CANNON, sometimes known as “Marc the Oil Man,” engaged in a scheme to defraud heating oil companies and to obtain money from individuals who received oil deliveries. CANNON posed as a retail customer when dealing with oil companies, and as a bargain oil seller when dealing with property owners. As part of the scheme, CANNON would make an offer to a property owner to sell oil at below market cost in exchange for a cash payment. Then he would contact a retail oil company, set up a fraudulent account using stolen personal identifying information, and place an order for the oil company to deliver home heating oil to a property owned by the property owner. The oil would be delivered to the property as ordered. CANNON would then collect cash for the delivery from the property owner, but he did not remit this payment to the oil company. When the oil company contacted the property owner to collect payment for the oil, the company would discover that the property owner had already made payment to CANNON.
Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for December 3, 2014, at which time CANNON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
CANNON was originally charged in a criminal complaint that was issued on April 13, 2011, and he was a fugitive until his arrest on January 30, 2014. He is currently released on a $100,000 bond.
This matter has been investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, the North Haven Police Department and the North Branford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Krishna R. Patel.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Yale Employee Charged with Operating Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Hartford has returned a four-count indictment charging GEORGE DOBUZINSKY, 57, of Durham, with conspiracy and fraud offenses stemming from a kickback scheme he allegedly operated while employed at Yale University.
The indictment was returned on June 11. DOBUZINSKY appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport and entered a plea of not guilty. He was released on a $300,000 bond.
According to the indictment and to statements made in court, DOBUZINSKY has been employed by Yale University as a project manager responsible for obtaining vendors to complete audio/visual projects on Yale’s campus. It is alleged that between 2005 and 2013, DOBUZINSKY arranged to receive tens of thousands of dollars in kickback payments from vendors in exchange for awarding them additional audio/visual project work. At first, DOBUZINSKY directed the vendors to make kickback payments to him in the form of checks payable to an entity owned by DOBUZINSKY’s friend, who later provided the money to DOBUZINSKY. Later in the scheme, DOBUZINSKY directed an individual to start a limited liability corporation (“LLC”) to which vendors could direct their kickback payments. The individual would deposit the checks at bank branches in Connecticut, and DOBUZINSKY and the individual would spend the money on household expenses.
The indictment further alleges that at various times and during holidays, DOBUZINSKY would request and receive gifts from vendors, including steakhouse gift certificates and electronic equipment for personal use.
The indictment charges DOBUZINSKY with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of honest services wire fraud. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The case has been assigned to Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Stamford Man Admits Role in Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
The United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced that ASM AFSARY, 41, of Stamford, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to conspiring to defraud financial institutions through an extensive mortgage fraud scheme that involved dozens of properties in Fairfield County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2005 and 2013, AFSARY participated in a mortgage fraud conspiracy that involved the purchase of numerous single and multi-family properties, primarily in Bridgeport and Stamford. During the scheme, AFSARY and his co-conspirators provided materially false information to mortgage lenders. The fraudulent information included false verifications of mortgage applicants’ income, false verifications of down payments for real estate transactions and false HUD-1 Forms.
In pleading guilty, AFSARY admitted that he recruited and directed the actions of several “straw buyers,” or individuals who fraudulently applied for and obtained mortgage loans but did not have an actual financial investment or stake in the mortgage loan transactions. In fact, AFSARY was the intended owner of the property, managed the property and collected all of the rents from the property.
Through this scheme, lenders suffered losses of more than $7 million. Many of the properties involved in this mortgage fraud scheme ended up in foreclosure, or in short sale transactions.
AFSARY pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2014.
AFSARY is the fourth individual involved in this scheme to plead guilty.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Nevins and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John McReynolds.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Federal Prisoner Admits Running Bank Fraud Scheme While in Hartford Halfway House, and Then EscapingRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONALD GLENN, 42, formerly of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith in Hartford to one count of bank fraud and one count of escape from the custody of the Attorney General.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2009, GLENN was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 78 months of imprisonment for running an extensive fraudulent check cashing scheme that involved more than 200 counterfeit business checks and 75 different bank branches in Connecticut. Through this scheme, GLENN and his associates defrauded banks of more than $155,000.
On September 28, 2012, the Bureau of Prisons transferred GLENN to a halfway house in Hartford where he was to serve the final six months of his sentence.
In November 2012, while he was in federal custody in the Hartford halfway house, GLENN began to engage in another bank fraud scheme. In December 2012, GLENN gave an individual a counterfeit check from a Connecticut business in the amount of $4,809.02, and gave a second individual a counterfeit check from the same business in the amount of $4,743.80. At GLENN’s direction, the individuals deposited the checks into bank accounts and then withdrew a portion of the funds.
On March 27, 2013, GLENN left the halfway house without permission and did not return.
On April 2, 2013, GLENN deposited a counterfeit business check in the amount of $7,321.60 into a bank account he controlled in Connecticut and then withdrew a portion of the funds.
On August 2, 2013, GLENN was arrested in Florida on state charges. He has been detained since his arrest.
GLENN is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on September 3, 2014, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 35 years.GLENN’s criminal history also includes a 1997 federal conviction for bank fraud, for which he received a 41-month prison term, and at least 15 state convictions.
This matter was investigated by the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Task Force includes the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police, and the Greenwich, Hartford, Monroe, Stamford, Shelton, Stratford and Waterford Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia E. King and David T. Huang.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Drugs, FirearmRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KARL ROYE, also known as “Eagle,” 23, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 5, 2013, at approximately 10:22 p.m., the Hartford Police Department’s Shooting Task Force and the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force executed a state search warrant at ROYE’s Holcomb Street residence. As the search team approached the residence, ROYE drove from his house at a high rate of speed. Officers stopped ROYE at the end of the street and seized from him two cell phones and $640 in cash. A search of ROYE’s residence yielded approximately $2,000 in cash and a money counting machine that were found in ROYE’s bedroom. Searchers also found two backpacks that were hidden above a tiled ceiling in the basement. The backpacks revealed quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana packaged for distribution, two digital scales, drug packaging materials, and a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson, Model 60, revolver.
A firearms trace on the weapon established that it had been reported to the Hartford Police Department in November 2012 as having been stolen from the residence of its owner.
ROYE has been detained since his arrest on September 5, 2013.
Judge Covello scheduled sentencing for September 10, 2014, at which time ROYE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for possessing with intent to distribute narcotics, and a consecutive sentence of at least five years of imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that crime.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The FBI task force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John H. Durham.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Tax Preparer and Evader Is SentencedRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that KENNETH ZITO, 51, of Wethersfield, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to three years of probation, the first 10 months of which ZITO must serve in home confinement, for evading the payment of taxes on more than $200,000 in income. ZITO also was ordered to pay a fine of $6,350 and to perform 300 hours of community service.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ZITO worked at Daniel Zito Financial Services, a South Windsor commercial financial services firm owned by ZITO’s father, where ZITO prepared tax returns for individuals and businesses. Although ZITO and his father worked together, they submitted client tax returns separately. Between 2007 and 2009, ZITO cashed checks he received from clients as payment for his services, but did not deposit the checks or declare them on his federal income tax return. As a result, ZITO did not report $219,759.32 in income during that three-year period, and failed to pay $59,621 in federal income tax.
Prior to his sentencing, ZITO paid $124,241 in back taxes, interest and penalties.
On March 18, 2014, ZITO pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Stamford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Running Fraudulent Computer Networking Parts SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CRAIG A. STANLAND, 40, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fraudulently obtaining hundreds of computer networking parts from Cisco Systems, Inc.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from October 2012 until he was arrested on October 1, 2013, STANLAND operated a service contract fraud scheme in which he purchased or controlled approximately 18 service contracts for Cisco networking parts. Pursuant to these service contracts, STANLAND – using the aliases “Alan Johnston” of Opex Solutions, “Kyle Booker” of KLB Networks, “Steve Jones” of SHO Networks, “Robert Johnson” of Adaptations, and “Paul Smith” of PS Solutions, among others – made hundreds of false service requests to Cisco to replace purportedly defective computer networking parts. Based on these requests, Cisco shipped replacement parts to various addresses at STANLAND’s direction, including to his home in Stamford, to his wife’s business in Brooklyn, N.Y., and to two post office boxes in Greenwich.
STANLAND sold the new parts to third parties to enrich himself. Although he was supposed to return the allegedly defective parts to Cisco, he either returned no parts at all or instead sent to Cisco third-party, off-brand parts.
Through this scheme, STANLAND fraudulently obtained nearly 600 parts from Cisco. The retail cost of the parts ranged from approximately $500 to $8,600, and the total loss to Cisco was approximately $834,307.
The investigation revealed that STANLAND spent some of the money he stole at various high-end restaurants in Fairfield County and New York.
STANLAND was ordered to make full restitution to Cisco.
On January 22, 2014, STANLAND waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Greenwich Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Bridgeport Police Officers Plead Guilty to Federal Civil Rights ChargeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M, Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that Bridgeport Police officers ELSON MORALES, 42, and JOSEPH LAWLOR, 41, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in Bridgeport to violating an individual’s civil rights by using unreasonable force during the course of an arrest.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 20, 2011, officers MORALES and LAWLOR engaged in a pursuit of a van driven by an individual who was suspected of having a firearm and had failed to submit to a traffic stop. After the pursuit, the individual was apprehended in Beardsley Park in Bridgeport. MORALES used his department-issued Taser to incapacitate the individual during the course of his apprehension. Despite the fact the individual was effectively incapacitated by the initial use of the Taser, MORALES deployed the Taser a second time and LAWLOR kicked the individual several times.
“The use of unreasonable force during an arrest is not only a clear violation of an individual’s civil rights, but also gravely undermines the community’s trust in law enforcement,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “The overwhelming majority of officers in the Bridgeport Police Department are public servants who dedicate their lives to protecting the public. However, any law enforcement officer who crosses the line during an arrest risks federal prosecution.”
U.S. Attorney Daly stated that the investigation is ongoing.
“Today’s guilty pleas are such an important reminder to those of us who are sworn to uphold the law, that we are not above the law,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Ferrick. “Law enforcement officers of this state, and beyond, should rightfully be held to a high standard. Morales and Lawlor’s actions three years ago profoundly undermined that standard and the public’s faith in law enforcement to protect and to serve. It is an absolute honor and privilege to serve a community and the good men and women of the Bridgeport Police Department know that, where so many have served with both pride and distinction.”
MORALES and LAWLOR each pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, a charge that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of one year and a fine of up to $100,000.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for September 2, 2014.
As part of their plea agreements, MORALES and LAWLOR have agreed to resign from the Bridgeport Police Department and not seek employment as a police or peace office during any period of supervision.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia E. King and David E. Novick.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]East Lyme Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LESTER FANTAUZZI, 47, of East Lyme, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
In early 2012, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the U.S. Secret Service and the New London Police Department initiated an investigation to combat the large-scale trafficking of heroin and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico into and around southeastern Connecticut. More than 100 individuals were charged with federal and state offenses as a result of this investigation.
According to court documents and statements made in court, FANTAUZZI regularly purchased raw heroin from Luis Ariel Capellan Maldonado and distributed the drug to his own customer base from the Globe Spirit Shop, a liquor store he operated in New London.
FANTAUZZI was arrested on April 3, 2013. On January 6, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin.
Capellan Maldonado has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine; Connecticut State Police; New London Police Department, Norwich Police Department, Waterford Police Department, Groton Town Police Department, East Lyme Police Department and Putnam Police Department. The United States Marshals Service; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; Drug Enforcement Administration; HSI Assistant Attaché, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; HSI Arecibo, Puerto Rico Resident Office; Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; Connecticut Department of Correction, Parole and Community Services; and the Groton City, Willimantic, New Haven and Bristol Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The federal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alina P. Reynolds, Sarah P. Karwan and Henry K. Kopel. The state cases are being prosecuted by the State’s Attorney for the New London Judicial District and Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Paul Narducci and Stephen Carney.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Waterbury Woman Who Failed to Register as A Sex Offender and Violated Supervised Release Is SentencedRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GUITANA JONES, 42, formerly of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to approximately one year of imprisonment, time already served, and seven years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender and for violating the conditions of her supervised release from a previous federal conviction. She has been detained since June 10, 2013.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2003, JONES was sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and use of an interstate facility to transmit information about a minor. Also, in June 2007, she was given a concurrent sentence in state court of risk of injury to a minor and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor. JONES was released from federal prison in May 2010.
As a convicted sex offender, JONES was told that she was required to register and update her registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). Convicted sex offenders must update their address within five days of any move, re-registering in any state to which they move, and verifying their current address with local law enforcement every 90 days. Prior to her release on federal supervision, JONES was told that crossing state lines without registering in the new state or notifying Connecticut of her change of address could result in federal prosecution for failure to register.
In September 2011, JONES requested the Court’s permission to move from Connecticut to Florida. In March 2012, her request was denied and JONES was told that she was not permitted to move to Florida while on federal supervised release.
In May 2013, the U.S. Probation Office learned that JONES had moved to Florida and, at times, had traveled back to Connecticut to avoid detection of her supervised release violation. JONES also tested positive for cocaine use. On June 10, 2013, U.S. Marshals arrested JONES for violating her supervised release.
The investigation revealed that, in September 2012, JONES obtained a Florida identification card after providing an address in Miramar, Fla. She also possessed and used a cellular telephone with a Florida area code while residing in Florida between February and April 2013. The Florida Sex Registry has no record of JONES ever applying to register as a sex offender.
On March 5, 2014, JONES pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender, and also admitted that she violated the terms and conditions of her supervised release.
Judge Underhill ordered JONES to serve the first two years of her seven-year term of supervised release in home confinement under GPS or electronic monitoring by the U.S. Probation Office. JONES also was ordered to register as a sex offender and to abide by several other conditions, including that she have no unsupervised contact with minors under the age of 18.
JONES, who has related state charges pending in Waterbury Superior Court, was released into the custody of the Waterbury Police Department following today’s court proceeding.
This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Waterbury Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing CrackRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JUICY REID-STITH, 38, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for selling crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2012, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began an investigation into the distribution of crack cocaine and related criminal activity in the area of Locust Street in Waterbury. In April and May 2012, REID-STITH made several sales of crack, with a total weight of approximately 167 grams, to an individual working with law enforcement.
On March 5, 2014, REID-STITH pleaded guilty to one count of possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).
REID-STITH has an extensive criminal history dating to 1992.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Waterbury and Bridgeport Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Runowicz.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Florida Man Admits Stalking Connecticut Victim, Planting Bottle Bombs Containing Hydrochloric AcidRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M, Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that FRANK MENDOZA, 53, formerly of Jacksonville, Fla., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to one count of interstate stalking.
“First, this defendant abused, threatened and stalked his victim, a woman who had attempted to end her relationship with the defendant,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “The defendant then planted acid-filled bottle bombs in the victim’s car and came dangerously close to permanently disfiguring her. Under the federal Violence Against Women Act, the Department of Justice is empowered with tools to prosecute domestic violence and stalking crimes. We commend the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces in Connecticut and Florida, and all of our partner investigative agencies who investigated this heinous crime in an effort to secure justice and provide safety for the victim.”
“Civilized societies must have zero tolerance for criminals like Mendoza who terrorize not only their victims but the communities in which they reside,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Ferrick. “The thorough multi-agency investigation into Mendoza’s crimes is indicative of exceptional cooperation among investigators focused on protecting the victim from future harm and seeing to it that justice prevails.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, MENDOZA began a romantic relationship with a woman in Jacksonville, Fla, in 2008. MENDOZA then became emotionally and psychologically abusive toward the victim. The victim also learned that MENDOZA had a serious prior criminal history and claimed to be affiliated with a gang. She also observed MENDOZA carrying a firearm. MENDOZA’s abusive and threatening behavior caused the victim to attempt to end the relationship.
In approximately September 2010, as part of a ruse, the victim told MENDOZA that she was moving to Rhode Island for a work-related training program. The victim instead moved to Stamford, Conn. In October 2010, MENDOZA learned that the victim had moved to Connecticut and began to place numerous harassing and threatening phone calls to her, her friends and her work colleagues.
In early November 2010, MENDOZA traveled from Florida to Connecticut, visited the victim’s residence and place of work, and then returned to Florida. On December 8, 2010, MENDOZA flew from Florida to New York City, rented a car, drove to the victim’s Connecticut residence, and placed two, two-liter bottles in the victim’s car. The bottles contained hydrochloric acid and an aluminum foil wick.
At approximately 11:00 p.m. on December 8, 2010, the victim approached her car and observed that the car’s interior had been dampened by a liquid. She also observed a bottle on the driver’s side floor. When she picked the bottle up, it began to smoke and fizz. She then gently placed the bottle down and ran from the car. The bottle then exploded.
The investigation revealed that the first bottle had exploded before the victim had reached the car.
MENDOZA has been detained since his arrest in Jacksonville on August 17, 2012.
The charge of interstate stalking carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. If the binding plea agreement filed today is accepted by the court, MENDOZA will be sentenced to at least 84 months of imprisonment.
Judge Chatigny scheduled sentencing for September 3, 2014.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces in New Haven and Jacksonville, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Connecticut State Police, the New Haven Police Department, the Stamford Police Department, the Stamford Bomb Squad, the Stamford Fire Department and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Krishna Patel and Vanessa Richards.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge, Faces at Least 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMES BROWN, 34, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 28, 2012, New Haven Police responded to a 911 call of a domestic dispute involving a weapon. Officers arrived at the identified residence and BROWN, who was in the bedroom, was taken into custody. A subsequent search of the bedroom revealed a loaded Smith and Wesson revolver hidden under the mattress of the bed.
Forensic analysis of the firearm revealed DNA that matched BROWN’s DNA.
BROWN’s criminal history includes convictions for unlawful restraint in the first degree, robbery in the second degree, robbery in the third degree, and sale of a controlled substance. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The charge of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon ordinarily carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. However, BROWN is subject to the Armed Career Criminal Act, a federal law imposing severe penalties for firearm or ammunition possession by persons who have been convicted of at least three violent felonies or serious drug offenses. A defendant who qualifies as an Armed Career Criminal faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of life.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]California Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for Distributing MethRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHAD McCLUSKEY, 44, of San Clemente, Calif., was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 65 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a meth distribution ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Connecticut State Police’s Statewide Narcotics Task Force. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of meth, physical surveillance and the use of an undercover officer, revealed that McCLUSKEY and his girlfriend, Kristen Laschober, sent shipments of meth to Kevin Wallin of Waterbury over the course of approximately four years. After receiving the shipments of meth, Wallin distributed the drug to other dealers and sold it to his own customers. Some of the shipments were sent on consignment with the understanding that Wallin would pay McCLUSKEY and Laschober with proceeds generated from his distribution of the drug.
For a time during the conspiracy, McCLUSKEY and Laschober supplied Wallin with between one and three pounds of meth on a monthly basis.
McCLUSKEY and Laschober were arrested in Las Vegas, Nev., on January 10, 2013. On April 18, 2013, they each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine (“meth”).
Wallin was arrested on January 3, 2013. On April 2, 2013, he pleaded guilty to the same charge.
Laschober and Wallin await sentencing.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Caruso and H. Gordon Hall.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANGEL L. MELENDEZ, 27, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 90 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2013, MELENDEZ sold crack cocaine to an individual working with law enforcement. At the time, MELENDEZ was on transitional supervision with the Connecticut Department of Correction. On September 18, 2013, MELENDEZ was arrested at a family member’s home in New Haven where he shared a bedroom with a young child. A search of a closet in that bedroom revealed a loaded Beretta Model 1935, 7.65 mm, semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, approximately $2,000 in heroin packaged for distribution, and $700 in cash. MELENDEZ admitted that the seized items were his.
MELENDEZ’s criminal history includes multiple felony drug convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
MELENDEZ has been detained since his arrest. On December 9, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Stamford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge, Admits Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that, on May 28, 2014, in Bridgeport federal court, GERALD COLEY, 44, of Stamford, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. COLEY also admitted to violating the terms and conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 3, 2014, Stamford Police were called to the home of COLEY’s girlfriend on a report that COLEY was holding his girlfriend at gunpoint, and that their three children were with them in the residence. The police arrived at the residence and confirmed that a family friend had escorted the children outside. COLEY then permitted his girlfriend to leave the residence. He subsequently surrendered to police and advised officers that he had hidden a gun behind a radiator in the living room. A search of that location revealed a loaded Glock .40 caliber handgun.
COLEY’s criminal history includes six felony convictions, including a 2002 federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”), for which he was sentenced to 151 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. COLEY was released from federal prison in September 2012 and began serving his supervised release.
COLEY is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven on August 20, 2014, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for illegally possessing a firearm, and up to two years of imprisonment for violating his supervised release.
Charges against COLEY related to the hostage situation are pending in state court.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Spector.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Hartford Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAIBWAR RAOUF, also known as “Camel,” of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for attempting to purchase three kilograms of heroin from an undercover officer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information that RAOUF was a significant distributor of heroin in the Hartford area, and that he was looking for a new source of heroin supply. On June 12, 2012, RAOUF traveled to a diner in the Bronx, New York, to meet with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a large-scale heroin trafficker. RAOUF arranged to purchase three kilograms of heroin from the undercover officer for $55,000 per kilogram. RAOUF agreed to give the officer approximately $120,000 as a down payment at the time of the initial purchase, and would pay the balance of $45,000 within three days of the purchase.
On July 17, 2012, RAOUF and the undercover officer met at a diner in Stamford to further discuss the heroin transaction.
RAOUF and the undercover officer subsequently agreed to conduct the heroin transaction on July 31, 2012. On that date, RAOUF’s girlfriend, Lillian Compres, withdrew $120,000 from a safety deposit box at a bank in East Hartford and provided the money to RAOUF. RAOUF then packed the cash in two VCR cases and placed the VCR cases in the trunk of Compres’s car. RAOUF then drove his car to the diner in Stamford, and Compres followed RAOUF in her car.
RAOUF and Compres met the undercover officer at the diner but, after RAOUF and Compres feared there was police presence in the area, they and the undercover officer traveled a short distance north on Interstate 95 to a restaurant parking lot. RAOUF and Compres were arrested at that time.
RAOUF has been detained since his arrest. On July 1, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
Compres has pleaded guilty to a related charge and awaits sentencing.
RAOUF was ordered to forfeit $120,000 in U.S. currency that was seized from the trunk of Compres’ car, and an additional $58,000 in U.S. currency that was seized from the safety box held in Compres’ name.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Former Usps Employee Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Bribery, Fraud and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Tom Frost, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Major Fraud Investigations Division, announced that former U.S. Postal Service employee ROBERT GIULIETTI, 57, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for bribery, fraud and tax offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, GIULIETTI was a Facilities Project Manager for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) at the USPS Northeast Facilities Office in Windsor, Conn. GIULIETTI’s duties included recommending and selecting facilities improvement contractors, reviewing and approving bids received from those contractors for USPS work, certifying the completion of work by contractors and approving payment authorizations. GIULIETTI has admitted that he accepted approximately $89,000 from two contractors to direct inflated USPS facilities construction contracts to them.
Also, in approximately September 2009, GIULIETTI formed MGC LLC to do business with the USPS on projects on which he worked. MGC was owned in name by GIULIETTI’s wife, and its business address was his home address in Cheshire. Operating MGC from his USPS office in Windsor, GIULIETTI used his position to direct USPS contracts to MGC, to approve MGC’s work and to authorize payment to MGC for work. After GIULIETTI directed USPS contracts to MGC, he engaged other contractors to perform the actual work involved with each project. GIULIETTI generated almost a million dollars in profit by having MGC charge USPS more than MGC had to pay the contractors who performed the actual work.
Between November 2009 and November 2011, GIULIETTI directed more than 150 USPS facility projects to MGC, causing a loss to the USPS of approximately $982,064.68.
GIULIETTI also filed false federal income tax returns for the 2008 through 2011 tax years by fraudulently deducting payments from MGC to members of his family, and by not reporting the corrupt payments that he received.
“The prosecution of corrupt public employees is a top priority of this Office,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “This defendant not only accepted bribes and defrauded the U.S. Postal Service of nearly a million dollars, but he cheated on his taxes, as well. It is intolerable criminal conduct. I commend the USPS Office of Inspector General, the Connecticut FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their excellent work in this investigation, which included the seizure of significant assets.”
“The priority mission of the USPS-OIG Major Fraud Investigations Division is to protect the integrity and improve the economy of the U.S. Postal Service through vigorous investigation of schemes designed to defraud it,” stated Special Agent in Charge Frost. “Mr. Giulietti put the desire for his own personal enrichment ahead of his duty when he betrayed his position of trust and defrauded the U.S. Postal Service. His sentencing today is the inevitable outcome of his actions.”
GIULIETTI was arrested on December 13, 2012. On February 7, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public official, one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.
As part of his sentence, GIULIETTI is required to pay restitution in the amount of $882,064.68, and back taxes penalties and interest in the amount of $291,026.82. Judge Underhill ordered the forfeiture of a residence GIULIETTI owns on South Pond Circle in Cheshire, a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, and approximately $740,000 that was seized from bank accounts.
GIULIETTI was ordered to report to prison on July 23, 2014.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Francis and Eric Glover.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]West Hartford Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Narcotics Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FABIAN AUGUSTINE, also known as “J” and “Fabe,” 24, of West Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 71 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking crack cocaine and heroin.
This matter stems from a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) into a narcotics trafficking operation headed by Luther Nance, also known as “Papers” and “Cash.” The investigation, which included numerous controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, revealed that Nance and his associates sold crack cocaine and heroin in several communities throughout Connecticut utilizing multiple bases of operation, including a house on Carroll Road in East Hartford, the Sheldon Oaks housing complex in Hartford, and an apartment on Valley Street in Willimantic.
According to court documents and statements made in court, AUGUSTINE primarily distributed narcotics from the Sheldon Oaks apartments in Hartford. Between August 2012 and December 2012, investigators made at least 12 controlled purchases of crack cocaine or heroin from AUGUSTINE. The investigation also revealed that AUGUSTINE possessed a firearm and planned to commit an armed robbery of another drug dealer.
On June 27, 2013, a federal grand jury returned a 51-count superseding indictment charging AUGUSTINE, Nance and 13 other individuals with narcotics conspiracy and related offenses.
AUGUSTINE has been incarcerated on state narcotics charges since January 10, 2013. On February 19, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
On March 7, 2014, Nance pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base, and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Hartford, and the Hartford, Willimantic, East Hartford, Enfield and Middletown Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]U.S. Attorney Reaches Settlement with Hospital for Special Care to Ensure Equal Access to Summer CampRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the government has reached a settlement with the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain to resolve allegations that the hospital refused to accommodate a child in its summer camp program in 2013 because the child had juvenile diabetes and required the use of an insulin pump. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, including diabetes, by places of public accommodation.
This matter stems from a complaint by an employee of the Hospital for Special Care who was required to use family and medical leave in order to care for her child because the child was not allowed to attend the Hospital’s Vacation Ventures Kids Camp summer camp program. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the Hospital for Special Care agreed to implement policies and procedures to ensure that children with disabilities are afforded full and equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from all of its summer camp programs. The Hospital also agreed to publish on its website a statement of policy on prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability.
Under the settlement agreement, the Hospital agreed to restore all of the employee’s family and medical leave used up to the date her child was finally allowed to attend summer camp.
“Every child should have the opportunity to enjoy summer camp in Connecticut,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “Ensuring that children with disabilities, and their families, have equal access to summer camps goes to the heart of the ADA’s promises and protections. We hope that this agreement serves as a reminder for other Connecticut summer camp programs about their responsibility to comply with the ADA. While this particular camp was covered under Title III of the ADA – which prohibits discrimination by places of public accommodation – camps run by towns and other municipalities must also comply with the Title II of ADA, which likewise prohibits discrimination against children with disabilities.”
Under Title II and Title III of the ADA, state and local governments and places of public accommodation, respectively, must make reasonable modifications to policies, practices and procedures to afford individuals with disabilities access to and the opportunity to participate and benefit from all of their programs, including summer camps. Reasonable modifications include an individualized assessment of each child on a case-by-case basis, training summer camp staff on the ADA and, if necessary, the use of injectable medicines.
Additional information about the ADA and its application to places of public accommodation can be found at www.ada.gov.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Perkins, in coordination with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
The enforcement of the ADA is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Romanian Citizens Involved in Internet Phishing Scheme Are SentencedRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that two more Romanian citizens have been sentenced for their participation in an extensive Internet “phishing” scheme. On May 27, CIPRIAN DUMITRU TUDOR, 33, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 14 months of imprisonment. On May 23, BOGDAN-MIRCEA STOICA, 34, was sentenced by Judge Hall to approximately 27 months of imprisonment, time already served.
TUDOR and STOICA were extradited from Romania following the ratification in 2010 of an amended treaty on mutual legal assistance between Romania and the United States. TUDOR was arrested by Romanian authorities in November 2013, and he was extradited to the U.S. that same month. He previously had served a sentence of imprisonment in Romania for related crimes. STOICA was arrested by Romanian authorities in February 2012 and was extradited to the U.S. in April 2012.
A phishing scheme uses the Internet to target large numbers of unwary individuals, using fraud and deceit to obtain private personal and financial information such as names, addresses, bank account numbers, credit card numbers and Social Security numbers. Phishing schemes often work by sending out large numbers of counterfeit e-mail messages that are made to appear as if they originated from legitimate banks, financial institutions or other companies. The fraudulent email messages ask individuals to click on a hyperlink contained in the email message, which would take the individual to a counterfeit site on the Internet that purports to be the Internet site of the particular bank, financial institution or company. At the counterfeit Internet site, the individual is then asked to enter information such as the individual’s name, address and credit or debit card numbers.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2005 a resident of Madison, Conn., contacted the FBI in New Haven about a suspicious email that she had received that purported to be from Connecticut-based People’s Bank. The email stated that the recipient’s online banking access profile had been locked and instructed the recipient to click on a link to a web page where the recipient could enter information to “unlock” his or her profile. The web page appeared to originate from People’s Bank, but, as the investigation revealed, was actually hosted on a compromised computer in Minnesota. Any personal identifying and financial information provided by the individual would be sent by email to individuals in Romania, or to a “collector” account, which was an email account used to receive and collect the information obtained through phishing.
TUDOR, STOICA and others were part of a loose-knit conspiracy of individuals from Craiova, Romania, and neighboring areas that shared files, tools, and stolen information obtained through phishing. The co-conspirators used and shared a number of collector accounts, which contained thousands of email messages that contained credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, CVV codes, PIN numbers, and other personal identification information such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The co-conspirators then used the personal and financial information to access bank accounts and lines of credit and to withdraw funds without authorization, often from ATMs in Romania.
In addition to People’s Bank, financial institutions and companies targeted by the defendants included Citibank, Capital One, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Comerica Bank, Regions Bank, LaSalle Bank, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo & Co., eBay and PayPal.
This investigation, which resulted in criminal charges against 19 Romanian citizens, has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven, Conn.
U.S. Attorney Daly acknowledged the critical assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Bucharest, Interpol, the Romanian National Police and the United States Marshals Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Chang and Sarala Nagala.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Member of Hartford Drug Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS ANTONIO MENDEZ, 32, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a Hartford-based narcotics trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department into gang-related narcotics trafficking in Hartford’s South End. The investigation specifically targeted a heroin and cocaine trafficking organization headed by Angel Rosa, also known as “Little” and “Daddy,” who is a member of the Los Solidos street gang, and his cousin, Angel Rosa, also known as “Mo Betta” and “Fab.” “Little,” supervised the drug trafficking ring, which included several other family members, through fear and intimidation. “Mo Betta” managed the daily operations of the organization, facilitated the delivery and transportation of large quantities of heroin, and supervised numerous drug sellers who distributed heroin and other narcotics in the Zion Street area. At times, “Little” and “Mo Betta” used, or threatened to use, violence to ensure the success of the organization.
MENDEZ delivered substantial quantities of heroin for the Rosa drug trafficking organization.
As a result of the investigation, 21 individuals were charged with various federal offenses, and law enforcement officers seized narcotics, one firearm, approximately $230,000 in cash, eight vehicles and jewelry.
While he was involved in this heroin trafficking conspiracy, MENDEZ was on probation for committing a robbery with a firearm in the area of 600 Zion Street. He was convicted of robbery in the first degree and was sentenced to 15 years in jail, suspended after seven years, and five years of probation. MENDEZ’s criminal history also includes convictions for assault, risk of injury to a minor, possession with intent to sell narcotics and carrying a pistol without a permit.
MENDEZ has been detained since his arrest on April 17, 2013. On January 8, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin.
Angel Rosa aka “Little” and Angel Rosa aka “Mo Betta” each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 grams or more of heroin. On May 15, 2014, “Little” was sentenced to 235 months of imprisonment, and on April 29, 2014, “Mo Betta” was sentenced to 165 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the Connecticut State Police, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut Department of Correction and Connecticut National Guard. The Connecticut State Police’s Emergency Services Unit, Hartford Police Department’s Emergency Response Team, Capital Region Emergency Response Team, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the New Britain, East Hartford, Wethersfield and Manchester Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Leaming and Patrick Caruso.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Deirdre M. Daly Sworn in as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, 54, of Fairfield, was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut by the Honorable Janet C. Hall, Chief Judge for the District, in New Haven. President Barack Obama nominated Ms. Daly to serve as U.S. Attorney on March 13, 2014, and the U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination on May 21, 2014. This marks the first time a woman has been nominated by a President and confirmed by the Senate to be the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut.
“I am grateful to those who supported my nomination and deeply appreciate the opportunity to serve in this position,” stated Ms. Daly. “I very much look forward to continuing to work with the dedicated and talented people in our Office as well as our many law enforcement partners throughout the State.”
Ms. Daly served as the United States Attorney in an acting or interim capacity since May 14, 2013, following the resignation of her predecessor, David B. Fein. Between July 2010 and May 2013, she was the First Assistant U.S. Attorney during which time she assisted in the oversight of both the Criminal and Civil Divisions. In March 2013, Ms. Daly led the prosecution of Hector Natal, who was convicted after trial of setting fire to a house in New Haven that resulted in the death of two women and a young boy.
From 1985 to 1997, Ms. Daly was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where she prosecuted a wide range of cases from racketeering and murder to corruption and fraud, and later served as the Assistant-In-Charge of White Plains Office for three years. After leaving the Department of Justice, Ms. Daly was a partner at Daly & Pavlis LLC, a Connecticut law firm with a practice focused on corporate and commercial litigation, white-collar criminal investigations, SEC enforcement actions and corporate internal investigations and monitoring.
A graduate of Dartmouth College and Georgetown University Law Center, earlier in her career, Ms. Daly served as a law clerk for the Honorable Lloyd F. MacMahon, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut, and with representing the federal government in civil litigation in the District. As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Daly supervises a staff of approximately 64 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 60 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.
Ms. Daly is the 51st United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, an office that was established in 1789.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Two Connecticut Men Face Additional Charges Related to Stranger-originated Life Insurance SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Cheryl Garcia, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Susan A. Hensley, Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Boston Office, and Christy Romero, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP), todayannounced that DANIEL CARPENTER, 60, of Simsbury, and WAYNE BURSEY, 63, of Bloomfield, have been charged in a 57-count superseding indictment with various conspiracy, fraud and illegal monetary offenses stemming from a scheme to defraud insurance companies into issuing insurance policies on the lives of elderly people for the benefit of the defendants and other investors, also known as a stranger-originated life insurance scheme.
In December 2013, CARPENTER and BURSEY were charged in a 33-count indictment with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and multiple wire fraud and mail fraud offenses. The superseding indictment, which was returned by a grand jury in Hartford on May 14, 2014, adds one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 10 counts of money laundering, and 13 counts of making illegal monetary transactions.
CARPENTER appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. BURSEY’s arraignment is not yet scheduled.
According to the superseding indictment, CARPENTER and BURSEY ran a series of companies, based in Simsbury and Stamford, that developed an employee welfare benefit plan and trust (the “Trust”) whose primary objective was to secure insurance policies on the lives of elderly individuals that could be held by the defendants and others as investments, or resold on the life settlement market, which is a third-party market for life insurance policies. Typically, insurance agents working with, for, or on behalf of the defendants approached individuals who were over the age of 70 (the “Straw Insureds”). The agents promised to provide the Straw Insureds with free life insurance for two years, and, at the end of the two years, would attempt to sell the policies on the life settlement market. In most cases, the agents promised the Straw Insureds that they would receive a portion of any sale proceeds. In other cases, the Straw Insureds were offered a cash inducement up front to participate.
The indictment alleges that CARPENTER and BURSEY, working with insurance agents, caused to be submitted to several insurance providers numerous insurance applications that contained several material misrepresentations, including falsely denying that third-parties were paying the premiums for the insurance, falsely denying discussions about the resale of the policies, falsely inflating the net worth and/or income of the insured, and falsely claiming that the insurance was being purchased for legitimate estate planning-related needs. All applications were signed by BURSEY, who acted as trustee of the Trust, which was to be the “owner” of all policies in the Trust. Moreover, the applications purported that the Trust was a bona fide welfare benefit trust under Internal Revenue Code Section 419(e), wherein employers would be making contributions to the Trust in order to fund the life insurance policies for the benefit of certain select employees.
The indictment further alleges that, in truth, no “employer” or Straw Insured ever paid a premium into the Trust, and the premiums were funded by loans, which typically came to the Trust from another company headquartered in Simsbury and controlled by CARPENTER. In many cases, those loans were, in turn, financed by another third-party financing company based in Stamford. The loan arrangements were withheld from the insurance providers, who would likely not have issued policies had they known the true nature of the Trust, and had the insurance applications been filled out truthfully.
The indictment further alleges that one Straw Insured died within the first two years of the issuance of the two insurance policies on his life. Those policies had been issued in late 2006 and early 2007 based on misrepresentations similar to those described above, specifically that his policies were not being funded by a third party and were not intended for resale. The two insurance policies had a combined death benefit of $30 million, which the insurer paid to the Trust in May 2009, in part based upon further misrepresentations made by CARPENTER, BURSEY and others. According to the indictment, the Trust, directed by CARPENTER and BURSEY and others, failed to pay the $30 million to the Straw Insured’s beneficiary, and instead used the funds to pay for various expenses, including other insurance premiums that were related to the underlying fraud, as well as to purchase a home in Rhode Island.
If convicted, CARPENTER and BURSEYface a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count of wire fraud and mail fraud, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years of each count of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count of making illegal monetary transactions.
This case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Boston Office, and the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David E. Novick and Neeraj N. Patel.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Hartford Couple Sentenced to Prison for Operating Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that two Hartford residents were sentenced today in Hartford federal court for operating an identity theft and credit card fraud scheme. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea sentenced JONATHAN PRESTON, 23, to 46 months of imprisonment, and his wife, LUMI NUNEZ, 34, to 30 months of imprisonment. Both defendants were ordered to serve three years of supervised release after they are released from prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, PRESTON and NUNEZ used the Internet and other sources to obtain personal identifying information of several prominent individuals, including entertainers and professional athletes, and used that information to pose as their victims to gain access to the victims’ credit card accounts. Since approximately 2010, PRESTON and NUNEZ used the credit card accounts to make more than $500,000 in unauthorized purchases and cash withdrawals. The defendants used much of the stolen money to purchase vehicles and jewelry, and to gamble at casinos.
PRESTON and NUNEZ have been detained since their arrests on November 7, 2013. In February 2014, they each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Judge Shea scheduled a restitution hearing for August 25, 2014.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, Hartford Police Department and Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force. The Task Force includes members of the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police, and the Greenwich, Hartford, Monroe, Stamford, Shelton, Stratford and Waterford Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Chang and Paul McConnell.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Virginia Man Sentenced to 43 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Firearms to ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAWAWN RICARDO HALE, 31, of Roanoke, Va., was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 43 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a conspiracy to traffic firearms from Virginia to Connecticut, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the New Haven Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Between June and August 2012, HALE sold a total of seven firearms and a quantity of ammunition to an individual in Connecticut. HALE acquired the firearms from Charles Matthew Wilson and others in Virginia, and then transported the firearms to Connecticut. Leshel Branch, of New Haven, assisted HALE in the transportation and distribution of the firearms.
On August 23, 2012, HALE, Wilson and Branch traveled to a location in New Haven where HALE sold two firearms to an individual in exchange for $2,400. Shortly after the transaction, the car carrying the three defendants was stopped by law enforcement. $2000 was recovered from the interior of the car and $400 was seized from Wilson’s person.
HALE has been detained since his arrest on August 23, 2012. On November 9, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
In 1999, HALE was sentenced in Virginia state court to 40 years of incarceration for second degree murder, and a consecutive three years for use of a firearm in the commission of a murder. The sentencing judge suspended 29 years of the sentence and imposed a 15-year term of probation. HALE was released from prison in November 2011. After his release from federal custody, HALE faces violation of probation proceedings in Virginia, which could result in a sentence of up to 29 years of state incarceration.
Wilson and Branch also pleaded guilty. On April 17, 2013, Wilson was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment, and on November 25, 2013, Branch was sentenced to five years of probation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Fairfield County Hedge Fund Executives Plead Guilty to Federal Conspiracy OffenseRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
The United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, today announced that DAVID BRYSON, 45, of Ridgefield, BART GUTEKUNST, 62, of Weston, and RICHARD PEREIRA, 42, of Ridgefield, all former executives of New Stream Capital, LLC (“New Stream”), a Ridgefield-based hedge fund, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to a federal conspiracy charge stemming from a scheme to deceive investors in order to obtain and maintain investments. BRYSON and GUTEKUNST were managing partners and principals at New Stream and PEREIRA was the Chief Financial Officer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2007, New Stream launched new feeder funds, one based in the United States (“U.S. Fund”) and a series of funds based in the Cayman Islands (“Cayman Fund”). New Stream also announced that its existing Bermuda Fund would be closing, and all foreign investors would have to move their investments into the Cayman Fund. Rather than transfer into the new structure, New Stream’s largest investor placed a redemption on its whole investment in the Bermuda Fund in March 2008. At risk of losing their largest investor, BRYSON, GUTEKUNST and PEREIRA set in motion a scheme to secretly keep the Bermuda Fund open and give priority to Bermuda Fund investors in an effort to reverse the redemption. As part of the scheme, BRYSON, GUTEKUNST and PEREIRA had New Stream staff secretly reorganize the fund structure so as to effectuate the priority change.
As part of the scheme, New Stream failed to inform investors who had transferred from the Bermuda Fund into the Cayman Fund that the Bermuda Fund was remaining open or that it was being given priority over the Cayman Fund. Moreover, New Stream continued to market to investors by concealing from them the magnitude of the actual pending redemptions and by using deceptive marketing materials that failed to disclose the existence of New Stream’s Bermuda Fund.
BRYSON, GUTEKUNST and PEREIRA each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a charge that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. BRYSON is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on August 19, 2014, and GUTEKUNST and PEREIRA are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Hall on August 22, 2014.
The defendants were arrested on February 26, 2013. BRYSON and GUTEKUNST are currently released on $5 million bonds, and PEREIRA is released on a $300,000 bond.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liam Brennan and Michael McGarry, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheldon L. Pollock.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New London Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMON GARCIA, 41, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.
In early 2012, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the U.S. Secret Service and the New London Police Department initiated an investigation to combat the large-scale trafficking of heroin and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico into and around southeastern Connecticut. More than 100 individuals were charged with federal and state offenses as a result of this investigation.According to court documents and statements made in court, GARCIA and Xavier Cluff regularly purchased 100 to 150 grams of raw heroin from Luis Ariel Capellan Maldonado and distributed the drug to their own customer base in and around New London. The investigation identified Cluff and Garcia as Capellan Maldonado’s largest and most frequent purchasers of heroin.
GARCIA was arrested on April 3, 2013. On December 17, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Cluff pleaded guilty to the same charge and, on April 1, 2014, he was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment.
Capellan Maldonado has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine; Connecticut State Police; New London Police Department, Norwich Police Department, Waterford Police Department, Groton Town Police Department, East Lyme Police Department and Putnam Police Department. The United States Marshals Service; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; Drug Enforcement Administration; HSI Assistant Attaché, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; HSI Arecibo, Puerto Rico Resident Office; Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; Connecticut Department of Correction, Parole and Community Services; and the Groton City, Willimantic, New Haven and Bristol Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The federal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alina P. Reynolds, Sarah P. Karwan and Henry K. Kopel. The state cases are being prosecuted by the State’s Attorney for the New London Judicial District and Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Paul Narducci and Stephen Carney.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Wolcott Man Sentenced to Prison for Impersonating Federal Officer, Falsifying Military DocumentRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRUCE BROWN, also known as “Bruce Browne,” “Spenser Brown,” “Spenser Browne,” “Agent Brice” and “Detective Brice,” 47, of Wolcott, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for impersonating a federal officer and falsifying a military discharge certificate.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, on August 8, 2013, BROWN, operating a Ford Crown Victoria equipped to resemble a police vehicle, entered a shoreline residential community in Old Lyme. BROWN was wearing a bullet proof tactical vest with police insignia and was carrying a weapon and handcuffs. When approached by an Old Lyme resident, Brown stated that he was a special agent of the United States Coast Guard and was sent there to observe a Coast Guard vessel that was in the area.
While in the Old Lyme community, BROWN’s fiancée asked a friend to take BROWN out on the friend’s boat. As the boat was backing out of the slip, BROWN informed the boat owner that “I am commandeering your boat. Your boat is now a U.S. Coast Guard vessel.” BROWN then directed the owner to pilot his boat toward other vessels and, at BROWN’s direction, the owner approached two boats operated by private citizens. In each instance, BROWN required the boat operators to produce their boating licenses.
BROWN then instructed the boat owner to approach an individual who was operating a jet ski. Again, BROWN asked the operator for his license. When the operator could not produce it, BROWN told him to return to the dock. The boat owner took BROWN back to the dock and then observed BROWN enter what appeared to be a police car and drive off with the emergency lights flashing. BROWN drove his car to the boat launch where the jet ski operator was removing his craft from the water and instructed the operator to obtain his license. After the operator showed BROWN the license, he was allowed to leave.
Law enforcement officers subsequently located and questioned BROWN in the Old Lyme residential community. BROWN initially told them that he was a law enforcement officer sent by the U.S. Coast Guard to photograph a Coast Guard cutter that was in the area, but eventually admitted that he was not an officer. A search of BROWN’s car revealed numerous law enforcement items, including a bulletproof/tactical vest with police insignia and a TSA badge, multiple sets of handcuffs, three handguns, loaded gun magazines, significant quantities of ammunition including hollow point bullets, a knife, and a police tactical baton. BROWN was arrested on state charges at that time.
While released on bond following his arrest, BROWN took four other law enforcement badges in his possession and threw them into the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Wolcott. BROWN subsequently informed federal authorities of his actions and, on September 27, 2013, a dive team from the Connecticut State Police recovered the badges.
Further investigation of this matter revealed that in March 2013, BROWN offered to have a “scared straight” conversation with the sons of an acquaintance who believed BROWN was a federal law enforcement officer with experience in narcotics matters. Brown arrived at his acquaintance’s home in a Crown Victoria that resembled a police vehicle, displayed a badge and had a holstered gun and handcuffs secured on his belt. BROWN individually introduced himself to the minors as “Agent Brice” and “Detective Brice.” After some initial conversation, BROWN escorted the minors up to their rooms. Their mother tried to follow, but was ordered by BROWN to stay downstairs. She heard raised voices and later learned from her son that BROWN had drawn his gun and handcuffed her son while BROWN searched his room.
Eventually, BROWN walked downstairs with one of the minors and entered the garage. BROWN removed the weapon from his holster and pointed it in proximity of the minor as they prepared to enter the garage. BROWN returned with a backpack that contained about $200, a small amount of what appeared to be marijuana and a pipe. After confirming with the mother that the money was from a legitimate source, BROWN gave her the money and took the backpack and all of its contents. While in the house, BROWN indicated that he had conducted surveillance on the boys in the prior week and related several incidents to them that seemed to authenticate that claim.
The investigation further revealed that in April 2002, BROWN was discharged from the U.S. Coast Guard “under other than honorable conditions.” In February 2013, BROWN submitted a Pistol Permit Application to the Connecticut State Police Special Licensing and Firearms Unit. In the military history section of the application, BROWN stated that he had not been discharged from the United States Armed Forces with less than an Honorable Discharge. The form required BROWN to attach a copy of his Department of Defense Discharge Form, DD-214. In box 24 of his DD-214, BROWN obliterated the words “under other than,” leaving the form to appear as if he had been discharged under “honorable conditions.”
On February 24, 2014, BROWN waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to two counts of impersonating a federal law enforcement officer and one count of falsifying a military discharge certificate.
BROWN was ordered to report to prison on July 9, 2014.
This matter was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Connecticut State Police, and the Wolcott, Bristol and Southington Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JEROME R. THOMAS, 22, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 1, 2014, members of the Yale University Police Department executed an arrest warrant for THOMAS at his girlfriend’s residence. THOMAS was apprehended after he attempted to flee the premises through a window. A search of the residence revealed a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, two magazines loaded with .45 caliber ammunition, and a bag containing more than 80 additional rounds of .45 caliber ammunition.
THOMAS was previously convicted in state court of criminal possession of a firearm, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, and carrying a pistol without a permit. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
THOMAS has been detained since his arrest. On February 19, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Yale University Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Leader of Hartford Drug Trafficking Ring Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ANGEL ROSA, also known as “Little” and “Daddy,” 37, of New Britain, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 235 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for operating a Hartford-based narcotics trafficking ring. Two other members of the ring were also sentenced to prison terms earlier this week.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department into gang-related narcotics trafficking in Hartford’s South End. The investigation specifically targeted a heroin and cocaine trafficking organization headed by Rosa, who is a member of the Los Solidos street gang, and his cousin, Angel Rosa, also known as “Mo Betta” and “Fab.” Rosa, aka “Little,” supervised the drug trafficking ring, which included several other family members, through fear and intimidation. “Mo Betta” managed the daily operations of the organization, facilitated the delivery and transportation of large quantities of heroin, and supervised numerous drug sellers who distributed heroin and other narcotics in the Zion Street area. At times, “Little” and “Mo Betta” used, or threatened to use, violence to ensure the success of the organization.
As a result of the investigation, 21 individuals were charged with various federal offenses, and law enforcement officers seized narcotics, one firearm, approximately $230,000 in cash, eight vehicles and jewelry.
“Little” has been detained since his arrest on April 11, 2013. A search of his residence on that date revealed more than 500 grams of cocaine packaged for distribution, approximately 24 grams of crack cocaine, and $205,240 in cash. He was ordered to forfeit the cash, as well as a 2006 Porsche Cayenne, a 2007 Lexus GS350 and a 2007 Acura RL.
“Little’s” criminal history includes multiple felony convictions and he was on state probation after a conviction for distributing narcotics at this time of this offense.
On January 8, 2014, “Little” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 grams or more of heroin.
“Mo Betta” pleaded guilty to the same charge and, on April 29, 2014, he was sentenced to 165 months of imprisonment. He was also ordered to forfeit $8,767 in cash that was seized from his residence at the time of his arrest, a 2007 Mercedes E550 and a 2006 Harley Davidson XLH1200.
On May 14, 2014, “Little’s” son, ANGEL ROSA, a.k.a. “Bebo,” 19, of New Britain, was sentenced to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. “Bebo,” a central figure in the drug trafficking organization, sold heroin and cocaine in the Zion Street area nearly every day during the course of the investigation. “Bebo” also was ordered to forfeit a 2005 Infinity G35 and approximately $811 is cash that was seized from his person on April 11, 2013, when he was arrested.
Also on May 14, 2014, JARED PENNELL, 31, of Uncasville, was sentenced to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Pennell purchased significant quantities of heroin from other members of the conspiracy and then sold the drug to his own customers in southeastern Connecticut. Pennell’s criminal history includes convictions for robbery and assault.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the Connecticut State Police, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut Department of Correction and Connecticut National Guard. The Connecticut State Police’s Emergency Services Unit, Hartford Police Department’s Emergency Response Team, Capital Region Emergency Response Team, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the New Britain, East Hartford, Wethersfield and Manchester Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Leaming and Patrick Caruso.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Federal Jury Finds Bridgeport Man with Violent Criminal History Guilty of Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Hartford has found JOSE ROQUE, 47, of Bridgeport, guilty of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. The jury returned the verdict this morning after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, on September 1, 2010, Bridgeport Police responded to a residential burglary call. The complainant described the burglar and the vehicle he drove from the scene. Later that day, officers spotted ROQUE driving the car and attempted to stop him. After a chase, which involved multiple police cars, ROQUE was stopped.
ROQUE refused to get out of the vehicle. As one officer attempted to remove ROQUE, a second officer approached from the other side of the car and saw a brown gun handle tucked along the right side of the driver’s seat. After ROQUE made a movement toward the gun, the second officer kicked in the passenger window of the vehicle. ROQUE was taken out of the vehicle and tasered when he pushed back at officers.
A search of the vehicle revealed a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson SPL Model #64-2 handgun at the side of the driver’s seat.ROQUE’s criminal history includes several state felony convictions, including convictions for murder, robbery and burglary in 1984; assault and burglary in 1991; escape in 1992; burglary in 1993, and assault, attempted assault of an officer, attempted escape, attempted riot in an institution, and conspiracy to commit assault in 1994. ROQUE was sentenced to 15 years of incarceration for the 1994 convictions.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Judge Bryant has scheduled sentencing for August 27, 2014.
ROQUE is subject to the Armed Career Criminal Act, a federal law imposing severe penalties for firearm or ammunition possession by persons who have been convicted of at least three violent felonies or serious drug offenses. As an Armed Career Criminal, ROQUE faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]