District of Connecticut
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Wallingford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trading Child PornographyRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that PETER C. JOHNS, 39, of Wallingford, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for trading child pornography on the Internet.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 24, 2010, a detective assigned to the Richmond (Va.) Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and acting in an undercover capacity logged into a publicly available Internet file sharing program and downloaded several images and videos of child pornography from a shared directory maintained by JOHNS.
On March 25, 2011, JOHNS was arrested at his residence. On that date, law enforcement agents also seized his computer and related components. Forensic analysis of the seized computer and components revealed that JOHNS used the Internet to trade thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Included in his collection of child pornography were images of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and images of children engaging in sadistic or masochistic conduct.
JOHNS has been released on bond under electronic monitoring by the U.S. Probation Office since shortly after his arrest. On January 7, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The Connecticut State Police and Wallingford Police Department provided assistance to the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.
The Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes against children occurring over the Internet, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the Task Force, or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ADRIAN PINZON-GALLARDO, also known as “The Mexican,” 27, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Bloomfield, Conn., was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 135 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin and cocaine. PINZON-GALLARDO also was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2011, the Drug Enforcement Administration in New Haven received information from the Connecticut State Police that an individual was selling substantial quantities of heroin from a residence at 28 Maltby Place in New Haven. Following a series of controlled purchases of heroin from that individual, the DEA New Haven Task Force initiated a court-authorized wiretap investigation. During the course of the wiretap investigation, it was determined that PINZON-GALLARDO was supplying large quantities of heroin and cocaine to several individuals in Connecticut, including drug distributors in New Haven.
On September 2, 2011, DEA personnel from both New Haven and Providence, R.I.., with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, tracked PINZON-GALLARDO’s vehicle as it traveled from Connecticut to Providence where it was believed from wire intercepts that PINZON-GALLARDO intended to conduct a narcotics transaction. In Providence, the surveillance team observed PINZON-GALLARDO and an associate meet and then travel to a storage facility in Pawtucket, R.I. At the facility, PINZON-GALLARDO and his associate entered an open storage unit with several other individuals and closed the door. A short time later, PINZON-GALLARDO’s associate returned to the vehicle, retrieved a black backpack and walked back to the storage unit. PINZON-GALLARDO and his associate then returned to their vehicle and departed. After driving to Boston, PINZON-GALLARDO and his associate drove a circuitous route back to Connecticut when their vehicle was stopped by Connecticut State Police on Interstate 84 after it crossed the Connecticut border. A search of the car revealed three bricks of heroin, weighing a total of approximately 736 grams of heroin, and approximately $14,000 in cash.
A subsequent search of the storage unit in Rhode Island revealed approximately eight kilograms of heroin, including three kilograms that were contained within a black backpack similar to the one that PINZON-GALLARDO’s associate had been seen carrying into the facility, approximately two kilograms of cocaine and approximately $35,000 in cash.
U.S. Attorney Fein noted that one kilogram of heroin can produce approximately 50,000 single-dosage unit bags of heroin.
PINZON GALLARDO has been detained since his arrest on September 2, 2011. On October 5, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, one kilogram or more of heroin.
This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven Task Force, which includes participants from the New Haven, Meriden, Hamden, West Haven, Branford and Ansonia Police Departments, and the United States Marshals Service. The New Britain Police Department substantially assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney S. Dave Vatti.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Bristol Man Admits Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WAYNE EVANGELISTA, also known as “Wayne Nance,” 34, of Bristol, pleaded guilty today before Senior United States District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport to three counts of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, prior to March 2011, EVANGELISTA had been convicted of multiple felony offenses in Connecticut state court and federal court in Connecticut, including criminal possession of a firearm (twice), third degree burglary, second degree forgery, bank fraud, and both first and second degree larceny.
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.
In March 2011, EVANGELISTA convinced another individual, who had a valid firearms permit, that he was a Bail Enforcement Agent. In March and April 2011, EVANGELISTA persuaded the individual to purchase a .40 caliber pistol and a .380 caliber pistol on his behalf, and EVANGELISTA took possession of the firearms after they were purchased. Also in April 2011, EVANGELISTA possessed a 9mm pistol that he cleaned for the same individual who had purchased the other two firearms for him.
Judge Eginton has scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2013, at which time EVANGELISTA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
EVANGELISTA has been detained since his arrest on March 15, 2012.
This matter has been investigated by the Connecticut State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Freimann.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Robbing Six Connecticut BanksRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KEVIN BOLDEN, 47, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for robbing six Connecticut banks.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2012, BOLDEN committed six bank robberies in New Haven, Woodbridge, Stamford (2), Greenwich and Bridgeport, stealing a total of more than $15,000.
During five of the robberies, BOLDEN was assisted by Moneek Grant, also of New Haven.
BOLDEN has been detained since his arrest on April 4, 2012. On December 4, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.
On October 2, 2012, Moneek Grant pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. On December 19, 2012, she was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Haven, Stamford, Woodbridge, Greenwich and Bridgeport Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Head of New Haven-area Oxycodone Trafficking Ring Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL MARCHITTO, JR., 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for leading a New Haven-area drug ring that trafficked in oxycodone, a powerful prescription pain killer.
This matter stems from “Operation Big Blue,” a year-long investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force into MARCHITTO’s oxycodone trafficking operation. The investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance, and controlled purchases and seizures of oxycodone. Sixteen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation.
According to court documents and statements made in court, MARCHITTO and his associates were involved in the distribution of substantial quantities of oxycodone in and around New Haven. MARCHITTO and others regularly traveled, at MARCHITTO’s expense, to Florida where they obtained prescriptions for large amounts of oxycodone at unscrupulous pain clinics, commonly referred to as “pill mills.” He also arranged to have three Florida residents ship bulk quantities of oxycodone to him on a regular basis. MARCHITTO sold most of the pills that he and his associates were able to acquire to an established network of redistributors in Connecticut.
MARCHITTO was arrested on April 7, 2011. On that date he was found in possession of approximately 2,000 oxycodone pills.
On July 29, 2011, MARCHITTO pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and one count of money laundering.
MARCHITTO also has forfeited a 2010 Acura TL that he purchased using approximately $44,000 in drug proceeds.
This matter was investigated by the DEA New Haven Task Force, including personnel from the New Haven, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Hamden, Branford, and Wallingford Police Departments, and the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Caruso and Douglas Morabito.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Former Deep River Resident Admits Mortgage Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN J. DORAN, 63, of Niantic, formerly of Deep River, pleaded guilty today before United States Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford to one count of making false statements to influence a bank in connection with a mortgage application.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2007, DORAN applied to Bank of America for a mortgage to purchase a condominium in New Haven. In connection with the application, DORAN submitted a false individual tax return that indicated that his adjusted gross income for 2004 was $464,197 when, in fact, the actual 2004 tax return DORAN filed with the Internal Revenue Service showed an adjusted gross income of -$69,298. DORAN also submitted a fictitious sale contract for his personal residence in Deep River and a false bank statement.
In pleading guilty, DORAN also admitted that, in March 2005, he submitted a false individual tax return in connection with a $500,000 refinance loan application with JP Morgan Chase. The tax return indicated that his adjusted gross income for 2003 was $296,735 when, in fact, his actual 2003 tax return showed an adjusted gross income of -$81,911. DORAN also admitted that, in March 2007, he submitted false individual 2003 and 2004 tax returns in connection with a loan application to Wachovia Dealer Services to finance the purchase of a yacht.
DORAN is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on June 25, 2013, at which time DORAN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years and a maximum fine of approximately $1.9 million. As part of his plea agreement, DORAN has agreed to pay restitution of $991,883.65.
This case has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David T. Huang.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Fci Danbury Prisoner to Serve an Additional 21 Months for Assaulting Another InmateRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PATRICIA A. BROWN, 22, a prisoner at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Danbury, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to a consecutive 21-month term of imprisonment for assaulting another inmate.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 4, 2012, BROWN assaulted another Danbury FCI inmate with two padlocks placed in a white athletic sock. The victim suffered a laceration close to her right ear and required three stitches to close the wound, and also suffered from headaches.
On January 8, 2013, BROWN pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.BROWN is currently serving a 30-year sentence after having been convicted of murder in 2009 in the District of Minnesota.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Neeraj N. Patel and Special Assistant United States Attorney Anjna R. Kapoor.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Massive Joint Law Enforcement Operation Dismantles Southeastern Connecticut Heroin and Cocaine RingsRead the Press Release
Niantic, Conn. – In a massive operation headed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and Homeland Security Investigations in Connecticut, in partnership with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, approximately one hundred individuals were arrested today on charges related to the large-scale trafficking of heroin and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico into and around southeastern Connecticut.
The announcement of this long-term investigation and today’s arrests was made by David B. Fein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael L. Regan, State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New London, Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, Steven G. Hughes, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office, New London Police Chief Margaret Ackley, Norwich Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro, Sr., Colonel Danny R. Stebbins of the Connecticut State Police, and other members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who participated in the investigation and today’s operation.
This morning, more than 700 law enforcement officers involved in the operation executed scores of federal and state arrest and arrest warrants in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico. Approximately 52 individuals were arrested on federal narcotics and money laundering charges, and approximately 52 individuals were arrested on state narcotics and related charges. Additional defendants were previously arrested during the course of the investigation, and several individuals are currently being sought by law enforcement. The arrests stem from a 15-month investigation that included the use of court-authorized wiretaps on 15 telephones, extensive physical surveillance and controlled purchases and seizures of cocaine and heroin.
As alleged in criminal complaints filed in association with today’s arrests and unsealed today in U.S. District Court in New Haven, this investigation was initiated in early 2012 to combat narcotics-trafficking and money laundering in the City of New London. The investigation revealed two overlapping conspiracies centered in New London County, one involving heroin distribution and one involving cocaine distribution. The two conspiracies employed a variety of methods to import narcotics from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico into southeastern Connecticut, and involved scores of individuals who distributed wholesale amounts of drugs to customers in New London County.
In association with today’s arrests, law enforcement officers executed multiple search warrants and seized narcotics, firearms, cash and vehicles.
“We allege that the defendants arrested today were responsible for a very large percentage of the heroin and cocaine available for street sale in New London County,” said U.S. Attorney David Fein. “As is clear from this extensive and far-reaching investigation and today’s coordinated operation, we in federal, state and local law enforcement are committed to working together, across state and federal borders, to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics and to identifying and seizing assets purchased with the proceeds of drug trafficking.”
“I would like to take the opportunity to express our office’s appreciation for the tireless work of the members of the US Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security, the Secret Service the Connecticut State Police and all of our local police departments – New London, Norwich, Waterford, Groton Town, Groton City, and East Lyme – in identifying and targeting this large scale narcotics trafficking enterprise in Southeastern Connecticut,” said Michael L. Regan, State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New London. “The dedication of, and cooperation between, these agencies has been exemplary and is a credit to all.”
“Drug trafficking organizations must be aggressively attacked and dismantled at every level,” said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of HSI Boston. Foucart oversees HSI throughout New England. “Today we have stopped two criminal organizations from bringing significant quantities of heroin and cocaine into our communities in Connecticut and throughout New England. The result of this operation is nothing short of significant and it underscores what the people expect from law enforcement: Keep drugs out of our neighborhoods. These arrests will keep the citizens of New England safer from the inevitable violence that drug trafficking brings, and chokes off a major drug stream into Connecticut – the largest our agency has ever uncovered in the state's history.”
“The U.S. Secret Service is proud to have participated in the multi-agency criminal investigation leading to the arrests of over 100 suspects involved in this money laundering and narcotics scheme”, said Steven Hughes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office. “Through a collaborative approach with New York and Connecticut based Secret Service Offices and in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations, other federal agencies, Connecticut State Police, as well as several local police departments in the New London area, this case exemplifies how cooperation and strong partnerships have allowed us to focus our resources and respond quickly to uncover and prevent these types of crimes, whether they originate within or outside our borders.”
“This law enforcement operation is the culmination of a long-term investigation that was initiated by members of the New London Police Department, Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Secret Service,” said New London Police Chief Margret Ackley. The New London Police Department has dedicated numerous officers to this investigation, and an operation of this size is not possible without the assistance of our federal partners. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the dedicated officers of the New London Police Department and all of our federal partners for making this law enforcement operation possible and actively working to make our community a safer place.”
“The operation today shows the importance and the benefits of interagency cooperation,” said Norwich Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro, Sr. “When local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies all work together the resulting arrests speak for themselves. I am very pleased with the outcome of this law enforcement operation. The arrests made today and the prosecution of these individuals will have a huge effect on illicit activity in the City of Norwich and this region, now and into the future.”
“The Connecticut State Police is a proud participant in this significant investigation, which has targeted and disrupted the flow of narcotics into our state,” said Colonel Danny Stebbins of the Connecticut State Police. “The extraordinary teamwork of local, state and federal law enforcement contributed to today’s successful operation.”
The Heroin Conspiracy
As alleged, the investigation revealed that Luis Ariel Capellan Maldonado, also known as “Ariel,” regularly procured multi-kilogram quantities of heroin from the Dominican Republic and worked with several individuals to distribute the drug in southeastern Connecticut. Operating out of his apartment building on Hawthorne Drive in New London, Capellan Maldonado supplied customers with raw heroin, often in quantities of 50 to 150 grams. He also had access to kilogram quantities of cocaine and sometimes supplied cocaine to wholesale cocaine distributors in New London.
The investigation further revealed that Capellan Maldonado coordinated the shipment of heroin, and sometimes cocaine, via human couriers from the Dominican Republic to the United States. He also obtained heroin from other sources in New York City and Rhode Island.
Capellan Maldonado, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, routinely sent thousands of dollars in drug proceeds back to the Dominican Republic.
The investigation further revealed that one of Capellan Maldonado’s associates, Enrique Luciano, also known as “Ipi,” supplied wholesale quantities of heroin and cocaine to Miguel Morales, also known as “Neow,” and others, who distributed heroin and cocaine to other wholesale distributors and street-level sellers in and around New London.
The Cocaine Conspiracy
As alleged, the investigation revealed that Pedro Rivera, also known as “Cheito,” of Groton, regularly obtained kilogram quantities of cocaine from sources in Puerto Rico. Rivera’s trusted associate, Luis Zayas, also known as “Guichan,” of Waterford, also was involved in the procurement of cocaine. Rivera, Zayas and their associates used a variety of methods to transport the cocaine from Puerto Rico to the United States, including the U.S. mail. Pedro Rivera and Zayas supplied other individuals, including Frankie Rivera, who used his business, PR Speedshop on Westwood Avenue in New London, to sell cocaine to street-level customers.
The investigation also identified Juan G. Cheverez, also known as “Guinchi,” of Groton as a narcotics trafficker who received kilogram-quantities of cocaine in the mail from Axel Matta Figueroa, also known as “Joelito,” in Puerto Rico. At times, Cheverez also obtained cocaine from Luis Zayas. Cheverez was assisted by others with distributing cocaine around New London and in transporting money to Puerto Rico.
The investigation further revealed that Oscar Valentin, also known as “Tato,” and his employees sold narcotics supplied by Pedro Rivera and others to customers from a garage Valentin managed at the intersection of Walker Street and Bristol Street in New London.
The federal defendants arrested today in Connecticut were transported to U.S. District Court in New Haven. Based on the quantity of narcotics involved in these conspiracies, the government is seeking pre-trial detention on the vast majority of the defendants who, if convicted, face mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment of five or ten years.
In addition to the defendants arrested today, during the course of the investigation, three individuals were previously arrested and charged with federal firearms offenses, and five individuals were previously arrested and charged with state narcotics violations.
U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that a complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; United States Secret Service; United States 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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States 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]Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALEXANDER GARAY, 36, of Hartford, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 115 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 22, 2012, GARAY was arrested after he engaged Hartford police officers in a car chase during which he nearly hit an officer, threw bags of heroin out of his car window and forced another individual’s vehicle off the road. A subsequent search of GARAY’s vehicle revealed a Taurus 9 millimeter pistol and an additional quantity of heroin.
The firearm GARAY possessed had been reported stolen from its legal owner in 2006.
Prior to May 2012, GARAY had been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including weapon in a motor vehicle (twice), criminal possession of a firearm, sale of hallucinogens/ narcotics, possession of narcotics (twice), and stealing a firearm.
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.
GARAY has been detained since his arrest by Hartford Police on May 22, 2012. On January 23, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the Hartford Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Freimann and Michelle McConaghy.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Waterbury Man Admits Role in Meth Distribution RingRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KEVIN WALLIN, 61, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before Senior United States District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine (“meth”).
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 WALLIN received shipments of meth from individuals in California on consignment with the understanding that he would pay his sources with proceeds generated by his distribution of the drug. After receiving the shipments of meth, he distributed the drug to other dealers and sold it to his own customers.
On six occasions between September 2012 and January 2013, WALLIN sold meth to the undercover officer.
In pleading guilty, WALLIN admitted that he received and distributed 1.7 kilograms of meth.
Judge Covello has scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2013, at which time WALLIN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life and a fine of up to $10 million.
WALLIN has been detained since his arrest on January 3, 2013. A court-authorized search of WALLIN’s residence on that date revealed meth, drug paraphernalia and drug packaging materials.
Four other individuals have been charged as a result of this investigation and are currently awaiting trial. As to these defendants, U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Caruso and H. Gordon Hall.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Former Family Practice Physician Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Trading Child PornographyRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARL G. KOPLIN, 55, of Tolland, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for receiving and distributing child pornography. KOPLIN also was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000.
“This defendant’s appalling collection of child pornography was one of the largest that we have seen here in Connecticut,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. “It’s reprehensible that a practicing physician who held such an important position of trust in the community victimized so many children by collecting and trading sexually explicit images of them. This Office is committing to working with the FBI, Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force and our other law enforcement partners to protect children by stemming the distribution of these images and vigorously prosecuting offenders.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, a special agent with the Northern Virginia Resident Agency of the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation used a publicly available Internet file sharing program to download approximately 300 images and videos of child pornography from the shared directories of a user with an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was subsequently identified as belonging to a subscriber at KOPLIN’s residence in Tolland.
On July 9, 2010, federal agents searched KOPLIN’s home and seized a desktop computer, storage media and other computer components. KOPLIN was arrested on that date after he admitted to agents that he used a file sharing program to trade images of child pornography, and that he was responsible for any child pornography found as a result of the search of his residence.
Subsequent forensic analysis of the seized items revealed thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography, totaling more than 800 gigabytes in size.
Prior to his arrest, KOPLIN was employed as a family practice physician in Vernon.
KOPLIN has been in home confinement under electronic monitoring by the U.S. Probation office since the date of his arrest. On August 29, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ray Miller, Sarala Nagala and Deborah Slater.
The Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes against children occurring over the Internet, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the Task Force, or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Norwalk Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Selling Drugs, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MICHAEL UNDERHILL, 42, of Norwalk, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport to 108 months of imprisonment for distributing narcotics and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior narcotics conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 1998, UNDERHILL was sentenced in U.S. District Court in New Haven to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine. He was released from federal prison in October 2007 and began serving his term of supervised release.
On September 25, 2010, Bridgeport Police attempted to pull over UNDERHILL’s vehicle. UNDERHILL accelerated away from police, subsequently crashed his vehicle into the rear of a residence in Fairfield and fled on foot. He was apprehended a short time later. Law enforcement officers recovered quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and Ecstacy, all packaged for sale, from the scene of UNDERHILL’s arrest, and a search of UNDERHILL’s person revealed more than $4000 in cash.
In August 2012, while UNDERHILL was released on bond awaiting disposition of the charges in this case, DEA agents executed a search warrant at UNDERHILL’s residence and found additional quantities of crack, cocaine and heroin.
On January 3, 2013, UNDERHILL pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
Judge Eginton sentenced UNDERHILL to 60 months of imprisonment on the narcotics offense, and a consecutive 48 months of imprisonment for the supervised release violation.
This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney H. Gordon Hall.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAYMOND CARSON, also known as “Dirt,” 38, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
CARSON is one of 108 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. The investigation revealed that CARSON conspired with others to purchase and redistribute heroin.
CARSON’s criminal history includes numerous felony convictions, including two convictions for possession of narcotics, one conviction for sale of narcotics, and seven weapon convictions, including firearm offenses. He was on state parole at the time of the heroin distribution offense.
This matter is being 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]Hartford Crack Dealer Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DERRICK BAILEY, also known as “Fry,” 44, of Hartford, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 105 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
This matter stems from “Operation Vinefield,” a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in Hartford’s North End. As a result of the nine-month investigation, 38 individuals were charged with various offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine and the unlawful possession and dealing of firearms in and around Hartford. The investigation revealed that BAILEY distributed crack cocaine to co-defendants who redistributed the drug to numerous street-level dealers, including gang members, in the area of Enfield Street in Hartford.
BAILEY’s criminal history includes multiple narcotics-related felony convictions, as well as a firearms conviction.
BAILEY has been detained since his arrest on May 9, 2012. On January 2, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
This matter has been 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Bristol Man Sentenced to 11 Months in Prison for Violating Conditions of Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PATRICK J. WEGNER, 36, of Bristol, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to 11 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a 2007 conviction for possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 20, 2007, Judge Burns sentenced WEGNER to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography. WEGNER was released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons in December 2009 and he began serving his term of supervised release. As special conditions of his supervised release, WEGNER was required to register as a sex offender and not to associate with any child under the age of 18 except in the presence of a responsible adult who is aware of the nature of his offense and who has been approved by the United States Probation Office.
On March 11, 2013, the U.S. Probation Office learned that WEGNER was residing with a woman who was babysitting two children, at the children’s home, while the children’s parents were away on vacation. The parents of the children were not aware that a registered sex offender was staying at their home, and WEGNER had not notified the U.S. Probation Office or the Connecticut State Police Sex Offender Registry of his new address.
Previously, on April 29, 2010, Judge Burns sentenced WEGNER to two months of imprisonment after he was found to have violated his supervised release by being in the presence of children without supervision on more than one occasion in February and March 2010, and by not being truthful when questioned by a U.S. Probation officer.
At the conclusion of today’s court proceeding, WEGNER was taken into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his 11-month sentence.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Chang with the assistance of law student intern Lauren Biksacky.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Romanian Citizen Involved in Phishing Scheme Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
March 26, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that LAURENTIU CRISTIAN BUSCA, 28, a citizen of Romania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment for participating in an extensive Internet “phishing” scheme.
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.
BUSCA 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.
The investigation revealed that BUSCA was heavily involved in the phishing conspiracy between 2004 and 2006, and analysis of his email accounts revealed that BUSCA possessed more than 10,000 stolen debit or credit card account numbers. In addition to trafficking the stolen information, BUSCA possessed and shared various tools used for phishing, including files used to create counterfeit Internet sites and software needed to produce counterfeit credit and debit cards.
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 seven-year investigation has resulted in criminal charges against 19 Romanian citizens. On January 18, 2007, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging seven defendants with various offenses stemming from this scheme. On November 10, 2010, a grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging an additional 12 defendants, including BUSCA.
The first three defendants to face charges were extradited from Bulgaria, Croatia and Canada. Following the ratification in 2010 of an amended treaty on mutual legal assistance between Romania and the United States, BUSCA and six other defendants were extradited from Romania. BUSCA was extradited in December 2011.
On November 20, 2012, BUSCA pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Eight of the other extradited defendants also have pleaded guilty, and one was convicted after trial in December 2012. Nine defendants are still being sought.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven, Conn.
U.S. Attorney Fein and Special Agent in Charge Mertz also 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 United States Attorneys Edward Chang and Sarala Nagala.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Hartford Man Involved in Crack Distribution Ring Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
March 26, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC GOMES, also known as “Goober Dust,” 46, of Hartford, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 92 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine in Hartford.
This matter stems from “Operation Vinefield,” a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in Hartford’s North End. As a result of the nine-month investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, 38 individuals were charged with various offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine and the unlawful possession and dealing of firearms in and around Hartford.
According to court documents and statements made in court, GOMES and others conspired to distribute crack cocaine in Hartford’s lower Vine Street area, as well as in other locations in Hartford and East Hartford.
GOMES’s criminal history includes 14 felony convictions. On November 28, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
This matter has been 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Waterbury Man Admits Making False Statements to Federal Agents Conducting Tax Fraud InvestigationRead the Press Release
March 22, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN B. MAIA, 73, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to one count of making a false statement to federal law enforcement agents investigating his filing of false tax returns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 14, 2010, MAIA submitted to a voluntary interview with special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation who were conducting an investigation into whether MAIA had overstated deductions for charitable contributions and listed fictitious business expenses on his federal tax returns from 2005 through 2008. During the interview, MAIA falsely stated that the charitable contributions and business expenses were legitimate and that he had provided supporting documentation for the charitable contributions and business expenses to his tax preparer.
Chief Judge Thompson has scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2013, at which time MAIA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Mattei and Eric Glover.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Northford Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Failing to Pay Taxes on More Than $640,000 in IncomeRead the Press Release
March 21, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PHILIP NEY, 62, of Northford, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for failing to pay taxes on more than $640,000 in income.
According to court documents and statements made in court, NEY owns and operates Empire Restoration Company in Northford, which provides residential and commercial roofing services, as well as snow plowing services. From 2004 through 2008, part of the income derived from those services was deposited into NEY’s business checking account and part was deposited into his passbook savings accounts. When preparing his federal tax returns for the 2004 to 2008 tax years, NEY’s tax return preparers asked him to report all of his business income. However, NEY did not provide his tax preparers with information related to business income that he had deposited into three savings accounts. For the 2004 through 2008 tax years, NEY failed to report on his tax returns a total of $640,581 in income that had been deposited into his savings accounts.
On November 26, 2012, NEY waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false federal income tax return. In pleading guilty, NEY admitted that on April 15, 2009, he signed and filed his 2008 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040, which falsely reported Schedule C gross business receipts of $529,934 and the amount of tax due of $28,544. In fact, NEY’s actual gross business receipts for 2008 were $771,615 and he should have paid $107,377 in federal income tax.
As part of the resolution of this case, NEY has agreed to pay $192,671 in back taxes, plus penalties and interest, for the 2004 through 2008 tax years.
NEY was ordered to report to prison on June 3, 2013.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Wolcott Man Admits Role in Illegal Campaign Contribution SchemeRead the Press Release
March 20, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced that DANIEL MONTEIRO, 33, of Wolcott, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to a federal conspiracy charge stemming from a scheme to direct illegal campaign contributions into the campaign of a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2011, the State of Connecticut applied for a court order enjoining Roll Your Own (“RYO”) smoke shops from continuing to operate without complying with state law governing tobacco manufacturers. RYO smoke shops are retail businesses that sell loose smoking tobacco and cigarette-rolling materials and offer customers the option of paying a “rental” fee to insert the loose tobacco and the rolling materials into a RYO machine, which is capable of rapidly rolling large quantities of cigarettes. Customers did not pay a tax on the RYO cigarettes when rolled by the RYO machines, in contrast to cigarettes purchased over-the-counter.
Fearing that the Connecticut General Assembly would enact legislation harmful to RYO smoke shop owners’ business interests during the 2012 legislative session, Paul Rogers, who owned a RYO smoke shop with two locations in Waterbury, Harry Raymond “Ray” Soucy, David Moffa and others engaged in a scheme to direct conduit campaign contributions into the campaign of a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. The candidate was also a member of the Connecticut General Assembly. As part of the scheme, the co-conspirators recruited multiple individuals to serve as conduit contributors to the campaign. These individuals permitted checks to be written in their own names to the campaign, and Rogers and other conspirators reimbursed them with cash, thereby concealing the fact that RYO smoke shop owners were contributing to the campaign.
In November and December 2011, the conspirators made four $2,500 conduit contributions to the Campaign. MONTEIRO, a Waterbury business owner, was aware of the purpose of the contributions and that the contributions were being made in the names of others.
On approximately January 31, 2012, the Campaign Committee submitted to the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”) a report of the Campaign Committee’s receipts and disbursements for the period October 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011. The report falsely stated the source and amount of the four $2,500 contributions that were received and deposited by the Campaign Committee during that time period.
In the spring of 2012, the conspirators made additional illegal campaign contributions totaling $17,500. MONTEIRO provided one check in exchange for $2,500 in cash, and two of MONTEIRO’s employees provided $2,500 checks in exchange for reimbursement.
MONTEIRO pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the FEC and to impede the FEC’s enforcement of federal campaign finance laws. Judge Arterton has scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2013, at which time MONTEIRO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Rogers, Soucy and Moffa have also pleaded guilty to charges related to this scheme and await sentencing.
As to the four other individuals who have been charged as a result of this investigation, U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher M. Mattei and Eric J. Glover.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Distributing CrackRead the Press Release
March 20, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DERRICK BROCK, also known as “Easy,” 26, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. On November 6, 2012, BROCK pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, the New Haven Police Department and the Connecticut State Police into drug distribution and related violence allegedly being committed by members and associates of the Grape Street Crips in New Haven. During the investigation, BROCK, who was identified as a member of the Grape Street Crips, was intercepted over a court-authorized wiretap discussing the acquisition and distribution of crack cocaine with co-defendants in New Haven and Rhode Island.
BROCK was ordered not to associate with any of his co-defendants during his term of supervised release.
On April 9, 2012, a grand jury returned an indictment charging 18 individuals, including BROCK, with narcotics distribution offenses stemming from this investigation. To date, nine of the defendants have pleaded guilty. The other nine defendants are detained while awaiting trial.
With respect to the defendants awaiting trial, U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, which includes officers from the New Haven, Hamden and Milford Police Departments, and the State of Connecticut Department of Correction. The investigation was significantly assisted by the Connecticut State Police, the United States Marshals Service and the Westerly (R.I.) Police Department.
The investigation was funded in significant part by the United States Attorney’s Office Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and supported by the Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and Anti-Gang programs.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and H. Gordon Hall.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Citizen of Jamaica Sentenced to Federal Prison for Passport Fraud and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
March 20, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TASHIANY MARTIN, 38, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport to two years and one day of imprisonment. On December 20, 2012, a jury found MARTIN guilty of one count of making false statements in a passport application and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the evidence introduced during the trial, in 2002, MARTIN, a citizen of Jamaica, obtained a New York driver’s license and a New York birth certificate by using the name of a former friend. In 2008, MARTIN used those documents to apply for a United States passport at the Connecticut Passport Agency in Norwalk.
The evidence at trial further revealed that MARTIN also used her friend’s identity in 2002 when she successfully applied for and obtained a U.S. passport and, in 2003, when she successfully applied for and obtained a job as a licensed practical nurse at a Rochester, N.Y. nursing home. MARTIN’s friend was a licensed practical nurse, but MARTIN was not.
MARTIN has been detained since her arrest on January 17, 2012. She faces deportation proceedings after she serves her prison term.
This matter was investigated by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Henry Kopel and Ray Miller.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Rhode Island Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Narcotics OffenseRead the Press Release
March 19, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD PREZIOSO, also known as “Wu Loc,” 25, of Westerly, R.I., was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release. On December 14, 2012, PREZIOSO pleaded guilty to one count of using a telephone to facilitate a narcotics felony.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, the New Haven Police Department and the Connecticut State Police into drug distribution and related violence allegedly being committed by members and associates of the Grape Street Crips in New Haven.
On February 6, 2012, PREZIOSO was intercepted over a court-authorized wiretap discussing the acquisition and distribution of crack cocaine with a co-defendant in New Haven.
On April 9, 2012, a grand jury returned an indictment charging 18 individuals, including PREZIOSO, with narcotics distribution offenses stemming from this investigation. To date, nine of the defendants have pleaded guilty. The other nine defendants are detained while awaiting trial.
With respect to the defendants awaiting trial, U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, which includes officers from the New Haven, Hamden and Milford Police Departments, and the State of Connecticut Department of Correction. The investigation was significantly assisted by the Connecticut State Police, the United States Marshals Service and the Westerly (R.I.) Police Department.
The investigation was funded in significant part by the United States Attorney’s Office Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and supported by the Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and Anti-Gang programs.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Gordon Hall.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Newtown Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
March 19, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that DAVID CSANADI, 36, of Newtown, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for producing child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2006 and 2007, CSANADI sexually abused three female children, videotaped the abuse and maintained the tapes at his home in Newtown. All three children were prepubescent minors under the age of 12 at the time of the abuse. One child was approximately 18 months old at the time of the abuse.
In addition to filming and maintaining video tapes of the sexual abuse that he inflicted on female children, CSANADI downloaded from the Internet and obtained other images and videos of child pornography on his home computer.
“Working with the FBI, the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force and our other law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting children from sexual exploitation and removing sexual predators from the community,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. “I commend the Newtown and Monroe Police Departments for their investigative efforts, and the Danbury State’s Attorney’s Office for the critical assistance it has provided to the investigation and prosecution of this heinous but important case.”
“The sexual abuse of children and production of child pornography are detestable crimes, and the harsh reality of it all is that those who commit these unspeakable crimes live and work among us,” stated Special Agent in Charge Mertz. “The Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force’s devotion to identifying those who commit these monstrous crimes and to bringing them to justice remains, and always will remain, resolute.”
CSANADI has been detained since April 15, 2011, when he was arrested and charged with multiple state child sexual exploitation offenses.
On November 2, 2012, CSANADI pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography. In January 2013, he pleaded guilty in state court to the charges of sexual assault in first degree, illegal sexual contact with a minor and possession of child pornography. CSANADI is scheduled to be sentenced in state court next month.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Newtown and Monroe Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Neeraj Patel and Krishna Patel.
The Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes against children occurring over the Internet, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the Task Force, or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Justice Department Settles Service Animal Case Against Connecticut SchoolRead the Press Release
March 19, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that The Learning Clinic, a private school in Brooklyn, Conn., has agreed to pay $35,000 as compensation to a family for denying a child access to the school with his service animal. The school also has agreed to train its employees and adopt new policies to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Learning Clinic is a private school in Brooklyn that offers educational and clinical services through residential boarding and day school programs. The settlement resolves a Department of Justice investigation into the school’s service animal policies and practices under the ADA and the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The Department of Justice initiated this investigation after the parents of a minor child attending the school alleged that the school discriminated against their child on the basis of disability by denying the child equal access to the school’s campus with his service dog. The school failed to provide reasonable modifications to permit the child to attend school accompanied by his service dog and to live with his service dog in his room on TLC’s campus.
Under Title III of the ADA, schools are places of public accommodation and must reasonably modify policies, practices, and procedures, to allow children with disabilities equal access to education, school services, and school facilities. In addition, the FHA prohibits discrimination in school housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status.
This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ndidi Moses of the District of Connecticut, with the assistance of the Disability Rights and Housing Sections of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of discrimination can file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by calling 203-821-3700. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
Complaints about housing discrimination can also be made by phone to the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or by email at [email protected].
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Owner of Concrete Company Sentenced to Prison for $3.7 Million Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
March 18, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DOUGLAS CARTELLI, also known as “Douglas Martin,” 42, of Killingworth, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 40 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for engaging in an extensive tax evasion scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since 1992, CARTELLI has owned and operated several Connecticut-based concrete companies including DMC Concrete Corp., Commercial Concrete Construction LLC, Commercial Concrete NE LLC and Commercial High Rise Concrete LLC. As part of a scheme to avoid withholding and paying employee taxes, CARTELLI routinely characterized his employees as “independent contractors.” After the U.S. Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service began an investigation of DMC Concrete, CARTELLI continued to misclassify employees as independent contractors and took steps to make it more difficult for the Department of Labor and the IRS to monitor his companies’ payroll. CARTELLI used a convenience store in Middletown that provided him with cash so he, in turn, could pay his employees in cash, and the store owner was reimbursed by checks from CARTELLI’s business checking accounts. Between July 2004 and February 2008, the store owner received checks from CARTELLI totaling more than $1.15 million.
CARTELLI also convinced the owner of a Middletown liquor store to cash payroll checks for his employees. Each Friday from July 2005 to March 2006, Commercial Concrete NE wired payroll funds into the store’s business checking account. CARTELLI’s employees would go to the store, provide their payroll checks to the store owner and receive cash. The store owner would then return the payroll checks to CARTELLI. During this time period, the store owner withdrew more than $1.266 million in cash that CARTELLI had wired to the liquor store’s bank account.
Over the course of several years, CARTELLI attempted to thwart investigators and evade paying taxes and penalties by twice changing the name of his business and falsely representing to the IRS that he no longer owned the businesses, by writing business checks to his wife or to cash, and by using business checks to pay for numerous personal expenses, including credit card bills, personal real estate taxes and high-end renovations of his home.
The IRS has determined that CARTELLI’s under-reporting of employee wages and payroll taxes, his failure to withhold employment taxes and his failure to pay penalties related to this conduct has resulted in loss to the IRS of more than $3.45 million.
CARTELLI also failed to file personal income tax returns for the 2004 through 2007 tax years, during which he had total taxable income of approximately $959,936.25, resulting in loss to the IRS of $275,275.
Judge Thompson ordered CARTELLI to cooperate with the IRS to resolve his outstanding tax liability.
On March 21, 2011, CARTELLI waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to three counts of tax evasion.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher W. Schmeisser and Sarah P. Karwan.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Old Saybrook Man Charged with Bank FraudRead the Press Release
March 18, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that PAUL E. BRENNAN III, 44, formerly of Old Saybrook, has been charged by criminal complaint with bank fraud. BRENNAN, who is currently detained in state custody, appeared on March 15 before United States Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis in New Haven.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, from at least 2009 until at least 2011, BRENNAN engaged in a check fraud scheme through which he defrauded and attempted to defraud numerous financial institutions. During the course of the scheme, BRENNAN convinced individuals to cash checks for him using their bank accounts even though he knew that the checks were drawn on closed accounts or accounts with a zero balance and would be returned for nonpayment. BRENNAN also passed fraudulent checks at several check cashing businesses in Connecticut.
The charge of bank fraud carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to have this matter presented to a grand jury and, in the event an indictment is returned, he is entitled to a trial at which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Citizens with information that may be helpful to the investigation are encouraged to contact FBI Special Agent Daniel S. Harkness at (860) 439-6107.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Old Saybrook Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Citizen of Turkey Sentenced to 59 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Atm “skimming” SchemeRead the Press Release
March 18, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MEHMET AYDIN, 42, a citizen of Turkey last residing in Miller Place, N.Y., was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 59 months of imprisonment for his participation in an ATM skimming scheme across southern New England.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between February 2011 and July 2011, AYDIN, Ahmet Cilek, Gabriella Graham and others conspired to install “skimming” devices on automated teller machines (“ATMs”) at 11 banks and one credit union in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The devices were able to capture the information encoded on the magnetic strips of bank cards used by ATM customers. The co-conspirators also placed devices on the ATMs that contained hidden pinhole cameras, which recorded the personal identification numbers that bank customers keyed into the ATMs to gain access to their accounts. The co-conspirators used the stolen information captured by the skimming devices and pinhole cameras to create counterfeit bank cards that allowed them to withdraw funds from the customers’ accounts.
As a result of this scheme, approximately 500 bank accounts were victimized and financial institutions have suffered losses of approximately $336,057.64. As part of his sentence, AYDIN was ordered to make full restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendants.
AYDIN has been detained since his arrest on November 2, 2011. On April 12, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Cilek and Graham also pleaded guilty. On June 14, 2012, Graham was sentenced to 45 months of imprisonment. Cilek awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Connecticut State Police, and the Greenwich, Hartford, Stamford, Shelton and Stratford Police Departments. U.S. Attorney Fein specifically recognized the efforts of the Greenwich Police Department, Darien Police Department, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Office of Fraud Detection and National Security, and U.S. Secret Service in Boston and Providence for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Hartford Man Charged with Murdering Potential Witness in Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
March 15, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief James C. Rovella today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging KERONN MILLER, also known as “Fresh,” 22, of Hartford, with the 2010 murder of Ian Francis of Hartford.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 21, 2010, Ian Francis was shot multiple times while sitting in his vehicle on Sigourney Street in Hartford. Francis succumbed to his injuries on January 15, 2011.
The indictment alleges that MILLER and others, known and unknown to the grand jury, murdered Francis with the intent to prevent the attendance of appearance of a person at a federal proceeding and to prevent Francis and another person from communicating with a federal law enforcement officer or judge about the commission or possible commission of a federal crime, namely, narcotics trafficking.
The indictment further alleges that MILLER conspired with others, known and unknown to the grand jury, to commit this offense.
The charges of witness tampering murder and conspiracy to commit witness tampering murder carry a mandatory lifetime term of imprisonment or death, should the government seek the death penalty in this matter.
MILLER was arrested on a federal arrest warrant on November 7, 2012. He has been detained since his arrest.
This indictment followed a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes and Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division.
U.S. Attorney Fein 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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Three Connecticut Men Plead Guilty to Roles in Illegal Gambling RingRead the Press Release
March 14, 2013The United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced that three men involved in illegal gambling businesses pleaded guilty yesterday before United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford. THOMAS UVA IV, also known as “Little T,” 32, of Stamford, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and one count of money laundering, JOHN LIQUORI, 43, of North Haven, pleaded guilty to one count of RICO conspiracy, and JOHN COLELLO, 54, of Stamford, pleaded guilty to one count of operating an illegal gambling business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, after a long-term investigation led by the FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Stamford Police Department, UVA, LIQUORI, COLELLO and 17 other individuals were charged with various offenses related to their involvement in an illegal Internet sports bookmaking operation and illegal card gambling clubs in Stamford and Hamden. UVA and LIQUORI are alleged associates of the Gambino organized crime family.
The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that UVA, LIQUORI, COLELLO and others were involved in a large-scale sports bookmaking operation in which gamblers placed bets with offshore Internet sports-gambling websites, particularly www.44wager.com based in Costa Rica. In addition, UVA and others operated a card gambling club at 514 Glenbrook Road in Stamford, and LIQUORI and others operated a card gambling club at 2965 State Street in Hamden. Certain other co-conspirators also operated a gambling club at 859 East Main Street in Stamford.
FBI analysis of the sports-betting web site utilized by the co-defendants has determined that the total gross revenues of the Stamford-based gambling operation were nearly $1.7 million from October 2010 to June 2011.
UVA, LIQUORI and COLELLO are each scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2013. UVA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, LIQUORI faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and COLELLO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Five other defendants have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from this investigation. As to defendants who are awaiting trial, an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hal Chen and Peter Jongbloed.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Former Cfo of Westport Hedge Fund Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Embezzling More Than $1 MillionRead the Press Release
March 14, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARRIN FOSTER, 46, formerly of the Bronx, N.Y., was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling more than $1 million from his Connecticut employer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, FOSTER worked as the Chief Financial Officer for a hedge fund based in Westport. As CFO, FOSTER had access to his employer’s bank accounts, was authorized to make business-related charges on the corporate American Express card and was entrusted to pay the American Express bill. From approximately September 2004 to July 2010, FOSTER made thousands of unauthorized charges for personal expenses on his employer’s American Express account. He then arranged for telephonic payments of his unauthorized charges to be made from the hedge fund’s bank accounts.
Through this scheme, FOSTER made a total of $1,093,856.20 in unauthorized personal charges.
FOSTER was arrested by the New York State Police in Yonkers on May 27, 2012. On October 16, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Wines.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Citizen of Jamaica Who Illegally Reentered U.S. After Deportation Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
March 14, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD ECCLESTON STEPHENS, 38, a citizen of Jamaica last residing in New Britain, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 18 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after he was deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, STEPHENS was deported from the U.S. to his native Jamaica in April 2001 after he was convicted in Connecticut state court for selling narcotics. He illegally reentered the U.S. and, in June 2004, was arrested in Hartford for interfering/resisting arrest. At the time of his arrest he provided several false names to law enforcement. STEPHENS’ true identity was subsequently determined and he was deported to Jamaica in October 2004.
STEPHENS again illegally reentered the U.S. On September 5, 2012, he was arrested by the Wethersfield Police Department and charged with multiple narcotics offenses and motor vehicle violations. On that date, he also provided law enforcement with false identifying information.
STEPHENS has been detained since his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on September 6, 2012. On December 18, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Substance Abuse Counselor Pleads Guilty to Federal Health Care Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
March 13, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALAN EMMETT BRADLEY, 57, of Norwalk, Conn., and Ocoee, Fla., pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to one count of health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, BRADLEY, a certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor, obtained the Medicaid identification numbers of various Medicaid clients and used the identification numbers to submit hundreds of claims to Connecticut’s Department of Social Services. The claims alleged that BRADLEY performed 75 to 80-minute individual psychotherapy sessions to these Medicaid clients at his office in Norwalk. Hundreds of these counseling sessions did not occur and, for many of them, BRADLEY was actually living and attending school in Florida.
The Connecticut Medicaid program is a joint federal-state program designed primarily to finance the provision of medical services to the indigent. It is administered in Connecticut by the Department of Social Services, and is also supervised by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service.
Through this scheme, BRADLEY defrauded the Connecticut Medicaid program of $151,898.75.
BRADLEY was arrested in Florida on May 17, 2012. He has been detained since November 29, 2012, after he was found to have violated certain conditions of his pretrial release.
Judge Bryant has scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2013, at which time BRADLEY faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Ahearn, Assistant United States Attorney David Sheldon and Auditor Kevin Saunders.
U.S. Attorney Fein encouraged individuals who suspect health care fraud to report it by calling the Health Care Fraud Task Force at 203-777-6311 or 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
March 13, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARL HAILEY, also known as “Squirt,” 48, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
HAILEY is one of 108 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. The investigation revealed that HAILEY conspired with others to purchase and redistribute heroin.
HAILEY was on state special parole at the time of this offense, and he has been detained in state custody since February 14, 2012, for violating his parole. His maximum release date from state custody is January 22, 2014.
Judge Burns ordered HAILEY to begin serving his 30-month federal sentence after his release from state custody.
This matter is being 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 invaluable 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]Tax Preparer Sentenced to Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
March 12, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THOMAS THORNDIKE, 62, a Woodbury-based tax preparer, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for engaging in tax fraud over the course of several years.
According to court documents and statements made in court, THORNDIKE was the founder and owner of Cornerstone Financial Services of Woodbury, LLC (“CFS”), a tax preparation and financial services business. As the owner of CFS, THORNDIKE prepared federal tax returns for individuals and businesses in exchange for payment of a fee. In the course of preparing many of his clients’ tax returns, THORNDIKE improperly reduced the amount of tax due in a variety of ways, including falsely claiming deductions for charitable contributions, and falsely claiming deductions for job expenses.
THORNDIKE also offered clients an opportunity to purchase audit insurance. Purchasers of audit insurance could elect to be represented by THORNDIKE in connection with any Internal Revenue Service audit of their individual federal income tax returns. If clients were audited by the IRS, THORNDIKE would provide them with blank Goodwill receipts as well as instructions as to how they should create a list of charitable donations that would correspond with the donation value THORNDIKE had entered on their returns. He also would direct his clients to create mileage logs that would support deductions he had entered for employment-related travel.
In addition, THORNDIKE prepared tax returns for his two sons that improperly identified cash payments from him to his children as wages. He also claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in improper business deductions, including, but not limited to, wage expenses for his children, which actually were personal payments to them; more than $8,000 in personal carpentry work; and a $27,983 “sale of business property” loss stemming from THORNDIKE’s selling of an engagement ring after his marriage engagement had broken off.
In December 2008, the IRS notified THORNDIKE that he was the subject of an IRS audit examining his preparation of tax returns for the tax years 2006 and 2007. In connection with the audit, THORNDIKE assisted in the preparation of, and then submitted to the IRS, falsified documents to support the false deductions claimed on tax returns that were subject to the audit.
The IRS has estimated that THORNDIKE’s clients received in excess of $1 million in tax refunds to which they were not entitled.
Judge Thompson ordered THORNDIKE to pay $64,026.69 in back taxes, penalties and interest for tax losses related to his own fraudulent returns. THORNDIKE’s clients are required to resolve their own tax liability with the IRS.
This case has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Mattei and Eric Glover.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Waterbury Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
March 11, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced PAUL D’AMBROSIO, 49, of Waterbury, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 8, 2012, a Hartford Police detective assigned to the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force logged into a publicly available Internet file sharing program and downloaded approximately 50 images and 10 videos of child pornography from shared directories maintained by D’AMBROSIO. On August 30, 2012, Task Force agents searched D’AMBROSIO’s residence and seized a laptop computer and related components. A forensic search of the computer revealed more than 600 images and videos of child pornography, including images of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct and images of children engaging in sadistic or masochistic conduct.
Judge Arterton has scheduled sentencing for June 3, 2013, at which time D’AMBROSIO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
D’AMBROSIO has been released on bond under electronic monitoring by the United States Probation Office since his arrest on August 30, 2012.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Hartford Police Department. The Waterbury Police Department also assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.
The Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes against children occurring over the Internet, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the Task Force, or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]U.S. Attorney’s Office Celebrates Annual United States Attorney’s AwardsRead the Press Release
March 11, 2013On Friday, March 8, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut hosted its annual United States Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony. The ceremony at the City of New Haven’s aldermanic chambers recognized more than 170 individuals for their investigative efforts in more than two dozen significant federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases in Connecticut over the past year. The cases demonstrate the broad variety of work performed by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in Connecticut. Several unit awards and special awards were also presented during the ceremony.
“The cases and individuals recognized are but a sampling of the wide variety of excellent work that has been done by law enforcement in Connecticut,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. “I congratulate our award recipients, each of whom has served the District and our Nation with distinction and integrity. Their dedication to the cause of justice makes Connecticut a better and safer place to live.”
More than 50 of the award recipients are members of local police departments from across Connecticut.
The Civil Division Unit Award was presented to Andrew Freeman, who recently retired as Deputy Managing Counsel of the U.S. Postal Service’s Northeast Area Law Office. Special Agent John Keaney of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, received the Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Unit award for his expertise during several mortgage fraud investigations. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jon S. Hosney received the National Security and Major Crimes Unit Award for his supervision of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit Award was presented to a team of individuals who have been instrumental in coordinating “Project Longevity,” a statewide anti-violence initiative that was launched in New Haven in 2012. Award recipients include Assistant Chief Achilles Generoso and Sergeant Al Vasquez of the New Haven Police Department, Connecticut Parole officers Frank Viera and Levonne Perez Sutton, and Connecticut Probation Officers Brian Coco and Leonard Jahad.U.S. Attorney Fein also presented three special awards during the ceremony. Stamford Police Sergeant Richard Gasparino, who was shot and seriously wounded during a drug investigation in December 2010, received the U.S. Attorney’s Medal of Valor; FBI Special Agent James J. Wines, who coordinates the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, received the U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Investigator, and the U.S. Marshals Service in Connecticut received the U.S. Attorney Award for Outstanding Partnership.
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 more than 60 Assistant United States Attorneys and approximately 55 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport. Please visit www.justice.gov/usao/ct for more information.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Hartford Crack Dealer Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
March 11, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NIDA WILLIAMS, also known as “N-Dog,” 35, of Bloomfield, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a Hartford crack cocaine distribution ring.
This matter stems from “Operation Vinefield,” a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in Hartford’s North End. As a result of the nine-month investigation, 38 individuals were charged with various offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine and the unlawful possession and dealing of firearms in and around Hartford.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the investigation revealed that Clinton Hill Weston, also known as “Ack,” supplied WILLIAMS and Dana Adams, also known as “Soul,” with 125-gram and 63-gram quantities of crack cocaine. WILLIAMS and Adams then distributed the crack to numerous street-level dealers, including gang members, who primarily distributed the drug in the area of Enfield Street in Hartford.
WILLIAMS was arrested on April 19, 2012. A subsequent search of his Bloomfield residence revealed more than 29 grams of crack cocaine and 14 rounds of ammunition.
WILLIAMS has been detained since his arrest. On December 17, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
Weston and Adams also pleaded guilty and are currently serving prison terms of 152 months and 156 months, respectively.
This matter has been 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Hartford Crack Dealer Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
March 7, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAYQUAN FANIEL, 28, of Hartford, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 126 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a previous federal conviction.
This matter stems from “Operation Vinefield,” a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in Hartford’s North End. As a result of the nine-month investigation, 38 individuals were charged with various offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine and the unlawful possession and dealing of firearms in and around Hartford.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 23, 2012, an individual working with law enforcement purchased approximately 3.5 grams of crack cocaine from FANIEL at FANIEL’s Garden Street residence. On April 27, 2012, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of the residence and recovered approximately 148 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale, $1889 in cash and a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
FANIEL has been detained since his arrest on April 27, 2012. On October 9, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
FANIEL’s criminal history includes a federal conviction in 2005 related to his distribution of crack cocaine in Hartford for which he received a 60-month sentence. He was released from prison in 2009 and was serving a term of supervised release at the time of this most recent offense.
Judge Hall sentenced FANIEL to 120 months for distributing crack cocaine, and a consecutive six-month sentence for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This matter has been 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Federal Jury Finds Former Ledyard Resident Guilty of Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
March 6, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Bridgeport has found MATTHEW WALLACE, 31, of Westerly, R.I., formerly of Ledyard, guilty of one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. The trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton began on March 4 and the jury returned its verdict this afternoon after deliberating for approximately two hours.
According to the evidence disclosed during the trial, on January 19, 2010, a Milford Police detective assigned to the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force logged into a peer-to-peer Internet file sharing network and downloaded several images of child pornography from an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address assigned to WALLACE at his Ledyard residence. On May 28, 2010, law enforcement agents conducted a court-authorized search of WALLACE’s residence and seized computers and hard drives. Forensic examination of the seized items revealed more than 500 images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Judge Eginton has scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2013, at which time WALLACE faced a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
WALLACE has been released on a $100,000 bond since his arrest on December 16, 2010. Following today’s verdict, Judge Eginton ordered WALLACE to be confined to his home. A hearing has been scheduled for March 13, 2013, to determine if WALLACE will be allowed to remain released on bond, or if he will be detained until his sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Milford Police Department. The Connecticut State Police and the Ledyard Police Department have provided valuable assistance to the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ray Miller and Neeraj Patel.
The Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes against children occurring over the Internet, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the Task Force, or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Citizen of Mexico Who Illegally Reentered U.S. After Deportation Is SentencedRead the Press Release
March 6, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OSCAR CUAPIO-RODRIGUEZ, also known as Oscar Zuapio-Rodriguez and Pedro Cuapio-Rodriguez, 39, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Clinton, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to approximately three months of imprisonment, time already served, for illegally reentering the United States after he was deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, CUAPIO-RODRIGUEZ was deported from the U.S. to his native Mexico in 1998 and again in 2005. In 2006, he illegally reentered the U.S without first obtaining the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or his successor, the Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, to reapply for admission into the U.S.
CUAPIO-RODRIGUEZ has been detained since November 4, 2012, when he was arrested in Clinton and charged with theft of a credit card. He was transferred into federal custody on November 26, 2012.
On January 29, 2013, CUAPIO-RODRIGUEZ pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Three Individuals on Trial Plead Guilty, Admit Roles in Investment Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
March 4, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that three individuals who had been on trial in Hartford federal court have pleaded guilty to various offenses stemming from two separate investment schemes.
On February 25, ROBERT RIVERNIDER, 47, of Wellington, Fla., pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and 16 counts of wire fraud, and his sister, LORETTA SENECA, 50, of Boynton Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of wire fraud. On March 1, ROBERT PONTE, 59, of Stonington, Conn., pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy, 14 counts of wire fraud and two counts of tax evasion. The trial before United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny began on February 7.
“As the overwhelming evidence in this trial revealed, Rivernider and Ponte recruited individuals to invest their money by making false promises of guaranteed, high returns,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. “Their investment program was nothing more than a Ponzi scheme, which left several investors in financial ruin. With the assistance of Ms. Seneca, these defendants also engaged in a real estate investment scheme that defrauded more individuals, as well as lending institutions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with the FBI, IRS-CI and our other law enforcement partners to root out financial schemes to protect the investing public.”
“The FBI conducted an extensive investigation into the various conspiracies orchestrated by the three defendants, conspiracies designed with no goal other than to enrich themselves at the expense of other individuals and banks alike,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Mertz. “Cases like this are only successful with the teamwork of our federal partners. The IRS was instrumental to this investigation, as was the United States Attorney’s Office, which was exceptional in presenting a case at trial that resulted in three guilty pleas before even concluding its case.”
According to court documents and the evidence disclosed during the trial, between approximately June 2005 and April 2008, RIVERNIDER and PONTE conspired to defraud several victim investors by misrepresenting that the investors’ monies would be invested in legitimate, high-return investments. As part of the conspiracy, RIVERNIDER and PONTE used the Internet and other means to market a debt payment program typically called “No More Bills” through The Hudson Group, an entity that PONTE established. With the “No More Bills” program, RIVERNIDER and PONTE sought victim investors to invest monies with them, funds that the victim investors typically would raise through home equity lines of credit, or would borrow from 401K plans.
RIVERNIDER and PONTE materially misrepresented that investors would receive a substantial investment return, typically a monthly repayment on the invested monies of approximately seven to ten percent of their initial investment; that the returns would continue for a period substantially longer than needed to recoup the initial investment and result in a return substantially greater than the initial investment; that the victim investors’ existing debts and home equity lines of credit, if taken out to fund the investment, would be repaid in full from investment returns, and that the victim investors’ monies were being invested offshore in legitimate high-return investments, including investments in foreign currency exchanges, hedge funds, or other high-yield ventures. Instead of investing the funds as promised, RIVERNIDER and PONTE used the funds to pay their and their extended families’ living expenses, as well as the preexisting debts of other investors.
Through this first scheme, investors lost at least $3 million.
In a second scheme, between approximately November 2006 and December 2007, RIVERNIDER, PONTE, and SENECA engaged in a real estate investment conspiracy that defrauded both lenders and individuals they recruited. As part of the scheme, RIVERNIDER, PONTE, and others recruited victim borrowers to take out financing to purchase various investment properties, primarily in Tennessee and Florida, with financing from victim lenders. RIVERNIDER and PONTE typically represented to borrowers that these properties would be passive investments and that PONTE and RIVERNIDER would be responsible for the details of the purchase, rental, maintenance and payment of the mortgages on the properties. The co-conspirators made false representations to the victim borrowers that RIVERNIDER and PONTE would arrange for the purchase of the properties by the borrowers at markedly discounted values. In fact, RIVERNIDER and PONTE frequently marked up the purchase price of the properties to the victim borrowers, often by as much as 25 percent, without disclosing the increase in the purchase price. RIVERNIDER, PONTE and others also falsely represented that the investment properties would return to the victim borrowers sufficient monies to cover the carrying costs, as well as reduce the borrowers’ other debt burden.
RIVERNIDER, PONTE, SENECA and others victimized lenders by making multiple false representations in loan applications and other documents provided to the victim lenders. SENECA, a trained mortgage broker, was actively involved in the real estate transactions, including organizing and gathering many of the materials needed by the victim lenders, gathering certain information from the victim borrowers, providing certain comparables based on properties brokered by RIVERNIDER to be used for purportedly independent appraisals, and a range of other background tasks necessary for the lenders to make the loans.
This scheme involved at least 100 properties, and the investigation has revealed that the victim lending institutions have suffered nearly $20 million in losses.
When they are sentenced, RIVERNIDER and PONTE face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for conspiring on the first investment fraud scheme, and RIVERNIDER, PONTE and SENECA face a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years for conspiring on the real estate investment scheme. The wire fraud charges also carry maximum terms of imprisonment of 20 or 30 years. In addition, the tax evasion counts against PONTE carry a maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John H. Durham and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
The Connecticut Securities, Commodities and Investor Fraud Task Force investigates matters relating to insider trading, market manipulation, Ponzi schemes, investor fraud, financial statement fraud, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and embezzlement. The Task Force includes representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section and Antitrust Division; U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP); Office of the Chief State’s Attorney; State of Connecticut Department of Banking; Greenwich Police Department and Stamford Police Department.
Citizens are encouraged to report any financial fraud schemes by calling, toll free, 855-236-9740, or by sending an email to [email protected].
Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants.
To report financial fraud crimes, and to learn more about the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, please visit www.stopfraud.gov.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Former Hartford Resident Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
March 4, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRUCE DAMICO, 35, formerly residing in Hartford, Providence, R.I., and Queens, N.Y., pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
“The federal penalties for the sex trafficking of minors are appropriately severe, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting these crimes and seeking lengthy sentences,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. I commend the FBI and Bloomfield Police for the coordinated effort that has brought this defendant to justice.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, DAMICO recruited, harbored and transported women and girls to engage in prostitution. As a part of his prostitution business, DAMICO posted Internet advertisements offering the women and girls for commercial sex acts, and DAMICO was paid by each woman and girl $100 per day for maintaining the advertisements. DAMICO booked hotel rooms where the women and girls would engage in commercial sex acts, and he transported, or arranged the transportation of, the women and girls to prostitution appointments.
In pleading guilty, DAMICO admitted that between June 2009 and January 2010, his prostitution enterprise knowingly employed a girl who was under the age of 18. DAMICO posted pictures of the minor victim on the Internet to advertise her prostitution services, and he and others working for him transported the minor victim between Connecticut and surrounding states to engage in prostitution.
Judge Underhill has scheduled sentencing for May 24, 2013, at which time DAMICO faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
DAMICO has been detained since his arrest by the Bloomfield Police on January 22, 2010.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bloomfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David E. Novick.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Stonington Woman Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Role in $1.7 Million Investor Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
March 1, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAUREEN CLARK, 58, of Stonington, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport to 87 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for her role in an investment fraud scheme that defrauded several individuals out of more than $1.7 million. On July 12, 2012, a jury found CLARK guilty of multiple conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering offenses related stemming from the scheme.
“This defendant engaged in a four-year investment fraud and money laundering scheme,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. “She told numerous lies to defraud investors of more than $1.7 million, and then used the stolen funds for her own purposes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners at the FBI are committed to prosecuting fraudsters who prey on the investing public.”
According to the evidence at trial, CLARK and her co-conspirator, Christopher Plummer, holding themselves out as “Authorized Members” of New England Resorts, LLC, falsely represented to investors and potential investors that they owned and/or controlled hundreds of acres of land in Lakeshore, Miss., a portion of which purportedly was zoned for casinos and residential properties. CLARK falsely represented to the investors that she and Plummer would be building a resort community with two million square feet of casino gaming, hotels, condominiums, and a medical facility. They also falsely represented that the partners of the company had invested several hundred million dollars of their own funds in buying land and options on land in and around the town of Lakeshore.
In soliciting funds for the “Lakeshore Development Project,” CLARK and Plummer sent e-mails and attachments to victim investors that falsely represented that major Wall Street investment firms had confirmed that they would partner in the Project. For instance, in June 2007, Plummer sent an e-mail to an individual stating, in part, that a “take out” situation with a major Wall Street firm would result in a buyout of the property for $1.5 billion. In fact, there was no such “take out” plan. CLARK also sent numerous e-mails indicating that she was getting financing from overseas sources. These representations were false.
Evidence at trial further established that CLARK solicited investors on lengthy conference calls on which she made numerous misrepresentations for the purpose of acquiring funds. A number of victims also testified at trial that they met with CLARK and Plummer at the Lighthouse Inn in New London, were told about the casino project, and were convinced by them to invest their money.
After receiving the funds, CLARK and Plummer did not invest the money as represented and instead diverted a significant portion of investors’ funds for their own personal use and benefit, including writing checks to cash, paying the expenses of McGrath Hotels (doing business as the Lighthouse Inn), and making mortgage payments on a property in Stonington.
As a result of this scheme, victim investors suffered losses of approximately $1.7 million.
CLARK was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 13 counts of wire fraud, and six counts of money laundering. She was found not guilty of one count of wire fraud.
On January 26, 2012, Plummer pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud stemming both from this scheme and another scheme through which he defrauded a victim-investor of approximately $179,000. On October 15, 2012, he was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment. Plummer also has forfeited his interest in a 4.35 acre parcel of property in Stonington, an automobile, and funds that have been seized during the investigation.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. McGarry and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard J. Schechter.
In December 2010, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and several law enforcement and regulatory partners announced the formation of the Connecticut Securities, Commodities, and Investor Fraud Task Force, which is investigating matters relating to insider trading, market manipulation, Ponzi schemes, investor fraud, financial statement fraud, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and embezzlement. The task force includes representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section and Antitrust Division; U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP); Office of the Chief State’s Attorney; State of Connecticut Department of Banking; Greenwich Police Department and Stamford Police Department.
Citizens are encouraged to report any financial fraud schemes by calling, toll-free, 855-236-9740 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants.
To report financial fraud crimes, and to learn more about the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, please visit www.stopfraud.gov.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Jury Finds New Haven Man Guilty of Participating in Crack Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
March 1, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found MANOKUS FIELDS, also known as “Fresh,” 30, of New Haven, guilty of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”). The jury returned the verdict today following a three-day trial before Senior United States District Judge Ellen Bree Burns.
According to statements made in court and the evidence disclosed during the trial, this matter stems from a joint law enforcement investigation conducted in 2010 by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, the DEA New Haven Task Force, the New Haven Police Department and the Hamden Police Department. Through the use of court-authorized wiretaps, investigating officers identified and dismantled a large drug trafficking organization that was headed by Joseph Jackson, also known as “Mighty” and “M.I.,” and centered in the Newhallville section of New Haven and Hamden.
From June 2010 through October 2010, FIELDS was intercepted over the wiretap regularly arranging to meet Jackson and others at locations in Newhallville and New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood to purchase “8-balls” (3.5 grams) of crack cocaine. FIELDS then divided the crack into 27 individual packages containing approximately one-tenth of a gram, which he sold to customers for $10 each.
At trial, FIELDS maintained that he bought crack cocaine from the members of the conspiracy, but was not a conspirator himself. The jury rejected this defense, and convicted FIELDS on the only count with which he was charged.
At sentencing, FIELDS faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Forty-seven individuals have been charged in federal court with various narcotics offenses as a result of this investigation. Forty-six of those individuals have been convicted. The trial of the last remaining defendant is scheduled for April 2013.
This matter was investigated by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Task Force (composed of members of the New Haven, Milford and Hamden Police Departments and the Connecticut Department of Correction), the Drug Enforcement Administration's New Haven Task Force (composed of members of the New Haven, West Haven, Meriden, Ansonia, Hamden and Branford Police Departments), along with substantial participation by members of the New Haven and Hamden Police Departments. The United States Marshals Service also has assisted the investigation.
The investigation was funded in significant part by the United States Attorney's Office Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and supported by the Office's Project Safe Neighborhoods and Anti-Gang programs.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert M. Spector and Christopher M. Mattei.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]East Hartford Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
March 1, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MIGUEL ALAMO, 36, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 28, 2010, as part of an undercover operation, investigators seized 15 kilograms of cocaine that were intended for delivery to ALAMO. ALAMO was arrested the following day. A subsequent search of ALAMO’s East Hartford residence revealed more than 12 kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging and processing materials, and $27,840 in cash.
ALAMO has been detained since his arrest on April 29, 2010. On June 1, 2011, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Two Bridgeport Men Involved in Gang-related Narcotics Trafficking Receive Lengthy Prison TermsRead the Press Release
February 28, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that two Bridgeport men involved in gang-related narcotics trafficking were sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven. JOSEPH REYES, also known as “Fat Joe,” “Deep” and “RJ,” 28, was sentenced to 300 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and RICHARD DANIELS, also known as “Po” and “Wap,” 30, was sentenced to 228 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. DANIELS was also ordered to pay a $1000 fine.
On August 30, 2012, a jury found REYES and DANIELS guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 280 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”), and one count of conspiracy to maintain a drug-involved premises. REYES was also found guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
This matter stems from “Operation Slim Fast,” a joint law enforcement investigation that focused on two drug trafficking organizations, one that operated out of Bridgeport and one that operated out of Bridgeport, Puerto Rico, and Springfield, Mass. In 2010, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation of narcotics trafficking activity in and around the Marina Village Housing Complex in Bridgeport that focused primarily on the Marina Village Bloods, a violent narcotics trafficking organization. Members of the Marina Village Bloods have been responsible for, or connected to, multiple shootings in Bridgeport.
The evidence at trial established that REYES, DANIELS and others, who were members of the Sex, Money, Murder set of the Marina Village Bloods, sold large quantities of narcotics from an abandoned residence at 105/107 Johnson Street, which is located across from the street from the Marina Village Housing Complex. On multiple occasions, REYES and DANIELS were intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps discussing their narcotics trafficking activities. The wiretapped conversations further revealed that members of the Marina Village Bloods alternately referred to the Johnson Street residence as the “kitchen,” “trap” or “white house.”
The evidence at trial also established that REYES, who has multiple previous felony convictions, possessed firearms, including a Taurus .40 caliber handgun that was purchased for him by a co-defendant who had no prior felony 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.
REYES and DANIELS have been detained since their arrests on January 5, 2011.
As a result of this investigation, 19 individuals have been charged in federal court with various narcotics and firearms related offenses, and law enforcement officers seized approximately four kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of crack cocaine, a quantity of heroin, an SKS assault rifle, five handguns and more than $150,000 in cash.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force – which is composed of personnel from the FBI and the Bridgeport, Norwalk and Trumbull Police Departments – with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police, and Hartford, Stratford and Stamford Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tracy Dayton, Doug Morabito and Jonathan Freimann.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Trumbull Resident Pleads Guilty to Committing FraudRead the Press Release
February 28, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANGELINA VELASQUEZ, 46, of Trumbull, pleaded guilty today before United States Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport to one count of bank fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, VELASQUEZ was employed as the payroll and human resources coordinator for a victim company. From approximately September 2007 to November 2009, VELASQUEZ manipulated her employer’s payroll system and caused the company to generate approximately 350 unauthorized payroll checks, totaling approximately $247,570, in the names of 87 different employees at the company. She then intercepted the checks before delivery to the employees, forged their signatures on the back of the checks, deposited and cashed the checks at two banks and used the proceeds for her own personal use.
In addition, VELASQUEZ assisted individuals by preparing and submitting personal income tax returns and, in 2009, she defrauded an individual out of her tax refund of $5,146.
VELASQUEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall on May 23, 2013, at which time VELASQUEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
This case is being investigated by the Shelton Police Department, the United States Secret Service, and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New York Marijuana Trafficker Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
February 28, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WOLFE T. MIKELIC, of Fishkill, N.Y., was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 42 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess and distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. MIKELIC also was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000. He pleaded guilty to the offense on April 2, 2012.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2010, troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol stopped a vehicle that contained approximately $351,000 in cash, apparent drug records, photographs of marijuana grows and shipping documents that identified an address in Branford, Conn., as a possible destination for items being shipped by commercial carriers. After being contacted by the Nebraska State Patrol, Branford Police established surveillance of the Branford location, which was a storage facility.
On January 29, 2010, MIKELIC was stopped by Branford Police officers and Drug Enforcement Administration agents as he drove from the storage facility. A search of MIKELIC’s vehicle revealed $40,000 in cash, and a search of the storage facility revealed approximately 150 pounds of marijuana packaged in one-pound, heat-sealed plastic bags. A subsequent search of MIKELIC’s New York residence revealed six pounds of marijuana, approximately $34,000 in cash, a money counting machine, a scale, drug records and information that led investigators to another storage location in New York. A search of that location revealed an additional 38 pounds of marijuana in one-pound, heat-sealed bags.
All of the seized funds have been forfeited.
MIKELIC has been detained since February, 10, 2011, when his bond was revoked.
This matter was investigated by the Branford Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, which includes officers from the Branford, Hamden, Ansonia, New Haven, West Haven and Meriden Police Departments. The Nebraska State Patrol provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. Runowicz.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing MarijuanaRead the Press Release
February 28, 2013David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIAM FITZGERALD, also known as “Quay,” 32, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing marijuana.
FITZGERALD is one of 108 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.
The investigation revealed that between January 2011 and January 2012, FITZGERALD conspired with others to purchase and redistribute between 20 and 40 kilograms of marijuana.
FITZGERALD has been detained since his arrest on May 22, 2012. On November 6, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
This matter is being 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 invaluable 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]