District of Connecticut
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 49 Months in Prison for Possessing Firearm While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL STANLEY, 33, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 49 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm while on supervised release from a prior federal conviction. Judge Chatigny also ordered Stanley to serve six months in a halfway house and three months in home detention when he is released from prison, and banned Stanley from entering New Haven while on supervised release without the permission of the U.S. Probation Office.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stanley was arrested on September 7, 2021, after New Haven Police conducted a court-authorized search of his New Haven hotel room and seized a fanny pack containing his driver’s license, a small quantity of narcotics and a loaded Ruger SR9, 9mm pistol. Stanley’s DNA was recovered from swabs taken from the gun.
Stanley’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions, including a federal conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In October 2014, Stanley was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for that offense. He was released from prison in May 2019.
Judge Chatigny sentenced Stanley to 37 months of imprisonment for illegally possessing the firearm, and a consecutive 12 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Stanley has been detained since February 14, 2022. On May 27, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Waterbury Woman Who Created False COVID-19 Vaccine Records is SentencedRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced that ZAYA POWELL, 25, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to three years of probation for creating false COVID-19 vaccine records for several individuals. Judge Meyer also ordered Powell to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Powell worked as a Data Entry Specialist for Griffin Health Services Corporation (“Griffin Health”) and, in that role, she traveled to various COVID-19 vaccination sites in Connecticut operated by Griffin Health. Although Powell did not administer the vaccines, she had access to the Griffin Health electronic health record system and to stacks of blank COVID-19 vaccination cards. She also had access to the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS), a database developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that tracked COVID-19 vaccine administration.
Between August and October 2021, Powell created fraudulent vaccination records in VAMS for 14 different individuals. The records indicated that each of the 14 individuals had received a single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination at a Griffin Health location when, in fact, none had received any COVID-19 vaccination from Griffin Health or any other health care provider. In order to create the fraudulent vaccination record, Powell entered each individual’s name and date of birth into VAMS. She also created fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards for each of the 14, and distributed the fraudulent cards to the individuals or to their family members or co-workers. The fraudulent cards included lot numbers of genuine vaccines that were administered to other Griffin Health patients.
The investigation revealed that four of the 14 individuals who received fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards created by Powell were state employees who worked at the Southbury Training School, a Connecticut Department of Developmental Services facility located in Southbury. The four Southbury Training School employees were “state employees” or “state hospital employees” within the scope of Executive Order 13G issued by Governor Lamont, and were therefore required to meet the vaccination requirements of the Executive Order by September 27, 2021. The four employees sought and used the fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards created by Powell and the false entries in VAMS created by Powell to falsely document that they had received a COVID-19 vaccination.
On August 12, 2022, Powell pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement relating to a health care matter.
The four Southbury Training School employees were charged in state court and their cases are pending.
This investigation was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG).
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services, the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, and Griffin Health for their assistance in the investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Distribution and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOEL MARTINEZ, JR., 24, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 17, 2020, during a court-authorized search of a New Haven hotel room being used by Martinez to process and package narcotics, law enforcement seized a loaded Glock model 26, 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number; a box of 9mm ammunition; approximately 51 grams of cocaine; approximately 136 grams of a fentanyl/heroin mixture; 12 digital scales; three blenders; other items used to process and package narcotics; and $1,825 in cash. Martinez was arrested on state charges at that time.
Martinez has been detained since his federal arrest on October 14, 2020. On April 25, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, and to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, the New Haven Police Department and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara E. Levens.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYSON QUINONES, also known as “Ty,” 36, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in late 2019, the DEA New Haven Task Force began an investigation into the distribution of heroin and fentanyl in New Haven and Waterbury. The investigation, which included thousands of intercepted communications over court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Wilton Reynoso was receiving large quantities of fentanyl and heroin from a source in New York and then selling the narcotics to other drug distributors in Connecticut. Reynoso supplied Quinones with heroin and fentanyl, which Quinones then sold to his own customers in Waterbury, and also distributed to other dealers, including Deeshawn Pittman in New Haven. Pittman then worked with Quentine Davis to sell fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine to a large customer base in and around New Haven.
Quinones was also involved in a separate conspiracy that involved the shipments of kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, the conversion of cocaine to crack cocaine, and the sale of the drug to other distributors and customers.
On June 13, 2020, investigators sought to arrest Reynoso and Quinones after intercepting a series of calls indicating that they were planning to conduct a 200-gram heroin transaction. On that date, Quinones was arrested at the anticipated meeting place. Reynoso fled from the meeting scene in his vehicle, which was found abandoned nearby. He was arrested a short time later after he returned to the vehicle. A search of a location in Waterbury that Reynoso used to store narcotics revealed more than kilogram of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, and items used to process and package narcotics. Investigators also seized a loaded 9mm handgun from Quinones’s residence.
On July 23, 2021, Quinones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Quinones, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 23, 2023.
Reynoso, Pittman and Davis also pleaded guilty. On September 13, 2021, Reynoso, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment. On May 26, 2022, Davis was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment. On October 31, 2022, Pittman was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Elena L. Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Avery Announces 2022 Election Day ProgramRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery today announced that Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Francis will lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Francis serves as the District Election Officer for the District of Connecticut and is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that in order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Francis will be on duty while the polls are open and will be in regular communication throughout the day with the FBI and with state election and law enforcement authorities.
The Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) is staffing a hotline during polling hours on Election Day. Anyone with knowledge of election fraud or voting rights abuses is encouraged to call 1-866-733-2463 (1-866-SEEC-INFO) to report suspected violations. The SEEC staff will answer questions, advise on complaint procedures and, if appropriate, request the assistance of state criminal or federal law enforcement authorities in the investigation and possible prosecution of the matter.
The FBI in Connecticut and across the country will have special agents available to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office in New Haven can be reached directly at 203-777-6311.
In addition, complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, individuals should call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
Stratford Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Illegal Kickback OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, announced that ANANTHAKUMAR THILLAINATHAN, MD, 44, of Stratford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to health care fraud and kickback offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thillainathan is a medical doctor and the owner and president of MDCareNow LLC, a medical practice with offices in Stratford and Milford. MDCareNow has been a participating provider enrolled as both an internal medicine group and as a behavioral health clinician group in the Connecticut Medicaid program. Between approximately June 2019 and May 2022, Thillainathan submitted or caused to be submitted to Connecticut Medicaid approximately $839,724 in fraudulent claims for psychotherapy services that he knew patients did not receive from his employees. Thillainathan knew that the billed psychotherapy Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, which identify the nature and complexity of the services provided, were not supported by medical records provided by his employees, and that the services were not provided. The investigation revealed that Thillainathan submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for reimbursement that falsely represented his employees had rendered 60-minute psychotherapy sessions when, in fact, his employees only had very brief conversations with patients, had only left a voicemail for patients, or had no contact with patients at all.
In pleading guilty, Thillainathan also admitted that, in violation of his Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP) provider agreement, he paid a third-party “patient recruiting” company for each Connecticut Medicaid patient the company recruited and provided with transportation to MDCareNow for medical services. Thillainathan paid the patient recruiting company approximately $100 per patient for an initial visit to MDCareNow and approximately $40 per patient for any subsequent visit. Between approximately November 2019 and May 2021, Thillainathan paid the patient recruiting company for the recruitment of approximately 1,018 Connecticut Medicaid patients, and Connecticut Medicaid reimbursed MDCareNow a total of approximately $1,071,328 for services provided to these patients.
Thillainathan pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of kickbacks involving federal health care programs, offenses that carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R Underhill in Bridgeport on January 26, 2023. As part of his plea, Thillainathan has agreed to pay $1,674,880 in restitution.
Thillainathan, a citizen of Sri Lanka and a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office and the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather L. Cherry and Elena L. Coronado.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Convenience Store Owner, Worker, Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Federal Food Stamp ProgramRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAVED SAEED, 53, and DASTGIR SAEED, 69, both of South Windsor, were sentenced today in New Haven federal court for food stamp fraud offenses. U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall sentenced Javed Saeed to one year and one day of imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay a $5,000 fine. Judge Hall sentenced Dastgir Saeed to two months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release, the first two months of which must be served in home detention, and ordered him to pay a $2,500 fine.
The federal Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (“SNAP”) is administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and utilizes federal tax dollars to subsidize low-income households to provide them with the opportunity to achieve a more nutritious diet by increasing their food-purchasing power. SNAP recipients purchase eligible food items at retail food stores through the use of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, and SNAP benefits may be accepted by authorized retailers only in exchange for eligible items. Items such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, paper goods and soaps are not eligible for purchase with Food Stamp benefits, and it is a violation of the rules and regulations governing the food stamp program to allow benefits to be used to purchase ineligible items. SNAP benefits may not lawfully be exchanged for cash under any circumstances. The program is designed so that the total amount of each purchase made with SNAP benefits is electronically transferred to the retailer’s designated bank account.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Javed Saeed is the owner of Manchester Quick Mart, a convenience store and Mobil gas station located at 262 Oakland Street in Manchester. His father, Dastgir Saeed, and others, including Siddiq Chaudhary and Mohammed Khan, helped operate the store. Between January 2017 and January 2020, Javeed Saeed, Dastgir Saeed, Chaudhary, Khan and others illegally allowed customers to redeem their food stamp benefits for cash and other ineligible items, including gasoline and male enhancement pills, and charged the customers’ food stamp cards a premium of nearly 50 percent for these transactions.
Javed Saeed has paid full restitution in the amount of $211,208.
On May 10, 2022, Javed and Dastgir Saeed each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud.
Chaudhary and Khan, both of South Windsor, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and one count of engaging in food stamp fraud. They await sentencing.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
Prospect Man Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Prison for Engaging in Sexual Activity with MinorRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DENNIS ANTHONY SZANTYR, JR., 48, of Prospect, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 235 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for engaging in illegal sexual activity with a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on multiple occasions between November 2018 and October 2019, Szantyr used smart phones, tablets and other computer devices, and an interactive computer service, to entice a minor victim under the age of 16 to engage in sexual acts. At times, including during the commission of the sexual acts between Szantyr and the minor victim, the victim was in the custody, care or supervision of Szantyr. Szantyr also took videos of his sexual contact with the victim.
Szantyr has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on October 31, 2019. On December 6, 2021, he pleaded guilty in federal court to enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
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.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE RODRIGUEZ-CARABALLO, also known as “Puma,” 33, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for cocaine trafficking offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2020, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force executed a federal search warrant on a suspicious package that had been sent through the U.S. Mail from New Haven to an address in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The package contained $102,450 in cash. The investigation revealed that an associate of Rodriguez-Caraballo was supervising the receipt of numerous parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico to addresses in and around New Haven, the resale of the cocaine to others, and the shipment of narcotics proceeds to individuals in Puerto Rico. During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted multiple parcels of cocaine and U.S. currency that was sent through the U.S. Mail.
The investigation revealed that Rodriguez-Caraballo picked up cocaine parcels from the addresses they were shipped to, repackaged the cocaine, and helped distribute it to other drug sellers and customers.
Rodriguez-Caraballo was arrested on March 18, 2021, after he traveled with a co-conspirator to a location in Milford to sell two kilograms of cocaine for $86,000. Investigators seized the cocaine and a loaded 9mm handgun from their vehicle.
Rodriguez-Caraballo has been detained since his arrest. On January 27, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the New Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Karen Peck through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mexican National Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Illegally Reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GERMAN EDUARDO MARTINEZ FRANCO, 42, a citizen of Mexico last residing in West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 37 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on seven occasions between 1998 and 2015, Martinez was encountered in Arizona was subsequently removed to Mexico. In the District of Arizona, in 2010, Martinez was convicted of illegal entry and sentenced to 90 days of imprisonment. In 2011, he was convicted of illegal reentry and sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment; In 2014, he was convicted of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to 33 months of imprisonment. Martinez was last removed to Mexico in December 2015.
On July 1, 2021, Martinez, who was using another identity, was arrested in West Haven and charged in state court with possession with intent to sell greater than one ounce of heroin or methamphetamine, possession with intent to sell a narcotic substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, criminal impersonation, and forgery in the first degree.
Martinez has been detained since July 1, 2021. On August 8, 2022, he pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry.
Martinez pleaded guilty in state court and was sentenced to 72 months of incarceration.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with the assistance of the West Haven Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
Hartford Gang Member Guilty of 2013 Drug-Related MurderRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody today announced that a federal jury in Hartford has found ANTWANE WILLIAMS-BEY, also known as “Buck,” 31, guilty of the drug-related murder of Valentin Santos Jr., 21, in Hartford in 2013.
The trial before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea began on October 20 and the jury returned the guilty verdict this afternoon.
According to evidence at trial, on August 12, 2013, Williams-Bey, a member of the Orange Street Killas (OSK) street gang, shot and killed Santos, also known as “Macho” and “Ubby,” on Linnmoore Street in Hartford in retaliation for a theft of Williams-Bey’s drug stash/money. Santos was shot approximately 12 times, mostly in the back.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Williams-Bey faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Williams-Bey has been detained in federal custody since February 2017 and is currently serving an 84-month federal sentence for distributing heroin and crack cocaine.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department's Major Crimes Division. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Robert S. Ruff.
Armed Hartford Drug Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL DAVIS, 34, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis was arrested on state charges on February 10, 2021, after law enforcement officers observed him conducting drug sales on Main Street in Hartford’s North End, and a search of his person revealed a loaded Remington Arms, model RP9, 9mm handgun, and five glass vials containing MDMA (“ecstasy”). A related search of Davis’s vehicle revealed several vials of crack cocaine and MDMA.
Davis, who was released on bond in his state case, was again arrested on April 7, 2021, after he was observed selling drugs in the same area of Main Street, and then tossed a plastic bag containing 48 wax sleeves of heroin from his car window as he was pursued by law enforcement.
Davis’s criminal history includes state convictions for firearm and narcotics offenses.
Davis has been detained since April 7, 2021. He was charged federally and, on May 9, 2022, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman with the assistance of Law Student Intern Nicholas Barile.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Woman Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICOLE STEINER, formerly known as Nicole Balkas, 33, formerly of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for health care fraud offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Steiner owned and operated Helping Hands Academy, LLC, in Bridgeport, which provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and was as a participating provider in the Connecticut Medicaid Program (“Medicaid”). From December 2018 to October 2020, Steiner submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for applied behavior analysis services that were purportedly provided to Medicaid clients. She submitted claims for dates of service when no applied behavior analysis services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims, and she inflated the number of hours for certain claims even when applied behavior analysis had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims. Steiner also submitted false Medicaid claims in 2020 using a former employee’s name and performing provider number.
After the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), which administers the Medicaid program in Connecticut, terminated Helping Hands Academy as a provider, Steiner made several false statements and submitted an altered document to DSS in an effort to rescind the termination and to receive payment for previously submitted claims.
Medicaid suffered a loss of more than $500,000 as a result of Steiner’s admitted conduct.
On April 28, 2021, Steiner pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud related to this scheme.
After her guilty plea, and while she was released on bond awaiting sentencing, Steiner was a silent partner in another company that provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with ASD called New Beginnings Children’s Behavioral Health LLC. Steiner was responsible for billing claims to Medicaid, managing payroll, and recruiting and screening potential employees, and she and had access to and used her business partner’s email and other online accounts to operate the company. Steiner and the company engaged in health care fraud by billing Medicaid for thousands of dollars in services not rendered and, in particular, billing for services not rendered by Steiner.
Steiner was arrested on May 2, 2022, and, on July 29, she pleaded guilty to a second count of health care fraud.
While released on bond and living in New Jersey awaiting sentencing in both cases, Steiner submitted false Medicaid applications indicating that she lived in Bridgeport in order to get Medicaid coverage for her and her children.
Steiner was remanded to custody at the conclusion of the sentencing proceeding.
Judge Meyer ordered Steiner to pay $505,955.56 in total restitution.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Attorney Avery acknowledged the valuable cooperation of the Connecticut Department of Social Services in the investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Westbrook Man Fined $4,000 for Baiting Ducks in Violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty ActRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Casey, Regional Chief, Division of Refuge Law Enforcement, announced that DAVID FOSTER, 51, of Westbrook, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Judge Dooley ordered Foster to pay a $4,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in late September and early October 2020, after receiving an anonymous complaint, the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel investigated the spreading of whole kernel corn around a hunting blind on Menunketesuck Island in Westbrook. Foster had received a summons for waterfowl baiting/taking violations in the same area in October 2009. On October 10, 2020, which was the opening day of duck hunting season, officers who had established surveillance near the duck blind observed Foster, two other hunters shoot and retrieve ducks over the area that had been baited. When they finished, officers conducted a compliance check. Under questioning, Foster admitted that he had spread corn over the hunting area to attract ducks.
Foster pleaded guilty on August 2, 2022.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Refuge Law Enforcement, and the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
New Haven Man Sentenced to Prison for Crack Cocaine Distribution and Ammunition Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN WARD, 30, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and ammunition possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 21, 2021, law enforcement arrested Ward’s associate, Zaquawn Arrington, on a federal criminal complaint at Arrington’s New Haven residence. Ward used a bedroom at Arrington’s residence and was present at the time of Arrington’s arrest. A search of the residence revealed crack cocaine, a digital scale, and $2,075 in cash. During the search, investigators observed Ward throw a bag from the house. The bag contained crack cocaine packaged for distribution. Later that day, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of the residence and located in Ward’s bedroom a pistol box containing four ammunition magazines, and a box of 39 9mm rounds.
Ward was subsequently seen on surveillance video firing a gun at a group of individuals immediately after one of the individuals shot and killed his associate on August 8, 2021, in Hamden.
Ward’s criminal history includes state felony drug and assault offenses. 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.
Ward has been detained since August 18, 2021. On December 14, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.
Arrington was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the New Haven Police Department and the West Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven and West Haven Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr., through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Former West Haven Employee and State Representative Admits Stealing COVID Relief and Other City FundsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Christina D. Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced that MICHAEL DiMASSA, 31, of West Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to conspiracy charges stemming from his involvement in schemes that resulted in the theft of more than $1.2 million dollars in COVID relief funds and other funds from the City of West Haven.
According to court documents and statements made in court, DiMassa was a Connecticut State Representative who was also employed by the City of West Haven, most recently serving as the Administrative Assistant to the City Council. In April 2020, the State of Connecticut was allocated money by the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (“CRF”), which was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) for the purpose of helping local governments pay costs incurred in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. From July 2020 through September 2021, the City of West Haven received approximately $1,150,257 in financial assistance from this fund. DiMassa, who was authorized to approve the designated relief funds for the reimbursement of COVID-related expenditures incurred by West Haven, conspired with others to steal these funds and other West Haven funds through the submission of fraudulent invoices, and subsequent payment, for COVID relief goods and services that were never provided.
In one scheme, DiMassa conspired with John Bernardo, who was employed by the City of West Haven as a Housing Specialist in the office of Community Development Administration. In January 2021, DiMassa and Bernardo formed Compass Investment Group, LLC. Beginning in February 2021, Compass Investment Group LLC fraudulently billed the City of West Haven and its “COVID-19 Grant Department” for consulting services purportedly provided to the West Haven Health Department that were not performed. From February 2021 through September 2021, the City of West Haven paid Compass Investment Group a total of $636,783.70. DiMassa made several large cash withdrawals from the Compass Investment Group LLC bank account, some of which were made shortly before or after he was recorded as having made a large cash “buy-in” of gaming chips at the Mohegan Sun Casino.
DiMassa also conspired with his now wife, Lauren DiMassa, through the submission of numerous fraudulent invoices to West Haven for services related to a Youth Violence Prevention Program and for Youth Violence COVID-19 Associated Expenses. These invoices listed charges for in-home counseling, cleaning supplies, special needs hourly service, wi-fi assistance for low/moderate income families, counseling services, license fees, a fall youth clinic, meals, support group supplies, equipment rental, and youth clinic support group. West Haven made at least 16 payments totaling approximately $147,776.10 to Lauren DiMassa, who never provided any services to the City of West Haven.
In a third scheme, DiMassa conspired with another individual through the submission of fraudulent invoices from companies, which were controlled by DiMassa’s co-conspirator, to West Haven for goods and services, including thousands of units of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), HVAC maintenance at multiple municipal locations, COVID supplies for the Board of Education, and cleaning services for various municipal and school buildings, including one school building that had been vacant and abandoned for several years. The co-conspirator’s companies received approximately $431,982 through this scheme.
DiMassa has agreed to pay restitution of $1,216,541.80.
DiMassa pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
DiMassa has been released on a $250,000 bond since his arrest on October 20, 2021.
Bernardo and Lauren DiMassa each previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. They await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General for Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray Miller and David Sheldon.
Individuals with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Bristol Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NEVILLE WALTERS, 34, of Bristol, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of April 4, 2020, Bristol Police received reports of gunshots being fired in the area of Davis Drive. Analysis of security video from a nearby residence revealed that the shots were fired from a light-colored Cadillac as it approached the intersection of Davis Drive and Jerome Avenue. Seven .40 caliber shell casings were recovered from the scene. Later that morning, officers responded to a report of a disturbance at Walters’ residence on Prospect Street and observed a beige Cadillac with other features matching the description of the car that was involved in the shooting incident. Walters departed the residence before officers could question him.
In the early evening of April 4, Farmington Police were called to local gas station on a report of a burning vehicle. Responding officers stopped Walters and an associate as they walked away from the gas station. Walters was arrested on state charges after officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun and a small amount of marijuana on the ground nearby.
After Walters’ state arrest and while he was released on bond, Walters posted on his Instagram page multiple images of him in possession of firearms. On May 12, 2020, Bristol Police executed a state search warrant at Walters’ residence and seized two handguns, a high-capacity magazine, fentanyl and marijuana, items used to process and package drugs for street sale, and other items. Investigators also seized $2,827 from Walters’ person. Walters was arrested on state charges and was again released on bond. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement received a report that Walters brandished a firearm during an argument outside of his residence on approximately May 14, 2020.
Walters has been detained since his federal arrest on May 22, 2020. On May 16, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Bristol Police Department and the Farmington Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Konstantin Lantsman.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Armed Waterbury Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARTRE BOOKER, 28, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to 76 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm possession and drug distribution offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2022, the Waterbury Police Department’s Gang Task Force made two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Booker. Booker was arrested at his Winchester Street residence on February 16, 2022. A search of his residence on that date revealed a 9mm pistol with 15 cartridges and a 30-round magazine, a 9mm pistol with 14 cartridges, an empty 9mm drum magazine, 335 baggies of heroin/fentanyl, marijuana, narcotics paraphernalia, and $1,115 in cash.
Booker’s criminal history includes two state convictions for felony firearm offenses. 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.
Booker has been detained since his arrest. On August 10, 2022, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEESHAWN PITTMAN, also known as “Low,” 34, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in late 2019, the DEA New Haven Task Force began an investigation into the distribution of heroin and fentanyl in New Haven and Waterbury. The investigation, which included thousands of intercepted communications over court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Wilton Reynoso was receiving large quantities of fentanyl and heroin from a source in New York and then selling the narcotics to other drug distributors in Connecticut. Reynoso supplied Tyson Quinones with heroin and fentanyl, which Quinones then sold to his own customers in Waterbury, and also distributed to other dealers, including Pittman. Pittman then worked with Quentine Davis to sell fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine to a large customer base in and around New Haven.
On June 13, 2020, investigators sought to arrest Reynoso and Quinones after intercepting a series of calls indicating that they were planning to conduct a 200-gram heroin transaction. On that date, Quinones was arrested at the anticipated meeting place. Reynoso fled from the meeting scene in his vehicle, which was found abandoned nearby. He was arrested a short time later after he returned to the vehicle. A search of a location in Waterbury that Reynoso used to store narcotics revealed more than kilogram of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, and items used to process and package narcotics.
Pittman was also arrested on June 13, 2020. A search of his residence on that date revealed approximately 50 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and more than $15,000 in cash.
On April 4, 2022, Pittman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Pittman, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 4, 2023.
Reynoso, Quinones and Davis also pleaded guilty. On September 13, 2021, Reynoso, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment. On May 26, 2022, Davis was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment.
Quinones awaits sentencing.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Elena L. Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
New Britain Man Who Stole 14 Guns from Portland Firearms Dealer Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that CHRISTOPHER MATOS, 34, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 100 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm offenses stemming from his participation in the burglary of a Portland firearms dealer in December 2020.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of December 31, 2020, Matos and Kenney Cotto burglarized Central Connecticut Arms, a federally-licensed firearms dealer in Portland, and stole 14 firearms. On January 5, 2021, investigators searched an SUV that Matos and Cotto used during the burglary and recovered clothing that Cotto wore during the burglary, a hammer and tire iron Matos and Cotto used to break into Central Connecticut Arms, and other evidence. Investigators also found Matos’s DNA at the crime scene, and a subsequent search of his residence revealed clothing he wore during the burglary.
Matos was arrested on January 14, 2021.
To date, three of the firearms stolen from Central Connecticut Arms have been recovered by law enforcement. Two were recovered by the FBI in an unrelated narcotics investigation, and the third was seized by Waterbury Police after it was fired into the air during an altercation. The remaining 11 firearms are unaccounted for.
Judge Dooley ordered Matos to pay $21,528.91 in restitution.
Matos’s criminal history includes seven felony convictions and, at the time of the burglary, he was on probation for a state theft offense. 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.
Matos has been detained since his arrest. On March 23, 2022, he pleaded guilty to theft of firearms from a licensee, and unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
On April 21, 2022, Cotto, 24, of New Britain, pleaded guilty to the same charges. He is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by ATF and the Portland, New Britain, Berlin and East Longmeadow (Mass.) Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Felon Sentenced to 52 Months in Federal Prison for Gun Offense, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALBERT LOPEZ, 52, last residing in Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 52 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2017, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force located Lopez at a residence in Bridgeport and arrested him on a state warrant in connection with the shooting of a victim in Bridgeport on September 9, 2017, and on a federal warrant related to his violation of supervised release conditions. A search of Lopez’s bedroom on the date of his arrest revealed a stolen .40 caliber pistol. Forensic analysis of the pistol revealed that it was used in the shooting on September 9, 2017.
Lopez’s criminal history, which spans more than 30 years, includes felony convictions in Connecticut state court and in federal courts in both Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and he was on federal supervised release at the time he unlawfully possessed the stolen firearm. Specifically, Lopez has been convicted of assault with a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of contraband by an inmate, and possession of a firearm by a felon (twice). In September 1991, Lopez was sentenced to 140 months of federal imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine; in March 2008, he was sentenced to 47 months of federal imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a felon; and in January 2013, he was sentenced to 72 months of federal imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a felon and for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Lopez has been detained in state custody since his arrest. On July 1, 2021, he pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Lopez also pleaded guilty in state court to assault with a firearm and was sentenced to eight years of incarceration for that offense.
Lopez will begin serving the 52-month federal sentence today.
This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Anastasia E. King.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Danbury Couple Guilty of Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that a federal jury in New Haven today found DARNELL MACON, Sr, 45, and KHARISMA BROOKS, 23, formerly of Danbury, guilty of firearm offenses. The trial before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer began on October 26.
According to the evidence disclosed during the trial, on May 27, 2021, Macon and Brooks visited a federally-licensed firearms dealer in Kent, Connecticut, where Macon possessed, and then Brooks purchased, a Smith & Wesson, Model SD40VE, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In 2002, Macon was convicted in New York of two counts of assault in the first degree, and in 2003, he was convicted in New York of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
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.
On June 7, 2021, ATF special agents investigating the firearm purchase on May 27, and another firearm purchased by Brooks in Stratford on May 25, visited Macon’s and Brooks’ Danbury residence and recovered the two firearms, which were located in Macon’s bedroom closet.
The jury found Macon guilty of one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and Brooks guilty of one count of aiding and abetting the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The jury found Brooks not guilty of one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Macon and Brooks each faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Macon and Brooks are released on bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by ATF, with the assistance of the Danbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Reed Durham and David J. Sheldon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
ADA Settlement with Cinemark USA, Inc. Improves Accessibility of Enfield Movie TheatersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Cinemark USA, Inc. (“Cinemark”) has entered into a settlement agreement with the government to resolve allegations that the Cinemark Enfield Square 12 theaters, located at 90 Elm Street in Enfield, does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
The settlement, which resolves a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice that alleges that the Cinemark Enfield Square 12 is not physically accessible to persons with mobility disabilities, requires Cinemark to add ADA-compliant signage at exits and auditoriums, provide an accessible dining surface in the concession area, and acquire more receivers to use with its assistive listening system. The settlement also requires Cinemark to make numerous changes in the bathrooms, such as moving grab bars, removing a step up at a threshold, and making a bathroom door easier to open.
Cinemark is in the process of making changes required by the settlement agreement and has agreed to ensure that any future alterations to the theaters comply with the ADA.
Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including movie theaters, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the Justice Department to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.
“Today’s settlement helps to ensure that everyone in Connecticut can participate equally in our community, regardless of ability,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “My office is committed to enforcing federal law to eradicate barriers to access, inclusion and equal opportunity. I am pleased that Cinemark has agreed to do the right thing and make their theater in Enfield accessible to persons with disabilities.”
Cinemark has three years to make the changes required by the agreement and must submit certifications concerning compliance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office every six months until it has fully complied with the agreement.
A copy of the settlement agreement will be found on www.ada.gov.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Charges Related to Gun Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that MARQUIS JEROME POLLARD, 42, of Yemassee, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the Spring of 2021, ATF Task Force officers learned that Pollard used straw purchasers to obtain firearms in South Carolina, and sold the firearms in Connecticut. On April 19, 2021, investigators made a controlled purchase of a 9mm Glock handgun and a drum magazine from Pollard and Quinn Mooring in New Haven in exchange for $1,500. The firearm was one of five 9mm handguns that had been purchased by an individual at a pawn shop in Port Royal, South Carolina, in the month prior to the transaction in Connecticut.
Pollard was arrested on May 3, 2021, in South Carolina. At the time of his arrest, he possessed three handguns.
Pollard’s criminal history includes a state felony conviction for second degree burglary, as well as other offenses. 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.
Pollard was charged by indictment in both the District of Connecticut and in the District of South Carolina. The South Carolina case was transferred to Connecticut for further prosecution.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for January 20, 2023, at which time Pollard faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Pollard has been detained since his arrest.
On January 13, 2022, Mooring, of New Haven, pleaded guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon. He awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), West Haven Police Department and New Haven Police Department. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman. The South Carolina case was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carra J. Henderson in the District of South Carolina.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Norwich Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, announced that SHELDON THOMSON, 34, of Norwich, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography.
Thomson appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was ordered detained.
As alleged in court documents, in 2007, Thomson was convicted in state court of sexual assault in the first degree, involving sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 13, and of risk of injury to a child. He was released from prison in November 2015 and began serving a term of probation. In May 2022, Thomson’s state probation officer seized multiple cellphones, a tablet and a storage card from Thomson, his vehicle and his residence. Analysis of the seized devices revealed numerous images and video depicting the sexual abuse of children, including prepubescent children.
If convicted of possession of child pornography, Thomson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced based on Thomson’s prior conviction.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of Connecticut’s Office of Adult Probation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.
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.
Hartford Man Who Illegally Possessed Handgun in Manchester Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL JONES, 26, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm. Judge Underhill also ordered Jones to serve the first six months of his supervised release in home confinement and to perform 100 hours of community service.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 24, 2021, Jones pointed a firearm at another individual outside of a hookah lounge on Broad Street in Manchester. When Manchester Police arrived on the scene, Jones attempted to flee and discarded the firearm in the rear parking lot of the lounge. Jones was apprehended and the firearm, a loaded Taurus G2C 9mm pistol with an extended magazine and an obliterated serial number, was recovered.
Prior to July 2021, Jones was convicted in state court of criminal possession of 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.
Jones has been detained since his arrest. On June 15, 2022, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Manchester Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick and Patricia Stolfi Collins.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Bethel Landscape Contractor Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TIMOTHY P. DRAPER, 55, of Bethel, was sentenced today by U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to eight months of imprisonment for tax evasion. Judge Merriam also ordered Draper to pay a $75,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Draper owns and operates T&M Lawn & Landscape, and also owns multiple residential rental properties in Bethel and Danbury. Draper failed to deposit into his business operating accounts numerous checks generated from his landscaping and rental businesses, resulting in underreporting of approximately $1.8 million in business receipts on his tax returns for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 tax years. Draper also paid personal expenses out of the business accounts and failed to categorize the payments as income to him. The underreporting of income resulted in the underpayment of more than $500,000 in income taxes for the three tax years.
Draper has paid $1,117,883.11 in back taxes, interest and penalties.
On April 18, 2022, Draper pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.
Draper, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 10.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Torrington Man Charged with Assaulting 5 Federal Officers with His Car in BridgeportRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging DENNIS LEE WAITERS, 32, of Torrington, with assaulting five federal law enforcement officers.
The indictment was returned on October 5 and Waiters was arrested today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and is detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for October 31.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on June 15, 2021, members of the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and Bridgeport Police Department investigating gang-related violence and the potential for a retaliation shooting attempted to stop a car Waiters was driving in Bridgeport. The law enforcement vehicles had activated their lights and sirens, and officers exiting the vehicles wore vests bearing the letters “FBI” and “POLICE.” Instead of stopping, Waiters drove into the federal law enforcement officers and their vehicles, crashing into three different law enforcement officers’ vehicles and into a civilian motorist. One officer fired into Waiters’ car as it headed toward the officer, causing the car to veer into another law enforcement vehicle and, ultimately, to crash into a pole. When Waiters’ car stopped, a passenger in the car attempted to flee the scene, leaving behind a semiautomatic pistol in the car, but was apprehended.
The indictment charges Waiters with assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Ecuadorian National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging LUIS SALTO SAICO, 47, a citizen of Ecuador last residing in Danbury, with one count of illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported.
The indictment was returned on October 5, and Saico appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. Saico has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on September 26, 2022.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on January 26, 2006, Saico was arrested in Columbus, Ohio, for aggravated vehicular assault. He subsequently pleaded guilty in Ohio state court to that charge and to one count of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. After serving approximately eight months of imprisonment, he was removed to Ecuador in July 2008. In July 2022, ICE learned that Saico was residing in Danbury after he was arrested by Danbury Police and charged with sexual assault in the third degree and disorderly conduct.
If convicted of the charge of illegal reentry, Saico faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.
Mystic Restaurant Owner Sentenced for Federal Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that YI DI LIN, also known as “Johnny Lin,” 49, of Mystic, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to three years of probation, and was ordered to pay restitution of more than $92,000 and a $5,500 fine, for a federal a federal tax offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court today, Lin owns and operates Peking Tokyo, a restaurant in Mystic. In operating the restaurant, Lin regularly paid several employees wholly or partially in cash. In mid-2019, Lin began using a payroll processing company to issue payroll checks for certain employees, make appropriate tax withholdings, and file Forms 941 (Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns) with the Internal Revenue Service. Lin subsequently failed to inform the payroll company about the existence of the employees he only paid in cash and the amount of cash he paid to employees. As a result, the payroll company prepared and filed false Forms 941 for four quarters in 2019 and 2020, and appropriate payroll taxes were not remitted to the IRS. The resulting loss to the IRS was $92,093.
On July 28, 2022, Lin pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.
Lin has paid $92,093 in restitution.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Laraia.
St. Lucia Citizen Who Lived in the U.S. under a Stolen Identity for 20 Years in SentencedRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ADRIAN JOSEPH, 55, a citizen of St. Lucia last residing in Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to approximately nine months of imprisonment, time already served, for offenses related to his acquiring federal documents under an assumed identity.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Joseph has been living in Bridgeport under an assumed identity for approximately 20 years. Using his stolen identity, Joseph has obtained from various governmental agencies multiple identity documents, including a U.S. passport, a Social Security Account Number card, a City of Bridgeport voting registration card, and a Connecticut driver’s license from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (“CT DMV”). In February 2020, Joseph visited the CT DMV in Norwalk and, using fraudulent identity documents, successfully applied for and received a REAL ID driver’s license.
During the investigation, the individual whose identity Joseph used informed the government that his identity documents were stolen in the late 1990s.
On August 2, 2022, Joseph pleaded guilty to one count of use of a passport secured by a false statement, and one count of false representation of a social security account number, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Joseph, who is detained, now faces deportation proceedings.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Police and Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Political Consultant Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Candidate in 2017 New Haven Probate Judge RaceRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that VICTOR CUEVAS, 58, of Waterbury, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to conspiring to defraud a New Haven Probate Judge candidate in 2017.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cuevas co-operated a Connecticut-based political consulting business called Yellow Dog Strategies (“YDS”). In 2017, YDS was paid $5,750 to collect 1,000 petition signatures from registered Democrats in New Haven in support of a probate judge primary candidate. Cuevas supervised YDS’s collection of voters’ signatures using a team of “Circulators,” each of whom was required by state regulations to sign a Statement of Authenticity before a notary public attesting that they had collected the voters’ petition signatures in person. Rather than collect legitimate voter signatures, Cuevas conspired with others to defraud the candidate by submitting falsified petition forms. Specifically, Cuevas caused signatures of registered voters to be forged on petitions and caused the signature of a purported Circulator to be forged on a Statement of Authenticity.
Cuevas caused the falsified forms to be delivered to the candidate, who, unaware of the forgeries, submitted those petitions to be counted. The New Haven Democratic Registrar of Voters quickly detected forged signatures in the petitions. Upon learning that voter signatures had been forged, the candidate withdrew from the primary.
The Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission immediately initiated an investigation into Cuevas’s conduct. When Cuevas learned of that investigation, he and his co-conspirators attempted to conceal their scheme by pressuring the fictitious Circulator, whose signature had been forged, to sign a false affidavit.
Cuevas, a former Connecticut State Representative, was on federal probation at the time of the offense. In October 2016, he was sentenced in New Haven federal court to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine for conspiring with others to commit bank fraud in connection with his home mortgage loan applications.
Cuevas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on January 17, 2023.
Cuevas is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor Reardon and Jonathan Francis.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission for its assistance in this matter.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing CrackRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on October 21, 2022, ALEXIS VIERA, 34, of New Haven, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the DEA New Haven Task Force began investigating a New Haven-based drug trafficking network headed by Michael Smith, also known as “Head.” The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Smith and others were distributing heroin and crack cocaine throughout the New Haven area. Viera converted cocaine into crack cocaine, supplied the drug to Smith, and sold it to other customers. Viera also received crack cocaine from Smith to distribute to his customer base.
In December 2019, Smith was intercepted on a wiretap describing having shot at a rival drug dealer. New Haven Police collected 31 shell casings from a location in the Fair Haven neighborhood where the shooting occurred. Smith was arrested on December 23, 2019.
Viera has been detained since his arrest on September 16, 2020. On September 2, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine base (“crack”).
Smith pleaded guilty to drug, firearm and money laundering charges and, on August 26, 2022, was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, West Haven, Hamden, East Haven, North Haven, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Elena L. Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Canterbury Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing Machineguns and Other FirearmsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDRES VASQUEZ, 35, of Canterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah A.L. Merriam in Bridgeport to nine months of imprisonment, followed by 18 months of supervised release, for illegally possessing machineguns and other firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 28, 2020, federal agents executed a search warrant at an apartment in New Britain and seized drugs, drug paraphernalia, a 9mm handgun, and ammunition. Analysis of the seized handgun and a review of firearm records revealed that the handgun was registered to Vasquez and had not been reported stolen, and that Vasquez had several other firearms registered to him.
On June 5, 2020, a search of Vasquez’s Canterbury residence revealed five semi-automatic rifles, three handguns, two machineguns bearing no serial numbers, additional un-serialized firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. When interviewed by investigators, Vasquez admitted that, in addition to purchasing firearms, he built machineguns and other firearms. After searching the residence, investigators determined that four other firearms registered to Vasquez were missing.
Vasquez was a heroin user when he was in possession of the firearms. The firearm seized on April 28, 2020, was found in an apartment connected to Vasquez’s heroin dealer, and another firearm registered to Vasquez was found on January 1, 2022, in the possession of a Hartford man who is charged with federal firearm possession and crack cocaine distribution offenses. Three of Vasquez’s registered firearms have not been recovered.
Vasquez was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on December 14, 2020. On July 20, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a user of a controlled substance.
Vasquez, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 5.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NAMIR WALKER, 23, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 26, 2021, East Hartford Police arrested Walker after he was found in possession of approximately 170 dose bags of fentanyl, approximately 18 grams of crack cocaine, and a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun. Subsequent investigation revealed that Walker had previously possessed a Zigana, Model PX-9G2 pistol, which had been part of a shipment of 50 Zigana PX-9G2 pistols that was stolen from an R&L Carriers warehouse in South Windsor in August 2021. Investigators recovered the stolen Zigana pistol, and reviewed social media posts from mid-September 2021 in which Walker appears to offer to sell two stolen Zigana pistols to another individual in exchange for $1,800.
Walker has been detained since his arrest. On July 29, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
To date, 14 of the 50 stolen firearms have been recovered by law enforcement
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the South Windsor Police Department and East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Justice Department Announces Charges and Arrests in Two Cases Involving Export Violation Schemes to Aid Russian MilitaryRead the Press Release
In separate charges unsealed today in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the District of Connecticut, and with the support of the Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, the Justice Department has charged nearly a dozen individuals and several corporate entities with participating in unlawful schemes to export powerful, civil-military, dual-use technologies to Russia – some of which have been recovered on battlefields in Ukraine while another nuclear proliferation technology was intercepted before reaching Russian soil.
In the Eastern District of New York, five Russian nationals and two oil brokers for Venezuela are charged in an indictment unsealed today for their alleged participation in a global sanctions evasion and money laundering scheme. One defendant was arrested on Oct. 17 in Germany and another defendant was arrested on Oct. 17 in Italy, both at the request of the United States. As alleged, the defendants obtained military technology from U.S. companies, smuggled millions of barrels of oil, and laundered tens of millions of dollars for Russian industrialists, sanctioned entities, and the world’s largest energy conglomerate.
Separately, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, a superseding indictment was unsealed charging four individuals – three of whom were arrested by Latvian authorities on Oct. 18 and one by Estonian authorities on June 13 at the request of the United States – and two companies in Europe with violating U.S. export laws by attempting to smuggle a dual-use, export-controlled item – a high-precision computer-controlled grinding machine – to Russia. Commonly known as a “jig grinder,” the item is export-controlled for its use in nuclear proliferation and defense programs.
“These charges reveal two separate global schemes to violate U.S. export and sanctions laws, including by shipping sensitive military technologies from U.S. manufacturers – including types found in seized Russian weapons platforms in Ukraine – and attempting to reexport a machine system with potential application in nuclear proliferation and defense programs to Russia,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As I have said, our investigators and prosecutors will be relentless in their efforts to identify, locate, and bring to justice those whose illegal acts undermine the rule of law and enable the Russian regime to continue its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”
“This week’s indictments and arrests highlight the FBI’s work countering Russia’s flagrant evasion of U.S. sanctions and violation of export regulations,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, along with our U.S. and international partners, will continue to aggressively disrupt the procurement of oil, laundered money, and unlawfully obtained military technology from U.S. companies to support Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine.”
United States v. Orekhov et al., Eastern District of New York
According to court documents, Yury Orekhov, 42, a Russian national residing in Germany; Artem Uss, 40, of Moscow; Svetlana Kuzurgasheva aka Lana Neumann, 32, of Moscow; Timofey Telegin, 39, of Moscow; and Sergey Tulyakov 52, of Moscow are named in the indictment unsealed today. Also charged are Juan Fernando Serrano Ponce, aka Juanfe Serrano, and Juan Carlos Soto, who allegedly brokered illicit oil deals for Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, as part of the scheme. On Oct. 17, Orekhov was arrested in Germany and Uss was arrested in Italy, both at the request of the United States, and will undergo extradition proceedings.
“As alleged, the defendants were criminal enablers for oligarchs, orchestrating a complex scheme to unlawfully obtain U.S. military technology and Venezuelan sanctioned oil through a myriad of transactions involving shell companies and cryptocurrency. Their efforts undermined security, economic stability and rule of law around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “We will continue to investigate, disrupt and prosecute those who fuel Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, evade sanctions and perpetuate the shadowy economy of transnational money laundering.”
According to court documents, Orekhov served as the part owner, CEO and Managing Director of Nord-Deutsche Industrieanlagenbau GmbH (NDA GmbH), a privately held industrial equipment and commodity trading company located in Hamburg, Germany. The other owner of NDA GmbH is Artem Uss, the son of the governor of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Krai region. Kuzurgasheva served as the CEO of one of the scheme’s shell companies and worked for NDA GmbH under Orekhov.
Using NDA GmbH as a front company, Orekhov and Kuzurgasheva sourced and purchased sensitive military and dual-use technologies from U.S. manufacturers, including advanced semiconductors and microprocessors used in fighter aircraft, missile systems, smart munitions, radar, satellites, and other space-based military applications. These items were shipped to Russian end users, including sanctioned companies controlled by Telegin and Tulyakov that serviced Russia’s military. Some of the types of electronic components obtained through the criminal scheme have been found in Russian weapons platforms seized on the battlefield in Ukraine. As alleged, in 2019, Orekhov travelled to the United States to source parts used in the Russian-made Sukhoi fighter aircraft and the American-made F-22 Raptor stealth fighter aircraft.
Orekhov and Uss also allegedly used NDA GmbH as a front to smuggle hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela to Russian and Chinese purchasers, including a Russian aluminum company controlled by a sanctioned oligarch and the world’s largest oil refining, gas and petrochemical conglomerate based in Beijing. Serrano Ponce and Soto brokered deals worth millions of dollars between PDVSA and NDA GmbH, which were routed through a complex group of shell companies and bank accounts to disguise the transactions. In one communication with Serrano Ponce, Orekhov openly admitted that he was acting on behalf of a sanctioned Russian oligarch, saying “He [the oligarch] is under sanctions as well. That’s why we [are] acting from this company [NDA GmbH]. As fronting.” The scheme also involved falsified shipping documents and supertankers that deactivated their GPS navigation systems to obscure the Venezuelan origin of their oil.
Payment for NDA GmbH’s illicit activities was often consummated in U.S. dollars routed through U.S. financial institutions and correspondent bank accounts. To facilitate these transactions, Orekhov and his co-conspirators used fictitious companies, falsified “know your customer” documentation and bank accounts in high-risk jurisdictions, causing U.S. banks to process tens of millions of dollars in violation of U.S. sanctions and other criminal laws. In one conversation with Soto, Orekhov bragged that “there were no worries...this is the shittiest bank in the Emirates…they pay to everything.” The scheme also utilized bulk cash drops with couriers in Russia and Latin America, as well as cryptocurrency transfers worth millions of dollars, to effectuate these transactions and launder the proceeds.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Orekhov, Uss, Kuzurgasheva, Serrano Ponce, and Soto are additionally charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); bank fraud conspiracy for the oil smuggling scheme; and money laundering conspiracy for the oil smuggling and IEEPA scheme.
Orekhov, Kuzurgasheva, Telegin and Tulyakov are additionally charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud; money laundering conspiracy for illicit procurement of U.S. dual use technology; conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) and smuggling goods from the United States.
If convicted of bank fraud conspiracy, the defendants face a maximum of 30 years in prison with additional prison time as the result of conviction on additional charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Italian and German law enforcement authorities provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Artie McConnell for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
United States v. Romanyuk et al., District of Connecticut
According to court documents, beginning in 2018, Eriks Mamonovs, 33, and Vadims Ananics, 46, both citizens of Latvia who operated CNC Weld, a Latvia-based corporation, conspired with Stanislav Romanyuk, 37, a citizen of Ukraine and resident of Estonia who operated Estonia-based BY Trade OU, and others, including Janis Uzbalis, 46, of Latvia and individuals in Russia and a Russia-based company, to violate U.S. export laws and regulations and smuggle a jig grinder that was manufactured in Connecticut to Russia.
“The indictment alleges that these defendants attempted to smuggle a high-precision export-controlled item to Russia where it could have been used in nuclear proliferation and Russian defense programs,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery of the District of Connecticut. “The danger created by such conduct is profound. I thank HSI, the Department of Commerce and the FBI, and our partners in Latvia and Estonia, who thwarted this alleged scheme and are working to bring these defendants to justice in a U.S. court of law.”
A jig grinder is a high-precision grinding machine system that does not require a license to export to European Union countries but does require a license for export and reexport to Russia because of its applications in nuclear proliferation and defense programs. At no time did the defendants apply for, receive or possess a license of authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export or reexport the jig grinder to Russia, as required by the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which restrict the export of items that could make a significant contribution to the military potential of other nations or that could be detrimental to the foreign policy or national security of the United States.
U.S. authorities, working with Latvian authorities, intercepted the jig grinder in Riga, Latvia, before it was to be shipped to Russia.
Mamonovs, Ananics, Romanyuk, Uzbalis, and others are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison; violation of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), which carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison; smuggling goods from the United States, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison; and international money laundering conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Mamonovs is also charged with making false statements to the U.S. Department of Commerce, an offense punishable by up to five years in prison.
The indictment also charges CNC Weld, BY Trade OU with conspiracy, violation of the ECRA, smuggling goods from the United States, and international money laundering conspiracy.
Ananics, Mamonovs and Uzbalis were arrested on Oct. 18 in Riga, Latvia at the request of the United States. Romanyuk was arrested in Tallinn, Estonia at the request of the United States, on June 13, 2022. The Justice Department is seeking their extradition.
HSI field offices in New Haven, Portland (Ore.), and the Hague, Netherlands; the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement in Boston; and the FBI are investigating the case. The Prosecutor-General’s Offices of the Republic of Latvia and Estonia, Latvian State Revenue Service, Estonian Tax and Customs Board, and the Latvian State Police provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing valuable assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Konstantin Lantsman of the District of Connecticut, and Trial Attorney Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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Both actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
European Nationals and Entities Indicted on Charges of Violating U.S. Laws for Their Attempt to Export a Dual-Use High-Precision Jig Grinder to RussiaRead the Press Release
A superseding indictment charging individuals and companies in Europe with violating United States export laws and regulations by attempting to smuggle a dual-use export-controlled item to Russia was unsealed yesterday in the District of Connecticut.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Andrew Adams, Director of Task Force KleptoCapture; Special Agent in Charge Matthew B. Millhollin of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston; Special Agent in Charge Rashel D. Assouri of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Boston; and Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI New Haven Division made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in 2018, Eriks Mamonovs, 33, and Vadims Ananics, 46, both citizens of Latvia who operated CNC Weld, a Latvia-based corporation, conspired with Stanislav Romanyuk, 37, a citizen of Ukraine and resident of Estonia who operated Estonia-based BY Trade OU, and others, including Janis Uzbalis, 46, of Latvia, and individuals in Russia and a Russia-based company, to violate U.S. export laws and regulations and smuggle a jig grinder that was manufactured in Connecticut to Russia. A jig grinder is a high-precision grinding machine system that does not require a license to export to European Union countries, but does require a license for export and reexport to Russia because of its potential application in nuclear proliferation and defense programs. At no time did the defendants apply for, receive or possess a license of authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export or reexport the jig grinder to Russia, as required by the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”), which restrict the export of items that could make a significant contribution to the military potential of other nations or that could be detrimental to U.S. foreign policy and national security.
U.S. authorities, working with Latvian authorities, intercepted the jig grinder in Riga, Latvia, before it was to be shipped to Russia.
Ananics, Mamonovs and Uzbalis were arrested yesterday in Riga, Latvia. Romanyuk was arrested in Tallinn, Estonia, on June 13. They are currently detained and the United States is seeking their extradition.
“The indictment alleges that these defendants attempted to smuggle a high-precision export-controlled item to Russia where it could have been used in nuclear proliferation and Russian defense programs,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. “The danger created by such conduct is profound. I thank HSI, the Department of Commerce and the FBI, and our partners in Latvia and Estonia, who thwarted this alleged scheme and are working to bring these defendants to justice in a U.S. court of law.”
“The power and precision of American technology must not be put to use by the Kremlin’s war machine,” said Andrew Adams, Director of Task Force KleptoCapture. “Enforcement against efforts to illegally export and reexport controlled U.S. technology is critical in ensuring that superior American technology isn’t exploited by Russia in this unjust war. The arrests in Latvia demonstrate that smugglers and fraudsters will be apprehended and prosecuted notwithstanding the sophistication of evasion networks operating far from U.S. shores.”
“These individuals are alleged to have conspired to export a piece of machinery that can be used for nefarious purposes, including in defense applications to build weapons of war,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI works hand-in-hand with our partners domestically and abroad to further our mission to prevent sensitive U.S. technology and commodities from reaching the shores of hostile countries. These arrests and the seizure of the jig grinder are the result of the tenacious investigative work of our special agents and partners and show what can be achieved through these partnerships.”
“This three-year investigation is a testament to the excellent cooperation between our domestic and international law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Rashel D. Assouri, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office. “The Office of Export Enforcement is unwavering in its aggressive pursuit to investigate illegal exports to Russia.”
“This indictment is the culmination of a great collaborative law enforcement investigation,” said David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI New Haven Division. “The alleged conspirators in this international export and money laundering scheme will now face justice in the very system they manipulated and violated for financial gain.”
The superseding indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury in Hartford on July 7, 2022, charges Mamonovs, Ananics, Romanyuk, Uzbalis, and others, with conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; violation of the Export Control Reform Act, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; smuggling goods from the United States, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and international money laundering conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Mamonovs is also charged with making false statements to the U.S. Department of Commerce, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
The indictment also charges CNC Weld, BY Trade OU with conspiracy, violation of the Export Control Reform Act, smuggling goods from the United States, and international money laundering conspiracy.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation is being conducted by HSI field offices in New Haven, Portland (Ore.), and the Hague, Netherlands; the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement in Boston; and the FBI. The Prosecutor-General’s Office of the Republic of Latvia, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Estonia, Latvian Tax and Customs Police, Estonian Tax and Customs Board, and the Latvian State Police are assisting the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Konstantin Lantsman of the District of Connecticut, and Trial Attorney Matthew Anzaldi of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing valuable assistance.
The investigation was coordinated with the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
Bloomfield Man Guilty of Multiple Narcotics Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found KENSTON HARRY, 41, of Bloomfield, guilty of drug trafficking offenses.
The trial before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton began on October 6 and the jury returned the guilty verdicts yesterday afternoon.
This matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force into a drug trafficking organization headed by Tajh Wiley, also known as Yung, of Norwalk. The investigation, which included a court-authorized wiretap of Wiley’s phone, revealed that Wiley conspired with Harry and others to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana throughout Connecticut.
Harry was arrested on June 9, 2021. In association with his arrest, investigators searched his Bloomfield residence and his Hartford business, Action Audio. The search of his residence revealed more than one kilogram of fentanyl, more than one kilogram of cocaine, kilogram presses and other items used to process and package narcotics for distribution, and other items. The search of Harry’s business resulted in the seizure of marijuana and other items.
The jury found Harry guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and marijuana; one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams of fentanyl; one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. At sentencing he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a term of imprisonment of life.
Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for January 25, 2023. Harry is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing.
Harry, Wiley and six others were charged as a result of this investigation.
On July 26, 2022, a jury found Wiley guilty of multiple offenses. He awaits sentencing. As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized from Wiley jewelry valued at more than $100,000, and a 2021 Mercedes-Benz valued at approximately $146,000.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bridgeport Police Department, Fairfield Police Department, Norwalk Police Department, Stamford Police Department, Stratford Police Department, Yonkers (New York) Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. The HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford and Danbury Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick J. Doherty, Robert S. Dearington, Margaret M. Donovan and Elena L. Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Stamford Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that AMIN HASAN, 44, of Stamford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawful possession of a firearm. Judge Shea ordered Hasan to serve the first six months of his supervised release in a halfway house.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 5, 2020, Hasan was arrested by Stamford Police after causing a disturbance at a shopping plaza and a search of a van he rented revealed 13 filled 5-gallon gas cans, two hatchets, and ax and other items. The next day, law enforcement searched Hasan’s residence and seized numerous items, including a gas mask, a chainsaw, a “survival-style” knife, two backpacks containing 30 smoke grenades and 44 caltrops (spikes used to puncture vehicle tires), and a loaded Glock 9mm pistol. Investigators also found a note on Hasan’s bed with instructions to call his cousin in the event of his death. Days later, Hasan’s car was found parked in Bridgeport and contained an additional 12 filled 5-gallon gas cans, a hatchet, and other items.
In May 2019, Hasan was convicted in state court of assault of public safety, emergency medical, public transport or health care personnel. 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.
Hasan has been detained since his arrest. On May 6, 2022, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Related state charges against Hasan are pending.
This matter was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and Stamford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Doherty.
Owner of Danbury Grocery Store Sentenced for Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LIZBEL SANCHEZ, also known as Lizbel Diaz, 47, of Brookfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $400,000 fine for a federal tax offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sanchez is a minority owner of Danbury Food Corp. (“DFC”), which operates a C-Town grocery store in Danbury. Sanchez was responsible for DFC’s accounting and financial records, and for collecting and paying over certain federal taxes from DFC’s employees, namely federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contribution Act (“FICA”) taxes, which include Medicare and social security taxes. She also was also responsible for ensuring that DFC, as an employer, paid its own share of FICA and its Federal Unemployment Tax (“FUTA”), which were based on its employees’ taxable wages.
An investigation revealed that, Sanchez and DFC paid several employees in cash and failed to collect, account for and pay over the federal income taxes and FICA taxes associated with the cash wages. Sanchez also failed to account for and pay over DFC’s share of FICA taxes and its FUTA obligation based on the taxable wages of those employees that DFC paid in cash. This conduct caused a tax loss of $408,121.85 to the IRS for the 2016 tax year.
On April 14, 2022, Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to collect or pay over taxes.
Sanchez has paid $408,121.85 in restitution to the IRS. She also has acknowledged similar conduct for DFC in 2017 and 2018, and for other businesses in which Sanchez had an interest in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Additional tax losses will be addressed civilly by the IRS.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Offenses Stemming from Warehouse Theft of GunsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that SHAMEIK CAMARA, 32, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses stemming from the theft of numerous firearms from a South Windsor warehouse last year.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2021, a shipment of 50 Zigana, Model PX-9G2 pistols was stolen from R&L Carriers, a national freight shipping company with a warehouse located at 540 Sullivan Avenue in South Windsor. Even though R&L employees were aware of the theft shortly after it occurred in mid-August, they did not notify law enforcement. Officials at R&L carriers reported the theft to law enforcement on September 16, 2021. In October 2021, investigators identified Camara after seeing Facebook Marketplace and Offer Up posts selling high-end speakers and sports trading cards that were similar to items stolen from the R&L warehouse at about the same time of the firearm shipment theft.
Camara was arrested on October 28, 2021. At this time of his arrest, he possessed two firearms, one of which was a Zigana pistol taken during the theft in August 2021.
Camara was previously convicted of felony offenses. 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.
On June 14, 2022, Camara, who is detained, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of firearm by a felon, and one count of receipt and possession of items from an interstate shipment.
“In August 2021, 50 firearms stolen from a South Windsor warehouse became illegal guns on the street,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “To date, only 14 of the stolen guns have been recovered. The 36 that remain unaccounted for represent a real danger to the community until each one is recovered. I thank the ATF, South Windsor Police and our other law enforcement partners who are investigating this case, apprehending those involved, and methodically tracking down these weapons.”
“ATF recognizes that we are most successful when we work with our state, local, and federal partners,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Ferguson. “We will continue to prioritize investigations of armed and violent felons to disrupt the cycle of violence and make our communities safer.”
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the South Windsor Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Five Bridgeport Men Convicted of Narcotics Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that, on October 14, a federal jury in Bridgeport found the following five men guilty of narcotics trafficking offenses:
WALLACE BEST, also known as “Coop,” 55, of Bridgeport
JEFFREY THOMAS, also known as “Zig,” 49, of Bridgeport
JASON COX, 48, of Bridgeport, and Savannah, Georgia
FRANK JAMONT BEST, also known as “JB,” and “Cash,” 49, of Bridgeport
LAMONT D. JEFFERIES, 55, of BridgeportAccording to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force began investigating an organization that was distributing heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine in an around Bridgeport. During the investigation, Task Force members made four controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Frank Best. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and hundreds of consensual recordings, revealed that Frank Best’s uncles, Wallace Best and Jeffrey Thomas, were supplying Frank Best and others with narcotics. In addition, Lamont Jefferies received heroin from Frank Best that he distributed to his own customers.
The investigation further revealed that Jeffrey Thomas worked with Jason Cox to establish a connection to Mexican-sourced drug suppliers in California who could provide kilogram quantities of narcotics for distribution on the East Coast. In December 2019, a cooperating source working in conjunction with Wallace Best, Thomas, and Cox, traveled to a Home Depot parking lot in San Diego and purchased from their suppliers 1.1 kilograms of fentanyl, cut with Xylazine, which is a veterinary sedative, and Tramadol, in exchange for $27,000. After this successful transaction, the conspirators arranged to purchase five kilograms of heroin from their Mexican suppliers. On February 10, 2020, four individuals were arrested after they arrived at the same parking lot to conduct the transaction and investigators seized a box containing approximately 4.9 kilograms of heroin. A related search of a storage locker in San Diego revealed an additional five kilograms of heroin.
The jury found Wallace Best, Thomas and Cox guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of heroin and fentanyl, and Wallace Best, Thomas, Frank Best and Jefferies guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack”). In addition, Frank Best was found guilty of five counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base. The jury also found that Wallace Best, Thomas and Cox had previously been convicted of serious drug felonies, exposing each of them to enhanced sentences.
This matter has been investigated by the DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the DEA San Diego Field Division. The DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford and Danbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Lauren C. Clark and Katherine E. Boyles through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Florida Man Sentenced to More than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PEDRO LUIS RIVERA-RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Cano,” 39, of Deltona, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service received information that Rivera-Rodriguez, who formerly resided in New Haven, was trafficking large quantities of cocaine. In November 2019, an individual working with investigators negotiated with Rivera-Rodriguez to purchase a kilogram of cocaine from a supplier in Puerto Rico for $22,500. Rivera-Rodriguez also indicated that he was prepared to sell a kilogram of pure fentanyl and more than 30,000 Percocet pills, and he shipped a sample of fentanyl to Connecticut as part of an expected transaction.
Rivera-Rodriguez was arrested on February 18, 2020. On September 10, 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Rivera-Rodriguez, who was released on bond, was remanded to custody at the conclusion of the sentencing proceeding.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
Avon Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL FERRO, 36, formerly of Avon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by nine years of supervised release, for a child exploitation offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 18, 2021, Ferro, using the Kik social media application, began chatting in a Kik group with an FBI Online Covert Employee (“OCE”) who was posing as a father of a 12-year-old girl. After Ferro determined that the OCE was engaging in sexual activity with his “daughter,” he sent the OCE a photo depicting the genitals of a child. Ferro then stated that he had more pictures to share, and expressed an interest in meeting the OCE’s daughter to engage in sexual activity. After confirming Ferro’s identity, investigators traveled to Ferro’s Avon residence late in the evening of August 18, informed him of the investigation, and seized his cell phone.
Ferro was arrested on a criminal complaint on September 29, 2021. On March 1, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography. He is currently detained.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Avon Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
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.
Prisoner Pleads Guilty to Escaping from Bloomfield Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHARLES HARRISON, 34, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to escaping from the custody of the Attorney General.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2012, Harrison was sentenced in the Northern District of New York to 120 months of imprisonment for a narcotics trafficking offense. On March 17, 2021, he was transferred to the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center (halfway house) in Bloomfield, to complete his custodial sentence. On September 7, 2021, Harrison left the facility on a Day Pass and failed to return. He was located and arrested in New York on March 29, 2022.
Harrison has been detained since his arrest.
Harrison is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford on January 6, 2023. The offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda S. Oakes.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery on the Line of Duty Deaths of Bristol Police Sergeant Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy, and the wounding of Officer Alec IuratoRead the Press Release
“This devastating news is another tragic reminder of the potential danger that law enforcement officers face every day in their service to our communities. I am praying for these officers and their families and loved ones, and every member of the Bristol Police Department and the Bristol community will remain in my thoughts. Our office and our federal agency partners will support the Bristol Police and Connecticut State Police in any way we can.”
Former Yale Med School Employee Who Stole $40 Million in Electronics Sentenced to 9 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMIE PETRONE, 43, of Lithia Springs, Georgia, formerly of Naugatuck, Connecticut, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 109 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fraud and tax offenses related to her theft of $40 million in computer and electronic hardware from the Yale University School of Medicine where she was employed.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately 2008, Petrone was employed by the Yale University School of Medicine (“Yale Med”), Department of Emergency Medicine, ultimately serving as the Director of Finance and Administration for the Department of Emergency Medicine. As part of her job responsibilities, Petrone had authority to make and authorize certain purchases for departmental needs as long as the purchase amount was below $10,000. Beginning at least as early as 2013, Petrone engaged in a scheme whereby she ordered, or caused others working for her to order, millions of dollars of electronic hardware from Yale vendors using Yale Med funds, and she arranged to ship the stolen hardware to an out-of-state business in exchange for money.
As part of the scheme, Petrone falsely represented on Yale internal forms and in electronic communications that the hardware was for specified Yale Med needs, such as particular medical studies, and she broke up the fraudulent purchases into orders below the $10,000 threshold that would require additional approval. The out-of-state business, which resold the electronic equipment to customers, paid Petrone by wiring funds into an account of a company in which she is a principal, Maziv Entertainment LLC.
In total, Petrone caused a loss of approximately $40,504,200 to Yale. Petrone used the proceeds of the sales of the stolen equipment for various personal expenses, including expensive cars, real estate and travel.
Petrone also failed to pay taxes on the money she received from selling the stolen equipment. She filed false federal tax returns for the 2013 through 2016 tax years, in which she falsely claimed as business expenses the costs of the stolen equipment, and failed to file any federal tax returns for the 2017 through 2020 tax years. This caused a loss of $6,416,618 to the U.S. Treasury.
Petrone was arrested on September 3, 2021. On March 28, 2022, she pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.
Judge Bryant ordered Petrone to make full restitution. Petrone has agreed to forfeit $560,421.14 that was seized from the Maziv Entertainment LLC bank account as part of the investigation, a 2014 Mercedes-Benz G550, a 2017 Land Rover/Range Rover Sv Autobiography, a 2015 Cadillac Escalade Premium, a 2020 Mercedes Benz Model E450A, a 2016 Cadillac Escalade (4 Door Sport), and a 2018 Dodge Charger. She also has agreed to the liquidation of three Connecticut properties that she owns or co-owns to help satisfy her restitution obligation. A property she owns in Georgia is also subject to seizure and liquidation.
Petrone was remanded into custody following the sentencing proceeding.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Yale Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.
Dominican National Involved in New Haven Drug Ring Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NEFTALI FERNANDEZ, 42, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment for trafficking cocaine.
This matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force, FBI and New Haven Police Department that included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of heroin and cocaine, and seizures of bulk heroin and cocaine. The investigation revealed that Duane Filyaw, of New Haven, operated a heroin and cocaine trafficking ring in which he conspired with others to purchase narcotics from suppliers and then distribute the drugs to other suppliers of street-level dealers in and around New Haven. Fernandez worked with his associate, Gabriel Romero Escalera-Romero, to supply Filyaw and others with bulk quantities of cocaine.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized more than 500 grams of heroin, more than 300 grams of fentanyl, more than one kilogram of cocaine, three firearms, over $90,000 in cash, vehicles, jewelry and precious metals.
On April 19, 2018, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Fernandez, Escalera-Romero, Filyaw and 16 other individuals with narcotics trafficking offenses.
Fernandez and several other members of the conspiracy were arrested on April 25, 2018. Fernandez possessed a firearm on the date of his arrest.
Fernandez has been detained since his arrest. In February 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and five kilograms or more of cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Fernandez faces deportation proceedings when he completes his prison term.
Filyaw and Escalera-Romero have pleaded guilty. On May 26, 2020, he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment. Filyaw awaits sentencing.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes personnel from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments. The Connecticut Department of Correction, Milford Police Department and East Haven Police Department have assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick F. Caruso through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Canton Woman Admits Defrauding HUD Section 8 Housing ProgramRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONNA CARNEY, 67, of Canton, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to one count of theft of government property.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in approximately 1995, Carney began receiving Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance under the housing choice voucher program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). From approximately 2004 to 2019, Carney failed to report to HUD that she was married to her landlord and therefore had an interest in the home in which she lived, failed to report certain others living in her home, and falsely claimed that unauthorized residents were live-in aides.
Judge Merriam scheduled sentencing for February 2, 2023, at which time Carney faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Carney is released on $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General for Investigations and the Canton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
Hartford Man Who Trafficked Guns from South Carolina to Connecticut Sentenced to 10 YearsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALBERTO VAZQUEZ, 39, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally trafficking firearms from South Carolina to Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, ATF and Hartford Police recovered multiple firearms that had been purchased in South Carolina. In July 2020, one of the firearms was found in the possession of a convicted felon. In September and October 2020, additional firearms were recovered at the scenes of two separate homicides in Hartford. The investigation revealed that Vazquez, a felon who cannot lawfully purchase or possess firearms, conspired with individuals in South Carolina, including Joshua Bentz and Tywonda Bentz, to purchase firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Columbia, South Carolina, transport them to Connecticut, and sell them to felons and other customers in the Hartford area. Vazquez and his co-conspirators purchased approximately 37 firearms through this scheme.
Vazquez’s criminal history includes convictions for felony weapon possession, robbery and larceny offenses.
Vazquez has been detained since his arrest on March 15, 2021. On March 25, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and to unlawfully transport firearms, unlawful transportation of firearms, and unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
Joshua Bentz and Tywonda Bentz pleaded guilty to related charges and await sentencing. In addition, Vazquez’s former girlfriend, Julitza Garcia, pleaded to making false statements to law enforcement officers during the investigation and, on May 2, 2022, was sentenced to three years of probation.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Hartford Police Department; the Columbia (S.C.) Police Department; and the Richland County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara E. Levens through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.