District of Connecticut
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Yale Med School Employee Pleads Guilty, Admits Stealing and Selling $40 Million in ElectronicsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, 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 Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that JAMIE PETRONE, 42, of Lithia Springs, Georgia, formerly of Naugatuck, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to 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, and most recently served 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 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 pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on June 29, 2022.
Petrone has agreed to forfeit $560,421.14 that was seized from the Maziv Entertainment LLC bank account, 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 liquidate 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 arrested by criminal complaint on September 3, 2021. She is released on a $1 million bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.
Waterbury Man Charged with Federal Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a three-count indictment charging DARTRE BOOKER, 27, of Waterbury, with firearm possession and heroin distribution offenses.
The indictment was returned on March 3, 2022. Booker appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. Booker has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on February 16, 2022.
The indictment alleges that, on February 16, 2022, Booker possessed two loaded Glock 9mm pistols and heroin that he intended to distribute.
It is further alleged that 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.
The indictment charges Booker with possession with intent to distribute heroin, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation and Waterbury Police Department. The case is being 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.
Romanian National Admits Role in ATM Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICOLAE MARIUS BARBU, 50, a citizen of Romania, pleaded guilty today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector to an offense stemming from his participation in an extensive ATM skimming scheme that defrauded banks in Connecticut and elsewhere.
According to court documents and statements in court, between February and June 2017, a Connecticut bank experienced approximately 35 incidents of ATM skimming at locations in Stratford, Monroe, Trumbull, Greenwich, Fairfield and elsewhere in Connecticut. As part of the scheme, conspiracy members placed skimming devices at the ATMs to capture account numbers and personal identification numbers (“PINs”) from customers who used their ATM cards at the ATMs while the devices were in place. Conspiracy members then used the captured information to make substitute ATM cards, and obtained money and made purchases using those cards. Barbu joined this conspiracy in April 2017.
In addition, in April 2018, Barbu and another individual stole credit cards from an individual’s belongings at a gym in Rockville, Maryland. They then used the cards to make more than $9,000 in purchases at Microsoft and Apple stores in Maryland.
Barbu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford on June 16, 2022.
Barbu was arrested in Michigan in June 2021. He has been detained since his arrest.
Barbu has agreed to pay restitution $139,533 to the victim bank, and $9,536 to the banks that issued the credit cards used for his fraudulent purchases.
This investigation has been conducted by the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, U.S. Secret Service, Greenwich Police Department, Monroe Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and several local police departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TEVIN GONZALEZ, 25, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2021, Gonzalez was involved in shooting and fire-bombing incidents in and around Springfield, Massachusetts. Gonzalez was arrested at a hotel in Enfield, Connecticut, on September 3, 2021. At the time of his arrest, he possessed two semiautomatic pistols.
Gonzalez’s criminal history includes convictions in Massachusetts for felony drug, firearm and resisting arrest 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.
Judge Merriam scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2022, at which time Gonzalez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Gonzalez has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Massachusetts State Police, Enfield Police Department and Springfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
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.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Recording His Sexual Abuse of a Child for Nearly 3 YearsRead the Press Release
Leonard C. Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERTO ACOSTA TORRES, 61, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 30 years of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for recording his sexual abuse of a child for nearly three years.
According to court documents and statements made in court, over the course of approximately six years, Acosta repeatedly sexually assaulted a minor who was approximately six years old when the sexual assaults began. On December 18, 2019, after the victim’s mother contacted law enforcement, investigators executed a search warrant at Acosta’s Hartford residence and seized numerous electronic and storage devices. Analysis of the seized devices revealed approximately 31 videos of Acosta sexually abusing the minor victim, including 18 videos that were recorded in Connecticut between April 2016 and February 2019. Investigators also seized hundreds of videos of other adults sexually abusing children.
Acosta has been detained since his arrest on December 18, 2019. After his arrest, law enforcement received information that two other children may have been sexually abused by Acosta between 2011 and 2013.
On August 16, 2021, Acosta pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Hartford and Manchester Police Departments, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations (CDI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the Hartford 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.
Hartford Residents Charged with Trafficking Massive Quantity of FentanylRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, 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 a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an eight-count indictment charging ERASMO ROSARIO-HERNANDEZ, also known as “Wally Rosario,” 38, and WILY ARIAS DE LA CRUZ, 38, both citizens of the Dominican Republic last residing in Hartford, with multiple offenses related to the distribution of fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine. Rosario is also charged with a firearm offense stemming from his possession of several assault rifles and other firearms.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, a DEA investigation identified Rosario and De La Cruz as members of a drug trafficking organization that has been trafficking in large quantities of fentanyl. In the early morning of March 11, 2022, investigators, in Hartford, stopped a car in which De La Cruz was a passenger and seized two compressed bricks of fentanyl with a total weight of more than one kilogram. Later in the morning, a court authorized search of Rosario’s residence on Magnolia Street in Hartford revealed approximately one kilogram of fentanyl, approximately 16,000 fentanyl pills disguised as 30 milligram oxycodone pills, three high-capacity magazine, and a bump stock device for an automatic rifle. After a narcotics-detection canine alerted to Rosario’s Mercedes that was parked outside of the residence, investigators searched the car and seized approximately 14 kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 1,000 bags of prepackaged fentanyl, approximately 16,000 fentanyl pills, approximately 75 grams of heroin, 41 grams of cocaine base, a kilogram press, four assault-style rifles, two handguns, ammunition, multiple false identification cards with Rosario’s photo, and approximately $66,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency.
Rosario and De La Cruz have been detained since March 11.
The indictment, which was returned on March 22, charges Rosario and De La Cruz with conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Each of these offenses carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Rosario is also charged with offenses related to the distribution of heroin and cocaine base (“crack”), and with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The firearm offense carries a mandatory consecutive prison term of at least five years.
“It is alleged that these defendants have been involved in a drug trafficking network that involved a massive amount of fentanyl and the production of thousands of fentanyl pills that could easily be mistaken for legitimate oxycodone pills,” said U.S. Attorney Boyle. “As fentanyl continues to be the leading cause of overdose deaths in Connecticut and around the country, we are determined to do everything to stop of the flow of this deadly drug into and around our state. This case represents one of the largest one-time seizures of fentanyl that we’ve seen in Connecticut, and I thank the DEA and its task force members for their excellent work. Their efforts in taking these dangerous drugs and guns off the streets have saved lives.”
“Fentanyl is causing deaths in record numbers and DEA’s top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison in order to profit and destroy lives,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Boyle. “Illegal drug distribution ravages the very foundations of our families and communities so every time we take fentanyl off the streets, lives are saved. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, county and state law enforcement efforts in Connecticut and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone 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.
Bridgeport Gang Member Involved in Courthouse Shootings Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DIOMIE BLACKWELL, also known as “Yamo,” 25, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 180 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in gang-related shootings, including a shooting in front of a state courthouse in Bridgeport in January 2020.
Today’s announcement was made by Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Blackwell has been a member of the “Greene Homes Boyz” (“GHB/Hotz”), a gang based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End, whose members and associates distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals, and celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube. GHB/Hotz members and associates also committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities. From approximately 2017 until August 2020, GHB/Hotz members were aligned with members of the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport, against rival groups in Bridgeport, including the East End, East Side and PT Barnum gangs, as well as 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport.
The investigation revealed that on February 7, 2018, Blackwell and an associate shot and attempted to kill “MJ,” a member or associate of the 150 gang in a residential neighborhood. On January 27, 2020, Blackwell and others attempted to kill members and associates of the East End gang in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a Bridgeport courthouse. At 12:11 p.m. on that date, Bridgeport Police responded to the area of 172 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport after a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the state courthouse located there. Upon arrival, investigators discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a black Chevrolet Impala. One victim was shot in the side of his chest and was left paralyzed and a second victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his back, shoulder and wrist. The victims’ vehicle had approximately 23 entry bullet holes in the driver’s side and windshield area.
Blackwell also appears in YouTube videos and in social media posts, where firearms are present, promoting the gang. In addition, he engaged in gang-related drug trafficking activities.
Blackwell has been detained since August 6, 2020. On October 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Stratford and Naugatuck Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick, Rahul Kale, Karen L. Peck and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is 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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
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.
Hartford Woman Involved in Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JANICETTE REYES, 43, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force began investigating Ricardo Reyes, also known as “Rick the Ruler,” a member of the Los Solidos street gang who was distributing fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack in the area of Park Street and Hungerford Street in Hartford. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of narcotics from Ricardo Reyes. Court-authorized wiretaps confirmed that he was distributing narcotics to numerous customers, and identified individuals who supplied drugs to him, as well as associates who sold drugs on his behalf. Intercepted communications also revealed that Ricardo Reyes was acquiring and trafficking firearms.
Janicette Reyes, who is Ricardo Reyes’ sister, used a Rowe Avenue residence she shared with Johnny Ortega, also known as “Clatcho,” to store, process and package fentanyl for distribution, and she delivered fentanyl to customers at Ricardo Reyes’ direction.
On April 22, 2019, Ricardo Reyes was arrested on state charges after he used a straw purchaser to purchase two handguns from a licensed gun dealer in Newington. After the purchase, investigators conducted a traffic stop of Ricardo Reyes’ vehicle in New Britain and seized the two firearms. A search of the vehicle also revealed approximately 450 bags of suspected heroin/fentanyl, more than one pound of marijuana, and $1,160 in cash. While Ricardo Reyes was detained in state custody, Janicette Reyes continued to service Ricardo Reyes’ drug customers.
Janicette Reyes was arrested on June 17, 2019. On that date, a court-authorized search of her Rowe Avenue revealed approximately 3,450 dose-bags of fentanyl, narcotics paraphernalia, a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol, and ammunition.
On June 27, 2019, a grand jury Hartford returned a 32-count indictment charging Ricardo Reyes, Janicette Reyes, Ortega and 12 associates with various narcotics trafficking and firearm possession offenses. On October 1, 2021, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Reyes, who is released on a $200,000 bond, is required to report to prison on June 24, 2022.
Ricardo Reyes and Ortega pleaded guilty to related charges. On February 11, 2021, Ricardo Reyes was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment. On December 27, 2021, Ortega was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming 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.
Maine Resident Charged with Fraud and Tax Offenses Stemming from $1 Million EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, 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 Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 27-count indictment charging EDWARD F. ZIEGLER II, 63, of Bridgton, Maine, with fraud and tax offenses related to an embezzlement scheme.
The indictment was returned on March 15, 2022, and Ziegler was arrested in Maine on March 16. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, entered a plea of not guilty, and was released on a $100,000 bond.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, for approximately 25 years, Ziegler was employed as the office manager for a small business, identified in the indictment as “Company A,” based in Berlin, Connecticut. As part of a scheme to defraud, Zeigler opened a bank account in his name and with the qualifying language “Doing Business As [Company A].” Over the course of several years, Ziegler sent invoices to the business’s customers through both the U.S. Mail and e-mail, received checks from the customers for services provided, and deposited checks into the secret bank account he had established. Ziegler also made fraudulent entries in Company A’s books and record keeping system to cover up the fact that he had diverted the checks and used the funds for his own benefit.
It is alleged that, through this scheme, Ziegler caused more than 400 checks totaling more than $1 million to be deposited into his secret account. In addition, Ziegler failed to pay $173,643 in federal income taxes on his embezzled income for the 2015 through 2019 tax years.
The indictment charges Ziegler with 22 counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count, and five counts of tax evasion, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Bridgton (Maine) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Windsor Locks Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses; Victimizing Teens Through SnapchatRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, today announced that JUSTIN McKENNEY, 27, of Windsor Locks, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with multiple child exploitation offenses.
McKenney was arrested on March 17, 2022, in Boston, where he was employed Following his arrest, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, who ordered McKenney detained.
As alleged in court documents, in October 2021, Glastonbury Police began investigating the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl by an individual she met on Snapchat. The investigation revealed that McKenney, posing as a high school student and using the Snapchat username “keepingupg,” began communicating with the minor victim in September 2021, and he subsequently enticed her to engage in sexual activity.
It is further alleged that, between October 2021 and February 2022, McKenney used Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit communications with at least six other minor females in other states. McKenney sent sexually explicit messages, and sextually explicit images and videos of himself, to minor victims, and he received sexually explicit images and videos from minor victims.
The complaint charges McKenney with enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and transfer of obscene material to a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Glastonbury Police Department, the Windsor Locks Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations, with the assistance of the Hudson (Mass.) Police Department. The case is being 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.
Stratford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NADYAR MALAKA, 35, of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 48 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin. Judge Shea also ordered Malaka to pay a $50,000 fine, and to forfeit $52,111.45 and a 2012 Porsche Panamera 4.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that Eddy Antonio Torres Morel was trafficking narcotics from Big Daddy’s Deli and Jamal’s Market, two stores he operated on East Main Street in Bridgeport. During the investigation, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of a half-kilogram of heroin from Torres, first at Jamal’s Market on October 29, 2019, and then at Big Daddy’s Deli on January 24, 2020.
Malaka assisted Torres’ drug trafficking operation by storing and packaging narcotics at his residence, storing drug proceeds at his residence, and transporting narcotics and drug proceeds to Torres and others.
The investigation also revealed that Malaka engaged in the interstate trafficking of untaxed cigarettes.
Malaka was arrested on February 27, 2020. On July 21, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
Torres, of Meriden, pleaded guilty to the same charge and, on September 24, 2021, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bridgeport Police Department and the Stamford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo.
Bridgeport Tax Return Preparer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that TORISE BAKER, 38, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a tax fraud offense.
According to court documents and statement made in court, for the 2014 through 2016 tax years, Baker prepared approximately 3,600 federal tax returns for clients through 101 Things 2 Do, LLC, a multi-service business she operated in Bridgeport. Many of these tax returns claimed false deductions, including unreimbursed business expenses, charitable contributions and tax preparation fees.
In April 2016, Baker met with an undercover federal agent posing as a customer. The agent provided Baker with a W-2 for the 2015 tax year, told Baker that he/she did not make any gifts to charity, and offered no information about any other valid deductions. On the tax return that she prepared and filed for the agent, Baker included $5520 in deductions for charitable gifts; $2,105 for parking fees, tolls, and transportation; and $2,660 for uniforms and protective clothing.
In addition, Baker failed to file her own federal tax returns for the 2015 and 2016 tax years.
Baker has agreed to pay $112,956 in restitution to the IRS.
Baker pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent income tax returns, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on June 13. Baker is released on bond pending sentencing.
As a result of Baker’s criminal conduct, many of her clients’ filed tax returns will need to be amended. The amount of Baker’s restitution may be reduced as her clients resolve their own tax liability with the IRS.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
Windham Eye Care Practice and its Owners Pay $192K for Employing "Excluded" IndividualRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that WINDHAM EYE GROUP, P.C., an ophthalmological medical practice located in Windham, and its owners, DANA WOODS, M.D. and WILLIAM KAUFOLD, M.D., have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments to resolve allegations that they improperly employed an individual who was excluded from all federal healthcare programs.
To resolve their liability, Windham Eye Group, Woods and Kaufold will pay $192,699.
Windham Eye Group employed Michael Vallone as its practice administrator between February 2010 and May 2021. Vallone had previously been convicted in the District of Jersey of health care fraud. As a result of his conviction, he was excluded from all federal health care programs.
When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) excludes an individual or entity from federal health care programs, no program payments may be made for items or services furnished by that excluded individual or entity. In September 1999, HHS-OIG issued a Special Advisory Bulletin in order to provide guidance to health care providers who might employ or contract with an excluded individual or entity. In May 2013, HHS-OIG issued an Updated Special Advisor Bulletin containing additional guidance. Both the original and updated Special Advisory Bulletins advised that, in order to avoid potential liability, health care providers should check the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the HHS-OIG web site (http://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions).
During the time that Vallone served as the practice administrator for Windham Eye Group, the practice and its owners billed and sought reimbursements from federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE. A portion of the reimbursements that Windham Eye Group and its owners received were used to pay Vallone’s salary and benefits.
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot and Assistant Attorney General Greggory O’Connell of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at (203) 777-6311.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FRANCISCO FRANCESCHINI, 28, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to firearm possession and drug distribution offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2021, a court-authorized search of Franceschini’s residence revealed a loaded 9mm handgun, a loaded .380 caliber handgun, and approximately 44 grams of crack cocaine.
Franceschini’s criminal history includes multiple state convictions for firearm and narcotics 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.
Franceschini pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He has been detained since his federal arrest on September 23, 2021.
This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
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 London Man Who Received Cocaine Mailed from Puerto Rico is SentencedRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAUL ROBLES, 38, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy in which cocaine was mailed through the U.S. Postal Service from Puerto Rico to southeastern Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2020, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force in Connecticut intercepted a suspicious package that was destined for a location in Puerto Rico. A court-authorized search of the package revealed $158,900 in cash. Investigators established a connection between Robles and the seized package, and learned that Robles’ residence on Blackhall Street in New London, which he shared with his cousin, Abraham Rosado, had received approximately 25 parcels from Puerto Rico since September 2019.
Investigators continued to monitor USPS deliveries of parcels mailed from Puerto Rico to the Blackhall Street residence, including multiple parcels addressed to names of individuals who did not reside there. A court-authorized search of one parcel that had been mailed to a fictitious individual at the residence revealed more than a kilogram of cocaine.
Robles was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on April 9, 2021. On September 21, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Robles, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on April 28.
Rosado pleaded guilty on February 17, 2022, and is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the New London and Town of Groton Police Departments. 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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman.
Justice Department Honors Fifth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community PolicingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the recipients of the Fifth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing. This year’s awards recognize the exceptional work of 18 law enforcement officers and deputies from 12 jurisdictions across the country.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the award recipients in Atlanta. Later, he attended a ceremony for three award recipients from the DeKalb County Police Department.
“The work of law enforcement has always been difficult — but perhaps no more so than in the recent past, as officers have faced a host of significant challenges. The officers and deputies receiving this year’s awards demonstrate how so many go above and beyond, even in the midst of trying circumstances,” said Attorney General Garland. “Every day, thousands of people who work in law enforcement forge and maintain strong community ties that are essential for ensuring public safety. The recipients of this award represent quintessential examples of such critical efforts. It is an honor to recognize them.”
The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, Tribal, and territorial police officers, deputies, and troopers for exceptional efforts in community policing. The awarded officers and deputies have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: innovations in community policing, criminal investigations, or field operations. This year, the Department received 185 nominations from 145 agencies, recognizing a total of 347 individual officers, deputies, and troopers. There were 39 states represented in the nomination pool, covering state, local, campus, sheriff, and other agency types.
The work being honored this year reflects numerous examples of law enforcement officers working closely with the community to build trust, solve problems, reduce crime, and improve public safety.
The Department of Justice works closely with national law enforcement stakeholder groups during the award review period, taking advantage of their expertise and experience to determine the recipients in a competitive nomination process. The Department also works closely with its components, utilizing the breadth of knowledge within the Department to ensure a successful program that honors the exceptional service of our nation’s law enforcement officers and deputies.
Complete information on the Fifth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ag/policing-award.
Contractor Who Lied to OSHA Investigators is SentencedRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and Galen Blanton, Regional Administrator of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Criminal Investigations Team, Region 1, announced that LUIS F. ESTRADA, 48, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to three years of probation, the first six months of which Estrada must serve in home confinement, for making false statements to OSHA while the agency conducted an investigation into a job site he controlled. Judge Bolden also ordered Estrada to perform 250 hours of community service.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Estrada is the owner of L.L.E. Construction, LLC. In February 2018, Estrada and L.L.E. Construction entered into a written contract to perform roof repairs and other construction services at a property located on Main Street in Bridgeport. In February and March 2018, Estrada was provided with three checks totaling $11,000 for performing the work. On March 1, 2018, a compliance officer with OSHA visited the property and observed what he believed to be various safety infractions by construction workers who were making the roof repairs. The officer then initiated an on-site inspection into the suspected infractions. Estrada was not present at the Main Street property at the time, but spoke to the compliance officer by mobile phone.
On May 22, 2018, OSHA compliance officers served Estrada with a subpoena that demanded documents and records related to L.L.E. Construction’s work at the Main Street property in February and March 2018. On July 30, 2018, Estrada hand-delivered a written response stating that he “did not do any work for the ‘LLE Roofing Project,’” that “[t]here is no payroll because [he] did not work on the ‘LLE Roofing Project,’” and that he “do[es] not have any contract or any documents regarding the ‘LLE Roofing Project.’”
On March 3, 2021, Estrada pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the U.S. Department of Labor, admitting that he lied in his written statements on July 30, 2018, and that he later lied in a deposition convened as part of the OSHA investigation into the suspected safety violations at the site.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the OSHA Criminal Investigations Team, Region 1. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret M. Donovan.
Dominican National Sentenced to Prison for Heroin Trafficking and Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANGEL DeJESUS-CONCEPCION, 40, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 80 months of imprisonment for heroin and fentanyl trafficking and immigration offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began an investigation of an organization that was trafficking large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and other narcotics in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, revealed that members of the organization were receiving bulk quantities of heroin and fentanyl from out-of-state suppliers. They then stored, processed and packaged the heroin/fentanyl in multiple locations, including apartments located at 280 Collins Street in Hartford where some members of the organization also resided, and then distributed the drug in the Hartford area, and also the Springfield and Holyoke, Massachusetts area.
A significant amount of drug trafficking activity occurred at the Neighborhood Supermarket, located at 316 Farmington Avenue in Hartford, which was owned and operated by DeJesus-Concepcion’s girlfriend, Gisel De La Cruz. Investigators made multiple controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from De La Cruz, DeJesus-Concepcion and other members of the drug trafficking organization in and around the Neighborhood Supermarket.
DeJesus had previously been deported from the U.S. after a conviction for a federal narcotics offense. The investigation revealed that De La Cruz paid $20,000 to smuggle DeJesus-Concepcion back into the U.S. and, in December 2016, DeJesus-Concepcion illegally reentered the country using fake Venezuelan identification documents.
During the investigation, law enforcement executed 12 search warrants in Connecticut and Massachusetts and seized approximately 10 kilograms of heroin and fentanyl, much of which was packaged for resale in hundreds of thousands of bags. Investigators also seized numerous vials of Xylazine, which is a horse tranquilizer used by narcotics traffickers as a heroin additive. Seven firearms also were seized.
Fourteen individuals have been charged with various narcotics, firearms and immigration offenses as a result of this investigation.
DeJesus-Concepcion has been detained since his arrest on June 29, 2017. On September 17, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien.
De La Cruz pleaded guilty to related charges and has been sentenced.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. Agencies assisting the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service and Connecticut State Police.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone 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.
Man Sentenced for Role in Attempted Robbery of New Haven Restaurant Where Employee Was ShotRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYTHRONE FORD, 28, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 110 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the attempted robbery of a New Haven restaurant, during which an employee was shot, in April 2015.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 11:00 p.m. on April 11, 2015, Ford, Treizy Lopez and another man entered the Smokin’ Wings restaurant, located on Congress Avenue in New Haven, and demanded money at gunpoint. Lopez subsequently discharged a firearm and shot a female employee in the stomach. Ford, Lopez and their associate then fled the restaurant. Responding New Haven Police officers subsequently located a .22 caliber revolver in a nearby trash can.
Approximately eight hours before to the Smokin’ Wings robbery, Ford, Lopez, and another man traveled together to Bridgeport. Lopez and the other individual, armed with handguns, entered Sapiaos Market, located on Lexington Avenue in Bridgeport, and demanded money. During the attempted robbery, the owner of the market, Jose Salgado, was shot and killed. Ford waited in a car outside of the market during the attempted robbery. After the murder, the three men traveled back to New Haven together. Hours later, Ford and Lopez participated in the gunpoint robbery at Smokin’ Wings.
Forensic analysis of the revolver found in the trash can in New Haven, and projectiles collected from the scene of both attempted robberies, revealed that the gun was used in both shootings. DNA collected from the gun revealed that both Lopez and Ford possessed the gun.
Ford has been detained since his arrest on December 10, 2019. On September 21, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery.
Lopez pleaded guilty to the same charge on September 23, 2021, and awaits sentencing.
This matter stems from a cold case investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity.
PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, 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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
Jamaican National Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison for Drug, Gun and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDREW DAVIS, 41, a citizen of Jamaica last residing in Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 295 months of imprisonment for marijuana trafficking, firearm possession and money laundering offenses.
According to the evidence presented during Davis’ trial in December 2018, in 2013, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Connecticut State Police began an investigation into individuals who were moving large amounts of marijuana from the Southwestern United States to Connecticut. During the investigation, investigators intercepted four packages, each containing approximately eight kilograms of marijuana, from the U.S. Mail, and made multiple controlled purchases of the drug from a member of the trafficking ring.
Davis was arrested on February 1, 2017, after investigators conducted court-authorized searches of a Hamden apartment that Davis shared with his girlfriend, Shanice Goffe; a storage unit in West Haven that was rented in Goffe’s name, and two Bridgeport apartments that Davis maintained under different aliases.
A search of the Hamden residence revealed more than one pound of marijuana, a loaded 9mm handgun, boxes of .45 caliber ammunition, $62,409 in cash, and numerous false identifications, including a U.S. passport, all of which contained a photo of Davis. A search of the storage unit revealed approximately 33 kilograms of marijuana, ammunition and firearm magazines, additional false identifications, and $350,100 in cash. A search of a Bridgeport apartment rented in the name of “Cordel Freckleton” yielded one firearm, and a search of an apartment rented in the name of “Andrew Carter” revealed more than 60 pounds of marijuana and two firearms, one of which was stolen.
Investigators also seized a 2014 BMW X6, a 2016 Honda Accord, and a 2008 Honda Odyssey, all of which were registered to Goffe and had been purchased with proceeds of the marijuana trafficking enterprise.
The investigation further revealed that Davis, using the name “Steve Williams,” was under investigation in 2008 for marijuana trafficking. In August 2008, Bridgeport Police conducted a search of Davis’s Bridgeport apartment and discovered a fake identification, photos of Davis/Williams, three firearms, extended magazines, ammunition, drug packaging paraphernalia, marijuana packaged for resale, and eight UPS receipts for packages that had not arrived. Bridgeport Police subsequently seized the UPS packages, which contained a total of more than 75 pounds of marijuana. “Williams” was never located.
At the time of Davis’s federal arrest on February 1, 2017, investigators seized more than 40 identification cards with false names, including the names of the addressees of the 2008 Bridgeport packages. When presented to U.S. Marshals and asked his name, Davis said, “Let’s go with Steve Williams.”
On December 18, 2018, the jury found Davis guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Davis faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
On November 20, 2017, Goffe pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. On February 28, 2018, she was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of Bridgeport Police Department, U.S Customs and Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Bridgeport Heroin Distributor Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that RAY FONTANEZ, also known as “Pun,” 34, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2017, members of the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and Bridgeport Police Department began investigating individuals who were distributing narcotics in and around Bridgeport. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, resulted in federal charges against 19 defendants and the seizure of narcotics, items used to process and package drugs for street sale, eight firearms, and more than $360,000 in cash. Fontanez was intercepted over a wiretap discussing the acquisition and distribution of heroin with Luis Martinez. The conversations revealed that Fontanez, who sold heroin to his own customers, was helping Martinez transition from the sale of cocaine and opioid pills to the sale of heroin.
Fontanez was arrested on January 15, 2019. On December 20, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Martinez, also known as “Macho,” of Stratford, pleaded guilty to narcotics distribution and firearm offenses and, on January 26, 2021, was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department, as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police, and the Stratford, Norwalk, Seymour and Trumbull Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Patrick J. Doherty 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 Haven Crack Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that that JERRY ROLLINS, also known as “Prank,” 37, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an FBI New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department investigation into narcotics trafficking in the Hill section of New Haven. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and multiple controlled purchases of crack. Between July and September 2020, investigators made five controlled purchases of crack from Rollins. Intercepted communications subsequently confirmed that Rollins was selling distribution quantities of crack to other street-level dealers.
Rollins was arrested on January 26, 2021. On that date, a search of his residence revealed crack, narcotics processing and packaging materials, and more than $9,000 in cash.
Rollins has been detained since his arrest. On October 20, 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine base (“crack”).
The FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force includes members from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, Hamden Police Department, East Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and West Haven Police Department have assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile and Marc H. Silverman 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.
Meriden Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN RIVERS, 39, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 26, 2020, Meriden Police arrested Rivers after a search of a disabled vehicle on his property revealed more than 575 grams of cocaine, more than 44 grams of crack cocaine, more than 52 grams of fentanyl, more than 26 grams of heroin, 690 grams of marijuana, a Highpoint Model HCP .40 caliber handgun, a Smith and Wesson Model 629-1 44 Magnum Revolver, a Romanian Model TTC 9mm handgun, and 18 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. A quantity of crack cocaine was also found in a vehicle Rivers had driven earlier that day.
Rivers’ criminal history includes state convictions for robbery, kidnapping and drug 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 September 29, 2021, Rivers pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Rivers, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 25.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and the Meriden Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Konstantin Lantsman, with assistance from Law Student Intern Joseph Linfield.
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.
Counselor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wide-Ranging Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CORTNEY DUNLAP, 37, of Burlington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating a wide-ranging scheme that defrauded the Connecticut Medicaid Program of more than $1.3 million.
According to court documents and statements in court, from 2014 to 2020, Dunlap was a Licensed Professional Counselor with offices located on Brainard Road in Hartford. Dunlap also owned two entities, Inspirational Care and KEYS Program Inc., through which he managed group homes in Hartford, Bristol, Cromwell and Waterbury, including residences for women and children who were victims of domestic abuse.
From August 2018 through October 2020, Dunlap engaged in a scheme to defraud the Connecticut Medicaid Program by submitting claims for psychotherapy services that were purportedly provided to Medicaid clients. The vast majority of the claims were for occasions and dates of service when no psychotherapy services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims. On a limited number of occasions, some of the services were rendered by unlicensed individuals who were not qualified or licensed to provide psychotherapy.
The Connecticut Medicaid program suspended Dunlap as a Medicaid provider on approximately April 28, 2020, and, on May 7, 2020, federal law enforcement agents executed a court-authorized search of Dunlap’s Hartford offices. Dunlap subsequently billed Medicaid for psychotherapy services through Inspirational Care for services that which were not provided, using the provider number of a licensed clinical social worker who did not provide the services and was not aware that her provider number was being used to bill for the nonexistent services.
Dunlap required tenants of the group homes operated or managed by Inspirational Care and KEYS program to provide copies of the Medicaid member cards for the tenants and their children as a condition of the tenants residing at the group homes. Dunlap then used these Medicaid member numbers to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were not provided to the tenants or their children. Dunlap used the Medicaid member numbers of approximately 65 tenants or their children to bill Medicaid for fraudulent services, and Medicaid paid Dunlap approximately $543,117 for psychotherapy services that were not provided to these individuals.
In February 2019, the New Haven Public Schools hired Dunlap as a guidance counselor at the New Haven Adult and Continuing Education Center. In February 2020, Dunlap accessed a database containing personal identifying information of students and former students enrolled at New Haven Adult and Continuing Education, many of whom Dunlap did not have any professional relationship with and had never met. Dunlap used the information he acquired to determine whether the students were insured by Medicaid and, if so, identified the students’ Medicaid member identification numbers. He then billed Medicaid for fraudulent psychotherapy services that were never provided to the students. Dunlap used the personal identifying information and Medicaid member numbers of approximately 135 New Haven Adult and Continuing Education students to bill Medicaid for fraudulent services, and was paid a total of approximately $593,383 by Medicaid for these claims.
Dunlap also fraudulently billed Medicaid for psychotherapy services purportedly provided to employees of Inspirational Care when no such services were provided, and submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for psychotherapy services purportedly provided to members of his family when no such services were provided.
Judge Dooley ordered to Dunlap to pay restitution to Medicaid in the amount of $1,313,322.
U.S. Attorney Boyle noted that Connecticut Department of Social Services, working in close cooperation with law enforcement, suspended Medicaid payments to Dunlap and recovered $337,777.63 that Dunlap was slated to receive from Medicaid. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Division also seized and forfeited $412,415.20 from Dunlap’s bank accounts. Dunlap has made an additional restitution payment of $20,000, leaving a restitution obligation of $543,129.17.
Dunlap was arrested on a criminal complaint on October 14, 2020. On June 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud.
Dunlap, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on April 25.
This investigation has been conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education, 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon with the assistance of Auditor Susan N. Spiegel.
Citizen of the Dominican Republic Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL JIMENEZ DE LA CRUZ, 36, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jimenez was arrested on September 20, 2018, after Drug Enforcement Administration special agents executed a search warrant at his Waterbury residence. Outside of Jimenez’s bedroom window, agents found a trash bag that contained approximately 63 grams of fentanyl, a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver, several rounds of ammunition, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. Investigators also found $10,185 in cash in Jimenez’s bedroom.
Jimenez, who has been detained since his arrest, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Jimenez faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Amanda S. Oakes.
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.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE PEREZ, 40, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. On September 24, 2021, a jury found Perez guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to the evidence and testimony at trial, on November 13, 2016, Hartford Police detectives responding to a ShotSpotter activation recovered a loaded revolver in a car last registered to Perez and containing documents addressed to Perez in the glove box. DNA analysis of the seized firearm indicated Perez had handled the firearm.
Prior to November 2016, Perez had sustained state felony convictions for narcotics and burglary 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.
Perez was apprehended on January 19, 2021.
Perez, who was released on bond, was remanded to custody at the conclusion of today’s court proceeding.
This matter was investigated by the Hartford Police Department and the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
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.
Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to 40 Years for Murder, Role in Courthouse Shooting, Other ViolenceRead the Press Release
TYIESE WARREN, also known as “Loose Screw,” 21, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 480 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for murder and other violent crimes he committed as a member of a Bridgeport gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Warren has been a member of the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport whose members sold narcotics, laundered narcotics proceeds, committed acts of violence against rival gang members, robbed drug dealers, stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut and used them to commit crimes, and tampered with witnesses who might testify against them. From approximately 2017 until August 2020, O.N.E. members were aligned with the “Greene Homes Boyz” (“GHB/Hotz”), a gang based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End, against rival groups in Bridgeport, including the East End, East Side and PT Barnum gangs, as well as 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport.
On December 8, 2019, Warren and others shot and killed Ty’Quess Moore, 18, a member or associate of the East End/P.T. Barnum gang alliance.
Warren also helped plan and carry out the retaliation shootings of East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a Bridgeport courthouse. At 12:11 p.m. on January 27, 2020, Bridgeport Police responded to the area of 172 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport after a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the state courthouse located there. Upon arrival, investigators discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a black Chevrolet Impala. One victim was shot in the side of his chest and was left paralyzed and a second victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his back, shoulder and wrist. The victims’ vehicle had approximately 23 entry bullet holes in the driver’s side and windshield area.
Warren also participated in gang-related drug trafficking.
Further, on March 25, 2020, Warren and an accomplice stole a car that was in front of the Citgo 6M Service Station and Quik Mart located at 2000 Barnum Avenue in Stratford. During the theft, they dragged the car’s driver, who was trying to stop the theft and was hanging onto the car, several hundred yards before he let go. Warren and an accomplice then engaged in a carjacking involving a Toyota Corolla in Bridgeport, holding the owner at gunpoint and ultimately driving away in the car. Minutes later, Warren and an accomplice committed a gunpoint robbery of the Citgo in Stratford, taking cash from the store and a cellphone from a store employee. Stratford Police arrested Warren later that night after he crashed another stolen car he was driving on an I-95 on-ramp and then ran from police.
Warren has been detained since March 25, 2020. On October 25, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Stratford and Naugatuck Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Karen L. Peck, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, and Stephanie T. Levick.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is 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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
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 Haven Residents Charged with Trafficking Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that WILLIE FRANCO, 33, and DANIELLA FOX, 31, both of New Haven, were arrested yesterday and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.
As alleged in a criminal complaint, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration have been investigating Franco and Fox’s narcotics trafficking activities since 2021. On March 2, 2022, investigators intercepted a USPS parcel destined for an address in East Haven associated with Franco and Fox. A court-authorized search of the parcel revealed approximately one kilogram of cocaine and one kilogram of fentanyl. Investigators also identified other suspicious parcels, which originated in Arizona and California, that had been mailed to the address, and another address associated with Franco and Fox, since July 2021.
On March 7, 2022, law enforcement made a controlled delivery of the intercepted parcel to the East Haven address. Franco and Fox, who were waiting in a car that was parked on the street, were arrested after Fox retrieved the package. A subsequent search of Franco and Fox’s New Haven residence resulted in the seizure of approximately one kilogram of fentanyl, a quantity of crack cocaine, digital scales and other narcotics packaging paraphernalia, a loaded Glock .40 pistol with an obliterated serial number, a drum extended magazine for a high-capacity rifle, a bulletproof vest, ammunition, and more than $300,000 in cash.
Franco and Fox appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and were ordered detained.
If convicted of the charge, Franco and Fox face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New Haven Police Department, East Haven Police Department and Connecticut State Police. 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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens and Konstantin Lantsman.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Gun Possession and Drug Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GLADSTONE BENJAMIN, JR., 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2019, Hartford Police made two controlled purchases of marijuana from Benjamin at his Collins Street residence. On April 23, 2019, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Gladstone’s residence and found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun with an extended clip; two loaded Taurus .45 caliber handguns; a loaded semiautomatic handgun that did not contain a make, model or serial number stamp; a Remington Arms 12 gauge shotgun with an unreadable serial number; more than 1,000 rounds of loose and boxed ammunition, and distribution quantities of heroin and marijuana.
Benjamin’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm and drug 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 February 8, 2021, Benjamin pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On February 26, 2021, Benjamin, who was released on bond, was arrested by Hartford Police after they found him in a car with two firearms. He has been detained since his arrest, and his state charges are pending.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The FBI Task Force includes members of the 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King 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.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Gun Possession and Drug Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GLADSTONE BENJAMIN, JR., 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2019, Hartford Police made two controlled purchases of marijuana from Benjamin at his Collins Street residence. On April 23, 2019, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Gladstone’s residence and found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun with an extended clip; two loaded Taurus .45 caliber handguns; a loaded semiautomatic handgun that did not contain a make, model or serial number stamp; a Remington Arms 12 gauge shotgun with an unreadable serial number; more than 1,000 rounds of loose and boxed ammunition, and distribution quantities of heroin and marijuana.
Benjamin’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm and drug 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 February 8, 2021, Benjamin pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On February 26, 2021, Benjamin, who was released on bond pending sentencing, was arrested by Hartford Police after they found him in a car with two firearms. He has been detained since his arrest, and his state charges are pending.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The FBI Task Force includes members of the 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King 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.
National Laboratory Pays Nearly $4.8 Million to Settle Allegations it Overcharged Connecticut MedicaidRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle, Special Agent in Charge Phillip Coyne of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong today announced that REDWOOD TOXICOLOGY LABORATORY, INC. has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and has paid nearly $4.8 million to resolve allegations it overcharged the Connecticut Medicaid program for certain laboratory services.
Redwood Toxicology Laboratory (“RTL”), with a headquarters located in Santa Rosa, California, provides laboratory-testing services, specifically urine drug testing services, for substance abuse patients enrolled in the Connecticut Medicaid program. The government alleges that RTL violated Connecticut’s so-called “Most Favored Nation” regulation (Conn. Agencies Regs. § 17b-262-649), which provides, in essence, that clinical laboratories should not seek payment from Connecticut Medicaid for services at a price that is higher than the lowest price the laboratory charges for the same or similar services from other third parties. Specifically, the government alleges that RTL regularly accepted payments from Connecticut Medicaid for certain urine drug tests at the rate of $38 per test, while at the same time charging other third parties from $2 to $10.50 for the same or substantially similar urine drug tests.
To resolve the governments’ allegations, RTL agreed to pay $4,797,578, which covers claims submitted to the Connecticut Medicaid program from January 1, 2015, through and including February 24, 2018.
“We are committed to ensuring that public funds used for substance abuse treatment are properly spent, and clinical laboratories that charge government health care programs a higher price than they charge to other providers for the same or similar services will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Boyle.
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot, and Assistant Attorney General Gregory O’Connell of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Florida Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NELIOBET DeJESUS, 44, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force began investigating a Hartford area narcotics trafficking operation that involved the use of the U.S. Mail to ship parcels of drugs and drug proceeds. Investigators determined that Israel Mendoza, also known as “D-Nice,” supplied Michael Copeland, of Bloomfield, with large quantities of cocaine, and that Copeland, at Mendoza’s direction, mailed parcels containing cash to individuals in California. In September and October, U.S. Postal Inspectors in California intercepted and seized two parcels, each containing approximately $13,000 in cash, that Copeland mailed in Connecticut to addresses in the Fresno area. Investigators analyzed postal records and identified dozens of additional parcels connected to this drug trafficking network that are suspected to have contained narcotics or drug proceeds.
In February 2019, investigators seized a parcel containing nearly 500 grams of cocaine that had been mailed from California to a Bloomfield residence that was connected to Copeland.
Mendoza worked with others, including DeJesus and Danny Rhodes, in the Hartford area to distribute heroin and cocaine. During the investigation, after DeJesus had moved to Orlando, Florida, investigators identified a mail parcel that was destined for a residence in Orlando that was linked to DeJesus. A court authorized search of the parcel revealed approximately 500 grams of cocaine and approximately five grams of fentanyl.
DeJesus was arrested on October 22, 2020. On June 3, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.
Copeland and Rhodes, also of Bloomfield, have pleaded guilty. On December 8, 2021, Rhodes was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment, and on December 16, 2021, Copeland was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
Mendoza, last residing in Reading, Pennsylvania, is being sought by law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that, as to Mendoza, charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which 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. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police and Hartford Police Department assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Enfield Man Admits Defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to Receive BenefitsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; and James M. Noble, Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Northeast Region, today announced that, on March 4, DERRICK BREWER, 37, of Enfield, pleaded guilty via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala to an offense related to his theft of nearly $70,000 from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”).
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2018, Brewer submitted paperwork to the VA offices in Hartford as part of an application for service-connected disability benefits. Specifically, Brewer submitted a form known as a “DD-214,” which indicated that his discharge from his former service in the U.S. Coast Guard was characterized as “Honorable.” The DD-214 had been altered prior to its submission, as official Coast Guard records show that Brewer’s discharge was characterized as “Other Than Honorable Conditions” following Brewer’s convictions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. There is no record of the discharge characterization ever having been upgraded. As a result of this submission, Brewer collected approximately $69,584.16 in VA benefits from March 2018 through September 2020.
Brewer was arrested on a criminal complaint on October 29, 2020.
Brewer pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for May 27, 2022.
Brewer is released on a $10,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena L. Coronado and Margaret M. Donovan.
Thompson Man Who Downloaded Child Sex Abuse Images from the Internet is SentencedRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SHAYNE SHAYER, 40, of Thompson, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to approximately one day of imprisonment, time already served, and 10 years of supervised release, for downloading child sex abuse videos from the dark web.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigation, which was initiated by law enforcement in Europe, revealed that, in January 2018, Shayer used cryptocurrency to access a dark web server and download 43 videos depicting the sex abuse of children. The videos included depictions of incest and sodomy, and some involved children under the age of 12.
On February 22, 2021, Shayer pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
Judge Chatigny ordered Shayer to perform 200 hours community service while on supervised release, and to pay a mandatory $5,000 special assessment, which will be deposited into a fund that supports victims of child pornography.
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.
Stonington Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, 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, today announced that MATTHEW X. SMITH, 28, of Stonington, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.
Smith surrendered to law enforcement today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was released on a $100,000 bond.
As alleged in the complaint, on August 12, 2021, Smith, using the Kik social media application, initiated contact with an FBI Online Covert Employee (“OCE”) who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. Smith sent sexually explicit messages to the OCE, requested the OCE send him sexually explicit pictures, and discussed meeting the OCE to engage in sexual conduct. The Kik communication continued in the following days, and investigators also determined that Smith, using a different Kik user account, had engaged in sexually explicit exchanges with the OCE in 2020. Smith and the OCE agreed to meet on August 18, 2021.
On August 18, 2021, Smith was arrested by New London Police after he arrived at the agreed upon meeting location.
The complaint charges Smith with attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, attempted receipt of child pornography, solicitation of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the New London Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
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.
Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison for Role in Courthouse ShootingRead the Press Release
MARQUIS ISREAL, also known as “Garf” or “Gbaby,” 25, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 210 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for racketeering offenses related to his participation in a gang-related shooting in front of a state courthouse in Bridgeport in January 2020.
Today’s announcement was made by Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Isreal has been a member of the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport whose members sold narcotics, laundered narcotics proceeds, robbed drug dealers, stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut and used them to commit crimes, and tampered with witnesses who might testify against them. From approximately 2017 until August 2020, O.N.E. members were aligned with the “Greene Homes Boyz” (“GHB/Hotz”), a gang based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End, against rival groups in Bridgeport, including the East End, East Side and PT Barnum gangs, as well as 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport.
Isreal and his associates attempted to kill members and associates of the East End gang on January 27, 2020, in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a Bridgeport courthouse. At 12:11 p.m. on that date, Bridgeport Police responded to the area of 172 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport after a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the state courthouse located there. Upon arrival, investigators discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a black Chevrolet Impala. One victim was shot in the side of his chest and was left paralyzed and a second victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his back, shoulder and wrist. The victims’ vehicle had approximately 23 entry bullet holes in the driver’s side and windshield area.
As alleged in court documents in a related case, Isreal had previously been shot and seriously wounded by one of his victims in a restaurant at 1653 Barnum Avenue in the East End of Bridgeport on September 15, 2019.
Isreal has been detained since August 6, 2020. On September 10, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder and aiding and abetting, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder, both in violation of the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (“VCAR”) statute.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Karen L. Peck and Stephanie T. Levick.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is 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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
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.
Las Vegas Man Who Submitted False Documents to USCIS is SentencedRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ARASH VAKHSHOURI, 43, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to three years of probation for submitting false documents to a government agency.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between January and May 2017, Vakhshouri drafted and sent a total of seven fraudulent letters to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Connecticut purporting to be from two individuals who had applied to USCIS to become legal residents of the U.S. in March 2016. The letters, which included the victims’ names, passport numbers, application numbers and alien file numbers, fraudulently requested the withdrawal or cancellation of the victims’ applications for legal permanent resident status in the U.S. Vakhshouri was attempting to have the two victims be forced to return to Iran, where they are religious minorities.
Vakhshouri was arrested on June 20, 2019, and he pleaded guilty to the offense on June 8, 2021.
Judge Arterton ordered Vakhshouri to perform 100 hours of community service while he is on supervised release, and to pay $9,129 in restitution the victims.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Manchester Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Conor M. Reardon.
Waterbury Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YEHUDI MANZANO, 37, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a child exploitation offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 21, 2016, Manzano used his cell phone to record a video of himself engaging in sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl, and then uploaded the video to his Google Photos account.
Manzano was arrested on related state charges on November 10, 2016, and charged federally by indictment on May 3, 2018. Today, he pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for May 25.
Manzano is released on a $300,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Waterbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
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 Charged with Federal Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAURICE MENAFEE, also known as “Mo,” 32, of New Haven, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with drug and firearm offenses.
Menafee appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and is detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for March 4 at 9:30 a.m.
As alleged in court documents, in the morning of February 9, 2022, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the New Haven Police Department Shooting Task Force observed a car involved in suspected drug transactions at the intersection of Baldwin Street and Davenport Avenue in New Haven, and then traveling recklessly at high-rate of speed throughout the city. Investigators subsequently located the vehicle parked at a residence on Plymouth Street and identified the driver as Menafee. After Menafee was apprehended, a search of his person revealed $564 in cash and a search of the car revealed a Sig Sauer P238 .380 caliber pistol, 64 baggies of crack cocaine, and 116 wax folds of fentanyl.
Menafee was arrested on state charges on February 9 and released on bond.
It is alleged that Menafee’s criminal history includes state firearm and drug convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The complaint charges Menafee with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The DEA New Haven 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Boyles and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
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.
East Hartford Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sex Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPH PINA, 24, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for a child sex trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2019, Pina conspired with his associate, Joel Lindsay, to recruit, entice and transport a 16-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts. Specifically, on October 17, 2019, Pina, Lindsay and another individual picked up the minor victim and took her to a hotel in East Windsor. At the hotel, they took photographs of the minor victim and posted her photos on a website to advertise her sexual services. Pina and Lindsay then arranged prostitution appointments for the minor victim. On that night, the minor victim earned at least $100 from prostitution appointments, all of which she gave to Lindsay.
On October 18, 2019, Pina and Lindsay posted more advertisements on the same web site and arranged prostitution appointments for the minor victim at a hotel in Windsor Locks. The following two days, Pina and Lindsay posted advertisements on the website and the minor victim saw additional prostitution customers. The victim again gave all of the money earned through these appointments to Lindsay.
The investigation further revealed that Pina and Lindsay engaged in sexual activity with the minor victim, even though they knew that she was under the age of 18. The minor victim also reported to investigators that Lindsay physically assaulted her.
On October 6, 2021, Pina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.
Pina, who had been released on bond, was remanded to custody at the conclusion of today’s court proceeding.
On October 15, 2021, Lindsay, also known as “Joey Guapo,” pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13. Lindsay, a citizen of Jamaica, has been detained since arrest on August 20, 2020.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
Avon Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, 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 MICHAEL FERRO, 36, formerly of Avon, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to one count of distribution of child pornography.
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.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for May 24, 2022, at which time Ferro faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Ferro, who was released on bond, was remanded to custody at the conclusion of today’s court proceeding.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Avon Police Department. The case is being 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.
South Windsor Man Admits Defrauding Immigrant Clients, USCISRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BABAR KHAN, 43, of South Windsor, pleaded guilty today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector to conspiracy and tax offenses related to a scheme through which individuals seeking immigration services were defrauded.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Khan and his wife, Khatija Khan, operated JLLAS CORP. and EIMAAN LLC, which were created to provide services to clients involved in proceedings with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). From 2015 to 2020, the Khans recruited clients who sought some form of immigration status, relief or benefit. Many of these clients are aliens residing in the U.S. without legal status and had limited education, a limited ability to understand English, and little to no knowledge of the documents that the Khans were filing with USCIS on their behalf.
Khatija Khan represented herself as an attorney with a background in immigration matters, even though she was not an attorney. The Khans prepared petitions and applications for their clients that contained information that they knew to be false. They also fabricated false documents to support their clients’ applications with USCIS without their clients’ knowledge. They then mailed, or caused to be mailed, these fraudulent applications and documents to USCIS, where they were received and made part of the official Alien file of each respective client.
Many of the Khans’ clients received no relief from USCIS despite paying the Khans significant amounts of money. To generate fees from clients, Khatija Khan filed applications with USCIS even when the submissions lacked merit or a legitimate basis.
Victims identified to date lost a total of $326,212 as a result of this scheme.
In pleading guilty, Babar Khan also admitted that, in the 2016 tax year, he failed to report to the IRS approximately $27,901 in additional taxable income and failed to pay an additional $7,942 in federal taxes that were owed.
Babar Khan and Khatija Khan were arrested on December 19, 2019. After her arrest, Khatija Khan continued to defraud multiple clients.
Babar Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill on May 23 in Bridgeport. Khan is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
On November 19, 2021, Khatija Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of mail fraud. She awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Individuals who believe they have been victimized by this scheme contact Ines Cenatiempo, Victim-Witness Coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, at [email protected] or by phone at 203-821-3757.
Former Payroll Manager of Home Healthcare Company Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that INNIS FREDERICK, 61, of Saint Cloud, Florida, pleaded guilty today via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden to a tax offense, which stemmed from his employment at a Stratford-based home healthcare company.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Frederick worked as the payroll manager for Equinox Home Care, LLC (“ECH”), a home healthcare company based in Stratford that was originally established as a partnership between Frederick’s sister, Theresa Foreman, and another individual. In September 2012, the partnership ended, and, by court order, Foreman was obligated to make payments to her partner for the purchase of the partner’s interest in EHC. Between approximately 2012 and 2016, Frederick assisted Foreman by processing payroll that caused checks to be issued to “ghost employees,” who did not actually work for ECH. The money paid to the ghost employees was actually paid to Foreman, who did not report the hundreds of thousands of dollars of income on her tax returns. By submitting false payroll data, Frederick also caused false Forms W-2 and W-3 to be submitted to the Internal Revenue Service.
Frederick pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and impede and impair the IRS, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Frederick has agreed that the tax loss attributable to him as a result of his involvement in this scheme is approximately $248,827.
Frederick is released on a $20,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
Foreman was previously charged and convicted in relation to this scheme, and other conduct. She has been ordered to pay more than $600,000 in restitution to the IRS.
Former Chief Financial Officer of the home healthcare company, Pamela Smith, also was charged and convicted in a related case.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Laraia and Peter S. Jongbloed.
Crystal Meth Trafficker Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ALEJANDRO CASTILLO, 42, a citizen of Belize last residing in Los Angeles, California, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking crystal methamphetamine to Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 22, 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force arrested an individual who possessed more than 400 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Investigators learned that the individual had received the meth from a tractor trailer driver who regularly transported kilogram quantities of meth and other drugs from California to locations in the eastern U.S. In October 2020, the individual traveled to California and was introduced to Jason Williams, who was identified as a supplier of large quantities of meth and marijuana. Williams then traveled to Connecticut with Castillo and, on October 27, 2020, Williams and Castillo provided the individual with a crate containing approximately 2.2 kilograms (nearly five pounds) of meth. Williams told the individual to use the crate to ship them $60,000 in proceeds from the sale of the drugs.
On November 11, 2020, law enforcement seized an additional five pounds of crystal meth that Williams shipped from California to Connecticut.
Castillo has been detained since his arrest on November 16, 2020. On October 15, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Castillo faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
On October 27, 2021, Williams, also a citizen of Belize, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Member of Large-Scale Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL ESTREMERA, 42, last residing in East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 138 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a fentanyl trafficking ring, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization that was distributing fentanyl and heroin in Connecticut. The investigation revealed that members of the organization were receiving kilogram-quantities of narcotics, primarily fentanyl, from a source of supply, and then distributing the drug to various narcotics traffickers, including Estremera. Estremera and others then sold the drug to street-level distributors.
Members of the organization delivered cash generated from the sale of narcotics to a money broker in Brooklyn, New York, who assisted in laundering the narcotics proceeds before they were transferred to leaders of the drug trafficking organization. On August 14, 2019, investigators stopped Estremera’s car, after Estremera met with a drug associate, and seized $14,960 in cash. On August 28, 2019, after observing Estremera transferring a shopping bag to another individual, investigators stopped the other individual’s vehicle and seized $72,570 in cash that was contained in the bag. Between August and October 2019, law enforcement seized more than $100,000 in cash from other members of the drug trafficking organization.
Members of the organization used several locations to store, process and package fentanyl for street stale, including office space on Pratt Street in Hartford, an apartment in the Asylum Hill neighborhood in Hartford, and an apartment in New Britain. Estremera used an apartment on South Street in West Hartford to process, package and store narcotics. On March 13, 2020, investigators searched the apartment and seized approximately 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 500 wax folds of the drug.
Estremera and several co-defendants were arrested on April 28, 2020. On that date, investigators seized approximately $100,000 in cash, a firearm, several thousand wax folds of suspected fentanyl, and numerous items used in the processing and packaging of narcotics.
Estremera has been detained since his arrest.
On June 3, 2020, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Estremera and nine others with narcotics distribution and money laundering offenses. On July 20, 2021, Estremera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Estremera’s criminal history includes a state drug conviction for which he served a 42-month prison sentence, and a federal conviction stemming from his role in a Hartford-area heroin trafficking ring. In February 2009, was sentenced in federal court 120 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release. He was released from prison in March 2018 and was on supervised release at the time of his arrest for his conduct in this case.
Judge Hall sentenced Estremera to 120 months of imprisonment for trafficking fentanyl, and a consecutive 18 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. Agencies assisting the investigation include the DEA New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) Strike Force and the New York Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone 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.
Man Who Trafficked Deadly Fentanyl Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL NIEVES, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 168 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Norwich Police Department launched an investigation after several fatal and non-fatal overdoses occurred in a short period of time in eastern Connecticut. Investigators determined that, beginning at least as early as January 2017 and continuing to July 2018, Nieves worked with Juan Reyes to supply heroin and fentanyl to other distributors, including individuals who regularly traveled from eastern Connecticut to Hartford to purchase the drugs. Those individuals then sold the drug to customers in the Norwich and New London areas.
On July 5, 2017, Norwich Police officers responded to a residence on the report of an overdose. The victim, a 34-year-old male, was transported to the hospital where he died. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently determined the victim’s cause of death to be “acute fentanyl intoxication.” The investigation revealed that Christopher Dubicki, of Norwich, sold the fentanyl to the victim after previously purchasing it from Nieves and Reyes.
Investigators have connected six other overdoses, three fatal and three non-fatal, to drugs that were supplied by Nieves and Reyes.
Nieves has been detained since his arrest on June 5, 2018. On June 29, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Reyes, last residing in West Hartford, pleaded guilty to the same charge on June 9, 2021. On October 26, he was sentenced to 151 months of imprisonment and followed by five years of supervised release.
Dubicki pleaded guilty to fentanyl, heroin and cocaine distribution charges and is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Norwich Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
South Windsor Man Admits Defrauding Grandparents of $679KRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DOUGLAS SENERTH, 32, of South Windsor, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a fraud offense related to his theft of approximately $679,000 from his grandparents.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2011 and 2019, Senerth defrauded his grandmother and his late grandfather by falsely claiming to be a college student and inducing them to give him approximately $419,000 to pay for nonexistent college tuition and other related expenses, and an additional approximately $260,000 by falsely claiming that he would invest their money into an investment fund run by one of his nonexistent professors. As part of the scheme, Senerth created fraudulent college transcripts, letters and email accounts that he used to corroborate his lies.
Senerth has been detained in state custody since February 10, 2021, when he was arrested on unrelated charges.
Senerth pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on May 17, 2022.
Senerth has agreed to pay restitution of $679,944.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. The Hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers. Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller. The Hotline’s toll-free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). For more information, please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THEO SARGENT, also known as “Ciph,” 43, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing firearms and narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 10, 2019, New Haven Police conducted a court-authorized search of his residence on Quinnipiac Avenue in New Haven and seized three handguns, more than 300 rounds of ammunition, approximately 20 grams of crack, quantities of marijuana and MDMA, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. Sargent was arrested on state charges on that date.
Sargent’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony drug and 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.
On October 19, 2021, Sargent pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Sargent, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 20, 2022.
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 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.
Hamden Psychiatric Practice and its Owner Pay $310K for Employing "Excluded" IndividualRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GERIATRIC & ADULT PSYCHIATRY, LLC, (“GAP”) and its owner, ALAN SIEGAL, M.D., have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments to resolve allegations that they improperly employed an individual who was excluded from all federal healthcare programs. GAP is a medical practice located in Hamden.
To resolve their liability under the federal and state False Claims Acts, GAP and Siegal will pay $310,874.
In 2006, Eric Ressner, a physician, was convicted in the Southern District of Florida of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. As a result of his conviction, he was excluded from all federal health care programs.
When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) excludes an individual or entity from federal health care programs, no program payments may be made for items or services furnished by that excluded individual or entity. In September 1999, HHS-OIG issued a Special Advisory Bulletin in order to provide guidance to health care providers who might employ or contract with an excluded individual or entity. In May 2013, HHS-OIG issued an Updated Special Advisor Bulletin containing additional guidance. Both the original and updated Special Advisory Bulletins advised that, in order to avoid potential liability, health care providers should check the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the HHS-OIG web site: http://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions
In February 2016, GAP and Siegal hired Ressner to be the clinical director at GAP. Ressner served in that position until June 2021. During that time, GAP and Siegal billed and sought reimbursements from federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and the Railroad Retirement Medicare Program. A portion of the reimbursements that GAP and Siegal received were used to pay Ressner’s salary and benefits.
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot and Assistant Attorney General Greggory O’Connell of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at (203) 777-6311.
Eight Charged after FBI New Haven Task Force Investigation; 19 Kilos of Cocaine,$780K SeizedRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle, Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and New Haven Police Acting Chief Renee Dominguez today announced that eight individuals have been charged with federal offenses related to the distribution of fentanyl, heroin, crack and powder cocaine in the New Haven area. As a result of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 19 kilograms of cocaine, more than 7,000 bags of fentanyl, and more than $780,000 in cash.
Charged in a five-count indictment are:
JASHON SPEARMAN, also known as “J ” and “Deuce,” 33, of New Haven
JAMES HILLARD, 64, of New York and New Jersey
HENRY HORTON, also known as “Bodie,” 39, of New Haven
JAYQUAN MARTINEZ, also known as “Neighbor” and “Quan,” 20, of New Haven
KISHON SHIELDS, also known as “L.A.” and “Key,” 24, of New Haven
RAYQUAN GORY, also known as “Wavy,” 26, of New Haven
JEREMIAH HARGROVE, also known as “Myers” and “Miah,” 39, of New Haven
TIFFANY BROWN, also known as “Tiff,” 39 of New HavenAs alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in the fall of 2021, the New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department began investigating Spearman and others for the distribution of narcotics in and around the West Hills neighborhood, including the McConaughy Terrace housing complex, in New Haven. The investigation revealed that Hillard was supplying Spearman with heroin and fentanyl, and that Spearman was receiving kilogram quantities of cocaine through the U.S. Mail from a source in Puerto Rico. On February 4, 2022, investigators arrested Spearman and Hillard after they met in the Bronx, New York, and a search of Hillard’s car revealed more than 7,000 folds of suspected heroin/fentanyl and approximately $30,000 in cash.
It is further alleged that, on February 8, investigators executed court-authorized search warrants at several locations, including a Ward Street residence where Spearman distributed narcotics, and vehicles in which Spearman was suspected of storing narcotics. A search of a minivan revealed approximately 19 kilograms of cocaine; a search of a vehicle registered to Spearman revealed $750,400 in cash, assorted jewelry and a quantity of fentanyl; and a search of the Ward Street residence revealed additional cash, several money counters, and numerous cellphones. The search also found and seized five firearms.
On February 15, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging the eight defendants with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute various quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine base (“crack”) and cocaine. Spearman, Horton, Martinez, Shields and Gory are also charged with additional narcotics offenses. If convicted of the most serious charges in the indictment, Spearman faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; Hillard faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and Horton, Martinez, Shields, Gory, Hargrove and Brown face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Horton, Martinez, Shields, Gory, Hargrove and Brown were arrested on February 17.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of the seized cash, jewelry and four vehicles.
“I credit all the members of the FBI Safe Streets/Gang Task Force for their great work in this investigation, which has disrupted the flow of a significant amount of cocaine and fentanyl into Connecticut,” said U.S. Attorney Boyle. “The cocaine and cash seized earlier this month was extraordinary, and would not have been accomplished without a terrific, coordinated effort by all involved. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to stem the drug trade in our cities and appropriately prosecute those responsible for it.”
“We understand the frustration at times expressed by community members about the drug activity within their neighborhoods,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sundberg. “This case is the response to some of those demands for action by residents. The severe impact of this case will be felt for some time thanks to the coordinated efforts of all of our law enforcement partners.”
“We value the relationships we have with our federal partners and the collaborative work that is routinely done,” said Chief Dominguez. “The arrests of these individuals will provide an immediate positive impact in the community as we continue to work together to make our community safer. I am grateful for the dedication and hard work from everyone involved in this investigation.”
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Task Force includes participants from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, East Haven Police Department, West Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Kenneth L. Gresham 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.