District of Connecticut
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Man Sentenced to 39 Months in Prison for Distributing Crack on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SHAUN HAWKINS, 44, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 39 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine while he on federal supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2009, Hawkins was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 96 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for obstruction of justice. In that case, Hawkins engaged in a scheme to pay a witness not to testify in an ongoing grand jury investigation related to Hawkins’ participation in a violent home invasion robbery in Hartford. After Hawkins completed his federal sentence in March 2016, he was transferred to state custody to serve a consecutive sentence for robbery and burglary offenses related to the home invasion. He was released from prison in March 2018 and began serving his three-year term of federal supervised release.
In July 2019, after a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation targeting gang-related drug distribution and associated violence in north Hartford. In August and September 2019, investigators made three controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Hawkins in Hartford.
Hawkins was arrested on September 13, 2019. On October 21, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base (“crack”).
Judge Thompson sentenced Hawkins to 15 months of imprisonment for distributing crack, and a consecutive 24-month prison term for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Hawkins, who is residing in Windsor Locks while released on bond, is required to report to prison on August 6, 2021.
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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
East Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIAM VALERIO-PALERMO, also known as “Willy,” 35, of East Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of acetylfentanyl, a fentanyl analogue.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, law enforcement received information that Valerio was trafficking kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and was using his Hartford auto-repair business to launder drug proceeds. On July 12, 2018, a court-authorized search of a West Hartford apartment that Valerio rented revealed approximately six kilograms of acetylfentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $49,000 in cash.
Judge Thompson scheduled sentencing for September 28, 2021.
Valerio has been detained since his arrest on July 12, 2018.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Bridgeport Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charge Stemming from 2018 MurderRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TA’RON PHARR, also known as “250,” 21, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a racketeering charge stemming from a gang-related murder in Bridgeport’s East End in August 2018.
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. Pharr was a member of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gang, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, and the PT Barnum gang. O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers, sold narcotics, laundered narcotics proceeds, and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut and used the cars to commit crimes.
On August 8, 2018, Pharr and other O.N.E. members stole a white Jeep Grand Cherokee in Newburgh, New York, and drove it back to Bridgeport. In the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, O.N.E. members drove the stolen Jeep to Union Avenue in Bridgeport where they shot and killed Len Smith, 25, who they mistook for a rival East End group member, and shot and seriously wounded Smith’s female companion, both of whom were seated in a parked car. After the shooting, Pharr and others transported the Jeep to Indian Wells State Park in Shelton where they burned the vehicle in an effort to destroy evidence of the murder.
Pharr pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He has been detained since July 7, 2020.
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, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Peter D. Markle and Karen L. Peck.
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 a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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. 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.
Resident of Hong Kong Who Smuggled Endangered Glass Eels from the United States Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the Office of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced that KING SHEUNG CHAN, also known as “Nelson,” 30, a permanent resident of Hong Kong of the People’s Republic of China, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to one count of attempted smuggling of glass eels from the United States.
According to court documents and statements made in court, there is strong foreign demand for the export of live juvenile American glass eels, commonly called “glass eels” or “elvers,” to large “eel farms” in mainland China where the baby eels are raised to adult size for human consumption. Along the Atlantic Coast, the commercial harvest of glass eels is legal only in South Carolina and Maine, with Maine using a heavily regulated quota system. In recent years, the legal price for glass eels has generally fluctuated between $3,000 and $5,000 per kilogram.
The illegal harvest and sale of glass eels to overseas buyers have damaged American eel populations and their long-term vitality. Since 2014, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed the American eel as “Endangered.”
Chan worked for Asia Aquatic Company, Ltd., based in Hong Kong, and a Canadian company named Laknock Trading. Chan’s job was to procure glass eels from countries in North America and Europe, and to have them shipped via overnight air to Hong Kong.
On April 7, 2021, Chan packed 19.3 kilograms of live glass eels worth approximately $86,000 that had been stored at a Connecticut facility. Chan was told by undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officers who were posing as fisherman that these glass eels had been unlawfully harvested from Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts. After packing the glass eels in oxygenated bags, he paid $29,500 to the undercover officers and drove the live cargo to JFK Airport.
Later that afternoon, Chan met the freight forwarder near JFK Airport that was handling the in-transit shipment of 10 boxes shipped by Laknock Trading from Canada. Chan had arranged for the shipment of the boxes, which contained bags of dead glass eels with a few live ones mixed in. Chan opened the boxes, took out the bags of dead glass eels, and replaced them with the bags of live glass eels packed a few hours before in Connecticut. Chan resealed the boxes and returned them to the freight forwarder, which transported the shipment to the airline cargo area for export to Hong Kong. Shortly thereafter, FWS officers arrested Chan and seized the glass eels from the airline cargo area. FWS later released the glass eels into the wild.
In pleading guilty, Chan admitted that, in 2017, he illegally smuggled 103 kilograms of glass eels, valued at approximately $340,000, from the U.S. to Hong Kong. Some of those glass eels had been illegally harvested in Connecticut.
“I commend the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for holding accountable those individuals who drive this illegal market and deplete an important American wildlife resource for their selfish gain,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle. “We shall continue to investigate and prosecute those actors, foreign and domestic, who profit from this illicit, lucrative trade.”
“In addition to the robust legal trade of American juvenile eels, or elvers, they are also subject to poaching and international trafficking,” said Edward Grace, the Assistant Director of the Office of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Our natural resources are important to the American public and to its economy. Working with our state and federal partners, the defendant was arrested and prosecuted in the United States for his crimes. His guilty plea sends a message to all wildlife traffickers, you will be caught and you will be prosecuted.”
Chan has been detained since his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on September 30, 2021, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Bridgeport Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALBERT LOPEZ, 51, last residing in Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2017, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force located Lopez at a residence in Bridgeport and arrested him on a state warrant in connection with the alleged shooting of a victim in Bridgeport on September 9, 2017, and on a federal warrant related to his alleged violation of supervised release conditions. A search of Lopez’s bedroom on the date of his arrest revealed a stolen .40 caliber pistol.
Lopez has previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses in Connecticut state court and in federal courts in both Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Specifically, Lopez has been convicted of assault with a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of contraband by an inmate, and possession of a firearm by a felon (twice). In March 2008, Lopez was sentenced to 47 months of federal imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a felon and, in January 2013, he was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a felon and for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.
Lopez has been detained since his arrest. As sentencing, which is not scheduled, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
State charges against Lopez related to the September 9, 2017, shooting are pending.
This matter has been investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department, the U.S Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Anastasia E. King.
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Role in Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FRANCIS AYBAR-PEGUERO, also known as “Grena,” 29, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 87 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a heroin and fentanyl trafficking ring. Judge Bryant also ordered Aybar-Peguero to pay a fine of $30,000.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department revealed that Nestor Sosa-Ortiz operated a Waterbury-based drug trafficking organization that received large quantities of heroin and fentanyl from suppliers in Connecticut and New York and distributed the narcotics throughout New Haven County. The organization used an apartment located at 330 Bishop Street in Waterbury to store kilogram-quantities of heroin and fentanyl, and to process and package the drugs for street sale.
On May 18, 2019, Sosa-Ortiz was arrested in New York City on a separate federal heroin and fentanyl trafficking charge. On that date, law enforcement intercepted a planned drug transaction and seized approximately two kilograms of fentanyl and two kilograms of heroin. Sosa-Ortiz continued to control his drug network while incarcerated by using smuggled cell phones to communicate with various co-conspirators.
The investigation revealed that Aybar-Peguero received fentanyl and heroin from members of the Sosa-Ortiz organization and sold the drugs out of his business, the Corner Mini market located on East Farm Road in Waterbury.
Aybar-Peguero and several co-defendants were arrested on October 29, 2019. On that date, investigators executed search warrants at five locations, including the Corner Mini Market, and seized a total of approximately six kilograms of suspected heroin/fentanyl, approximately 100,000 bags of suspected heroin/fentanyl packaged for street distribution, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet pills, one firearm and approximately $50,000 in cash.
Further investigation revealed that the Corner Mini Market was primarily being used by Aybar-Peguero to distribute narcotics and to launder drug proceeds.
Law enforcement seized approximately $98,000 from Aybar-Peguero’s business bank account.
On September 30, 2020, Aybar-Peguero pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of concealment money laundering.
Aybar-Peguero, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on August 25, 2021.
Sixteen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation. Sosa-Ortiz has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, and Lauren Clark 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 Man Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting 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 a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging EDWARD WALKER, 48, of New Haven, with two counts of production of child pornography.
According to indictment, in June and July 2019, Walker knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing two videos of that conduct.
Walker is currently in federal custody awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in the Southern District of Florida.
If convicted of the new charges in the District of Connecticut, Walker faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, on each count.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Social Security Benefits Delivered to Deceased FatherRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ADOLFO VARGAS, 43, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally receiving Social Security benefits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Vargas’ father lawfully received Social Security Administration (“SSA”) monthly Retirement and Survivor Insurance benefit payments. When Vargas’ father became ill, he gave Vargas access to his bank accounts so Vargas could make purchases on his behalf and take care of his affairs after his death. Vargas’ father died in 2006, but the SSA was never informed of his death. Between 2006 and 2019, the SSA deposited approximately $111,000 into Vargas’ father’s account. During that time, Vargas used the account to make numerous ATM cash withdrawals, personal debit transactions and personal online purchases.
Judge Bryant ordered Vargas to pay $93,092 in restitution.
On March 29, 2021, Vargas pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds.
Vargas, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on August 25, 2021.
This matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
Bridgeport 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, announced that MICHAEL NASTU, 62, of Bridgeport, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with multiple child exploitation offenses.
Following his arrest, Nastu appeared via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti and is currently detained.
As alleged in the complaint, in March 2021, Nastu, using the Kik social media application, initiated a chat with an FBI Online Covert Employee who was posing as a 14-year-old female from Connecticut. Between March 31 and June 25, 2021, Nastu sent the OCE sexually explicit messages and several pictures and videos of male genitalia, and he attempted to entice the OCE to send him child pornography in return. Nastu and the OCE had multiple text exchanges about meeting in person to engage in sexual activity, but Nastu ultimately decided not to meet the OCE due to the risk of being caught.
The complaint charges Nastu with attempted transfer of obscene materials to a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; attempted receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and attempted 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.
Acting 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 and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Amanda S. Oakes.
South Windsor Man Charged with Defrauding Grandparents of $679KRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting 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 a grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging DOUGLAS SENERTH, 32, of South Windsor, with offenses related to his alleged theft of approximately $679,000 from his grandparents.
The indictment was returned on June 7, 2021. Senerth appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty. He has been detained in state custody since February 10, 2021, when he was arrested on unrelated charges.
As alleged in the indictment, 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.
The indictment charges Senerth with three counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.
Acting 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 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).
Pharmacist Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Forging Prescriptions to Acquire Oxycodone and AlprazolamRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC TINGLEY, 45, formerly of Lebanon, Connecticut, and currently residing in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for forging prescriptions to acquire thousands of oxycodone and alprazolam tablets from the Connecticut pharmacy where he was employed.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tingley was a licensed pharmacist employed at a pharmacy in Norwich. Between approximately October 2016 and July 2017, Tingley forged approximately 183 prescriptions for oxycodone and approximately 26 prescriptions for alprazolam, and filled the forged prescriptions at the pharmacy where he worked. Through these forged prescriptions, Tingley unlawfully obtained more than 35,000 oxycodone tablets and more than 2,000 alprazolam tablets. He then distributed the drugs for his own benefit.
After Tingley’s Norwich employer fired him for performance issues, Tingley moved to Las Vegas, began working at a pharmacy there, and stole an additional 6,445 oxycodone pills. Tingley was arrested in Las Vegas on June 27, 2018.
On October 22, 2019, Tingley pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam.
Tingley, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on August 20, 2021.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Meriden Man Admits Trafficking Heroin from Bridgeport MarketsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that EDDY ANTONIO TORRES MOREL, 50, of Meriden, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that Torres 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.
Torres was arrested on February 5, 2020. On that date, investigators searched his residence and stores and seized two firearms, assorted firearm parts, ammunition, and approximately $22,000 in cash.
Torres is released on a $300,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for September 24, 2021, in Hartford federal court.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo.
Stamford Man Charged with Federal Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a two-count indictment charging AMIN HASAN, 44, of Stamford, with unlawful firearm possession offenses.
The indictment was returned on March 29, 2021, and Hasan appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. Hasan has been detained since his arrest on related state charges in December 2020.
The indictment alleges that, on December 6, 2020, Hasan possessed a loaded Glock 9mm pistol. In May 2019, Hasan was convicted in state court of assault of public safety, emergency medical, public transport or health care personnel.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
It is further alleged that Hasan possessed the pistol while subject to a court order.
The indictment charges Hasan with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm as a prohibited person. If convicted, Hasan faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.
Acting 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Doherty.
Connecticut Addiction Medicine Provider Pays $1 Million to Settle Improper Billing AllegationsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, today announced that CONNECTICUT ADDICTION MEDICINE, LLC, and its owners DR. JAY BENSON and DR. MAHBOOB ASLAM, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments in which they will pay $1,002,481 to resolve allegations that they caused overpayments to be paid by the Medicare and Medicaid Programs.
Connecticut Addition Medicine (“CAM”) is a medical practice that provides behavioral health and addiction medicine services to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries at its offices located throughout Connecticut. Benson and Aslam are physicians and the principals of CAM.
The allegations against CAM arise out of improper billing for urine drug tests. Urine drug testing includes drug screening tests (also known as “presumptive” tests), which determine the presence or absence of a drug or metabolite in a patient’s urine, and confirmation tests (also known as “definitive” tests), which are more precise and provide a numerical concentration of a drug or metabolite in a patient’s urine. CAM regularly tested their patient’s urine in-house, using a presumptive test, but also sent the identical urine samples out to an independent reference laboratory to conduct more detailed definitive tests on each and every specimen. In many cases, CAM received the results of the definitive test from the independent lab in four days or less.
The government alleges that CAM, Benson and Aslam submitted claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid for the in-office presumptive urine drug tests that the they knew, or should have known, were not medically necessary, because they also ordered and received, from the independent reference laboratory, the more detailed and reliable definitive urine drug test results on the identical urine samples, which were available to assess and treat their patients.
To resolve their liability, CAM, Benson and Aslam will pay $1,002,481 to the federal and state governments for conduct occurring between December 21, 2015, through August 31, 2017.
“Billing government health insurance programs for medically unnecessary testing diverts taxpayer money needed to pay for legitimate medical needs,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle. “The government will aggressively pursue health care providers who are overpaid by the Medicare and Medicaid programs for medically unnecessary tests.”
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 by Assistant Attorneys Gregory O’Connell and Karla Turekian 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.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Immigration and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, announced that LUCIANO SOLIS-SANCHEZ, 36, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Waterbury, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to immigration and controlled substances offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Solis-Sanchez has never held legal status in the U.S. In April 2007, Solis-Sanchez was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) in Arizona and was granted voluntary return to Mexico. In November 2017, he was again encountered by USBP and was removed to Mexico. Approximately one week after his removal, Solis-Sanchez was again encountered by USBP in Arizona while attempting to unlawfully enter the U.S. He was charged and convicted of illegal entry and was again removed to Mexico.
On two occasions in May 2019, Solis-Sanchez was encountered by USBP in Texas and was removed to Mexico.
On March 3, 2020, Solis-Sanchez was arrested by Waterbury Police on charges of possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of drugs near a prohibited place, operating a motor vehicle without a license, and driving the wrong way on a one-way street. He was released by the state on a promise to appear. Federal authorities subsequently learned the arrest and obtained an arrest warrant for Solis-Sanchez charging him with illegal reentry.
On January 8, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspected a UPS package that originated in Zapopan, Mexico, and was addressed to “Alfonso Perez, 39 Bucks Hill Rd, Waterbury, CT 06704 United States,” which was Solis-Sanchez’s residence. The package contained a handcrafted lamp that had two bundles containing approximately 498 grams of methamphetamine hidden behind a fiberglass panel.
On January 13, 2021, law enforcement made a controlled delivery of the package to 39 Bucks Hill Road, and then executed a search warrant at the residence. The search revealed a distribution quantity of cocaine. Solis-Sanchez was arrested a short time later. At the time of his arrest, he possessed an additional quantity of cocaine that he intended to sell. Solis-Sanchez admitted that he arranged for the delivery of the package containing methamphetamine, and also received cocaine shipments from the same supplier.
Solis-Sanchez pleaded guilty one count of reentry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on October 13, 2021.
Solis-Sanchez has been detained since January 13, 2021.
This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Connecticut State Police, Statewide Narcotics Task Force, Northwest. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel M. Krull and Deborah R. Slater.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking HeroinRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAVON LOTT, also known as “D,” 39, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today 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.
The investigation revealed that Lott acquired and distributed a significant amount of heroin for several years.
Lott was arrested on May 10, 2019. On February 28, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Lott, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on August 23, 2021.
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.
California Man Sentenced to 45 Months in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that OSCAR ZAVALA, also known as “Manuel Garcia Martinez,” “Oscar Rangel Zavala” and “Oscar Zavala Rangel,” 43, of California, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 45 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force began investigating an organization that was distributing heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine in an around Bridgeport. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that the organization had a connection to Mexican drug cartel traffickers, and that members of the organization were eager to receive a steady supply of narcotics from the west coast of the U.S. On December 20, 2019, after members of the organization arranged to purchase a kilogram of heroin from a supplier, Zavala met an individual in a parking lot in San Diego and provided him with 1.1 kilograms of fentanyl in exchange for $27,000.
Zavala was arrested on February 10, 2020. On that date, a search of a storage locker in San Diego that Zavala had access to revealed approximately six kilograms of cocaine.
Zavala has been detained since his arrest. On February 23, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the DEA San Diego Field Division. The DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford and Danbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Lauren C. Clark 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.
Ansonia Man Admits Illegal Distribution of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STEVEN BARNES, 70, of Ansonia, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 2017 and November 2018, law enforcement made five controlled purchases of 30mg oxycodone pills from Salvatore Perry of Shelton. Perry sold between 30 and 60 pills each transaction. The investigation revealed that Perry had purchased the pills from Barnes and others. Barnes had a prescription for oxycodone, and he received a total of approximately $18,000 for selling the pills.
When he is sentenced, Barnes faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Barnes is released pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
Perry previously pleaded guilty and, on January 22, 2020, was sentenced to 30 days of imprisonment and six months of home confinement.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan.
Sixth Individual Admits Participation in Victoria's Secret Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Boston, announced that SHARNICE JACKSON, 20, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy offense related to a scheme to defraud Victoria’s Secret stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jackson and others were involved in a scheme through which they stole thousands of dollars from L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret stores. As part of the scheme, the co-conspirators shoplifted merchandise from Victoria’s Secret stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts. They then returned the shoplifted Victoria’s Secret merchandise through a “No Original Receipt” return, which allowed them to obtain gift cards for Victoria’s Secret in the value of the stolen merchandise (the “Return Step”). The co-conspirators then redeemed the gift cards at Victoria’s Secret stores for merchandise that slightly exceeded the value of the gift card, so that the excess amount was charged to a debit card connected to a co-conspirator (the “Redeem Step”). They then returned the merchandise purchased in the Redeem Step, with the refund for the entire amount credited to the co-conspirator’s debit card (the “Refund Step”).
Between approximately October 2018 and October 2019, L Brands lost more than $100,000 as a result of this scheme.
Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for September 17, 2021.
Jackson is the sixth defendant involved in this scheme to plead guilty. SHAMONIQUE MACKEY, 22; DAIJAH FAGAN, 21; TAMIJAH HUNTER, 21; LEONNA JONES, 22; and IMANI AITCHESON, 21, all of Hartford, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and await sentencing. A seventh defendant charged in this conspiracy is awaiting trial.
This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, Hartford Police Department and L Brands Loss Prevention. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarala V. Nagala and Tara E. Levens.
Navy Mechanic Sentenced to 210 Years for Sexually Assaulting 7 Young Girls, Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RANDALL TILTON, 32, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 210 years of imprisonment for child pornography production offenses related to his sexual of abuse of seven young girls in three states over the course of several years.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 1, 2019, Tilton was arrested on state sexual assault charges after he admitted in an interview with Town of Groton Police that he had sexually assaulted several minor victims, and that he had recorded some of the sexual assaults. Subsequent examination of a laptop, tablet, cellphone and two flash drives seized from Tilton revealed that, beginning in approximately 2014, Tilton sexually assaulted seven girls who were between the ages of four months and eight years old. Tilton photographed and video recorded many of these sexual assaults. Some of the images depict a minor victim bound and restrained while Tilton sexually assaulted her. Tilton distributed some of the videos of these sexual assaults on the dark web through the Tor network.
Tilton’s electronic devices also included thousands of images and videos of the sexual abuse of other minors, including sadomasochistic images of minors in bondage, sexual assaults on infants, and sexual acts on the corpse of a minor.
When he was arrested, Tilton was employed as a forward auxiliary mechanic in the U.S. Navy and was residing in Groton. The investigation revealed that Tilton sexually assaulted children in Connecticut, New Hampshire and California.
"Tilton systematically and repeatedly preyed upon young children for his own sexual pleasure,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle. “And since some of videos of his sexual abuse of one child will likely exist forever on the internet, he has ensured that she will continue to be victimized, every time those images are viewed by others, for the rest of her life. I commend the FBI, NCIS and Groton Town Police Department investigators for helping to ensure justice for these children and their families, and I thank the New London State’s Attorney’s Office for its close cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Their combined effort, and this severe sentence, will undoubtedly protect children from future harm.”
“Today’s sentence will ensure that Mr. Tilton will not be able to inflict physical and emotional pain on our society’s most vulnerable population, said David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The horrific nature of these crimes serves as a constant reminder of why we as law enforcement and all residents of this country must do everything we can to protect our children at all times.”
“The Groton community is safer today now that a serial sexual predator who preyed on numerous children, the majority of whom are Navy dependents, has been brought to justice,” said NCIS Northeast Field Office Special Agent in Charge Michael Wiest. “We offer our heartfelt gratitude to the Groton Town Police Department and the FBI for their substantial efforts to bring resolution to these reprehensible crimes. NCIS remains committed to working closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners to protect children in the vibrant communities where Department of the Navy personnel live and work.”
“I must emphasize that this case is among the most disturbing and heinous series of acts that any law enforcement officer will ever encounter in their careers,” said Chief Louis J. Fusaro, Jr. of the Town of Groton Police Department. “It will stay with all of them and the victims for the rest of their lives. I could not be prouder of the work done by our detectives and investigators who dedicated hundreds of hours conducting interviews of victims, gathering and reviewing digital evidence, and ultimately obtaining a confession from Tilton that would lead to this conviction. Through the exceptional efforts of these officers and in partnerships with federal agents, the Connecticut Department of Correction and prosecutors from the New London State’s Attorney’s Office and the U. S. Attorney’s Office, this predator will never victimize another child. I also want to acknowledge the involvement of forensic interviewers from the New London County Child Advocacy Center who played a critical role in this case from the very beginning. The public should know that through these partnerships and the combined efforts of all involved, that it is a team effort to bring criminals like this to justice. We hope that the conviction of this predator will help the many victims impacted by his actions to begin the healing process.”
Tilton has been detained since his arrest. On December 7, 2020, he pleaded guilty to seven counts of production of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Town of Groton Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Amanda S. Oakes.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Hartford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gang-Related Drug SalesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSHUA JENKINS, 28, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, after a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation targeting gang-related drug distribution and associated violence in north Hartford. Investigators determined that a significant amount of the gun violence was committed by members of two groups, the DUMOUTS and the Hoodstars.
Between July and September 2019, investigators made three controlled purchases of fentanyl, followed by three controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack, from Jenkins. It is alleged that Jenkins has been a member of the DUMOUTS.
Jenkins was arrested on September 13, 2019. On July 9, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack”).
Jenkins has been detained since January 25, 2021, after he violated the conditions of his release and his bond was revoked.
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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Russian National Convicted of Charges Relating to Kelihos BotnetRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Hartford convicted a Russian national yesterday for his role in operating a “crypting” service used to conceal “Kelihos” malware from antivirus software, enabling hackers to systematically infect victim computers around the world with malicious software, including ransomware. Oleg Koshkin, 41, formerly of Estonia, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse and one count of aiding and abetting computer fraud and abuse. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20.
“By operating a website that was intended to hide malware from antivirus programs, Koshkin provided a critical service that enabled other cyber criminals to infect thousands of computers around the world,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle. “We will investigate and prosecute the individuals who aid and abet cyber criminals as vigorously as we do the ones who actually hit the ‘send’ button on viruses and other malicious software.”
“The defendant designed and operated a service that was an essential tool for some of the world’s most destructive cybercriminals, including ransomware attackers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. “The verdict should serve as a warning to those who provide infrastructure to cybercriminals: the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners consider you to be just as culpable as the hackers whose crimes you enable — and we will work tirelessly to bring you to justice.”
“Mr. Koshkin and his associates knowingly provided crypting services designed to help malicious software bypass anti-virus software,” said Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI’s New Haven Division. “The criminal nature of the Crypt4U service was a clear threat to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer systems everywhere. We at the FBI will never stop pursuing those like Mr. Koshkin for perpetrating cyber crimes and threats to the public at large.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced during the trial, Koshkin operated the websites “crypt4u.com,” “fud.bz,” and others. The websites promised to render malicious software fully undetectable (FUD) by nearly every major provider of antivirus software. Koshkin and his co-conspirators claimed that their services could be used for malware such as botnets, remote access trojans (RATs), keyloggers, credential stealers, and cryptocurrency miners.
In particular, Koshkin worked with Peter Levashov, the operator of the Kelihos botnet, to develop a system that would allow Levashov to crypt the Kelihos malware multiple times each day. Koshkin provided Levashov with a custom, high-volume crypting service that enabled Levashov to distribute Kelihos through multiple criminal affiliates. The Kelihos botnet was used by Levashov to send spam, harvest account credentials, conduct denial of service attacks, and to distribute ransomware and other malicious software. At the time it was dismantled by the FBI, the Kelihos botnet was known to include at least 50,000 compromised computers around the world.
Koshkin was arrested in California on September 6, 2019, and has been detained since his arrest.
Koshkin’s co-defendant, Pavel Tsurkan, is charged with conspiring to cause damage to 10 or more protected computers, and aiding and abetting Levashov in causing damage to 10 or more protected computers. He is released on bond while awaiting trial.
As to Tsurkan, an indictment is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Levashov was arrested by the Spanish National Police on April 7, 2017, and extradited to the United States. On September 12, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of causing intentional damage to a protected computer, one count of conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The FBI’s New Haven Division is investigating the case through its Connecticut Cyber Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang of the United States Attorney’s Office and Senior Counsel Ryan K.J. Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board also provided significant assistance.
In April 2021, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force to combat the growing number of ransomware and digital extortion attacks. As part of the Task Force, the Criminal Division, working with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, prioritizes the disruption, investigation, and prosecution of ransomware and digital extortion activity by tracking and dismantling the development and deployment of malware, identifying the cybercriminals responsible, and holding those individuals accountable for their crimes. The department, through the Task Force, also strategically targets the ransomware criminal ecosystem as a whole and collaborates with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as private sector partners to combat this significant criminal threat.
Newington Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPH DIAZ, 28, of Newington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 13, 2019, members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force were conducting surveillance in an unrelated investigation when they observed Diaz, who one investigator identified as a former Hartford Police Cadet, conducting a drug transaction on Stedman Street in Hartford. Later that day, investigators stopped a car Diaz was driving and found Diaz in possession of a loaded .380 caliber pistol, approximately 700 bags of heroin/fentanyl, and $1,704 in cash.
Diaz was placed under arrested and transported to the Hartford Police station, where he gave consent to investigators to search his Newington residence. After investigators left the interview room, an officer observed through a window that Diaz was typing something on his watch. The officer opened the door, removed the watch and discovered that it was an Apple-type watch. Shortly thereafter, investigators who had arrived at Diaz’s residence observed Diaz’s father, Jose Diaz, exit through the rear door of the residence carrying a black plastic bag and then run toward the parking lot area. Officers approached Jose Diaz, who dropped the plastic bag and a fanny pack. A search of the bag and fanny pack revealed more than 3,300 bags of fentanyl, approximately 80 grams of unpackaged fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia.
Jose Diaz consented to a search of his phone. On the phone screen there were several unopened text messages, including one from Jose Diaz that read “Go now. Everything.”
A search of Joseph Diaz’s residence revealed an additional quantity of packaged fentanyl, approximately 21 grams of unpackaged fentanyl, a loaded .22 caliber pistol, assorted ammunition, and approximately $2,500 in cash.
On February 17, 2021, Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Diaz, who is released on a $75,000 bond, is required to report to prison on July 28, 2021.
Jose Diaz pleaded guilty to a related charge and has been sentenced.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force with the assistance of the Newington Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Citizen of Estonia Admits Operating "Crypting" Service to Conceal Kelihos Botnet from Anti-Virus SoftwareRead the Press Release
PAVEL TSURKAN, 33, of Estonia, pleaded guilty today in the District of Connecticut to a federal charge related to his role in operating a “crypting” service used to conceal “Kelihos” malware from antivirus software, enabling hackers to systematically infect victim computers around the world with malicious software, including ransomware.
Tsurkan pleaded guilty via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti to one count of aiding and abetting unauthorized access to a protected computer, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tsurkan, his co-defendant Oleg Koshkin, and others operated an online, for-profit service known as Crypt4U via the websites “crypt4u.com,” “crypt4u.net,” “fud.bz,” “fud.re,” as well as a custom FTP service for high-volume processing. The websites promised to render malicious software fully undetectable (FUD) by nearly every major provider of antivirus software. Tsurkan and his co-conspirators claimed that their services could be used for malware such as botnets, remote access trojans (RATs), keyloggers, credential stealers, and cryptocurrency miners.
Tsurkan provided the Crypt4U service to assist individuals who created and maintained networks of infected and compromised computers, known as “botnets.” In particular, Tsurkan provided the Crypt4U service to Peter Yuryevich Levashov, who used the service in connection with the Kelihos botnet. The Kelihos botnet was used to send spam, to conduct denial of service attacks, and to distribute ransomware, among other criminal acts. At the time it was dismantled by the FBI, the Kelihos botnet was known to include at least 50,000 compromised computers around the world, including computers in Connecticut.
Tsurkan is released on a $200,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for September 27, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford.
On June 15, 2016, a jury in Hartford found Oleg Koshkin, a Russian national last residing in Estonia, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse and one count of aiding and abetting computer fraud and abuse. Koshkin is detained while awaiting sentencing.
On September 12, 2018, Levashov pleaded guilty to one count of causing intentional damage to a protected computer, one count of conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is awaiting sentencing.
The FBI’s New Haven Division is investigating the case through its Connecticut Cyber Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang of the United States Attorney’s Office and Senior Counsel Ryan K.J. Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board also provided significant assistance.
In April 2021, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force to combat the growing number of ransomware and digital extortion attacks. As part of the Task Force, the Criminal Division, working with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, prioritizes the disruption, investigation, and prosecution of ransomware and digital extortion activity by tracking and dismantling the development and deployment of malware, identifying the cybercriminals responsible, and holding those individuals accountable for their crimes. The department, through the Task Force, also strategically targets the ransomware criminal ecosystem as a whole and collaborates with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as private sector partners to combat this significant criminal threat.
Stamford Man Admits Trafficking Counterfeit Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl AnaloguesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VINCENT DECARO, 31, of Stamford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a charge related to his manufacturing and distributing counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl analogues.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Decaro and an associate purchased fentanyl analogues from suppliers in China and, working out of Decaro’s residence at 77 West Hill Circle in Stamford, pressed the drug into counterfeit oxycodone pills, which they sold to customers on dark web markets. David Reichard, who lived for a short time at Decaro’s residence, helped Decaro press pills and mail the pills to customers.
On April 3, 2018, a court-authorized search of Decaro’s residence revealed numerous pills containing approximately 330 grams of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl, approximately 40 grams of fentanyl analogues in powder form, three pill presses, instructions on how to prepare the fentanyl analogue Carfentanil, a hazardous material suit, a gas/respirator-type mask, and numerous U.S. Postal mail envelopes.
At the time of the search of Decaro’s home in April 2018, Decaro was in Europe. On September 21, 2018, Decaro and his associate were arrested by Albanian State Police as they were attempting to cross the border from Albania into Kosovo. A search of an apartment in Tirana where they had been staying revealed alprazolam, fentanyl and other controlled substances; tools and dies for pressing pills, and instructions for synthesizing fentanyl.
Decaro pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogues. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for September 10, 2021.
Decaro is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
Reichard pleaded guilty to a related charge in September 2019 and awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police and Stamford Police Department, with the assistance of the Albanian State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs for coordinating the extradition proceedings in this matter.
Stamford Heroin Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOAQUIN VERAS, 47, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March and May 2019, investigators made two controlled purchases of approximately 100 grams of heroin each from Veras. Investigators then arranged to purchase a kilogram of heroin from Veras for $58,000.
On May 16, 2019, Veras was arrested in possession of approximately one kilogram of heroin. A search of a Stamford apartment that Veras used as a stash location revealed another kilogram of heroin, a quantity of cocaine, items used to process and package narcotics for sale, and $7,000 in cash.
Veras has been detained since his arrest. He pleaded guilty on September 28, 2020.
In August 2011, Veras was sentenced in the Eastern District of New York to 57 months of imprisonment for conspiring to distribute heroin.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and the Stamford Police Department. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA, Connecticut State Police and Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, Bridgeport and Trumbull Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo.
Indictment Charges 8 for Involvement in Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, announced that eight individuals have been charged for their alleged participation in a drug trafficking ring.
On June 7, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging the following individuals with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances:
TAJH WILEY, a.k.a. “Yung,” 25, of Norwalk
KENSTON HARRY, 40, of Bloomfield
JEVAUGHN WATSON, a.k.a. “Russ,” 27, of Ansonia
MYRON BROWN, a.k.a. “Farid,” 47, of Chester, Pennsylvania
SASHERY FELIZ, 26, of Yonkers, New York
PETER MUNOZ, a.k.a. Peter Escalante-Munoz, 33, of Bridgeport
CHARLES RICHARDSON, a.k.a. “Uncle Charles,” 67, of Bridgeport
DESTINY WADE, 27, of NorwalkSeven of the eight defendants were arrested yesterday. Brown has been in state custody in Pennsylvania.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, a court-authorized wiretap of Wiley’s phone revealed that he led a drug trafficking organization that has distributed large quantities of cocaine and marijuana in Connecticut and elsewhere.
In association with yesterday’s arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine, approximately 260 grams of fentanyl, approximately 50 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 30 pounds of marijuana, two kilogram presses and others items used to process and package narcotics, 11 firearms, three high-capacity magazines, approximately 500 rounds of ammunition, three high-end automobiles, more than $250,000 in jewelry, and approximately $25,000 in cash.
“We are committed to using federal law enforcement resources to prosecute those responsible for flooding our communities with illegal drugs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle. “We thank the DEA, all of their task force members, and our other local law enforcement partners for sharing in this commitment and their great work on this investigation.
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling violent poly drug trafficking organizations, like this one, operating throughout the state of Connecticut,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Boyle. “These enforcement actions with our federal, state and local partners show what happens when law enforcement works together.”
Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Acting 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 Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fairfield Police Department, Bridgeport Police Department, Norwalk Police Department, Stamford Police Department, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. The HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford and Danbury Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick J. Doherty and Elena L. Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Selling Oxycodone out of His New Britain Grocery StoreRead the Press Release
Leonard C. Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAUL CABRERA-VASQUEZ, also known as “Edgar,” 50, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing oxycodone from his New Britain grocery store.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the sentencing occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the New Britain Police Department.began investigating individuals who were selling oxycodone pills from Elzier Grocery, located at 1485 Corbin Avenue in New Britain. Cabrera-Vasquez owned and helped operate Elzier Grocery. Between July and December 2019, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of oxycodone pills from Cabrera-Perez and others at the store.
On February 26, 2020, court authorized searches of the Elzier Grocery and a nearby residence revealed more than 1000 oxycodone pills, drug packaging materials, drug ledgers, and approximately $10,000 in cash.
Cabrera-Vasquez was arrested on March 1, 2020. On February 18, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, oxycodone.
Cabrera-Vasquez, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on July 7.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the New Britain Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Possessing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced that JOHN T. PERUGINI, 79, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for possessing child sex abuses images.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Homeland Security Investigations received information that Perugini had been paying for access to a commercial website that contained child sex abuse images and videos. On October 29, 2019, agents seized Perugini’s computer equipment, including multiple external storage devices, from his residence. Analysis of one of Perugini’s external storage devices revealed numerous images and videos of child sex abuse.
Perugini was arrested in a federal criminal complaint on November 8, 2019. On December 14, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
Perugini, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on July 21, 2021.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria del Pilar Gonzalez and Brendan Keefe.
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 Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERICK E. GOMEZ, JR., 28, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 3, 2020, Gomez fled from his car after he was involved in a car accident in Woodbridge. A search of the car revealed a loaded .380 semi-automatic pistol, 15 baggies of crack cocaine and 12 folds of heroin and fentanyl. Gomez was subsequently charged with state offenses stemming from this incident and was released on bond. On July 31, 2020, Gomez was arrested on related federal charges. At the time of his arrest he possessed quantities of crack cocaine, heroin/fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for September 2, 2021, at which time Gomez faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of at least five years.
Gomez has been detained since his federal arrest.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Police Department and Woodbridge Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan, Peter D. Markle and Tara E. Levens.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 2 More Years in Federal Prison for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RODNEY SNAPE, 40, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment for violating conditions of his federal supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2013, Judge Arterton sentenced Snape to 105 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for distributing crack cocaine. In February 2015, Snape’s sentence was reduced to 88 months of imprisonment due to a change in the federal crack cocaine sentencing guidelines. He was released from prison in June 2019.
On February 20, 2020, Snape was arrested by New Haven Police for possession of narcotics with intent to distribute. He pleaded nolo contendere in state court and, in January 2021, was sentenced to a suspended three-year term of incarceration and two years of probation.
On May 5, 2021, Snape was again arrested by New Haven Police after he was found in possession of approximately eight grams of cocaine, items used to package narcotics for street sale, and more than $4,500 in cash. The case is pending in state court.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
New Britain Man Charged with Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joshua W. McCallister, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that STEVEN KNOX, 45, of New Britain, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with theft of government property.
Knox appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was released on a $100,000 bond.
As alleged in the complaint, in the early morning hours of May 19, 2021, the tire shed at a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) vehicle maintenance facility in Hartford was burglarized and approximately 43 tires were stolen. The facility’s surveillance video showed a pickup truck pulling up to the tire shed at approximately 1:30 a.m. Knox and another individual then broke into the shed, loaded tires into the bed of pickup, and then drove off. Knox was formerly employed by a USPS towing contractor and possessed a key card to access the vehicle maintenance facility’s gate.
The charge of theft of government property carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Acting 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 investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the New Britain Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.
Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Documents to USCISRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ARASH VAKHSHOURI, 42, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to submitting false documents to a government agency.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton occurred via videoconference.
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 arrested on June 20, 2019.
Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for August 31, 2021, at which time Vakhshouri faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Vakhshouri is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Conor M. Reardon.
Easton Man Admits Producing Images of Child Sex AbuseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT McGUIRE, 41, of Easton, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny to production of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between February 2019 and June 2020, McGuire repeatedly sexually abused a minor victim and took photographs and videos of the sexual assaults.
Judge Chatigny scheduled sentencing for October 14, 2021, at which time McGuire faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
McGuire has been detained since his arrest by the Easton Police Department on related state charges on July 10, 2020.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Easton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Sarala V. Nagala.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Fairfield 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 Distributing Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, announced that VINCENT CLARK, also known as “Pudge,” 26, of New Haven, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with distributing heroin and fentanyl.
Clark appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven and is detained.
As alleged in court documents, between March and May 2021, law enforcement made six controlled purchases of redistribution quantities of heroin/fentanyl from Clark in New Haven. Clark is currently on state parole for a 2019 narcotics conviction.
The complaint charges Clark with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin and fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Acting 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 investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s New Haven Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria del Pilar Gonzalez 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.
Counselor Involved in Wide-Ranging Medicaid Fraud Scheme Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CORTNEY DUNLAP, 36, of Burlington, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to health care fraud related to 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.
Dunlap was arrested on a criminal complaint on October 14, 2020.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for August 27, 2021, at which time Dunlap faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Dunlap has agreed to pay restitution to Medicaid in the amount of $1,313,322. To help satisfy his restitution obligation, Dunlap has agreed to forfeit a bank account containing approximately $152,000.
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.
Former Property Manager Pleads Guilty to Theft from Federally Subsidized Housing ComplexesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALICIA GARDNER, 51, of Griswold, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to embezzling money from federally subsidized housing complexes that she had managed.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gardner was employed by Garden Homes Management Corporation with responsibilities that included managing the Salem Village I and II housing complexes in Brooklyn, Connecticut, and the St. Mary’s housing complex in East Hartford. The housing complexes principally catered to elderly and disabled citizens receiving federal rental subsidies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Between approximately 2009 and 2018, Gardner diverted rental payments and other tenant fees to a separate account she had set up for cable fees, and then diverted those payments to pay more than $400,000 in personal expenses. Gardner also overcharged tenants a total of more than $60,000 for cable expenses, which increased the amount of money available to be diverted. In addition, the government will present evidence at sentencing that Gardner embezzled more than $150,000 in rental payments paid by St. Mary’s tenants.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Gardner faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Gardner is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.
Farmington Man Charged with Oxycodone Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting 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 Hartford has returned a five-count indictment charging ANTHONY HARRIS, 51, of Farmington, with multiple counts relating to the illegal distribution of oxycodone.
The indictment was returned on June 1 and Harris was arrested today. He appeared via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson and was released on a $50,000 bond.
As alleged in statements made in court, Harris was prescribed oxycodone, but unlawfully sold his prescribed pills over the course of more than three years.
The indictment charges Harris with four counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribute, oxycodone. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Bristol Police Department. The Tactical Diversion Squad includes officers from the Bristol, East Windsor, Hamden, New Britain, West Haven, Newington, Manchester, Glastonbury and Watertown Police Departments. Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Wallingford Man Charged with Trafficking Oxycodone and CocaineRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting 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 returned an indictment yesterday charging CHRISTOPHER M. LISCIO, 38, of Wallingford, with oxycodone and cocaine trafficking offenses.
As alleged in court documents, between February and April 2020, Liscio sold 2,000 30mg oxycodone pills. It is alleged that this narcotics trafficking activity occurred while Liscio was released on bond after he was arrested in February 2020 on state charges related to the alleged sexual assault of a minor.
Liscio was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on May 26, 2021. On that date, a search of his Wallingford residence revealed approximately 500 grams of cocaine, oxycodone pills and more than $20,000 in cash. He has been detained since his arrest.
The indictment charges Liscio with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Acting 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 Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Wallingford Police Department. The Tactical Diversion Squad includes officers from the Bristol, East Windsor, Hamden, New Britain, West Haven, Newington, Manchester, Glastonbury and Watertown Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda S. Oakes.
Michigan Man Living in the Philippines Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JASON KELLER, 35, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for coercing a minor girl to send him sexually explicit photos of herself through the internet.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2018, Keller, while living in the Philippines, used the moniker “Eddie Buttered Toast” to contact a 14-year-old female in Connecticut and claim that he was a 17-year-old boy from Colorado. Keller then sent the minor victim numerous grooming emails that eventually coaxed the minor victim into sending photos of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct to Keller. Some of the emails Keller sent to the minor victim included sexually explicit images of himself.
On December 19, 2018, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Keller. Keller was located and arrested in the Philippines in June 2019. He was removed from the Philippines and returned to the U.S. on December 12, 2019. He has been detained since his arrest.
On December 2, 2020, Keller pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
Keller formerly resided in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Marshals Service, International Investigations Branch, with the assistance of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, Fugitive Search Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance in 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.
Employee of Autism Services Agency Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JESSICA STUART, 38, of Fairfield, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to health care fraud and identity theft offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stuart was employed by Helping Hands Academy, LLC, in Bridgeport, which provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Helping Hands Academy enrolled as a participating provider in the Connecticut Medicaid Program (“Medicaid”) in approximately September 2018.
Medicaid requires that ASD treatment services be provided under the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner or a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. BCBAs are also required to be credentialed in writing by the state. Stuart does not have a college degree, was not a BCBA or licensed medical practitioner, and did not have any formal training in applied behavior analysis for ASD. Between approximately May 2019 and September 2020, Helping Hands Academy paid Stuart at least $143,0000 and submitted to Medicaid numerous fraudulent claims for applied behavioral analysis services that Stuart performed but was not qualified to provide. Stuart used the name of an individual without the individual’s knowledge or authorization so that Stuart could impersonate a BCBA when she knew she was not a BCBA.
Medicaid suffered a loss of $369,439.96 as a result of Stuart’s conduct.
Stuart pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of using false identification in connection with health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for August 31, 2021.
Stuart is released pending sentencing.
On April 28, 2021, Nicole Balkas, the owner of Helping Hands Academy, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud. She awaits sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle acknowledged the valuable cooperation of the Connecticut Department of Social Services in the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Three Charged in Florida to Connecticut Gun Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting 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 ERIC WOODIE, 30, of New Britain; DOMINIC COLON-BROWN, 27, of Farmington; and JULIAN JUDGE, 22, of New Britain, have been charged federally with trafficking firearms that were stolen in Florida to Connecticut.
Colon-Brown and Judge were arrested yesterday on criminal complaints. They appeared via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish and are detained pending detention hearings scheduled for June 1. Woodie has been detained in state custody since March 2021.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in late February 2021, Woodie rented a car, which Judge and Colon-Brown used to drive to Florida to obtain stolen firearms and bring the firearms back to Connecticut. On March 8, 2021, law enforcement recovered a .40 caliber handgun and a high capacity magazine that Woodie discarded during a foot chase in New Britain. A subsequent search of a New Britain apartment where Woodie and Judge resided revealed three additional loaded firearms, two extended magazines, more than 100 rounds of ammunition and approximately 60 grams of cocaine. The serial number on one of the firearms found in the apartment matched the serial number of a firearm that had been stolen in Florida in February 2021.
It is further alleged that Woodie, Colon-Brown and Judge are captured in recorded conversations discussing the illegal acquisition and sale of firearms, and that Judge and Colon-Brown posted photos of themselves on social media in possession of firearms.
Woodie, Colon-Brown and Judge are each charged with conspiring to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and to transport stolen firearms in interstate commerce, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and 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 Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, New Britain Police Department, Farmington Police Department, West Hartford Police Department and Pasco County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
Hartford Man Involved in Shooting Last Year Sentenced to Prison for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON SPENCE, also known as “Spun,” 33, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 5, 2019, Judge Thompson sentenced Spence to 24 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Spence, who had been detained since his arrest in June 2018, was released from federal prison in February 2020.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on December 7, 2020, Hartford Police surveillance cameras captured Spence and another individual engaged in a dispute in a parking lot at 20 Enfield Street. Spence pulled out a firearm, shot the individual in the leg, and then stole the victim’s vehicle.
The two-year sentence was the maximum allowed for the violation of supervised release. Spence also has assault, weapons possession and larceny charges stemming from this incident pending in state court.
This matter was investigated by the FBI Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Bridgeport Jury Finds Waterbury Man Guilty of Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Bridgeport has found ANDRE DENNIS, 40, of Waterbury, guilty of narcotics and firearm offenses. The trial before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden began on May 26 and the jury returned its verdict this morning.
According to the evidence at trial, in November 2018, Dennis was on special parole following his most recent conviction for possession of narcotics. On November 29, 2018, Connecticut parole officers and the Waterbury Police Department conducted a compliance check at Dennis’ residence and found a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol and approximately 45 grams of fentanyl, 12 grams of crack cocaine, and seven grams of powder cocaine. The search also revealed items used to process and package narcotics for sale, and more than $9,000 in cash.
Dennis’ criminal history includes several state felony convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The jury found Dennis guilty of one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Dennis was found not guilty of one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Dennis faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 50 years.
Dennis has been detained since his arrest on November 29, 2018.
This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waterbury Police Department with the assistance of Connecticut State Parole. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Hal Chen.
Branford Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, announced that MICHAEL HOLM, 42, of Branford, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with distribution, transportation and possession of child pornography and obscene visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
As alleged in court documents, from approximately September 1, 2014 to March 8, 2021, Holm used various websites, mobile applications and online file storage platforms, such as ChatStep, Kik, Discord, Dropbox, Skype, SkyDrive and Gmail, to distribute, transport, and store material depicting the sexual abuse of children. On March 8, 2021, law enforcement agents conducted a court-authorized search of Holm’s Branford residence and seized his Apple iPhone. A preliminary forensic examination of the iPhone revealed 31 images and videos depicting child pornography. Law enforcement agents also conducted a court-authorized search of Holm’s Dropbox account, where he had uploaded and stored over 100 images and videos of child pornography.
The complaint also alleges that Holm engaged in some of this conduct while he was on federal supervised release for a prior child pornography offense. In August 2011, Holm was sentenced in federal court to three months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.
Holm appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was ordered detained.
If convicted of the distribution and transportation charges, Holm faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. If convicted of the possession charges, Holm faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced based on Holm’s prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Branford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
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.
Westport Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Investors, Making False Statements to SECRead the Press Release
Leonard C. Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BARTON STUCK, 74, of Westport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding investors and then making false statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stuck controlled related business entities, including Signal Lake General Partner LLC, Signal Lake Operations LLC, Signal Lake Management LLC, Signal Lake Side Fund LP, Signal Lake Side Fund II LP, Signal Lake Side Fund IIA LP, Signal Lake Top Prospects Fund, and SLT Logic LLC (collectively, the “Signal Lake entities”). The Signal Lake entities were venture capital vehicles investing in various technology companies. Stuck solicited investments for the Signal Lake entities.
In 2015 and 2016, Stuck committed fraud by, among other things, misrepresenting the financial health and prospects of the Signal Lake entities and their investments in order to enrich himself. In one instance, Stuck made misrepresentations to an undercover FBI agent posing as a prospective investor. Stuck falsely guaranteed a payment of twice the original $500,000 investment, and falsely claimed that a Signal Lake entity had $200 million in a particular bank account when, in fact, the balance of the bank account at the time was $.50. He also falsely stated that a $50,000 fee he required would be used for accounting and legal expenses. When the undercover agent paid Stuck the $50,000 fee, Stuck used it for personal expenditures.
Stuck also made false statements in forms that he filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2016 and 2017. Specifically, Stuck falsely claimed that a Signal Lake entity managed and had a gross asset value of $145 million, and was subject to annual audits by a Stamford accounting firm.
On October 25, 2018, Stuck pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions, and two counts of making false statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Stuck, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on June 24, 2021.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Banking. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan N. Francis.
Former Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Prescribing OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JENNIFER FARRELL, 38, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 30 days of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for writing illegal prescriptions for oxycodone while she was a doctor in New Haven. Judge Meyer also ordered Farrell to perform 600 hours of community service while she is on supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Farrell was a medical resident at Yale New Haven Health (“YNHH”) in its Emergency Department from July 2017 until June 2019. From March 2018 to March 2019, Farrell wrote more than 50 prescriptions for oxycodone for non-legitimate medical purposes outside the scope of her professional practice in the name of at least five individuals. Farrell did not see any of the other individuals for any medical purpose at any YNHH facility during the entire period of her residency. In total, she wrote illegal prescriptions for nearly 4,000 oxycodone tablets during that approximately one-year period.
Farrell was arrested on July 31, 2019. On March 4, 2021, she pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances outside the scope of her professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Group. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
State Senator and His Campaign Treasurer Charged in Scheme to Obtain Public Election FundsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting 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 a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging Connecticut State Senator DENNIS A. BRADLEY, JR., and his former campaign Treasurer, JESSICA MARTINEZ, with multiple offenses related to defrauding Connecticut’s program for publicly funding political campaigns during Bradley’s 2018 run for State Senate.
Bradley and Martinez appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven, entered pleas of not guilty to the charges, and were released on bonds in the amount of $300,000 and $250,000, respectively.
As alleged in the indictment, Bradley, 38, of Bridgeport, has been a member of the Connecticut State Senate since 2018, representing the 23rd State Senate District. Martinez, 39, of Bridgeport, was the Treasurer for Bradley’s 2018 State Senate campaign. In Bradley’s 2018 campaign for State Senate, Bradley, Martinez, and others conspired to defraud the Connecticut State Election Enforcement Commission (“SEEC”), the Citizens’ Election Fund, and the State of Connecticut by making misrepresentations concerning Bradley’s compliance with state election law and the requirements and restrictions of the Citizens’ Election Program (“CEP”), a voluntary public election-financing program under which candidates can apply to SEEC for grants to fund their primary and general election campaigns.
“Candidates for public office must be held to a high standard of conduct, especially when they apply for public funds for their campaigns,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle. “It is alleged that these defendants not only broke the rules at the outset of Mr. Bradley’s first campaign for the State Senate, but then engaged in an extensive cover up to conceal their illegal behavior and to receive additional public funds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our FBI partners are committed to holding public officials to account.”
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation is committed to protecting the citizens of Connecticut against all forms of illegal fraud and deception,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sundberg. “Maintaining the integrity of our state and federal election processes is crucial to ensuring the will of the voting public is carried out based on truth and fairness.”
The indictment alleges that Bradley, Martinez, and their co-conspirators violated CEP rules by holding a March 15, 2018, campaign event at Dolphin’s Cove restaurant in Bridgeport, then engaged in a scheme to trick SEEC into awarding his campaign undeserved CEP grants by making misrepresentations and omissions to disguise the nature of that event.
It is alleged that, although CEP rules imposed a $2,000 limit on Bradley’s expenditure of personal funds, Bradley used personal funds to pay Dolphin’s Cove $5,597.31 for the campaign event, and used personal funds for other campaign expenditures related to the event, including printed invitations and a band.
It is further alleged that, in an attempt to hide the March 15 campaign event from SEEC, Bradley, Martinez and their co-conspirators claimed it was a “Thank You Party” for friends and clients of Bradley’s law firm, Bradley, Denkovich & Karayiannis, P.C., also known as BDK Law Group.
It is alleged that, although at least eight donors gave to Bradley’s campaign at the Dolphin’s Cove event, Bradley’s and Martinez’s co-conspirators altered and falsified the contribution cards so that none were dated March 15, 2018.
It is further alleged that, although CEP rules required complete and truthful disclosures of Bradley’s campaign contributions and expenditures, in April, May and June 2018, Bradley’s campaign filed Itemized Campaign Finance Disclosure Statements with SEEC that omitted that Bradley had held a campaign event on March 15, 2018 at Dolphin’s Cove restaurant, omitted that Bradley had incurred approximately $6,307 in expenses for the event, omitted that Bradley had accepted multiple campaign contributions at the event, and misrepresented the dates of those March 15, 2018 contributions.
It is further alleged that on May 24, 2018, Bradley and Martinez applied for a CEP grant to fund Bradley’s Democratic primary campaign. On July 10, 2018, relying on the false and misleading information contained in Bradley’s filings, SEEC issued the campaign $84,140 in public funds. On August 14, 2018, Bradley won the Democratic primary with approximately 55 percent of the vote.
It is further alleged that, after issuing a CEP primary grant to Bradley, SEEC began investigating a citizen complaint regarding Bradley’s campaign, including the campaign event at Dolphin’s Cove. On August 21, 2018, Bradley emailed a letter to SEEC in which he denied all the allegations in the citizen complaint as “frivolous and manipulative.” In that letter, Bradley falsely stated, “On March 15, 2018, BDK hosted a Client Appreciation event at Dolphin’s Cove restaurant[.] … This was in no shape or form a political event. … In fact, we did not collect any donations at this event and have no donations dated 03/15/2018.”
It is further alleged that on October 12, 2018, after Bradley and Martinez attempted to obtain an additional $95,710 CEP grant to fund Bradley’s general election campaign, Martinez made similar false statements under oath to SEEC. SEEC eventually denied Bradley a general election grant. On November 6, 2018, Bradley won the general election with approximately 87 percent of the vote.
It is further alleged that Martinez made similar false statements to investigating FBI special agents in March 2020, and under oath before the grand jury in September 2020.
Bradley is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud, and Martinez is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, one count of making a false statement to the FBI, and one count of making a false declaration before the grand jury. The conspiracy and fraud offenses carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and the false statement and declaration offenses carry a maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count.
Acting 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 case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.
Organizer and Getaway Driver in Violent Armed Robberies Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC CHAMBERS, 37, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 260 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in several violent armed robberies in 2017 during which two individuals were shot and wounded.
According to court documents and statements made in court:
On September 27, 2017, Chambers’ half-brother, Jachim Brown, wearing a mask and pointing a gun, entered Nikita’s Bar, located on Iranistan Avenue in Bridgeport, and pointed a gun at the only employee who was working at the time. Brown directed the employee to a location behind the bar to retrieve a key to a safe. After the employee complied, Brown opened the safe and stole approximately $2,450. During this robbery, Chambers’ car can be seen on surveillance video driving past the entrance to the bar. Chambers had previously worked security at the bar.
In the early morning hours of November 9, 2017, Brown, again brandishing a gun, robbed an employee of Avenue Café who was couriering approximately $2,000 in cash to Bishop’s Corner Café on Boston Avenue in Bridgeport. Surveillance video outside Bishop’s Corner again revealed Chambers’ car in close vicinity to the robbery. On November 13, 2017, the same employee, who had delegated his money courier responsibilities to another security guard after the November 9 robbery, was again confronted by Brown. When Brown realized that the employee did not have the cash, he shot the employee in the thigh.
On November 14, 2017, Brown, wearing a mask and brandishing a gun, entered the Bar Restaurant, located on Main Street in Stratford, and walked directly to a bin near the cash register that typically contained approximately 80 envelopes with cash payments for employees of the Bar Restaurant and other establishments. Brown grabbed the bin, pointed his gun at one employee’s head, and turned and fired at a second employee who had his hands raised, hitting the second employee in his stomach. Surveillance video revealed that Brown had been dropped off behind the restaurant by Chambers.
On November 16, 2017, at about 9:35 a.m., Bridgeport Police responded to a call of an armed robbery in progress at EbLens, located on Pequonnock Street in Bridgeport. After Brown exited the store, a Bridgeport Police officer chased him on foot. As Brown attempted to get into Chambers’ car, he turned and fired at the police officer. The officer returned fire, tackled Brown and placed him under arrest.
At the time of his arrest, Brown possessed a Raven P25 .25 ACP caliber handgun. Forensic analysis of the firearm revealed that it had also been used in the shootings of the two individuals on November 13 and 14.
Chambers has been detained since his arrest on April 30, 2018. On March 19, 2019, a jury found him guilty of four counts of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery.
On May 29, 2019, Brown, also known as “Ameer Edwards,” pleaded guilty to four counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On February 24, 2020, Judge Dooley sentenced him to 260 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bridgeport Police Department and Stratford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn Kaoutzanis and Peter Markle.
This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Former Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Fentanyl Vials Intended for Patients at Fertility ClinicRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced DONNA MONTICONE, 49, of Oxford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven for tampering with fentanyl vials intended for patients at the fertility clinic where she was employed. Monticone was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, four weekends of incarceration, and three months of home confinement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Monticone was a nurse employed by the Yale Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility clinic (“Yale REI clinic”) in Orange. As part of her responsibilities at the Yale REI, Monticone ordered and inventoried a variety of narcotics used by the clinic, including fentanyl, which is a component of a cohort of drugs used by Yale physicians during outpatient surgical procedures to anesthetize patients and protect them from feeling pain.
In June 2020, Monticone began stealing fentanyl for her own use. She accessed secure storage areas and took vials of fentanyl, used a syringe to withdraw the narcotics from the vials, and reinjected saline into vials so that it would appear as if none of the narcotics were missing. The investigation revealed that approximately 75 percent of the fentanyl given to patients at the Yale REI clinic from June to October 2020 was adulterated with saline. Some of the vials contained diluted fentanyl, while others contained no drug at all and contained just saline.
Monticone knew that the adulterated vials of fentanyl she replaced at the Yale REI clinic would be used in surgical procedures, and that the absence of an anesthetic during an outpatient procedure may cause serious bodily injury to the patient. Monticone initially injected herself with the fentanyl while working at the Yale REI clinic and eventually began taking the vials home. She would refill the vials with sterile saline at home, bring them back to the clinic, and reintroduce them into the stock of fentanyl available for use during surgical procedures. On approximately November 1, 2020, Monticone brought approximately 175 vials of fentanyl that she had taken from the Yale REI clinic and discarded them in waste containers at the clinic.
Numerous victims submitted letters to Judge Hall describing physical pain they experienced during their procedures at the Yale REI clinic during this time period.
On March 2, 2021, Monticone pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product.
Monticone has surrendered her nursing license.
This matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad; and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.