Northern District of Georgia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Two ‘Pill Mill’ Owners SentencedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jason Cole Votrobek and Roland Rafael Castellanos, owners of the “Atlanta Medical Group,” have been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, respectively. Both Votrobek and Castellanos were convicted on March 26, 2014, after a month-long jury trial on federal drug and money laundering charges for owning and operating a ‘pill mill’ pain clinic which served as a front for the mass distribution of addictive pain killers.
"The abuse of pain medication has become epidemic and now accounts for six times more deaths than that of all of the traditional illegal drugs combined,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The defendants in this case preyed upon those addicted to prescription drugs in order to line their own pockets. The abuse of prescription drugs and its related criminal activity has become a danger in many of our communities - one we have made a central focus of our office. Today justice has been served.”
“This is a great illustration of the positive impact law enforcement has when local, state, and federal agencies work together,” said Vernon Keenan, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “The increasing abuse of prescription drugs is a significant problem in Georgia that the GBI will continue to address with our local and federal partners.”
Harry S. Sommers, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented, “Pain clinics prey on so-called patients who are addicted to opiates. Some of the doctors who dispense these addictive analgesics often operate under the guise of a stethoscope and a white coat, when in actuality they are nothing more than drug traffickers. This successful investigation was a direct result of hard work put forth by all law enforcement agencies involved.”
“The sentences handed down today are a culmination of the hard work of numerous agencies and speak to the effort of the men and women with boots on the ground,” said Captain Mark Mayton, Commander of the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force. “This shows criminal prosecution was a success. To receive a conviction and sentencing is a testament to the job the men and women did making the case. This closure highlights the success interagency cooperation can produce. Nobody worked by the shape of their badge — they worked to solve a problem.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to contribute our financial expertise in an effort to halt the illegal sale and distribution of prescription drugs,” stated Special Agent in Charge, Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot. “We are committed to ‘following the money trail’ to ensure that those who engage in these illegal activities are vigorously investigated and brought to justice.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In May 2010, using information from the Bartow/Cartersville Drug Task Force, multiple agencies joined in an expanded investigation of “Atlanta Medical Group,’ learning that the clinic, located in Cartersville, Ga., was prescribing pain pills outside the bounds of legitimate medical practice.
During trial, the government offered evidence that Jason Cole Votrobek, 30, of Vero Beach Fla., Roland Rafael Castellanos, 34, of Hollywood, Fla., and Jesse Violante, 35, of Vero Beach, Fla., financed and operated the clinic. Tara Atkins, 36, of Cartersville, Ga., served as the office manager. Dr. James Chapman, 64, of Macon, Ga., served as the primary doctor. U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Vining, Jr. sentenced Votrobek and Castellanos each to 15 years in federal prison.
In their respective capacities, Votrobek and Castellanos worked to procure and distribute Oxycodone pills to addicts and distributors and directed the clinic’s doctor to see as many patients as possible, and to prescribe as many Oxycodone pills as possible, in order to generate mass profits. Dr. Chapman allegedly did so, however, without conducting sufficient medical examinations and, indeed, was frequently incapacitated due to intoxication. Atkins herself filled out prescriptions for the doctor to sign, and the amounts of pills distributed to patients were excessive, and with unusual dosage patterns.
Evidence offered at trial established that the clinic was really a drug distribution operation with over 98 % of their patients traveling to the clinic from surrounding states, the majority from Kentucky and Tennessee. Many of those visiting had obvious signs of being addicts. The clinic engaged in unusual practices, like, permitting non-medical staff to assist with medical procedures, such as taking blood pressure, to maximize the number of patients seen. Indeed, in 2011, the clinic was one of the ‘Top 15’ purchasers of Oxycodone in the nation. Votrobek and Castellanos made millions of dollars during the clinic's approximately one year of operation. Votrobek and Castellanos established multiple bank accounts, many in third party names, to conceal the windfall profits.
Votrobek had previously been acquitted in Florida of similar charges stemming from his ownership of a Florida pain clinic. Jesse Violante and Tara Atkins, who both previously pleaded guilty to charges related to their conduct at the clinic, will be sentenced on a later date. Dr. James Chapman is presently awaiting trial.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Group, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Bartow/Cartersville Drug Task Force, Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; with special assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Kentucky State Police.
Assistant United States Attorneys G. Scott Hulsey, Cassandra J. Schansman, and Laurel R. Boatright prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Ephren Taylor, II, Leader of “Building Wealth Tour,” Arrested on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Ephren Taylor, II, has been arrested on a federal indictment charging him and another defendant with defrauding investors across the country of more than $5 million.
“Mr. Taylor came into our community, promising hard-working citizens a way to make their retirement money go farther,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The investments he pitched proved to be worthless, along with his promises.”
“This case demonstrates the wide-reaching effects of fraudulent investment schemes, its impact on innocent victims, our northern Georgia communities, and the importance of cooperation among our law enforcement partners to suppress this type of criminal activity," said Reginald Moore, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Atlanta Field Office.
“Illegal activity involving the investment industry has brought financial ruin to many Americans,” stated Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot, IRS Criminal Investigation. “The indictment of Mr. Taylor illustrates our commitment to pursuing those individuals who victimize investors, violate the public trust and enrich themselves financially at the expense of the investor.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: From at least April 2009 through October 2010, Ephren Taylor, II, then CEO of City Capital Corporation, and his co-defendant Wendy Connor, the former COO of City Capital Corporation, participated in a conspiracy to defraud investors. The scheme allegedly defrauded hundreds of investors of more than $5 million nationwide.
As part of the scheme, Taylor traveled around the country on a “Building Wealth Tour,” where he gave wealth management seminars to church congregations. During this tour, Taylor claimed to be a socially conscious investor and falsely claimed that 20% of profits were donated to charity. One of the churches on the “Building Wealth Tour” was the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga. While there, Taylor and Connor met potential investors to discuss possible investments. Over 80 individuals from Georgia lost more than $2 million because of Taylor’s scheme.
The investments pushed by Taylor included investing in promissory notes, where the funds invested would be used to support small businesses, such as laundries, juice bars, and gas stations. Taylor is alleged to have falsely represented the revenues and returns for these businesses knowing that they were not profitable.
Taylor also pushed an investment in sweepstakes machines. Sweepstakes machines are computers loaded with various games that allow players to win cash prizes. Taylor published offering materials that falsely claimed the average sweepstakes machine would generate 300% investor returns. He also stated that the sweepstakes machine investments were 100% risk free.
Taylor allegedly knew that the investments he was touting were not profitable and that investors were not receiving actual returns from their investments.
As part of the scheme, Taylor, 31, of Overland Park, Kan., encouraged investors to use self-directed IRAs to make their investments. Many victims transferred their retirement savings to trust companies that acted as custodians for self-directed IRAs, expecting these funds to be used to fund the investments pushed by Taylor.
After victims funded their self-directed IRAs, Taylor and others directed the use of those funds. The money allegedly was not invested as promised, but rather was used to pay ongoing business expenses of City Capital, pay personal expenses for Taylor, and in some limited instances, to pay supposed returns to earlier investors.
Taylor was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 10, 2014.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Huber is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Spalding County Battalion Chief and Firefighter Indicted for Tipping Off Drug DealersRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Dwayne Tyrone Coggins and Michael Owens have been arraigned on federal charges for tipping off drug traffickers to police activity in the Griffin area. Coggins and Owens were indicted by a federal grand jury on June 11, 2014.
“When called upon to assist the police, Coggins and Owens’ first instinct was to call the drug dealers to warn them," said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Now, they face federal charges for protecting drug dealers.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Many of today’s criminal investigations are complex in nature and often involve other jurisdictions and the assistance of other agencies. While the FBI values the partnerships of those agencies that provide us with so much assistance, the criminal conduct alleged in the federal indictment of these two Spalding County Firefighters cannot be tolerated.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Coggins has been employed by the Spalding County Fire Department since 1990 and, most recently, served as a Battalion Chief. Owens is also employed by the Spalding County Fire Department as a firefighter.
Police regularly gathered at the Spalding County Fire Department before scheduled police activity such as serving arrest warrants. In April and May 2014, both Coggins and Owens warned drug dealers about law enforcement activity in the area before it occurred. They were aware of the police activity because they had been informed by law enforcement about the investigation or had seen officers gathering near the fire station before serving warrants. Police became aware that Coggins and Owens were tipping off drug traffickers to law enforcement activities during the course of an on-going drug investigation.
Dwayne Tyrone Coggins, 47, and Michael Owens, 37, of Griffin, Ga., were arraigned today before Magistrate Judge Alan J. Baverman.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Kurt R. Erskine is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Newnan Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Career Offender Sentenced for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Steven L. Jackson has been sentenced today to 24 years and six months in prison for recidivist armed bank robber and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
“Jackson terrorized the bank employees, forcing them to lie face down on the floor of the bank while he pointed a gun at them,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “His long history of committing violent crimes merited the lengthy sentence that he received, and his removal from our community will make the Atlanta area a safer place.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The streets of our community will be much safer with today’s sentencing of Mr. Jackson as a career offender. The FBI will continue its investigative focus toward such repeat offenders that plague our communities and burden our criminal justice resources that have to deal with them.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: On Thursday, April 9, 2009, at approximately 8:20 a.m., Jackson entered BB&T Bank located at 6343 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, Ga. He entered the bank through a rear window prior to the bank opening for the day, but after employees had arrived. Jackson placed tape on the glass of one of the rear windows of the bank and then broke the glass. Once inside the bank, Jackson walked to the branch manager’s office and pointed a gun at him. Jackson ordered the manager and two more bank employees to take him to the vault where he stole $16,180.30 in United States currency. After taking the money, Jackson forced the employees to lie face down on the floor of the bank while he fled the scene.
Because Jackson has several prior convictions relating to robbery, he was sentenced as a Career Offender. His prior convictions include the following:
- A May 2, 1986, sentence of four years of imprisonment for robbery, arising from an October 29, 1984, arrest;
- A July 30, 1999, sentence of twenty years of imprisonment for robbery, arising from an October 30, 1996, arrest; and
- An October 10, 1997, sentence of eight years of imprisonment for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, arising from a May 9, 1997, arrest.
Jackson was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Steve C. Jones to 24 years and six months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $16,180.30. Jackson pleaded guilty on November 2, 2012, to the offenses of armed bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Two Brothers Charged with Preparing and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Frederick Jenkins and Willie Jenkins have been arraigned on federal charges that they conspired to prepare and file false federal tax returns that claimed over $1 million in tax refunds.
“Citizens trust that tax preparers will accurately prepare their returns,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Citizens also expect preparers to maintain the integrity of the tax system. Tax preparers who abuse the system for their own financial gain will be investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and, where appropriate, criminally prosecuted.”
“IRS special agents work year round to investigate and root out dishonest return preparers and protecting taxpayer money is a matter IRS takes extremely serious,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot. “It is also important to note that even if someone else prepares someone’s return, the taxpayer is ultimately responsible for all the information on the tax return. Therefore, choose your tax preparer carefully.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Since 2006, brothers Frederick and Willie Jenkins owned and operated Global Tax Service LLC (GTS), a tax preparation business with multiple locations throughout the Atlanta, Ga., area and in other states, including Alabama. During the tax years under investigation, 2008 through 2011, the Jenkins brothers allegedly prepared and filed false income tax returns for clients. The false items primarily consisted of fraudulent and fictitious business income and losses in order to inflate tax refunds.
Frederick Jenkins, 42, of Atlanta, Ga., and Willie Jenkins, 44, of Fairburn, Ga., were arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker. The Defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 20, 2014.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the Georgia Department of Revenue.
Assistant United States Attorneys Bernita B. Malloy and Nekia S. Hackworth are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.New York Man Charged with Selling Illegal Dietary Supplements OnlineRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Chenhsin Chan, a/k/a Paul Chan has been arraigned on federal charges of mail fraud, the introduction into interstate commerce of adulterated food, the knowing distribution of a listed chemical, and money laundering.
“Chan is charged with marketing and selling dietary supplements that he knew contained ephedrine which the FDA has determined creates unreasonable risks when used for dieting,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “By putting those unsafe products on the market, he put his customers at risk of illness. Public safety is our priority. We will protect our citizens and the marketplace through criminal prosecution, if necessary.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Chenhsin Chan owned and operated The Wholesale Source, LLC, a company that marketed and sold dietary supplements, primarily through affiliated websites including www.thatswholesale.com and www.ephedrawholesale.com.
From at least July 2005 through August 2012, Chan allegedly marketed and sold dietary supplements on his websites that contained ephedrine alkaloids. In April 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) published a final rule declaring dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids to be adulterated food because they present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury. Chan was allegedly warned by FDA investigators in June 2005 that it was illegal to sell dietary supplements containing ephedrine, but he continued to do so.
Chan’s websites allegedly made materially false and misleading claims concerning the use of ephedrine, such as that ephedrine has been approved by the FDA for treatment of any disease, and that ephedrine has “never been illegal.” These false claims were allegedly designed to lure customers into believing that it was legal to purchase dietary supplements containing ephedrine, when it was not. During the period of the scheme, Chan allegedly sold over $4.3 million in dietary supplements that were adulterated with ephedrine, including to customers in the Northern District of Georgia.
Chan is also charged with money laundering for using proceeds from the alleged mail fraud scheme to purchase real property in New York for over $1 million in cash and a 2012 Mercedes Benz for over $50,000 in cash. The indictment seeks criminal forfeiture of, among other things, the same real property and Mercedes Benz, as well as a 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo and over $666,000 in cash.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Steven D. Grimberg and Michael J. Brown are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Gwinnett College Agrees to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia has reached a settlement agreement with Gwinnett College to resolve an investigation into allegations that it violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) by not allowing an individual who has HIV to fully participate in its programs and classes.
“Despite years of education regarding HIV and AIDS, many people still encounter discrimination based on the stigma of this disability,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Our office will continue to devote resources to fight injustices for people with HIV.”The settlement resolves allegations arising from a complaint filed with the United States Attorney's Office that Gwinnett College would not allow an individual with HIV to participate in its Medical Assistant Program.
The Complainant applied for admission as a student in the Medical Assistant Program at Gwinnett College. As part of the enrollment process, Gwinnett College was informed that the Complainant has HIV. The College accepted the Complainant into the Program, and the Complainant successfully completed one quarter of courses. Only then did Gwinnett College tell the Complainant she could not continue in the program’s Medical Assistant Program because she was a safety risk to others. As a result of being forced from the Program of her choosing, the Complainant left Gwinnett College. Gwinnett College fully cooperated with the United States Attorney's Office to resolve the complaint.
Gwinnett College has agreed to make changes to its enrollment process, including removing questions related to HIV/AIDS on its application. The College has also agreed to draft new policies and procedures indicating that it does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of disability, including HIV. Based on the Agreement, Gwinnett College will conduct ADA training for all its employees, with a focus on HIV‑related discrimination. The College has also agreed to pay $23,000 to repay a portion of Complainant’s student loans, and compensate her for emotional distress, pain and suffering.
Title III of the ADA prohibits places of public accommodations, such as Gwinnett College, from excluding people with disabilities, including people with HIV, from participating in or benefitting from the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations.
Assistant United States Attorney Aileen Bell Hughes represented the United States in this matter.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jennifer Wynn has pleaded guilty to charges that she stole nearly $200,000 from the federal government by illegally receiving and spending her mother-in-law's Social Security benefits for nearly 20 years after her mother-in-law's death.
“The amount of money Wynn stole and her persistence in stealing for nearly 20 years shows her shameful disregard of the law,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Those who steal from federal entitlement programs are on notice that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This type of crime harms not only the federal government, but the proper beneficiaries of these programs.”
“Of all the ways in which criminals attempt to steal Social Security benefits, few are as shameless and as certain to be detected as concealing the death of a family member,” said Thomas Caul, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I’m grateful to the United States Attorney for her commitment to ensuring that these cases are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, preserving Social Security funds for those who need and deserve them.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Wynn's mother-in-law died in 1994. The defendant kept the deceased woman's bank account open, and the benefits, which were intended solely for her mother-in-law, were deposited into the account. Wynn used the money for her own personal expenses. Wynn attempted to conceal her mother-in-law’s death by writing checks to herself each month, and forging her mother-in-law's signature. In total, she received $195,304 in government benefits to which she was not entitled.
Sentencing for Wynn, 50, of Marietta, Ga., is scheduled for August 13, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. before United States District Judge Orinda D. Evans.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane Claire Schulman prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Buckhead Man Convicted for Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Steven E. Thompson has been convicted by a federal jury of sex trafficking of a juvenile, conspiring to do the same, and transportation for prostitution.
“This defendant maintained his lifestyle on money made through prostitution,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Thompson had no problem with sexually exploiting women, even going as far as forcing a homeless 17-year old to have sex with strange men for a place to sleep. Sex trafficking is despicable. Our office will use every asset available to eradicate this practice from our community.”
‘"The sale of under-aged girls for sex is a plague on our society and my agents will not rest while we know there are more victims out there being exploited by these 'pimps' who should be more accurately known as child rapists,” said Special Agent in Charge Brock D. Nicholson, head of Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta. “I am grateful to the GBI for joining us in this investigation and for their larger commitment to target the criminals engaging in sex trafficking in Georgia.”According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Thompson and his co-defendant, Tierra Waters, who pled guilty to conspiracy to sex-traffic a minor, lived in the Grandview Condominiums in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Ga. Thompson advertised his prostitution business on Backpage.com, posting advertisements inviting men to contact women for sex. The men then came to the Buckhead condo for sex or met the women at residences or hotels around Atlanta.
Between April and June of 2011, Thompson advertised a 17-year old refugee from West Africa for prostitution, falsely listing her age as 19 and 20. Because she came to the United States without her parents, the teen was at the mercy of various relatives and friends for shelter and support and went through frequent periods of homelessness. In February of 2011, the teen was declared a deprived child by the Clayton County, Ga., Juvenile Court and was placed in a temporary shelter. Her grandmother took custody of her, but soon left the country, leaving the teen to fend for herself. In April 2011, Thompson and Waters offered the homeless teenager a couch to sleep on while she waited to get into Job Corps.
After a few weeks, they told her that she would have to have sex with men for money or get out of the condo. For the next six weeks, the teen was forced to have sex with three to five men each night at the condo and other places around Atlanta, Ga. The teen was arrested in an undercover operation at the Intercontinental Hotel in Atlanta on June 11, 2011.
Men who think they are buying sex from a consenting adult may actually be contributing to sex trafficking of minors unwittingly. A customer testified at trial that he had found the minor on Backpage.com, not realizing she was underage. This witness also testified regarding threatening text messages he received from Thompson advising him of the teen's age and attempting to extort money from him.
In addition to the teen, Thompson, 43, who went by the name ‘Silk,’ also posted ads on Backpage.com for A.M., a prostitute from Washington, and F.F., a prostitute from Alabama. Thompson met A.M. on the Internet and invited her to come to Atlanta to work as a prostitute. In March 2011, A.M. flew from Seattle, Wash., to Atlanta. She moved in with Thompson and Waters and continued to engage in prostitution from the condo. Likewise, Thompson found F.F. on Backpage.com. Thompson told F.F. that she could make more money being a prostitute in Atlanta than she could in Alabama and convinced her to come to Atlanta in August 2011.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Susan Coppedge and Leslie J. Abrams prosecuted the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Former IRS Employee Sentenced for Identity Theft and Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Missy A. Sledge has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a fraud scheme she carried out using her position as an IRS employee.
“As an IRS employee for over twelve years, Sledge reviewed suspicious returns to protect the government from being victimized by fraud,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Instead, she used her IRS access to victimize 60 taxpayers, and cost the government over $500,000.00 in losses. Citizens file their taxes expecting government employees to handle their returns and trust that their information will be safe. Identity theft is a growing problem, one we combat daily.”
“The misuse of public office for private gain, especially by those employees who are entrusted with the fair and honest administration of our Nation’s tax laws, is a particularly heinous crime,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “In carrying out our duty to safeguard the integrity of the tax administration system, our office will continue to investigate vigorously allegations of corruption and to ensure that those responsible for misconduct are held accountable.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Sledge used her position as an IRS employee to carry out the scheme, which also involved the assistance of other individuals. In general, the other individuals would file fraudulent tax returns using the stolen identities of real taxpayers. These individuals would then provide the Social Security numbers associated with the fraudulent returns to Sledge. If the returns in question were routed to Sledge for review as part of her job, she would make sure that the fraudulent return payment was released by the IRS.
The scheme also involved some tax returns that were not fraudulent. Sledge would look for large, valid tax refunds pending in the IRS computer systems, and then provide the other individuals with information needed to fraudulently change the address of those taxpayers in the IRS systems. The valid refund would then be mailed to the address controlled by the individuals working with Sledge, rather than to the taxpayers' actual addresses. The individuals working with Sledge paid her a share of the proceeds from these activities.
As a result of Sledge's misconduct, a total of 60 taxpayers either had fraudulent tax returns filed or released using their social security numbers, or had valid refunds they were lawfully due redirected to criminals waiting to steal those refunds. The total loss to the government was $501,048.40, with a larger loss of $2,378,678.35 having been attempted, but rejected by the IRS before refunds were issued. Sledge's conduct continued until she was arrested at her desk at work on November 26, 2013.
Sledge, 47, of Atlanta, Ga., has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $501,048.40. Sledge was convicted on these charges on February 18, 2014, after she pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney Alana R. Black prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Armed Career Criminal SentencedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Demetrius Pullins, who has been convicted multiple times for illegal possession of both firearms and drugs, has been sentenced to 21 years and ten months.
“Pullins’ armed drug dealing had plagued the community for many years,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Despite three prior felony convictions for drug trafficking spanning two decades, he was unrepentant. This sentence ends Pullins’ ability to sell drugs in our community.”
“This sentence is a direct message to career criminals that law enforcement is observant and will not allow egregious violations of our laws to go unpunished,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Shaefer. “ATF and our law enforcement partners will remain on the frontline to reduce violent crime by targeting career criminals such as Pullins to ensure such violators are prosecuted and removed from our streets.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: After receiving a tip about a drug stash house located at 2020 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway (formerly Bankhead Highway), the Atlanta Police Department (APD) investigated the matter, observed a heavy volume of traffic coming to and from the residence and observed a car registered to Demetrius Pullins parked at the residence. After APD made undercover buys of ‘crack’ cocaine from this residence, a State Court Judge issued a warrant to search the residence. On December 14, 2012, APD executed the search warrant just as Pullins left the house. During the search, the police seized: two firearms, a scale, 931 grams of ‘crack’ cocaine in 485 bags, and $5,340 in United States currency. The ‘crack’ cocaine seized from Pullins had an estimated street value of $95,000. During his guilty plea Pullins claimed ownership of all of these items.
Pullins previous convictions were:
• May 19, 1994, he was sentenced to five years’ probation for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, arising from at November 27, 1993 arrest.
• May 19, 1994, he was sentenced to five years’ probation for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, arising from a January 5, 1994 arrest.
• August 28, 1996, he was sentenced to three years and ten months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
• August 28, 1996, after he was released from federal prison, he was sentenced to an additional two years in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release because he frequented a place where illegal drugs were sold.
• February 23, 2009 he was sentenced to a ten year suspended sentence for trafficking in cocaine.
Demetrius Pullins, a/k/a “Foosie,” 40, of Atlanta, Ga., was sentenced by United States District Court Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. to 21 years and ten months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit the $5,340 in drug proceeds seized from him. Pullins pleaded guilty on February 27, 2014, of possessing ‘crack’ cocaine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of firearms, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Plummer prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Two Federal Inmates Sentenced for Racially-Motivated MurderRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Donald R. LaFond, Jr., was sentenced today to life imprisonment, and Jason Robert Widdison was sentenced to 31 years and eight months in federal prison, for murdering a fellow prison inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta. Both defendants were convicted of second-degree murder after a jury trial on February 3, 2014.
“These defendants, members of a white supremacist prison gang, brutally murdered another inmate for not objecting to having an African-American cellmate,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Whether racially-motivated violence occurs on our streets or in our prisons, we will hold the perpetrators accountable.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Law and order within a correctional facility setting is paramount in protecting the safety and lives of not only those inmates living within the walls of the facility but also for those working there. The FBI will continue to provide investigative assistance to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons in ensuring that these inmates with gang or supremacy affiliations are held accountable for their violent actions.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: On March 1, 2011, LaFond and Widdison, both members of white supremacist prison gangs, were exercising inside the special housing unit recreation area of the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Ga. The victim, a white inmate who was not a gang member, joined the defendants in the area and attempted to make conversation and walk around with them.
After a short period of time, LaFond and Widdison suddenly began to punch the victim from both front and behind, knocking the victim to the ground. Both LaFond and Widdison then stomped on the victim’s head and neck, as many as ten times each. Corrections officers witnessed the incident and intervened. Both men complied with the officers’ orders to stop beating the victim, but by then, the victim was unconscious. The victim was taken to a hospital but never regained consciousness. As a result of his injuries, the victim died on April 5, 2011.
The evidence at trial showed that, in the weeks leading up to the assault, LaFond and Widdison expressed anger towards the victim because the victim refused to protest the fact that he had an African-American cellmate. The defendants pressured the victim to take any steps necessary to be reassigned to another cell. Further evidence showed that the victim refused to comply with the defendants’ demands and that the defendants regarded this refusal as a violation of their gang code.
Donald R. LaFond, Jr., 53, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Jason Robert Widdison, 35, of Morgan, Utah, were convicted by a jury of second-degree murder on February 3, 2014, after a week-long trial. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr., and will be served consecutively to the defendants’ current prison sentences.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nekia S. Hackworth and Brent Alan Gray prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Indictment Returned Against Mexico-Based Drug Ring Operating in the Atlanta AreaRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Seventeen members of a Mexico-based drug ring were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 28, 2014, on federal charges, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“These defendants are charged with using the metropolitan Atlanta area as their hub for the importation and distribution of millions of dollars’ worth of illegal deadly drugs,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “As a result of the tremendous cooperation between federal agencies and local law enforcement partners, this drug ring is now out of business.”
“This investigation unmasked a massive smuggling conspiracy involving staggering amounts of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine brought into Atlanta from the southwest border, and a significant amount of bulk cash destined for Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Brock D. Nicholson, head of Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta. “Thanks to a complex and coordinated effort by more than a dozen federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, we have been able to dismantle this transnational criminal network and bring these perpetrators to justice.”
“The attack on money laundering is an essential front in the war on narcotics,” stated Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “We will continue to unite with our law enforcement partners at the local, county, state and federal levels, and utilize every tool available to ensure that those who engage in these illegal activities are vigorously investigated and brought to justice.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Atenogenes Alvarado-Delgado was the alleged Mexico-based leader of this drug trafficking organization, and allegedly conspired with his brother, Jose Alvarado-Delgado, and associates, Reberiano Arroyo-Santana and Manuel Arroyo-Delgado, Jr., to import large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin into the Atlanta area from Mexico. The investigation revealed that this organization used passenger buses, owned by Alejandro Carmona, to transport the drugs from Mexico, across the border into the United States, and directly to the Atlanta area.
After unloading the narcotics-laden buses in local warehouses, Jose Antonio Pineda-Maldanado, Enrique Arroyo, Blanca Hernandez, Rufino Pineda-Perez, and Miguel Salinas would allegedly distribute the drugs in the Atlanta, Ga., area, as well as in Florida. Jose Cardenas-Garcia allegedly off-loaded drugs and loaded drug proceeds into elaborate concealed compartments in the buses. Rubi Torres-Aguilar, Yarely Pineda, and Reynaldo Maldonado-Guipes also allegedly transported drug proceeds on the buses in their suitcases. Alan Arnold Lopez allegedly supervised the border crossings of the buses and also traveled to the Atlanta area aboard at least one drug-filled bus.
Since October 2013, law enforcement has seized approximately 644 pounds of methamphetamine, 37 kilograms of heroin, 27 kilograms of cocaine, and $680,000 in drug proceeds, which include the following seizures:
- 39 pounds of methamphetamine seized on October 8, 2013, from Miguel Salinas after a traffic stop in Doraville, Ga.;
- 165 pounds of methamphetamine seized on October 11, 2013, pursuant to a search warrant of an apartment on Cleburne Parkway in Hiram, Ga.;
- 178 pounds of cocaine and heroin seized on October 11, 2013, pursuant to a search warrant of an apartment on Cumberland Pkwy in Cobb County, Ga.;
- $386,000 in drug proceeds seized on December 7, 2013, in Cuba, Ala. from suitcases transported on a passenger bus. The bus had departed Atlanta, Ga., en-route to Mexico;
- 132 pounds of methamphetamine seized on January 3, 2014, from Jose Antonio Pineda-Maldanado after a traffic stop in Austell, Ga.;
- Eleven pounds of methamphetamine seized on January 3, 2014, from an apartment on Jameson Pass in Alpharetta, Ga., which was used by the organization as a methamphetamine laboratory. Law enforcement had discovered the methamphetamine after an explosion at the apartment;
- 26 kilograms of heroin seized off a passenger bus at the U.S.-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas on January 20, 2014. The bus was destined for the Atlanta area from Mexico; and
- $277,490 in drug proceeds seized on March 19, 2014, from a passenger bus in Douglasville, Ga. The drug proceeds were concealed in false compartments within the bus frame.
Each of the following defendants has been arrested or located and will have an initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in Atlanta or in the district in which they were arrested: Atenogenes Alvarado-Delgado, 35, of Powder Springs, Ga.; Jose Alvarado-Delgado, 35, of Austell, Ga.; Reberiano Arroyo-Santana, 36, of Atlanta, Ga.; Jose Antonio Pineda-Maldanado, 22, of Smyrna, Ga.; Yarely Pineda, 22, of Smyrna, Ga.; Alejandro Carmona, 63, of Arlington, Texas; Jose Cardenas-Garcia, 48, of Kennesaw, Ga.; Alan Arnold Lopez, 24, of Mableton, Ga.; Blanca Hernandez, 41, of Alpharetta, Ga.; Ranferi Pineda, 24, of Norcross, Ga; Rufino Pineda-Perez, 48, of Lawrenceville, Ga.; and Miguel Salinas, 22, of Lawrenceville, Ga.
Law enforcement officers continue to search for Manuel Arroyo-Delgado, Jr., 23, of Sandy Springs, Ga.; Enrique Arroyo, 38, of Atlanta, Ga.; Reynaldo Maldonado-Guipes, 56, of Cumming, Ga.; Rubi Torres-Aguilar, 44, of Austell, Ga.; and one additional male known only as “Mocha.”
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The investigation and prosecution of this case is a coordinated effort through the David G. Wilhelm OCDETF Strike Force, led by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Cobb County Police Department, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Marietta Police Department, Powder Springs Police Department, Henry County Police Department, Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, DeKalb County Police Department, Newnan Police Department, Conyers Police Department, Gwinnett County Judicial Task Force, United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Herskowitz is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Former APS Chief Information Officer Sentenced for Taking KickbacksRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Former Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Jerome Oberlton was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison for conspiring to receive kickbacks in exchange for awarding a $780,000 contract to a computer vendor.
“Oberlton lined his own pockets at the expense of the APS students and teachers who depended on him,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “In a time when schools struggle to make the most of every dollar, Oberlton put his own greed before his obligation to protect scarce resources.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Oberlton’s sentence will afford him the opportunity to reflect upon his actions and should serve as a reminder to all who serve the public that manipulating the system for self-gain in this manner is not only wrong but criminal and that it will not be tolerated.”
“This sentence is a vital element in maintaining public confidence that this individual and others who commit similar crimes will be held accountable,” stated Special Agent in Charge, Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot. “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to addressing financial fraud at every level and is proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who engage in these illegal activities are vigorously investigated and brought to justice.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Oberlton, as APS’ CIO, had overall management responsibility for the APS information technology program. In January 2007, the school system issued a request for proposal (RFP) for a Data Warehousing (DW) project. The DW project was intended to centralize information relating to APS operations, including student information, so that it was maintained digitally in a secure, easily-accessible manner.
From the start of the project in January 2007, co-defendant Mahendra Patel and Oberlton conspired to influence the RFP process and, ultimately, caused the winning bidder to be selected in exchange for kickbacks paid to both. In order to hide the bribes, Oberlton created Global Technology Partners (GTP) and, later, Global Technology Services (GTS), funneling the bribe payments through these shell companies. Oberlton concealed his ownership of GTP and GTS from the school system, even when questions arose in 2007.
In contrast, the kickbacks to Patel were disguised as sales commissions for non-existent consulting work he supposedly performed for the shell companies. In reality, Patel acted as an intermediary, helping to negotiate the kickbacks to Oberlton from the vendor. The computer vendor ultimately paid approximately $60,000 in bribes to Oberlton over almost six months and, in return, the company received $780,000 in APS project work.
Oberlton was APS’ CIO between June 2004 and August 2007 and, most recently, was the Chief of Staff for the Dallas Independent School District before he resigned in May 2013, shortly after he was indicted.
Oberlton was sentenced to three years and five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $735,130. Oberlton was convicted on these charges on January 8, 2014, after he pleaded guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kurt R. Erskine and Jill Steinberg prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Five Defendants Charged with Illegally Importing Male Enhancement ProductsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Five defendants have been indicted on federal charges of conspiring to illegally import into the United States male enhancement products that contained the active ingredient in Viagra.
“These defendants are charged with importing mislabeled products that contained the active ingredient in Viagra which can only be obtained in the United States after being prescribed by a licensed physician,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “According to the indictment, they then distributed the products to retail outlets throughout the United States. The laws the defendants are charged with violating are intended to protect consumers from unknowingly using products that might cause serious side effects. Along with our law enforcement partners we will vigorously prosecute individuals who violate the food and drug laws in the way these defendants allegedly did.”
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the continued commitment of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations to aggressively pursue those who offer and sell unapproved and misbranded drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge David W. Bourne. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect consumers from these fraudulent and potentially dangerous products.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: The defendants imported from China male enhancement products with names such as, “Maxman,” “Herb Viagra,” “Rock Hard Weekend,” “Stiff Nights,” “Happy Passengers,” “Hard Ten Days” “Zhen Gongfu,” to sell throughout the United States. These products contained the same drug that is the active ingredient in Viagra. Because the products contained a drug that is only available in the United States when prescribed by a licensed physician, if the products were properly labeled, the Food and Drug Administration and United States Customs and Border Protection would have stopped the products from entering the United States. In order to evade import restrictions on the products, the defendants directed their suppliers to mislabel the boxes containing the products to make it appear that the boxes contained items that can be legally imported into the United States, such as beauty products, pottery, coffee, and tea. By causing the shipments to be mislabeled, the defendants were able to import the products illegally.
The defendants received the illegally imported products at multiple addresses in the Atlanta area. They rented storage units at different locations where they repackaged the products for distribution to wholesale and retail locations in the Atlanta area and throughout the United States. In order to evade detection by law enforcement authorities, the defendants moved their illegal operations regularly, used aliases, false addresses, and fake business names, and misrepresented the nature of their business when renting storage units and mail boxes.
In the past three years the defendants wire transferred more than $2 million in United States currency to bank accounts in China to pay for the illegally imported merchandise.Ismail Ali Khan, 26, of Decatur, Ga.; Arbab Salim, 27, of Stone Mountain, Ga.; Hardik Kumar Desai, 24, of Stockbridge, Ga.; and Natenael Zeyid, 34, of Clarkston, Ga., were arraigned today before Janet F. King, United States Magistrate Judge, on federal charges of conspiring to illegally import into the United States male enhancement products that contained the active ingredient in Viagra. Ahmed Ali Khan, 37, of Alabaster, Ala., was arrested in Alabama and will make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Alabama. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta, Ga., on May 28, 2014.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Investigations, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney William L. McKinnon, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Co-Founder of New Jersey Hedge Fund Indicted in Long-Running Carter’s Insider Trading ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Steven E. Slawson has been indicted by a federal grand jury for participating in a long-running insider trading conspiracy involving Carter’s, Inc. stock.
“The charges against Slawson reflect that for over five years, Slawson obtained a sneak preview of Carter’s not-yet-released quarterly and annual financial results and other confidential internal information,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “He is charged with buying and selling tens of thousands of shares of Carter’s stock ahead of the news to make illegal profits in the stock market. Insider trading simply isn’t worth it. Sooner or later, you will be brought to justice.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Insider trading laws are in place to prevent those on the inside from having unfair advantage over the public and to further the desire to have and maintain a transparent stock market. The FBI will continue to work with its partners at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the enforcement of these federal laws.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Carter’s, Inc. is a major children’s clothing company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Carter’s is a public company registered with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), and its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Slawson, 67, of Lebanon, N.J., was the co-founder of Titan Capital Management LLC., a hedge fund manager located in Parsippany, N.J. At Titan, Slawson co-managed a multimillion dollar portfolio of the securities of publicly-traded companies. Beginning in or about early 2005, and continuing through in or about July 2010, Slawson is alleged to have obtained inside information about Carter’s quarterly and annual financial results and other events in advance of the public announcement of the information. Slawson is alleged to have obtained the inside information from an individual identified in the indictment as “Cooperator Number 1,” who was working as a paid outside consultant to Titan. The indictment alleges that, at the time, Cooperator Number 1 was a retired equity research analyst formerly associated with the New York, New York office of a prominent global financial institution.
The indictment alleges that Slawson in turn caused Titan to execute transactions in Carter’s securities between early 2005 and July 2010 based on the inside information received from Cooperator Number 1, earning illegal profits and illegally avoiding losses for Titan. It further alleges that, in 2009 and 2010, Slawson also bought and sold Carter’s securities based on inside information in his own personal accounts, in addition to the hedge fund’s account.
According to the indictment, Cooperator Number 1 received the inside information from Eric M. Martin, who was employed as Carter’s head of Investor Relations between 2003 and March 2009. After Martin separated from Carter’s in March 2009, Martin is alleged to have obtained the inside information from Richard T. Posey, who was then employed as Carter’s Vice President of Operations. Martin in turn continued to provide the information to Cooperator Number 1 through July 2010. The indictment alleges further that, beginning in or about March 2010, Martin began providing the inside information to Slawson directly, in addition to providing it through Cooperator Number 1.
The May 20, 2014, grand jury indictment charges Slawson with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, 25 counts of securities fraud, and 9 counts of wire fraud. Based on current estimates, the government alleges that Slawson is responsible for illegal insider trading gains and losses avoided resulting from the conspiracy, his own trading, and relevant conduct in the amount of approximately $1.7 million. Today Slawson had his initial appearance on the indictment before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Janet F. King. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story for trial. A trial date has not yet been set.
Slawson is the fourth individual to be charged in a criminal investigation into insider trading in Carter’s stock, and the sixth person overall to be criminally charged in connection with the accounting fraud and insider trading investigations arising out of Carter’s October 27, 2009 earnings delay and multi-year financial restatement.
Eric M. Martin, 44, of Roswell, Ga., was indicted on November 7, 2012 for conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud in connection with his participation in an insider trading conspiracy and for his own insider trading in Carter’s stock between 2005 and 2009, while Martin was still employed as Carter’s head of investor relations. The conspiracy charge alleged that Martin repeatedly provided inside information about Carter’s to Cooperator Number 1 ahead of the company’s earnings releases and other events between 2005 and 2009. This included tipping Cooperator Number 1 about Carter’s May 2005 acquisition of competitor Oshkosh B’Gosh before the news became public. Martin pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on December 8, 2012.
Richard T. Posey, 53, of Duluth, Ga., was charged by Criminal Information and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud on June 19, 2013. The conspiracy charge against Posey related to his disclosure of insider information to Martin ahead of quarterly and annual earnings releases and other events between early 2009 and July 2010, after Martin’s separation from Carter’s.A third individual, Mark Megalli, 42, of New York, N.Y., was charged by Criminal Information and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud on November 15, 2013. The conspiracy charge against Megalli related to trades that Megalli executed in Carter’s securities between September 2009 and July 2010 on behalf of multibillion dollar New York hedge fund Level Global Investors LP, based on inside information that he received from Martin. At that time, Megalli was employed as the portfolio manager for Level Global’s consumer sector. The illegal trading included Level Global’s liquidation of an approximately $9 million position in Carter’s stock in the days leading up to the October 27, 2009 earnings delay announcement.
Sentencing for Martin, Megalli, and Posey is scheduled for July 8, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys David M. Chaiken and Stephen H. McClain are prosecuting the case.
The Atlanta Regional Office of the SEC has conducted a separate investigation into potential civil violations of the U.S. securities laws relating to insider trading in Carter’s stock. In connection with its investigation, the SEC has filed civil enforcement actions against multiple individuals.
Carter’s, Inc. is cooperating in the investigation.
Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Employee of Dunbar Armored, Inc. Sentenced for Role in Armored Truck RobberiesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Veronica Bullard has been sentenced to three years and nine months in federal prison for her role in the commission of a series of armored truck robberies in the Atlanta area between October 2010 and March 2011.
“Bullard chose to endanger many of her co-workers’ lives as well as guards from other armored car companies,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The inside information she gained in her position at Dunbar Armored, Inc., a local armored truck service, fueled a crime spree that left one man dead and another seriously injured. She thought nothing of the escalating violence in each attack. Instead, she continued to abuse her position and access to information all motivated by pure greed. Bullard deserves time in prison, and will now get it.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “This defendant’s actions were despicable and her betrayal to her employer and the courier industry as a whole led to the injury of one courier and the fatal shooting of Garda courier Gary Castillo. Today’s sentencing will not only hold Ms. Bullard accountable for those actions but will give her much opportunity to reflect on the great harm to others that those actions caused.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: The defendant, Veronica Bullard, was an employee of Dunbar Armored in 2010. Bullard provided information to co-defendants Quentin Booker and Stacey Dooley about the location and amount of cash handled during Dunbar Armored cash pick-ups. This information was used them to plan and to execute multiple robberies of Dunbar Armored couriers. During the robberies, one or two gunmen would approach a courier after the courier made a cash pick-up from a location, or as the courier was about to restock an ATM machine with cash. Other members of the robbery crew would act as lookouts during the robberies, with one acting as the designated getaway driver.
The information Bullard provided to the robbers was also used to target couriers from other armored car companies. As the number of robberies escalated, so did the level of violence. In fact, during the robbery of a Loomis Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on January 21, 2011, at a Wells Fargo Bank located in Stone Mountain, Ga., co-defendant Ashley Henderson shot and seriously injured the courier. During the robbery of a Garda Cash Logistics courier outside the Kroger Grocery Store located on LaVista Road in DeKalb County, Ga., Ashley Henderson fatally shot the courier, Gary Castillo, after Castillo made a cash pick-up of $11,000 from the store. Altogether, members of this robbing crew were responsible for six robberies involving thefts of over $470,000.
The evidence established that Bullard and her co-conspirators were specifically involved in the commission of the following robbery:
- The robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier just after he made a cash pick-up on October 7, 2010, at the Mex America Latino Services located in Marietta, Ga.
- The evidence further established that Bullard’s co-conspirators were involved in the commission of the following additional robberies:
- The robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on November 11, 2010, at a Bank of America located in Buford, Ga.;
- The robbery of a Loomis Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on November 29, 2010, at a Wells Fargo Bank located in Snellville, Ga.;
- The robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier who was heading to an ATM machine to restock it with cash inside the Mall of Georgia on December 7, 2010;
- The robbery of a Loomis Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on January 21, 2011, at a Wells Fargo Bank located in Stone Mountain, Ga.; and
- The robbery of a Garda Cash Logistics courier on March 15, 2011, outside the Kroger Grocery Store located on LaVista Road in DeKalb County, Ga.
Bullard was sentenced to three years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $104,694 in restitution. Bullard pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery (armed robbery of a Dunbar courier).
In addition to Bullard, the following defendants have also entered guilty pleas as a result of their role in the robberies:
- Ashley Henderson, 30 of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to five counts of Hobbs Act robbery (armed robbery of the couriers) and three counts of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison.
- Stacey Dooley, 37, originally from Charlotte, NC, pleaded guilty to six counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
- Quentin Booker, 36, of Douglasville, Ga., pleaded guilty to five counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
- Edwin Thornton, 31, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 15 years and 10 months in prison.
- Michael Johnson, 31, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
- Ronnie Little, 22, of Stone Mountain, Ga., pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison.
- Desiree Jones, 29, of Snellville, Ga., pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully transferring a firearm knowing it would be used in a crime of violence and received a sentence of five years in federal prison.
- Derrick Powell, 26, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18, 2014.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with significant assistance and resources provided by the Gwinnett Police Department. Other departments providing invaluable assistance were the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office, the DeKalb County Police Department, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office, the Marietta Police Department, and the Cobb County District Attorney's Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tracia M. King and Jill E. Steinberg are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Margie Sue Goad has pleaded guilty in federal court to theft of government funds for stealing her granddaughter's Social Security benefits.
“The defendant was her granddaughter’s only family. She betrayed the child by relinquishing her into state custody and then stealing her benefits” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Goad’s guilty plea cannot undo the harm done to her granddaughter. It does, however, show our commitment to justice and it should serve as a deterrent to others.”
“Stealing Social Security benefits intended for the care of a child is a shameful, selfish crime,” said Thomas Caul, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I’m gratified to see this defendant brought to justice and grateful to the U.S. Attorney for ensuring that Ms. Goad’s actions did not go unpunished. Hopefully others charged with the care of children, and receiving Social Security benefits to provide that care, will take notice that there are serious consequences for violating that trust.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Marie Goad was appointed representative payee for her minor granddaughter’s Title II Social Security Survivor’s Benefits and Title XVI Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in September 2002. She was required to use these benefits solely for the care and support of her granddaughter. Her granddaughter began receiving SSB from her deceased father's account in 1994, and SSI in 2001. Goad was required to complete yearly reports for the Social Security Administration (SSA) confirming that her granddaughter resided with her.
Goad did not notify SSA that she relinquished permanent physical and legal custody of her granddaughter to DFACS in 2002, and that the child was growing up in foster care and group homes. Instead, Goad continued to receive her granddaughter's benefits money, and spent the money on herself, and not on the child.
Sentencing for Goad, 68, of Dalton, Ga., is scheduled for July, 31, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. before United States District Judge Robert L. Vining Jr.
This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Rome Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Former Coca-Cola Employee Sentenced to Prison for Corporate FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jeffrey David Shamp, a former Senior National Account Executive with The Coca-Cola Company, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for siphoning over $400,000 in corporate American Express gift checks for his personal use.
“Corporate employees who steal hurt their employer, fellow colleagues, their customers, and the community,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “By putting his personal gain above all else, Shamp has earned this time in federal prison.”
“The United States Secret Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to take an aggressive approach to arresting individuals who violate the trust of businesses to further their personal financial gain,” said Reginald G. Moore, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office.
“This sentence is a message to others that there are consequences for taking what doesn’t belong to you,” stated Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge. “Individuals cannot fraudulently enrich their bank accounts and expect to go unpunished.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Jeffrey Shamp worked for The Coca-Cola Company from approximately July 2002 to November 2011, most recently as a Senior National Account Executive based in Massachusetts. In his position, Shamp was authorized to order American Express (AMEX) gift checks to be used as part of a sales incentive program for Coca-Cola’s customers. From approximately November 2005 through September 2011, Shamp fraudulently obtained AMEX gift checks under the false pretense that the checks would be used as part of Coca-Cola’s sales incentive program, when in fact Shamp used them to pay for over $400,000 in personal expenses, including alimony and rent payments, and as gifts to friends and relatives.
Shamp, 40, of Cincinnati, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before United States District Court Steve C. Jones on February 27, 2014. In addition to his two year and three month sentence, Shamp was ordered to pay $411,550 in restitution to The Coca-Cola Company.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Grimberg prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
Former Murray County Judge IndictedRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. – Former Murray County Chief Magistrate Judge Bryant L. Cochran has been indicted for sexually assaulting a county employee, for framing a woman who alleged that she had been sexually propositioned by Cochran, and for tampering with a witness.
“Cochran is charged with crimes that reflect that he completely abused the power and trust given to him by the people of Murray County,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “First, he attempted to use his judicial position to solicit sexual favors from a female citizen. And, once the alleged misconduct came to light, Cochran tried to use his power and influence to cover up the incident by having the citizen framed for drug possession and by tampering with a witness.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “This latest indictment brings to light additional details of an orchestrated scheme full of false allegations lodged against one citizen but, in the end, costing the careers and reputations of those public servants making them. The FBI will continue to work with its various law enforcement partners in investigating all matters regarding public corruption.”
“It is important for citizens to have confidence in public officials, especially those entrusted with upholding and enforcing the law. The indictment of Cochran shows that people in these positions will be held accountable when they are involved in criminal activity. The GBI is committed to work with our federal partners to insure those in a position of trust are held accountable,” said Vernon Keenan, Director, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: From January 1, 2004 to August 15, 2012, Bryant Cochran served as the Chief Magistrate Judge in Murray County, Ga. In that position, Cochran sexually assaulted a Murray County employee and unlawfully searched the personal cellular telephone of another Murray County employee.
In addition, on April 9, 2012, Cochran met with a female citizen regarding a legal matter. During the meeting, Cochran made inappropriate sexual advances towards the citizen. By mid-July 2012, the allegations of Cochran’s sexual misconduct towards the citizen had become public. In response, Cochran called several local police officers providing them with a “tip” – that the citizen carried drugs in her vehicle.
In an effort to discredit the citizen, on or about August 12, 2012, Clifford J. Joyce (who was a tenant of Cochran’s and who has been convicted of conspiring to distribute a controlled substance) planted a metal tin containing five packets of methamphetamine under the fender of the citizen’s car.
Two days later, on August 14, 2012, Murray County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Joshua Greeson (who has since been convicted of witness tampering) conducted a traffic stop on a car occupied by the citizen. During the traffic stop, several officers and a police drug dog searched the car for approximately 15 to 20 minutes – but did not find any drugs. Thereafter, Captain Michael Henderson (who is Cochran’s cousin and who has also been convicted of witness tampering) had an approximately two minute telephone conversation with Cochran. Following that call, Henderson told an officer at the scene that according to his information; the citizen hid her drugs in a magnetic box under the left, rear tire well. Upon receiving that information, Greeson found the metal box magnetically attached to the car in that precise location. Inside the box, Greeson recovered five small packets containing methamphetamine. Greeson then told the citizen that he had recovered drugs from her car. At that point, the citizen stated that she had been set up. Despite this, Greeson arrested the citizen and transported her to jail.
On August 15, 2012, the day after the arrest, Cochran resigned his position as Murray County’s Chief Magistrate Judge. On August 22, 2012, Joyce admitted to law enforcement officers that he planted drugs – after which the local District Attorney dismissed the charges against the woman. Finally, in an apparent effort to cover up the framing of the woman, Cochran tried to persuade a witness to provide false information to law enforcement officers.
On May 13, 2014, a federal grand jury indicted Cochran, 44, of Chatsworth, Ga. for: (1) Conspiracy against Rights; (2) Deprivation of Rights under Color of Law, (3) Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and (4) Tampering with a Witness. The most serious of the charges carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis and William L. McKinnon Jr. are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Rome Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Rapper Gucci Mane Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms CrimeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Radric Davis, a/k/a Gucci Mane, who is a previously convicted felon, has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a gun.
“Davis has a long history of violence and of illegally possessing and using guns," said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “This Office will prosecute those who illegally possess firearms, especially when, as Davis did, they have a history of violence and threaten others with firearms. Our priority is to take violent repeat offenders off our streets to build safer communities.”
“The criminal history of the defendant, Radric Davis shows a complete and utter disregard for the lives of others as well as for their personal pursuits,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Aladino Ortiz. “As an agency and unified law enforcement community, we will not tolerate armed violent felons continually terrorizing and reducing the quality of life in the neighborhoods where we live, work, and play.”
“The Atlanta Police Department is constantly working to prevent and solve crime in the City of Atlanta. The arrest and conviction of Mr. Radric Davis ensures that we are one step closer to making Atlanta the safest big city in the nation. Our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office is the best example of how we all work together to keep criminals in prison and off our streets”, said Atlanta Police Chief George N. Turner.
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: On Sept. 14, 2013, the Atlanta Police Department received a call from a concerned citizen, who told police that Davis was acting violent and had a handgun. Police found the defendant on the street, smelling strongly of marijuana, with a Glock, 40 cal. handgun loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition in his possession. When police arrived, Davis was waving the handgun and making threatening comments.
As part of the plea agreement, the district court, upon accepting the plea, will sentence Davis, 34, of Atlanta, Ga. to serve 39-months in a federal prison for his crime. Sentencing has been set for July 28, 2014, at 11:30 a.m., before United States District Court Judge Steve C. Jones.
This case is being investigated by the Atlanta Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Assistant United States Attorney Kim S. Dammers is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Cobb County Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Corey Charles Plunkett has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for distributing a pornographic image of his one-year-old daughter to an undercover law enforcement officer.
“Distribution of child pornography is in and of itself a heinous crime,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “This case is all the more disturbing because the victim was the defendant’s one-year-old daughter. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who exploit our children.”
“J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The FBI has, for many years, not only investigated those who would sexually exploit children, but has also helped to educate the public and parents on how to better protect their children. To see a case, such as this, where the child’s father was sexually exploiting his own child leaves many of our seasoned investigators without words.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the criminal indictment, and information presented in court: On September 26, 2013, a law enforcement officer in Ohio was engaged in an undercover investigation identifying subjects involved in the on-line victimization of children using two chat rooms known for attracting individuals with a sexual interest in children. He was contacted by a subject later identified as Corey Charles Plunkett. Plunkett wrote that he had a one year old daughter and asked whether a one year old was too young for sexual activity. He also stated that he wanted his daughter to perform oral sex. Shortly thereafter, Plunkett sent an image of himself, a non-pornographic image of his daughter, and later that day a pornographic image of his daughter to the undercover officer. During the execution of a search warrant at the defendant’s home in Cobb County, Ga., police seized Plunkett’s phone and located the image that Plunkett had sent to the undercover officer.
Plunkett, 27, of Marietta, Ga., was sentenced by United States District Judge Steve C. Jones to 12 years in prison to be followed by supervised release for life. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. The defendant will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cobb County Police Department.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims.
Assistant United States Attorney Jill E. Steinberg prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
Sovereign Citizen Convicted on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jermaine Eric Gibson has been convicted by a federal jury of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in connection with his illegal occupation of a foreclosed property as a “sovereign citizen.”
“Sovereign citizens do not believe that laws apply to them except when it is to their benefit,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “This conviction demonstrates that our laws do apply to everyone. If you violate the law, you will be prosecuted.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Individuals and even groups who feel that our laws don’t apply to them can pose a more significant risk to law enforcement, particularly when they illegally arm themselves. The conviction in federal court of Mr. Gibson, a self-described sovereign citizen, is a clear reminder that he is not above the law.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In March 2013, Jermaine Gibson, a self-professed sovereign citizen, moved into a foreclosed home located in an upscale, gated community in Lithonia, Ga. The home, however, was under contract to be sold, and the Gibson was not the buyer. Gibson declared ownership of the property after he filed a deed in DeKalb County, Ga., in which he claimed that he had deeded the home to himself. After he moved into the residence, he changed the locks on the doors and posted a warning to real estate agents to stay off the property.
While Gibson was in the home, several people observed long-barreled guns at that residence. Efforts to convince Gibson to vacate the property failed. The real estate agent called the police to the residence, but was told that the matter was a civil matter. The homebuyer went to the residence and spoke to Gibson. When asked to leave because the homebuyer would be closing soon, Gibson refused to leave. Gibson told the homebuyer that someone lied to her because she would not be moving into that home.
The home was sold in April 2013, but the new buyer could not move into her home because Gibson still remained in the home. The bank and the homeowner joined together to file paperwork in DeKalb County to have Gibson evicted. In the meantime, warrants were obtained in DeKalb County for Gibson’s arrest.
On May 2, 2013, Gibson, 36, of Atlanta, Ga., was arrested and a search warrant was executed at the residence. During the search, officers found a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver in Gibson's bed. Because Gibson is a convicted felon, he cannot legally possess a firearm.
During the trial, agents testified that in a post-arrest interview, Gibson declared that the laws of the government do not apply to him. He advised further that he possessed the handgun for protection.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 29, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. before United States District Judge Thomas W. Thrash.This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Tracia King is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Shooter One of Two Defendants Sentenced in Series of Armored Truck Robberies That Left One Person DeadRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Ashley Henderson has been sentenced to 75 years and Stacey Dooley has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for committing a series of armored truck robberies in the Atlanta area between October 2010 and March 2011.
“The sentencing of these two defendants closes one chapter on a disturbingly violent robbery crew that had all Atlanta area law enforcement on high alert back in 2010 and 2011,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “These robberies grew increasingly violent and dangerous not only to armored car couriers, but to the public who had the misfortune to be nearby. The dismantling and sentencing of this robbery crew makes our district a safer place, and the long prison terms provide justice for the truly senseless murder of Mr. Castillo.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The sentencing of both Dooley and Henderson removes two violent career criminals from our streets. While the FBI is pleased with the role it played in bringing these two individuals to justice, our thoughts and prayers remain with those harmed in the wake of this violent crime spree, particularly the family of mortally wounded Garda courier Gary Castillo.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: The defendants, Ashley Henderson and Stacey Dooley, were part of a group that robbed armored car couriers between October 7, 2010, and March 30, 2011. During the robberies, one or two gunmen would approach a courier after the courier made a cash pick-up from a location or as the courier was about to restock an ATM machine with cash. Other members of the robbery crew would act as lookouts during the robberies, with one being the designated getaway driver. During a robbery in January 2011, Henderson shot the victim courier multiple times at close range, critically injuring him. In March 2011, Henderson shot the victim courier multiple times, which resulted in the victim’s death. Altogether, members of this crew were responsible for six robberies involving over $470,000.
The evidence established that Henderson, Dooley, and their co-conspirators, were involved in the commission of the following robberies:
- The robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier just after he made a cash pick-up on October 7, 2010, at the Mex America Latino Services located in Marietta, Ga.
- The robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on November 11, 2010, at a Bank of America located in Buford, Ga.
- The robbery of a Loomis Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on November 29, 2010, at a Wells Fargo Bank located in Snellville, Ga.
- The robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier who was heading to an ATM machine to restock it with cash inside the Mall of Georgia on December 7, 2010.
- The robbery of a Loomis Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on January 21, 2011, at a Wells Fargo Bank located in Stone Mountain, Ga. Ashley Henderson shot and seriously injured the courier during the robbery.
- The robbery of a Garda Cash Logistics courier outside the Kroger Grocery Store located on LaVista Road in DeKalb County, Ga. Ashley Henderson fatally shot the courier, Gary Castillo, after Castillo made a cash pick-up of $11,000 from the store.
Henderson pleaded guilty to five counts of Hobbs Act robbery (armed robbery of the couriers) and three counts of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. Dooley pleaded guilty to six counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
In addition to Henderson and Dooley, the following persons have also entered guilty pleas as a result of their role in the robberies:
- Quentin Booker, 36, of Douglasville, Ga., pleaded guilty to five counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
- Edwin Thornton, 31, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
- Derrick Powell, 26, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
- Michael Johnson, 31, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
- Ronnie Little, 22, of Stone Mountain, Ga., pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
- Veronica Bullard, 35, of Lithia Springs, Ga., pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery.
Desiree Jones, 29, of Snellville, Ga., pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully transferring a firearm knowing it would be used in a crime of violence and received a sentence of five years in federal prison.
Henderson, 30, of Atlanta, Ga., was sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., to 75 years in prison to be followed by five years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay an $800 special assessment. Dooley, 37, originally from Charlotte, NC, was sentenced to 40 years in prison on April 16, 2014 to be followed by five years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay an $800 special assessment.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with significant assistance and resources provided by the Gwinnett Police Department. Other departments providing invaluable assistance were the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office, DeKalb County Police Department, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office, Marietta Police Department, and the Cobb County District Attorney's Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jill E. Steinberg and Tracia M. King are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
English Language School Owner Sentenced for Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Dong Seok Yi, the former head of College Prep Academy in Duluth, Ga., and a co-conspirator have been sentenced for bringing illegal aliens into the country and issuing them fraudulent immigration documents.
“This defendant’s fraud scheme exploited a federal program that offers valuable educational opportunities to foreign students, and he instead took advantage of this program for his own personal gain,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “It’s especially disappointing when someone victimizes a program like this that is designed to give foreign students a beneficial educational experience.”
“The Student and Visitor Exchange Program provides foreign students with a valuable opportunity to be educated in the United States,” said Brock D. Nicholson, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Atlanta. “By abusing the system to disguise workers as students, the defendant and his co-conspirators sought to enrich themselves and have damaged the educational experience of their legitimate students. HSI and our partners at the FBI will continue to work together to bring those who attempt to undermine the integrity of our immigration system to justice.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “These defendants took advantage of the generous student studies programs offered by the United States to instead engage in alien smuggling. This sentencing will afford these defendants the time and opportunity to reflect upon their criminal actions.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Dong Seok Yi was the President and CEO of an English language school named College Prep Academy (CPA). He also owns the Korean Times Atlanta, a newspaper company. In 2009, Yi filed an application with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Student and Exchange Visitor Program, and obtained approval for CPA to enroll foreign-born students and issue I-20 forms, which enable students to stay in the United States. Foreign-born students who are issued I-20s from universities and other institutions of higher education can get F-1 student visas permitting them to remain in the United States during the time of their schooling.
Once Yi obtained Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification for CPA, he and his co-defendants began facilitating the issuance of F-1 student visas to foreign-born individuals who were not entitled to, or eligible for, the visas. Yi conspired with Korean bar owners to enroll females into the school with the understanding that the females would not attend classes as required but would instead work in the bars, which are also known as room salons. CPA issued the females fraudulent I-20s that included false financial information.
Co-defendant Sook An Kil, a/k/a Stacy Kil, 42, of Duluth, Ga., who was the Academic Coordinator and Designated School Official for CPA, signed the I-20s under penalty of perjury. She also certified in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a computerized system maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, that CPA’s “students” were active and attending class even though many never attended. Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records show that the school claimed enrollment of up to 100 students when less than half that number were attending class. Many simply began living and working in the country after obtaining a student visa from CPA.
Yi, 53, of Duluth, Ga., and co-defendant Chang Seon Song, 52, of Suwanee, Ga., the former Academic Director for CPA, referred individuals to another co-defendant, Sang Houn Kim a/k/a Chris Park, 54, of Diamond Bar, Calif., to obtain false documents to support their F-1 visa applications. Kim manufactured and provided fraudulent passports, I-94 forms, school transcripts, bank statements, family registries, and other false documents to illegal immigrants to use in support of applications for F-1 visas. Kim charged the aliens thousands of dollars for the fraudulent documents. Yi and CPA profited by charging thousands in quarterly tuition payments for maintaining the immigrant on the student rolls.
Yi was sentenced to one year, ninth months in prison. Kim was sentenced to one year in prison by United States District Judge Orinda D. Evans. Both defendants were sentenced to three years of supervised release. The Court also ordered the forfeiture of $36,867 from the bank accounts associated with the school, which were seized at the time of the defendants’ arrests and the execution of a federal search warrant at the school. On February 7, 2014, Yi was convicted of immigration document fraud after pleading guilty. On January 8, 2014, Kim was convicted of conspiring to commit immigration document fraud after pleading guilty.
Song and An Kil are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Evans on July 1, 2014, at 3:00 p.m. Both have pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit immigration document fraud. In determining the sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen H. McClain, Susan Coppedge, and G. Jeffrey Viscomi are prosecuting the case.
This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Given the enforcement action against College Prep Academy’s owner, designated school official, and academic director, investigators have been working with the U.S. Department of State – Consular Affairs Section to provide legitimate and prospective students with information regarding their options for maintaining their F-1 status. Students were given the option of enrollment and transfer to another accredited educational program or returning to their home countries voluntarily.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Information Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
Man Sentenced for Cedartown CarjackingRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Rodney Scott Blankenship has been sentenced for carjacking a Cedartown woman at gun point on August 31, 2012.
“This Defendant showed no regard for who he might have injured or killed during his crime spree,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The violent carjacking and police chase started in northwest Georgia, and the significant sentence appropriately reflects the serious danger he caused to both citizens and police.”
“This sentence is another reminder that ATF remains on the frontline of preventing violent crimes along with our law enforcement partners,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Shaefer. “We will not allow residents to suffer such criminal behavior, especially that which threatens the safety of innocent civilians and law enforcement officers.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Rodney Scott Blankenship took a Cedartown woman's car at gunpoint on the evening of August 31, 2012. During the course of the carjacking, he twice pointed his gun at the woman's boyfriend and pulled the trigger. Fortunately for all, on both occasions, the gun failed to discharge. The woman's boyfriend called 911, and when law enforcement arrived on the scene Blankenship fled in the woman's car, ramming a Cedartown patrol car in the process. Blankenship then led police on a high speed chase until he crashed the vehicle. After crashing the vehicle he attempted to flee the police on foot, but was apprehended.
Blankenship, 31, of Cedartown, Ga., has been sentenced by United States District Judge Harold L. Murphy, to 17 years, four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Blankenship was convicted on these charges on December 6, 2013, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney Matthew S. Carrico prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Rome Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Former Fulton County Deputy Pleads Guilty to Soliciting KickbacksRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Former Fulton County Deputy Sheriff Reginald Warren pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he demanded bribe payments from security officers assigned to work at the City of Atlanta's public swimming pools.
“Those who work within the law enforcement community must maintain the public’s trust and respect,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “By entering his guilty plea, he acknowledges he violated his oath of office and betrayed those he promised to protect.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The integrity of those working within our law enforcement community is paramount in maintaining a criminal justice system that the public can trust. The FBI will continue to dedicate significant investigative resources toward such public corruption matters that have the potential to do so much harm.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: During the summer of 2011, while Warren was employed as a deputy with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, he contracted with the City of Atlanta to coordinate and supervise security at the City’s public swimming pools. In that capacity, Warren hired a number of security officers and, scheduled them to work various shifts at pools located throughout the city. Soon after the officers were hired, Warren demanded payments from at least three officers in exchange for continuing to schedule them for more work. Over a three-month period, Warren, 50, of Covington, Ga., accepted thousands of dollars in kickbacks.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Brent Alan Gray is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Apollo Nida Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Apollo E. Nida has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail, wire and bank fraud in a complex scheme spanning over four years, harming over 50 victims, and causing over $2.3 million in losses.
“This defendant participated in a sweeping fraud scheme that exploited many segments of the financial system, including phony claims submitted to federal and state agencies, loans secured by vehicles, and even basic identity theft associated with stolen checks,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The extensive nature of the fraud is unfortunate and breathtaking. Prosecutions like this case help to highlight the vulnerabilities in the financial system, so that we can prevent future schemes and protect our citizens and government agencies from theft like this.”
“Nida and his conspirators were conniving and creative in their scheme to steal victims’ identities and defraud them. The United States Secret Service will continue to adapt its investigative methodologies to arrest criminals who use their technological savvy to violate unsuspecting victims such as those in this case,” said Reginald G. Moore, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office.
“Many everyday citizens, legitimate businesses and taxpayers have been victimized by this complicated and long running fraudulent scheme. After an intensive investigation with the cooperation of federal, state and local law enforcement, we are very pleased to at long last see this criminal brought to justice,” said John D. Sours, Administrator, Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection.
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning in August 2009, Nida, 35, of Atlanta, Ga., and others conspired to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud. The conspirators obtained stolen checks by stealing them or buying them from other criminal associates. The stolen checks involved in the scheme included United States Treasury Checks, as well as checks stolen from the pension fund of Delta Airlines. Additionally, the conspirators obtained funds by filing fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and making fraudulent claims against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and at least eleven states, all in the names of victims whose identities had been stolen.
Many of these checks were mailed to a large network of mailboxes rented by the conspirators at UPS Stores in the Northern District of Georgia and throughout the nation, for eventual forwarding to the conspirators. The conspirators also obtained fraudulent auto loans secured by vehicles that they had no ownership interest in whatsoever. To convince banks to issue these loans, Nida and his conspirators created fake documents and websites appearing to belong to legitimate auto dealerships.
Once the conspirators obtained the stolen checks, they laundered them through numerous victim financial institutions. Often, the conspirators laundered the checks by opening bank accounts in the names of the payees listed on the face of the checks. This involved impersonating each payee and stealing his or her identity. The conspirators prepared for these impersonations by researching their victims using databases like LexisNexis and Equifax, to which they obtained access through fake collection agencies they had opened as part of the scheme. Sometimes, the conspirators negotiated checks by laundering them in bulk through accounts which appeared to belong to legitimate businesses, such as one in the name “Signature Tax Collections.”
The illegal conduct ended only when agents of the U.S. Secret Service confronted Nida and seized his laptop computer, pursuant to a search warrant, on September 13, 2013.
Assistant United States Attorney Alana R. Black is prosecuting the case.
This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Alabama Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Traveling to Have Sex with Two BoysRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Joseph Franklin Ellis has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for traveling from Alabama to Georgia to meet an undercover agent who said that he had 12-year-old and 5-year-old boys available for sex.
“Ellis made a decision to prey on innocent and vulnerable children when he traveled to have sex with them,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Because he was making the arrangements through an undercover officer, Ellis was stopped and his quest to molest children was ended. These types of crimes are unimaginable and those who believe they can evade the law while carrying on this type of crime will learn as he did, you will be caught and you will go to jail.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “This case demonstrates the need to remain vigilant with regard to the protection of our children. The FBI is committed to identifying, investigating, and presenting for prosecution individuals who have demonstrated the desire to exploit and harm children.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In February 2011, an undercover FBI task force officer placed a notice on a website designed for people to meet others for sexual purposes, saying that he had access to two minor boys. Joseph Ellis began communicating with the undercover officer and believed that the officer had a 12-year-old boy and a 5-year-old boy that he would make available for sex. Ellis wrote that he wanted to meet the undercover officer for the express purpose of having sex with the boys. The two eventually made arrangements to meet on May 30, 2011, at a Hampton Inn in Ringgold, Ga., where Ellis would have sex with the two children. When Ellis showed up at the arranged location, FBI agents attempted to arrest him. Ellis fled and led the police on a high-speed chase that only ended when he crashed his car.
Joseph Franklin Ellis, 33, of Attalla, Ala., has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Ellis was convicted of these charges on February 25, 2014, after he pleaded guilty to attempting to have sex with minors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul R. Jones prosecuted the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Rome Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Amberula Levitt, who owned Tax Time Tax Service, a tax preparation business with multiple locations throughout metro Atlanta, has been sentenced to serve one year and nine months in federal prison for committing tax fraud on her own personal tax returns.
“Individuals in the business of preparing tax returns for others should set an example of tax compliance,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Instead, Levitt used her knowledge and skills of the tax system defraud it. For that, she will be punished.”
“While most preparers provide excellent service to their clients, a few dishonest return preparers give the industry a black eye,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot. “Return preparers must comply with the same tax obligations as the clients that they serve. No one is above the law.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: From 2004 through 2010, Levitt owned and operated Tax Time Tax Service (“Tax Time”), a tax preparation business with multiple locations throughout metro Atlanta. Levitt fraudulently under-reported her earnings from Tax Time on her personal tax returns. For the years 2004 through 2009, Levitt owes approximately $620,000 in back taxes to the IRS.
Levitt has been sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Totenberg to one year, 9 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release, ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $620,004, and complete 100 hours of community service. Levitt, 45, of East Point, Ga., was convicted on two counts of filing false tax returns for the 2004 and 2005 tax years, after she pleaded guilty on October 29, 2013.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Trial Attorney Christopher J. Maietta of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Grimberg prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Couple Sentenced for Stealing Hundreds of Identities to Claim over $600,000 in False Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Justin Cody, and his wife, Aeshia Wilmore, have been sentenced for their roles in a fraudulent income tax refund scheme.
“Stealing identities of innocent people has become all too common,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The sentence these two received makes it clear that we are committed to exposing and bringing to justice anyone who engages in this conduct.”"IRS Criminal Investigation will remain proactive in the investigation of individuals and groups who engage in stealing the identities of innocent people,” said Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, Special Agent in Charge. “We will utilize every tool available to investigate those who conspire with each other to victimize members of our community for their own personal gain.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The FBI is pleased with the role it played in bringing these defendants to justice. The FBI will continue to provide its investigative resources and assets in protecting individuals’ identities and their use in these growing schemes involving false tax returns.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: From as early as February 2013 to May 2013, Justin Cody and his wife, Aeshia Wilmore, participated in a scheme to defraud the Department of the Treasury by filing hundreds of fraudulent income tax returns using stolen identities. This type of scheme is commonly called stolen identity refund fraud. Cody used stolen personal identification information of hundreds of victims, along with fake wage and withholding information, to prepare numerous fraudulent tax returns, claiming over $600,000 in tax refunds. After the refunds were processed, Cody had the refunds applied to blank prepaid debit cards that he and Wilmore used at various ATM machines throughout the Atlanta area.
Justin Cody, 33, of Atlanta, Ga., was sentenced to serve seven years and three months in federal prison. Aeshia Wilmore, 25, also of Atlanta, was sentenced to two years in federal prison by United States District Judge Steve C. Jones. On November 22, 2013, Cody and Wilmore each pleaded guilty to count three of the indictment, which is a substantive count of theft of public funds. Cody also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity fraud.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Karlyn J. Hunter and Nekia Hackworth prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
Four Defendants Charged in Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Robert Lee Hatcher III, Willie Dewayne Lynch, Andrew Oliver, and Arthur James Freeman have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of defrauding and conspiring to defraud Home Depot.
“These defendants are charged with participating in a scheme to defraud Home Depot over a period of several years, in ten states that span as far north as Kentucky and North Carolina, all the way south to Florida and west to Texas,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.
“The Secret Service has established a long history of protecting the American consumer and private industry from various types of prepaid and credit card fraud. This case illustrates not just the significance of an aggressive and cutting edge approach to combat this type of fraud, but also illustrates the importance of partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies in protecting our nation’s electronic financial payment systems,” said Reginald Moore, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service in Atlanta.
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning in at least January 2011, Hatcher, Lynch, and Oliver entered Home Depot stores in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and selected items for purchase. Prior to purchasing the items, they covered the UPC labels on high-priced merchandise with UPC labels they removed from lower-priced merchandise, a practice known as “ticket-switching.” The defendants then took the merchandise to a sales terminal, where they purchased it for the lower price.
After fraudulently purchasing the merchandise, Hatcher, Lynch, and Oliver removed the lower-priced UPC label, revealing the original, higher-priced UPC label. Hatcher, Lynch, and Oliver then returned the fraudulently purchased merchandise to Home Depot without a receipt, in order to obtain refund credit cards in the amount of the actual, and higher, retail price of the merchandise. Hatcher, Lynch, and Oliver then sold the refund credit cards to Freeman in exchange for cash in an amount less than the face value of the refund credit cards. Defendant Freeman used the fraudulently obtained refund credit cards to purchase merchandise from Home Depot, which he used to stock inventory in two retail stores that he owns and operates in Atlanta, Ga., known as “Bargain Wholesale.”
Robert Lee Hatcher III, 31, of Atlanta, Ga., Willie Dewayne Lynch, 29, of Atlanta, Ga., have been arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand. Arthur James Freeman, 53, of Atlanta, Ga., is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday April 25, 2014, before Judge Anand. Andrew Oliver, 61, of Stone Mountain, Ga., is still at large.
This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the United States Secret Service, with the assistance of criminal investigators from the Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection, the Gwinnett County Police Department, the Woodstock Police Department, the Atlanta Police Department, and Corporate Investigators with The Home Depot, Inc.Assistant United States Attorneys Teresa D. Hoyt and Jeffrey W. Davis are prosecuting the case.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.Three Police Officers Plead Guilty to Accepting Bribes to Protect Drug DealsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Six defendants, including three former police officers, pleaded guilty this week in federal court to accepting thousands of dollars in cash payments to provide protection during staged drug deals which were part of a federal undercover operation.
“The audacity of police officers protecting drug deals is shocking,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “For these police officers, protecting and serving our citizens was little more than a slogan, and their brazen actions are unacceptable. Brave and honest law enforcement officers go to work every day to keep us safe, expecting their colleagues to serve the community unselfishly. Instead, these officers put greed before all else.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Public corruption investigations, particularly those involving law enforcement officers, remain one of the FBI’s top criminal investigative priorities. The FBI extends its gratitude to its ATF partners for highlighting the corruption aspect of its case early on which allowed the FBI to dedicate its investigative resources accordingly.”
“These defendants took an oath to uphold the law and protect the citizens,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Brown. “Instead they betrayed the community they swore to protect. Officers like these unfortunately tarnish the badge worn proudly by the committed men and women of law enforcement. The success of this investigation would not have been possible without the dynamic level of law enforcement cooperation.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: The undercover operation arose out of an ATF investigation of an Atlanta, Ga., area street and drug gang in August 2011. During the investigation, ATF agents learned from an individual associated with the gang that police officers were involved in protecting the gang’s criminal operations, including drug trafficking crimes. That individual could not specifically identify the officers but provided investigators with the officers’ nicknames. Shortly after the investigation began, three individuals who have pleaded guilty, Shannon Bass, Jerry Mannery, and Elizabeth Coss, none of whom were police officers, provided officers’ names to a police informant and told the informant that the officers would provide security for drug deals in exchange for cash.
The public corruption investigation, conducted by FBI and ATF agents, lead to the indictment of ten law enforcement officers. Three of the indicted officers have pleaded guilty. They are: former Stone Mountain Police Officer Denoris Carter, 43, of Lithonia, Ga., former DeKalb County Police Officers Dennis Duren, 33, of Atlanta, Ga., and Dorian Williams, 25, of Stone Mountain., Ga. All three officers were fired after their arrests in February 2013 and are no longer police officers.
In addition to the officers, three others pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme: Shannon Bass, 39, of Atlanta, Ga., Elizabeth Coss, 36, also of Atlanta; and Jerry B. Mannery, 39, of Tucker, Ga.
Between April and September 2012, former Stone Mountain Police Department Officer Denoris Carter, working together with Jerry Mannery, provided protection for what he and Mannery believed were five separate transactions in the metro Atlanta, area which involved multiple kilograms of cocaine. For all five transactions, Carter was on duty and dressed in his police uniform. During one transaction, he drove up in his marked patrol vehicle, got out and walked through the parking lot to keep watch over the purported drug deal. During the final transaction, Carter was on foot and wore a gun on his belt. Denoris Carter pleaded guilty to one count of attempted distribution of cocaine and one count of extortion by accepting a bribe to use his position as a police officer to facilitate the deal.
Between October 2011 and November 2011, former DeKalb County Police Officer Dennis Duren, working together with Shannon Bass, provided protection for what he and Bass believed were four separate drug deals in the Atlanta area. During the transactions, Duren who was on duty, armed and in uniform, stood watch over the immediate area surrounding the undercover transaction. Dennis Duren pleaded guilty to one count of attempted distribution of cocaine and one count of extortion by accepting a bribe to use his position as a police officer to facilitate the deal. Bass pleaded guilty to attempted distribution of cocaine.
Between January and February 2013, former DeKalb County Police Officer Dorian Williams, working together with Mannery and Bass, provided protection for what he believed to be three drug deals involving multiple kilograms of cocaine. On each occasion, Williams was in uniform and carrying a gun. He used his marked police vehicle to patrol the parking lots where the deals took place. Williams admitted that he specifically protected the drug deals from interference from legitimate police officers. Dorian Williams pleaded guilty to one count of attempted distribution and one count of extortion by accepting a bribe to use his position as a police officer to facilitate a deal. Mannery pleaded guilty to conspiring with the police officers to distribute cocaine.
Elizabeth Coss pleaded guilty to attempted distribution of cocaine for her role in working with former MARTA police officer Marquez Holmes, to provide security for a drug deal in August 2012.
The Court will likely sentence the defendants this summer.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kim S. Dammers and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Amedisys Home Health Companies Agree to Pay $150 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Amedisys Inc. and its affiliates (Amedisys) have agreed to pay $150 million to the federal government to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false home healthcare billings to the Medicare program, the Department of Justice announced today. Amedisys, a Louisiana-based for-profit company, is one of the nation’s largest providers of home health services and operates in 37 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
“Home health services are a large and growing part of our federal health care system,” said Sally Quillian Yates, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “Health care dollars must be reserved to pay for services needed by patients, not to enrich providers who are bilking the system.”
“It is critical that scarce Medicare home health dollars flow only to those who provide qualified services,” said Stuart F. Delery, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates the department’s commitment to ensuring that home health providers, like other providers, comply with the rules and don’t misuse taxpayer dollars.”
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that, between 2008 and 2010, certain Amedisys offices improperly billed Medicare for ineligible patients and services. Amedisys allegedly billed Medicare for nursing and therapy services that were medically unnecessary or provided to patients who were not homebound, and otherwise misrepresented patients’ conditions to increase its Medicare payments. These billing violations were the alleged result of management pressure on nurses and therapists to provide care based on the financial benefits to Amedisys, rather than the needs of patients.
Additionally, this settlement resolves certain allegations that Amedisys maintained improper financial relationships with referring physicians. The Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Statute restrict the financial relationships that home healthcare providers may have with doctors who refer patients to them. The United States alleged that Amedisys’ financial relationship with a private oncology practice in Georgia – whereby Amedisys employees provided patient care coordination services to the oncology practice at below-market prices – violated statutory requirements.
“Combating Medicare fraud and overbilling is a priority for my office, other components of the Department of Justice, and United States Attorneys’ Offices across the country,” said Zane David Memeger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “We have recovered billions of dollars in federal health care funds from schemes such as the one alleged in this case. Those are health care dollars that should be spent on legitimate medical needs.”
“Amedisys made false Medicare claims, depriving the American taxpayer of millions of dollars and unlawfully enriching Amedisys,” said Joyce White Vance, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. “The vigorous enforcement work by assistant U.S. attorneys in my office, along with their colleagues in North Georgia, Eastern Pennsylvania, Eastern Kentucky and the Civil Division of the Justice Department, has secured the return of $150 million to the taxpayers and stands as a warning to future wrongdoers that we will aggressively pursue them.”
“This settlement represents a significant recovery of public funds and an important victory for the taxpayers,” said Kerry B. Harvey, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Fighting health care fraud and recovering tax payer dollars that fund our vital health care programs is one of the highest priorities for our district.”
Amedisys also agreed to be bound by the terms of a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General that requires the companies to implement compliance measures designed to avoid or promptly detect conduct similar to that which gave rise to the settlement.
“Improper financial relationships and false billing, as alleged in this case, can shortchange taxpayers and patients,” said Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Our compliance agreement with Amedisys contains strong monitoring and reporting provisions to help ensure that people in Federal health programs will be protected.”
This settlement resolves seven lawsuits pending against Amedisys in federal court – six in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and one in the Northern District of Georgia – that were filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private citizens to bring civil actions on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. As part of today’s settlement, the whistleblowers – primarily former Amedisys employees – will collectively split over $26 million.
This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $19.2 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $13.6 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
The United States’ investigation was conducted by the Justice Department’s Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division; the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Northern District of Alabama, Northern District of Georgia, Eastern District of Kentucky, District of South Carolina, and Western District of New York; the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the Department of Defense; and the Railroad Retirement Board’s Office of Inspector General.
The lawsuits are captioned United States ex rel. CAF Partners et al. v. Amedisys, Inc. et al. 10-cv-2323 (E.D. Pa.); United States ex rel. Brown v. Amedisys, Inc. et al., 13-cv-2803 (E.D. Pa.); United States ex rel. Umberhandt v. Amedisys, Inc., 13-cv-2789 (E.D. Pa.); United States ex rel. Doe et al. v. Amedisys, Inc., 13-cv-3187 (E.D. Pa.); United States ex rel. Ognen et al. v. Amedisys, Inc. et al. 13-cv-4232 (E.D. Pa.); United States ex rel. Lewis v. Amedisys, Inc., 13-cv-3359 (E.D. Pa.); and United States ex rel. Natalie Raven et al. v. Amedisys, Inc. et al., 11-cv-0994 (N.D. Ga.). The claims settled by the agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Hurricane Ike FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Angela Pratt Avery pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently obtaining FEMA assistance funds intended for the victims of Hurricane Ike.
“These defendants lied by claiming they were victims of Hurricane Ike in 2008 and, based on those lies, stole over $50,000 in disaster relief funds that were intended for the true victims,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The Disaster Fraud Task Force was created in 2005 to target those fraudsters who would seek to turn the tragedy of a natural disaster into an opportunity to enrich themselves at the expense of the American people.”
“I am pleased by today’s guilty plea. DHS-OIG will continue its commitment towards working with this U.S. Attorney's Office and our law enforcement partners to identify and aggressively investigate these egregious violations,” said James Ward, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Investigations, Atlanta, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General. “In the future, DHS-OIG will remain vigilant in seeking prosecutions in such cases to uphold the integrity of our Federal Emergency Programs, which are intended for law abiding citizens."
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Avery, 45, of Lawrenceville, Ga., and two co-defendants, John A. Wheeler, 57, and Melody Lockett Carter, 49, both of Wilmerding, Pa., worked together to file three fraudulent FEMA claims for Hurricane Ike disaster relief funds. The defendants filed the claims in September 2008 and January 2009, falsely claiming that Avery and Carter lived at a West Ventura Drive address in Galveston, Texas, at the time of Hurricane Ike and that their personal property had been damaged by the storm. In fact, all three defendants lived in Norcross, Ga., at the time of Hurricane Ike and were not victims of the storm. The defendants received over $50,000 in disaster assistance from FEMA based on their fraud.
On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall near Galveston, causing widespread damage along the Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida coastlines and the surrounding areas. After Hurricane Ike struck the Texas coastline, FEMA provided financial disaster assistance to displaced individuals who resided in various counties in Texas. Those individuals could make an application for disaster assistance funds by filing a claim with FEMA that included the Texas address where they were living at the time of the hurricane.
Avery pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money. On January 10, 2014, Wheeler and Carter each pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money. Sentencing for the defendants has not yet been scheduled.
This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen H. McClain is prosecuting the case.
In September 2005, the Attorney General established the Disaster Fraud Task Force to deter, detect, and prosecute disaster-related federal crimes such as charity fraud, identity theft, procurement fraud, and insurance fraud related to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. As multiple disasters occurred in subsequent years, the Task Force expanded its mandate to all types of disaster fraud. The Task Force, chaired by Acting Assistant Attorney General David O’Neil of the Criminal Division, includes the FBI, the Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, federal Inspectors General, and various representatives of state and local law enforcement.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Georgia Man Convicted of Tax Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A federal jury found Mauricio Warner guilty of using the identities of thousands of unsuspecting individuals to file federal tax returns claiming over $5 million in bogus refunds.
“This verdict represents yet another conviction in a series of recent cases involving identity thieves who use the personal information of unsuspecting victims to file bogus tax returns and steal millions of dollars from the U.S. Treasury,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “We will continue to do all we can to stop these schemes and protect our citizens identities from theft.”
“Despite all of the notices from the IRS, financial institutions, and even criminal investigators, that his actions were criminal, Mr. Warner continued to steal from the government,” said Veronica Hyman-Pillot, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Today, a jury of his peers gave Warner his final notice; ‘guilty’ of committing fraud. IRS-CI is proud to have been a part of bringing justice to Mr. Warner, and to those who are victims of identity theft.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: From approximately January 2011 to April 2012, Warner filed over 5,000 false tax returns using the names and Social Security numbers of unsuspecting victims. Victims were told they could submit an application for an “Obama stimulus payment” or “Free Government Money” by providing their names and Social Security numbers. In addition to word-of-mouth marketing, Warner used toll-free telephone numbers to collect victims’ personal identifying information. He then used the victims’ names and Social Security numbers to claim millions of dollars in fraudulent refunds. On the returns, Warner claimed false income amounts and student credits to generate the bogus tax refunds, and directed the IRS to pay the refund amounts to bank accounts he controlled. The victims did not know tax returns were being filed in their names.
The United States has seized seven bank accounts controlled by Warner that contain $4,185,455.31 in funds derived from or involved in this scheme.
Warner was convicted on 16 counts of wire fraud, 16 counts of aggravated identity theft, 16 counts of filing false claims, and two counts of money laundering. He was taken into custody after the verdict. The United States is also seeking the forfeiture of all funds derived from or involved in this scheme.
Sentencing for Warner, 38, of Smyrna, Ga., is scheduled for June 25 at 2:00 p.m. before United States District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. If you believe you may be a victim of tax return-related identity theft please contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490, extension 245 (Mon. - Fri., 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. local time).
Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Thomas J. Krepp are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Information Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
Synthetic Drugs – Real Consequences Summit 2014Read the Press Release
ATLANTA - Synthetic drugs are a growing problem that threaten the health and safety of the younger population across Georgia. As these drugs — commonly marketed under nonthreatening labels such as “bath salts,” spice,” or “molly”— have increased in popularity, communities have struggled to understand what these substances are and the threats they present.
“Synthetic drugs pose a deadly danger for our young people who, in search of a ‘good time,’ choose to ignore the risks,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Our ability to turn the tide on this growing problem is not just through prosecutions and convictions; it is through education as well. We are seeking the help of those who touch every part of a child’s life to help reinforce the message that synthetic drugs -- by whatever name they are called -- is not the way to go.”
Harry S. Sommers, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented, “The sale of synthetic drugs has become a growing problem locally, regionally and nationally. These drugs are made from a variety of dangerous chemical compounds that can be fatal upon one use. This educational summit is a proactive step in combatting the growing trend of synthetic drug abuse. Each stakeholder can contribute a positive course of action to combat this growing problem.”
Mistakenly perceived as legal alternatives to illicit drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy, and LSD, synthetic drugs also have the unfortunate street reputation of being safer to consume than traditional illegal drugs. In fact, the real consequences of abusing these drugs are far different. Consumption of synthetic drugs has been linked to multiple fatalities in Georgia alone. Moreover, many of the more popular substances have been linked with serious health problems including seizures, panic disorders, and kidney and liver failure, to name just a few. The effects are unpredictable, because the substances often contain a number of unknown drugs chemicals at varying potencies, so that the consumer has no idea what he or she is taking, and those who manufacture these substances constantly change their chemicals and formulas in an effort to stay hidden from law enforcement.To promote better understanding in combating this problem, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Georgia World Congress Center Department of Public Safety are conducting this summit to explore the abuse of synthetic drugs in Georgia. This one-day summit, happening April 15, 2014, features prominent speakers from law enforcement, public health, and drug abuse victims who seek solutions to these problems.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Former City of Marietta Employees and Landlords Indicted for Section 8 Housing FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Shantel Bowens, Debbie Bailey, and Babatunde “Babs” Abass have been arraigned on charges of stealing funds from the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as “Section 8,” which provides rental assistance to low-income families.
“These defendants stole federal funds designed to help families afford safe and decent housing,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “In addition, the two defendants who were employed by the City of Marietta violated the public trust by abusing their positions in order to divert public money for their own use.”
“This indictment should send a strong message that HUD-OIG will aggressively pursue landlord fraud, especially when it is facilitated by persons in positions of public trust,” said Lester Fernandez, Special Agent in Charge for Region 4, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. “In partnership with state and local law enforcement and federal agencies, we are deeply committed to ensuring that scarce resources are not diverted to those who seek to enrich themselves. We will continue to seek program accountability and promote honest stewardship of taxpayer funds by grantees entrusted with taxpayer monies.”
“We always deeply regret the theft of public funds, but I am grateful that we have highly qualified City employees, whom we can count on to alert us to issues such as these,” said Mayor Steve Tumlin. “It is important to note that City Staff uncovered these discrepancies which were vigorously investigated by our own Police Department and in turn given to Federal authorities. The City strongly supports the prosecution of those responsible and we seek to ensure this type of crime never happens again.”
“The City of Marietta takes our responsibility to be good shepherds of Federal funds very seriously,” said Marietta Police Chief Dan Flynn. “Thus when our internal auditing process uncovered irregularities with Section 8 funds our City staff promptly referred the matter to the Marietta Police Department. When the police department investigation confirmed possible theft by former employees, we promptly notified our Federal HUD partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and together we worked to expose the entire theft scheme and bring the responsible individuals into the criminal justice system. Overall, we appreciate the seamless cooperative manner in which our local and Federal partnership functioned and we fully support the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the on-going prosecution of this case. We believe it will send the right message that we are united and will not tolerate any theft of public funds.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Bowens and Bailey were employed by the City of Marietta and were responsible for administering landlord and tenant enrollment for Section 8 participants in Marietta. To defraud the Section 8 program, Bowens and Bailey first identified former tenants who had been terminated from the program and reactivated the tenants’ accounts. They specifically chose tenants who were listed as unemployed or as having very low incomes, which would result in larger Section 8 payments.
Bowens and Bailey then altered computer records, linking the terminated tenants to Abass and Tunji “Chris” Imoukhuede, who were already registered as Section 8 landlords. As a result, the falsified computer records indicated that the terminated tenants were residing at properties purportedly owned by Imoukhuede and Abass. In fact, Imoukhuede and Abass did not own or rent the properties, and they were not the landlords of the terminated tenants.
As a result of Bowens’ and Bailey’s falsification of landlord, tenant and rental property information, federal Section 8 payments were issued to bank accounts controlled by Imoukhuede and Abass. In turn, Imoukhuede and Abass each withdrew the money and kept approximately 40 percent for himself. Each landlord then gave approximately 60 percent of the stolen funds to Brown, who split that amount with Bowens.
The scheme took place from January 2011 through June 2013. During that period, Marietta’s Housing Choice Voucher Program received over $4 million annually in Section 8 funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. As a result of the fraud, Bowens, Bailey, Imoukhuede and Abass obtained over $230,000 in federal funds.
In addition, from January 2010 through June 2013, Bowens arranged for a landlord enrolled in the Section 8 program to receive funds for a fictional tenant who was purported to be Bowens’ aunt. In fact, Bowens herself moved into the landlord’s property and lived there rent-free for over three years. Bowens’ housing costs, paid for through Section 8, totaled over $40,000.
Shantel Bowens, Debbie Bailey, Tunji “Chris” Imoukhuede, and Babatunde “Babs” Abass were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 25, 2014. Tunji Imoukhuede will be arraigned at a later date.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, the City of Marietta, and the Marietta Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanya J. Dingle is prosecuting the case.
This is part of an effort underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Tax Fraudsters Are Still at It the Old Fashioned Way TooRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Last week Attorney General Eric Holder warned U.S. taxpayers to beware a “rising threat” of scammers seeking fraudulent federal tax refunds based on stolen identities, which he described as an “increasingly urgent problem.” He should know. Attorney General Holder has been the victim of identity theft himself.
“Tax cheats come in many different stripes,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Some steal identities and use them to file fraudulent tax returns, while others file fraudulent tax returns in their own name. Either way, all hardworking citizens who pay their own fair share of taxes are the victims. As the tax filing deadline nears, we want to remind members of our community that we will investigate and prosecute tax fraud in all its various forms.”
Indeed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has prosecuted over 20 individuals over the last 12 months for so-called Stolen Identity Refund Fraud. These cases charge individuals who use third-party personal information – names, social security numbers, and dates of birth – to file false federal tax returns for refunds. Many times the victims, whose information is taken through internet scams or from public sources, do not realize that their identity has been stolen until they try to file a tax return of their own with the IRS, only to learn that someone else has already filed a tax return in their name.
"These unscrupulous defendants thought they had devised clever schemes to thwart the IRS and steal from American taxpayers" stated Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot. “As the defendants in these cases have learned, stealing from the American people will not be tolerated and you will be held accountable. IRS Criminal Investigation, along with its law enforcement and Department of Justice partner's, will continue to actively investigate those individuals who prey on unsuspecting victims and try to undermine the integrity of the U.S. tax system."“These cases affirm that the Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting all types of tax fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division Kathryn Keneally. “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their diligent efforts to fight tax fraud, and we in the Tax Division will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring tax cheats to justice.”
In addition to Stolen Identity Refund Fraud prosecutions, federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Georgia, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division, and Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, continue to investigate and prosecute more “traditional” tax fraud cases, where individuals are charged with fraudulently filing tax returns of their own.Current tax prosecutions include the following:
- Earlier this week, Kenneth and Kimberly Horner of Conyers, Ga., were arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Gerrilyn G. Brill on an indictment that charges them with four counts of filing false personal and corporate tax returns for the years 2007 and 2008. The indictment alleges that the Horners, who owned and operated Topcat Towing and Recovery, Inc., materially underreported gross receipts or sales and total income on their corporate and personal tax returns, respectively.
- On April 29, 2014, Amberula Levitt, of East Point, Ga., is scheduled to be sentenced following her guilty plea in October 2013, to willfully filing false tax returns. According to the indictment and other information presented in court, Levitt operated Tax Time Tax Service (“Tax Time”), a tax preparation business with multiple locations throughout metro Atlanta. Levitt fraudulently under-reported the earnings from Tax Time on her personal tax returns. For the years 2004 through 2009, Levitt owes approximately $620,000 in back taxes to the IRS.
- On March 6, 2014, DeMarco Doxie of Peachtree City, Ga., was arraigned on a superseding indictment charging him with multiple wire and mail fraud counts, and four counts of filing false tax returns for the years 2008 through 2011. The indictment alleges that from June 2007 through August 2011 Doxie defrauded his employer by creating a fictitious company that he then used to submit to his employer numerous fraudulent invoices for payment. The indictment further charges that Doxie materially underreported his income on his personal income tax returns from 2008-2011.
And as an example of the long memory federal law enforcement can have, Ali Ibrahim, formerly of Tucker, Georgia, pled guilty on February 5, 2014 to federal tax evasion for underreporting his taxable income on his 1990 tax return. Ibrahim became a fugitive from justice following his indictment in January 2001, only to be arrested and extradited from Canada almost 13 years later in December 2013. Ibrahim was sentenced on March 26, 2014 to a time served sentence of approximately 18 months.
Members of the public are reminded that indictments only contain charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
These cases are being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Attorney Charged with Filing False Immigration Documents on Behalf of Alien/ClientRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Bonnie Monique Youn has been arraigned on federal charges that she submitted false documentation to the United States on behalf of a client who was an alien seeking lawful permanent resident status in the United States, inducing the alien to reside unlawfully in the United States, and witness tampering.
“We expect lawyers to uphold and defend the rule of law, not assist clients in breaking the law, as Ms. Youn is charged in this indictment,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Specifically, Ms. Youn is charged with obtaining legal status for a client in this country by filing false documents with the United States Government, and encouraging them to lie to federal agents.”
“The defendant stands accused of illegally attempting to manipulate our immigration system for her own personal gain,” said HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Brock Nicholson. “Homeland Security Investigations and the partner agencies on our Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force work diligently to preserve the integrity of our immigration system by aggressively investigating these types of fraud.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: From February 9, 2009, to the present, Bonnie Monique Youn, an immigration attorney, encouraged and induced an alien, identified by her initials in the indictment, to reside in the United States in violation of the law, and for Youn’s financial benefit. Youn also filed documents with immigration that were false with respect to material facts, thereby engaging in visa fraud. Then, once the investigation was underway, Youn engaged in witness tampering by contacting the alien and encouraging her to provide false information to federal agents when they questioned her.
Bonnie Monique Youn, 44, of Atlanta, Ga., was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Gerrilyn G. Brill. Youn, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 1, 2014, was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond, and ordered to surrender her United States passport.Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Document Benefit Fraud Task Force comprised of Special Agents with HSI, the United States Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General, the United States Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, as well as Fraud Detection/National Security Officers of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Assistant United States Attorneys Susan Coppedge and William L. McKinnon, Jr. are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Former CEO of Atlanta-area Daycare Chain Convicted of Stealing Nearly $2 Million in Federal Child Nutrition FundsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Antonio T. Hurt pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $2 million from a federal program that partially reimburses daycare centers for the cost of meals for needy children.
“This defendant stole nearly $2 million in funds intended to feed underprivileged children,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “This critically important program provides basic sustenance for those most in need. Instead of paying for school day nutrition, he used the money to expand his daycare business, lease luxury cars, buy jewelry, and pay for other personal expenses. We will continue to hold accountable those who siphon off public funds for personal use.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The FBI remains well positioned to identify, investigate, and present for prosecution those individuals such as Mr. Hurt who would steal from the much needed and publicly funded federal programs such as the Child & Adult Care Food Program, all for their own personal gain. Today’s guilty plea ensures that this defendant, who demonstrated extraordinary greed as well as disregard for so many, will be held accountable for his criminal actions.”
“On behalf of the Georgia children and families who rely on this program, I want to thank U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates and the Northern District of Georgia for bringing Dr. Hurt to justice,” said Bobby Cagle, Commissioner of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), the state agency responsible for administering the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). “No amount of waste or fraud or even attempted waste or fraud will be tolerated and we will continue to turn these cases over for criminal prosecution and seek restitution wherever it is appropriate. This is literally taking food from those who need it most--infants, young children, the elderly, and chronically impaired disabled persons. Those who would take advantage of this program through fraud or deception have now been warned.”
“USDA-OIG’s investigative branch will continue to work diligently with the US Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting individuals and organizations who defraud the CACFP and all other USDA funded assistance programs,” said Karen Citizen-Wilcox, Special Agent-in-Charge, USDA-OIG-Investigations.
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Between 2007 and 2010, Hurt served as the Chief Executive Officer of Bright Star Early Learning Center, which owned and operated multiple daycare centers throughout metropolitan Atlanta, and in other parts of north Georgia under the name, “Bright Star.” Hurt also entered into franchise agreements that allowed multiple additional third-party daycare centers to operate under the “Bright Star” name.
In February 2006, Hurt arranged for Bright Star Early Learning Center to apply to participate in the Child & Adult Care Food Program (“CACFP”). CACFP, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the National School Lunch Act of 1964, is a federal program that partially reimburses daycare centers for the cost of serving breakfast and lunch to eligible children whose family income falls below certain thresholds. In Georgia, the program is administered by the Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning. Child and adult care centers that are eligible to participate in the program are required to submit monthly claims to the Department of Early Care & learning which detail the number of eligible students, meals, and other information for each 30-day period. The Department of Early Care & Learning then reimburses the daycare centers.
Beginning in October 2007 and continuing through January 2010, Hurt submitted millions of dollars in CACFP reimbursement claims to the Department of Early Care & Learning on behalf of his own daycare centers and his franchisees. Hurt’s reimbursement claims intentionally misstated the number of eligible students, meals, and other information. As a result, the Department of Early Care & Learning issued fraudulently inflated reimbursement funds to an account that Hurt controlled. Hurt then issued the expected payments to the unsuspecting daycare centers, and retained the fraudulently inflated portion for himself, amounting to approximately $1.9 million over a two-year period. Hurt used the money to expand and fund the operation of his daycare business, obtaining multimillion dollar acquisition and development loans to build new daycare centers, and in order to live beyond his means.
Hurt, 38, of Baltimore, Md., was formerly a Georgia high school principal.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. before United States District Judge Amy Totenberg.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney David M. Chaiken is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Crime Victims’ Rights Week “30 Years: Restoring the Balance of Justice”Read the Press Release
ATLANTA – April 6, 2014, marks the beginning of “National Crime Victim’s Rights Week,” a time to honor crime victims, celebrate our nation’s progress in advancing their rights, and work toward future goals. This year the Northern District of Georgia celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the Victims of Crime Act.
“It is appropriate for us to pause every year to remember the suffering of crime victims and their loved ones and to recommit ourselves to support them and to facilitate their healing and restoration,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “This year’s theme for Crime Victims’ Rights Week, ‘30 Years: Restoring the Balance of Justice,’ not only marks the tremendous growth and advancement of victims’ rights and services, but looks forward to continuing to expand the reach of victim service programs. Crime impacts not only the victim but also the victim’s family and community, and we must be mindful of this in every case we investigate and prosecute.”
Crime Victims’ Rights Week is marked nationwide not only by the Department of Justice and all of its United States Attorney's Offices, but by other federal, state and local participating agencies. Many of the agencies and community programs receive financial, volunteer, and other support to maintain their services for crime victims.
Every year, the United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awards millions of dollars to supplement Georgia’s crime victim compensation program, which allows crime victims to receive financial help with their medical bills and other crime-associated expenses.
Here in the Northern District of Georgia, the number of federal cases alone demands an extraordinary effort to support and notify victims. Last year, our office, through our Victim-Witness Unit, notified 17,425 federal crime victims about matters including their rights as crime victims, the times of court hearings, and outcomes of court proceedings.
In addition, fines and penalties collected each year by U.S. Attorneys, the U.S. Courts and the Bureau of Prisons are deposited into the Crime Victims Fund and are available for grant awards the following year. This fund was established by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) and is administered by OVC. In 2013, approximately $730 million was allocated into this fund for crime victim assistance and compensation.
This year, as we celebrate three decades of defending victims’ rights, we are reminded of how far we have come—and how much work is yet to be done. Only 30 years ago, crime victims had virtually no rights and no assistance. The criminal justice system often seemed indifferent to their needs. Victims were commonly excluded from courtrooms and denied the chance to speak at sentencing. They had no access to victim compensation or services to help rebuild their lives. There were few avenues to deal with their emotional and physical wounds. Victims were on their own to recover their health, security, and dignity.
Our nation has made dramatic progress in securing rights, protections, and services for victims. Every state has enacted victims’ rights laws and all have victim compensation programs. More than 10,000 victim service agencies now help people throughout the country. In 1984, Congress passed the bipartisan Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which created a national fund to ease victims’ suffering. Financed not by taxpayers but by fines and penalties paid by offenders, the Crime Victims Fund supports victim services, such as rape crisis and domestic violence programs and victim compensation programs that pay many of victims’ out of-pocket expenses from the crime, such as counseling, funeral expenses, and lost wages.
Victims’ rights advocates have scored remarkable victories over the last 30 years. But there is still a lot of work to be done. As we move forward, we are increasingly expanding our reach to previously underserved victim populations, including victims of color, American Indians and Alaska Natives, adults molested as children, victims of elder abuse, and LGBTQ victims. Over three decades, VOCA pioneered support efforts for victims of once-hidden crimes, like domestic and sexual violence. Today, we are shining a spotlight on other abuses that have long been unreported and often not prosecuted—hate and bias crimes, bullying, and sex and labor trafficking, among others.
“Our commitment to reaching every victim of crime is stronger than ever,” said Joye E. Frost, Director, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), U.S. Department of Justice. “For 30 years, VOCA has represented hope, healing, and justice. Our message to all victims of crime is this: You are not alone.”
Information about Georgia's victim assistance and crime victim compensation programs can be found through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Barbara Lynn Howell, the Agency's Executive Director, can be reached at 104 Marietta Street, Suite 440, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, or by telephone at 404-657-1956
For more ideas on how to volunteer to help crime victims, visit the Office for Victims of Crime website, www.ovc.gov , or by calling the Office for Victims of Crime at 202-307-5983.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Lingerie Business Owner Pleads Guilty to BriberyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Jae Jun Bae has pleaded guilty to offering bribes to Doraville employees to obtain a zoning change for his business.
“Bae attempted to buy his way around certain zoning restrictions by offering bribes to Doraville employees,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “But, we all play by the same rules. As expected, those employees reported Bae’s conduct and, as a result, Bae has been brought to justice.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “While this case serves to remind us of those individuals so willing to violate the law at any level, it should also reaffirm a faith in our public servants who saw this for what it was and reported it to the proper authorities. The FBI will continue to dedicate significant investigative resources as we work with our various law enforcement partners in combating public corruption.”
“Doraville is thankful to be able to work in partnership with the FBI. Public corruption erodes the confidence and trust that our citizens have in our government officials and employees,” said Doraville Police Chief John King. “Doraville Police works tirelessly with the citizens and our partnering law-enforcement agencies to make sure that our city is free of corruption and filled with trust.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Bae is the owner of Moon Lingerie, a lingerie business located in Doraville, Ga. In April 2012, Bae bought a commercial building located on Buford Highway in Doraville, Ga. At the time of the purchase, the property was zoned for retail use and could not be used as a wholesale location as Bae wanted. In August 2012, Bae met with an employee of the City of Doraville and attempted to give the employee an envelope of cash, in an effort to have the Buford Highway property re-zoned. The employee did not take the envelope and reported Bae’s attempt to local law enforcement authorities.
In October 2013, Bae asked to meet with a member of Doraville’s Community Development Department. Based on the allegations from August 2012, the staff member (“Staff Member”) reported Bae’s request for a meeting to law enforcement authorities and agreed to cooperate with them. Thereafter, the FBI and the Doraville Police Department conducted a series of undercover operations involving Bae. In particular, on October 17, 2013, Bae met with the Staff Member and an undercover officer (“UC”), who was posing member of Doraville’s Community Development Department. During the meeting, Bae agreed to pay approximately $100,000 to have the Buford Highway property re-zoned to permit wholesale uses. On October 18, 2013, Bae met with the UC and re-negotiated the price to obtain a wholesale re-zoning from $100,000 down to $70,000. On October 29, 2013, Bae made a $5,000 payment to the Staff Member as a deposit to get the Buford Highway property re-zoned. On the next day, Bae gave the UC a $3,000 payment, which the UC said would secure a vote in favor of Bae’s re-zoning application. On November 14, 2013, the FBI arrested Bae.
On December 3, 2013, Bae, 35, of Duluth, Ga., was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and bribery. Today, Bae pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud. In determining Bae’s sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 30, 2014, at 10:00, before United States District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Doraville Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey W. Davis and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Sanders are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Two Men Indicted for Their Role in Manufacturing PCP That Led to ExplosionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Adrian Banks has been arraigned on federal charges relating to the manufacture of PCP which led to a dangerous house fire when the clandestine laboratory exploded. Coleman Warnock, a second defendant named in the indictment, is being sought by law enforcement.
“An entire neighborhood was put at risk by the explosion of this PCP lab,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “This type of drug also puts our entire community at risk. Thankfully, this lab is out of business and our citizens in that neighborhood are safe.”
Harry S. Sommers, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented on the case, “These volatile chemicals are venomous to the consumer and leave behind a trail of devastation and destruction by those who manufacture it, as was the case in this investigation. Because of the collective efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement, these defendants will have to face the consequences of their unlawful acts.”
“Not only were these men putting dangerous drugs on the street, they were also endangering completely innocent people by operating a PCP lab in a neighborhood,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan. “We will continue to work with our local and federal partners to insure people who endanger the lives of others are held accountable.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: On July 6, 2013, Fulton County Fire/Rescue responded to a citizen’s call about a house fire in a Fairburn, Ga., neighborhood. The house was destroyed after burning for almost two days. Further investigation revealed the presence of numerous barrels and canisters of chemicals suggesting the presence of a large, clandestine, PCP lab in the residence. No one other than the individuals involved in the manufacture of PCP was harmed in the fire.
On January 14, 2014, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against the defendants, Coleman Warnock, 41, of Powder Springs, Ga. and Adrian Banks, 39, of Atlanta, Ga., charging them with one count of conspiracy to manufacture PCP, four counts related to the manufacture of at least one kilogram of PCP, and one count of creating a substantial risk of harm to human life while attempting to manufacture PCP.
On January 16, 2014 Adrian Banks was arrested and has been detained. Coleman Warnock remains a fugitive. If anyone has any information on Warnock’s whereabouts please contact the DEA at (404) 893-7000.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.The Drug Enforcement Administration is leading the investigation of the case. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Fulton County Fire/Rescue, Fulton County Police, Fulton County Fire Department Hazmat Team, SWS Environmental Services, the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Atlanta Fire Department, and the Atlanta Fire Department Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team have also been involved in the clean-up of the residence and investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Vivek Kothari is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Leaders of Counterfeiting Ring Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Heath J. Kellogg and Stacy P. Smith have been sentenced to federal prison for counterfeiting offenses.
“These defendants--who referred to their counterfeit money as ‘Monopoly,’ as if it were some kind of game--effectively stole from thousands of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and citizens throughout Georgia and the United States,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Counterfeiting is far from a victimless crime because the person who unknowingly accepts the counterfeit bill usually absorbs the full amount of the loss. In this case, the victims included citizens, churches, and family-run businesses, as well as banks and large retail stores.”
“Every person, business or organization that receives a counterfeit note is a victim, and as such experiences a real economic loss. The United States Secret Service will continue to take an aggressive approach to arrest criminals like Smith and Kellogg. These sentences should be a warning to other like-minded criminals that manipulating and stealing from the American people will not go unpunished,” said Reginald G. Moore, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office.
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: From approximately February 1, 2011 until November 15, 2012, the defendants conspired to manufacture and distribute counterfeit U.S currency. The defendants focused on $50 bills, but also manufactured $20 bills. Heath Kellogg, a self-taught graphic artist, developed a manufacturing process for counterfeit currency. Smith helped Heath Kellogg manufacture the counterfeit currency, and both men purchased supplies on various occasions.
Smith distributed the counterfeit currency through a network of individuals, which ultimately spread the bills throughout the United States. Smith and Heath Kellogg used feedback from their ultimate customers, who victimized businesses, individuals and banks by passing the counterfeit currency in the community, to refine and improve their manufacturing process over time. The defendants sold the counterfeit currency to customers in exchange for genuine U.S currency, at various discounted rates.
On November 15, 2012, Secret Service agents executed search warrants yielding a wide variety of physical evidence, including completed and partially completed counterfeit currency, a large roll of special paper of the sort used in commercial printing presses, numerous printers, and a flash drive containing encrypted digital files with high definition images of various features of the counterfeit bills.
The counterfeiting operation was extensive. The Secret Service reports that counterfeit currency matching the distinctive characteristics of those produced by the defendants totaling over $1.4 million in face value has been returned to it by local police departments, banks, merchants and individuals victimized when the counterfeit currency was passed. The counterfeit currency was returned to the Secret Service from victims across the United States and internationally.
Heath J. Kellogg was sentenced on Friday, March 24, 2014 to twelve years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Heath Kellogg was convicted on November 5, 2013 of one count of conspiracy to counterfeit and deal in counterfeit obligations of the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, two counts of counterfeiting currency in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 471, and two counts of dealing in counterfeit obligations in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 473, after pleading guilty to the Indictment. At sentencing, the court found Kellogg responsible for manufacturing counterfeit currency with a face value of over $1 million.
Smith was sentenced on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, to three years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Smith was convicted, on his plea of guilty on June 11, 2013, of one count of counterfeiting obligations or securities of the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 471. At sentencing, the court found Smith responsible for manufacturing counterfeit currency with a face value of over $1 million.
Four co-defendants in the same case were previously sentenced after pleading guilty:
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Kenyada Barrion, 37, of Lithonia, Ga., was sentenced on August 28, 2013, to eighteen months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Barrion was convicted on March 27, 2013, of dealing in counterfeit obligations of the United States.
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Cameron Longshore, 31, of Atlanta, Ga., was sentenced on October 10, 2013, to one year and one day in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was convicted August 1, 2013, of a single count of dealing in counterfeit obligations.
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Ian Longshore, 28, of Atlanta, Ga., was also sentenced on October 10, 2013, to one year and one day in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was convicted on August 1, 2013, of a single count of dealing in counterfeit obligations.
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James Kellogg, 63, of Marietta, Ga., was sentenced on December 2, 2013, to five years of probation, including six months of home confinement. James Kellogg was convicted on June 11, 2013, of conspiracy to counterfeit and deal in counterfeit obligations of the United States.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Alana R. Black prosecuted the case.
Anyone can become the victim of currency counterfeiters. To learn more about how to detect counterfeit currency and guard against forgery loss, visit the Know Your Money websites maintained by the United States Secret Service at: http://www.secretservice.gov/know_your_money.shtml and http://www.newmoney.gov/.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
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Jackson Postal Worker Charged for Role in Planning Conley Postal RobberyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - LaTonya Evans has been indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and armed robbery charges for her role in planning a postal robbery in Conley, Ga., on December 20, 2013—a robbery that resulted in the near-fatal shooting of a postal truck driver by two other defendants charged with Evans in the same indictment.
“Evans is charged with exploiting her inside knowledge of the Postal Service for personal profit,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The conspiracy she is charged with participating in resulted in the near-death of a fellow postal worker whom Evans knew. The indictment charges that he was shot, bound, and left for dead by Evans’ co-defendants. We will always aggressively prosecute anyone who commits this kind of horrendous act.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s mission and priority is the protection of postal employees,” said Keith Fixel, Postal Inspector in Charge, Charlotte Division. “Acts of violence are crimes of unspeakable consequences which Postal Inspectors will investigate with rigorous tenacity. While the investigation included a postal employee, Evans’ actions do not represent the vast majority of postal employees committed to doing their jobs.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the indictment, and other information presented in court: LaTonya Evans helped to develop the scheme to rob a postal truck, and worked with co-defendants Kendrick Watkins and Charles Jackson to carry out the plan. Evans met with Watkins and Jackson to plan the robbery of the postal truck driver. On December 20, 2013, during a routine pick-up in Conley, Ga., Jackson and Watkins approached the U.S. Postal employee who was driving the truck and demanded the keys to the postal truck. When the victim did not immediately comply, the men shot him in the torso, nearly taking his life. The robbers then bound the victim’s feet and took his cell phone so that he could not run or call for help. Jackson and Watkins drove away with the stolen truck and all its contents and met with Evans afterwards to discuss the robbery. The victim was forced to crawl several hundred feet to the nearest road where he flagged down a passerby for help.
LaTonya Evans, 44, of Jackson, Ga., has been charged along with Kendrick Watkins, 39, of Rex, Ga., and Charles Jackson, 55, of Griffin, Ga. Watkins and Jackson are accused of carrying out the armed robbery and shooting.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mary Kruger and John Ghose are prosecuting this case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Former Newton County Deputy Sheriff SentencedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Darrell Mathis has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm during a drug transaction.
“Mathis abandoned his oath as a deputy sheriff, and chose the life of a drug dealer,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “His decision to violate the law also violated the trust the public places in law enforcement. Mathis will have the next five years in prison to consider his conduct.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Today’s sentencing of former Deputy Mathis should serve notice that, while noting that the vast majority of those who serve within the criminal justice system are faithful to their oaths, the FBI will make those individuals who do violate their sworn oaths as law enforcement officers a priority for investigation and prosecution.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In April 2013, it came to the attention of the FBI that Darrell Mathis, a deputy sheriff with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, was distributing marijuana. From May through September 2013, Mathis sold various quantities of marijuana to a confidential source who was working with the FBI, as well as to an undercover FBI agent. On at least two occasions, Mathis sold marijuana from his marked patrol vehicle while wearing his Newton County Sheriff’s Office uniform.
On August 8, 2013, Mathis sold one pound of marijuana to an undercover FBI agent. Following that sale, Mathis and the undercover FBI agent went to meet with another undercover FBI agent to discuss the sale of additional quantities of marijuana. Mathis brought his NCSO badge and his firearm to the meeting. Mathis told the undercover agent that he was bringing his firearm to the meeting “just in case.” During the meeting, Mathis told the second undercover FBI agent, who Mathis believed to be a marijuana and cocaine trafficker, that he was a police officer, pulled out his badge, and stated, “Don't worry, I'm on your side.” Mathis was arrested on September 19, 2013, when he met with the undercover FBI agent while in possession of one pound of marijuana.
Mathis, 41, of Lithonia, Ga., has been sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release. Mathis was convicted on the charge on December 6, 2013, after he pleaded guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Jamie L. Mickelson prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Two "Pill Mill" Owners ConvictedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jason Cole Votrobek and Roland Rafael Castellanos have been convicted after a month-long jury trial on federal drug and money laundering charges for owning and operating a “pill mill” pain clinic which served as a front for the mass distribution of addictive pain killers. Votrobek had previously been acquitted in Florida of similar charges stemming from his ownership of a Florida pain clinic.
“The abuse of pain medication has become epidemic and now accounts for more six times more deaths than that of all of the traditional illegal drugs combined,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The defendants in this case preyed upon on those addicted to prescription drugs in order to line their own pockets. The abuse of prescription drugs and its related criminal activity has become a danger in many of our communities - one we have made a central focus of our office. Today justice has been served.”
Harry S. Sommers, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented on the case, “DEA and its state and local counterparts continue to target pill mills and pain clinics that violate the law by illegally distributing prescription pharmaceuticals. In this case, those charged had an insatiable desire to traffic these dangerous and sometimes deadly substances, but they will not have the power to commit such acts anymore. This case would not have been a success without collaborative law enforcement partnerships.”
“Georgia citizens who served on the federal jury in this case sent a clear message that operating pill mills and the illicit diversion of controlled substances will not be tolerated in our state. As law enforcement saw the early migration of pill mills to Georgia we quickly began investigating organizations involved in this activity. The GBI is very pleased a multi-agency effort resulted in the conviction of these individuals,” said Vernon Keenan, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force Commander Captain Mark Mayton said, “This was an important case for our local community as well as the prosecution of future “pill mill” cases. The hard work put into this case by all the agencies involved was apparent by the swift guilty verdict. Prescription diversion is a rapidly growing problem and hopefully this will serve as a strong message to those individuals who choose to exploit other who suffer addiction for their financial gain. We are grateful to the United States Attorney’s Office who believed in our case and support our efforts to keep our community safe.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In May 2010, using information from the Bartow/Cartersville Drug Task Force, multiple agencies joined in an expanded investigation of “Atlanta Medical Group,” learning that the clinic, located in Cartersville, Ga., was prescribing pain pills outside the bounds of legitimate medical practice.
The investigation revealed that Jason Cole Votrobek, 30, of Vero Beach Fla., Roland Rafael Castellanos, 34, of Hollywood, Fla., and Jesse Violante, 35, of Vero Beach, Fla., financed and operated the clinic. Tara Atkins, 36, of Cartersville, Ga., served as the office manager. Dr. James Chapman, 64, of Macon, Ga., served as the primary doctor. In their respective capacities, Votrobek and Castellanos worked to procure and distribute Oxycodone pills to addicts and distributors and directed the clinic’s doctor to see as many patients as possible, and to prescribe as many Oxycodone pills as possible, in order to generate mass profits. Dr. Chapman allegedly did so, however, without conducting sufficient medical examinations and, indeed, was frequently incapacitated due to intoxication. Atkins herself filled out prescriptions for the doctor to sign, and the amounts of pills distributed to patients were excessive, and with unusual dosage patterns.
The clinic was really a drug distribution operation with over 98 % of their patients traveling to the clinic from surrounding states, the majority from Kentucky and Tennessee. Many of those visiting had obvious signs of being addicts. The clinic engaged in unusual practices, like, permitting non-medical staff to assist with medical procedures, such as taking blood pressure, to maximize the number of patients seen. Indeed, in 2011, the clinic was one of the “Top 15” purchasers of Oxycodone in the nation. Votrobek and Castellanos made millions of dollars during the clinic's approximately one year of operation. Votrobek and Castellanos established multiple bank accounts, many in third party names, to conceal the windfall profits.
Jason Votrobek, and Roland Castellanos will be sentenced at a later date. Jesse Violante and Tara Atkins, who both previously pleaded guilty to charges related to their conduct at the clinic, will also be sentenced at a later date. Dr. James Chapman is presently awaiting trial.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Group, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Bartow/Cartersville Drug Task Force, Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; with special assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Kentucky State Police.
Assistant United States Attorneys G. Scott Hulsey, Cassandra J. Schansman, and Laurel R. Boatright prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Former Youth Director and Parish Outreach Coordinator Sentenced for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Kevin Hickey, a former church youth director and Director of Parish Outreach for Life Teen International, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for distributing child pornography.
“This Defendant was entrusted with counseling and protecting children, but instead collected and distributed highly graphic images portraying their sexual exploitation and abuse” said United States Attorney Yates. “We will to continue to aggressively prosecute those who pose such a great threat to our children.”
“HSI puts special emphasis on investigating consumers of child pornography who have access to children through positions of trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Brock D. Nicholson, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Atlanta. “My special agents, our law enforcement partners and prosecutors at all levels are engaged in a relentless pursuit of child pornographers. By putting men like Kevin Hickey behind bars, I have no doubt that we are saving innocent children from the trauma of rape and exploitation.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the criminal indictment, and information presented in court: Kevin Hickey was identified as an individual with a sexual interest in children and who collected and distributed child pornography. In June 2013, Hickey, using his online screen name “funguyatl77,” engaged in an online communication, monitored by federal agents, in which he stated that he was watching “perving vids” and offered to share child pornography. On June 3, 2013, Hickey transmitted a video showing two prepubescent males being sodomized by an adult male. Hickey further displayed photographs of children he took surreptitiously in public places and was heard gratifying himself sexually during the online conversation. A subsequent investigation by Homeland Security Investigations agents led them to Hickey and to Hickey’s home, where he maintained his computer and engaged in the collection and distribution of these pornographic images. Thousands of images of child exploitation have been located on Hickey’s electronic devices.
Hickey, 39, of Atlanta, Ga., was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to ten years in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release. He was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment. The defendant will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims.
Assistant United States Attorney Jill E. Steinberg is prosecuting the case.
For further information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
Former Middle School Teacher Arrested on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - William Kimbrell has been arraigned on federal charges of accessing with intent to view child pornography. Kimbrell was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 18, 2014.
"This now-former middle school teacher has been indicted on child pornography charges," said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. "Through the vigilance of our law enforcement partners, this defendant is no longer teaching, and will face the consequences of his actions."
“Consumers of child pornography create a demand for the sexual exploitation of children that has resulted in an explosion of abuse across the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Brock D. Nicholson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Atlanta. “No matter how cleverly a suspect may think he has covered his tracks by deleting or encrypting illegal photos and videos, our special agents and computer forensic analysts are highly trained and skilled at finding the evidence of their crimes.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Starting in October 2012, a sheriff's office detective in southern Georgia found that a person at an apartment complex in Statesboro, Ga., was distributing child pornography. In late December 2012 and continuing into January 2013, this same person was still offering child pornography for distribution, but this time the computer’s Internet protocol address came back to a residence in Covington, Ga.
When special agents with Homeland Security Investigations learned of the offense this year, they identified the subject as William Kimbrell, and obtained federal search warrants for his home in Covington. At that time, Kimbrell was working as a middle school teacher in Barrow County, Ga. When the agents executed the search warrants, they found that Kimbrell had deleted the bulk of the child pornography on his computer. The computer forensics analyst, however, was able to find remnants of files on the computer and was able to determine that Kimbrell had accessed child pornography on the Internet from October to December 2013, which includes the period that he was working as a teacher. Kimbrell resigned from his position as a middle school teacher on March 17, 2014.
William Kimbrell, 27, of Covington, Ga., was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul R. Jones is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.