Southern District of Georgia

FORT STEWART, GEORGIA

Thank you, Ed, for the kind introduction and thank you to everyone in your office who helped put together this visit.  And thank you to the 3rd Infantry Division and the entire Fort Stewart community for inviting me and for providing me with such a warm welcome.  It is a great honor to be here.  Seeing firsthand your dedication and commitment to serving our country in the Armed Forces is inspiring and motivating.

Through the lens of my responsibilities at the Department of Justice, I have had the privilege and the duty to learn about the work that you do.  I am fortunate that my work has touched on a remarkable range of interesting issues, from defending court challenges to the health care law and to environmental regulations to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes to protecting the safety of the medicines we take and the food we eat.  But throughout my time at the department, the Attorney General has identified “combating terrorism and other national security threats at home and abroad” – using every available and appropriate tool to keep the American people safe – as the department’s highest priority.

As the department has defended the legality of terrorism watch lists or represented current and former military officers when they are sued for things they have done in service to the country, I have opened a small window into the military world – a world that, as the Supreme Court has said, is, “by necessity, a specialized society separate from civilian society,” that has, “by necessity, developed laws and traditions of its own during its long history.”  I have seen the scope and difficulty of the essential work of the military and of the intelligence community, and the essential contributions that individual servicemembers make.

One lesson I have taken from these experiences is how important it is for those of us on the civilian side of the government who interact with the military to do more to understand its culture and traditions, its unique needs and pressures.  To perform the role we play in defending the actions of the Department of Defense and other national security agencies, we at the Justice Department need to bridge any divide between ourselves and our clients.  That is one of the reasons why I am grateful for the chance to be here today.

But the connection between the Justice Department and the military is not limited to defending national security programs when they are challenged in court.  We also have a responsibility to protect your rights and interests, as servicemembers and, later, as veterans.  It is that responsibility I want to focus on in my remarks to you today.

It is a sad reality that servicemembers face many obstacles and challenges both during and after military service.  You should not have to worry that the equipment you use in the course of protecting and securing our country is unsafe or defective.  You should not have to worry while you are overseas that your car will be repossessed or that your home will be subject to an illegal foreclosure without your knowledge.  You should not have to worry that you will be targeted by a financial scam that could threaten your hard-earned savings or, should you later join the Reserves, that you will lose your civilian job when you report for duty.

And yet, far too often, we see these things happen.  We see unscrupulous businesses attempt to take advantage of the stresses a servicemember faces while preparing for a deployment or of the added difficulties your families face when you are deployed.  It is vital that we hold those people accountable – that we at the Justice Department do our jobs in enforcing the criminal and civil laws designed to protect servicemembers, veterans and their families so that you can focus on your invaluable work protecting our nation.

That is why I was honored earlier this year to announce the Attorney General’s creation of the Justice Department’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative – a coordinated effort to ensure that the legal protections relating to servicemembers’ rights and interests are made real for men and women in uniform across the country.

I want to talk today about three ways in which the department’s enforcement efforts are working – by helping to ensure you have the right equipment and support to do your job safely abroad; by protecting your financial and voting rights while you are serving your country; and by providing you all of the support you are entitled to by law when you transition back to civilian life.

As members of the Armed Forces, you sacrifice so much.  You are asked to leave your friends and family and travel to distant locations, where you may have to put yourself in harm’s way in order to secure our nation.  The government should provide you with the tools you need to do that job.  The Department of Justice helps ensure that you only are given equipment that meets performance standards by aggressively pursuing lawsuits against defense contractors who have provided defective, unsafe, or counterfeit devices to the military.

For example, imagine serving in a unit engaged in nighttime combat in Iraq.  In covert or search-and-rescue operations, you rely on high-powered flares for illumination – three-foot-long tubes filled with propellant that burn in excess of 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.  Your safety depends on those flares working the way they are supposed to, providing the light you need and not creating an additional hazard when you already have too many to worry about.

And yet, several years ago, a whistleblower alerted the government that a company making many of the flares used in Iraq and Afghanistan had knowingly been selling defective ones.  An investigation found that the flares the company had delivered could not withstand a ten foot drop without exploding or igniting – and that the company was aware of this defect.

Confronted with these facts, the company agreed to pay the federal government $21 million.  More importantly, under the settlement the company also spent an additional $16 million to retrofit the 76,000 unsafe flares remaining in the military’s inventory – that is, to make sure the soldiers in the field would have safe flares going forward.

The Justice Department’s efforts to ensure that contractors live up to their obligations to provide safe, reliable products to the military also extend to bringing criminal charges where appropriate.   Take the case of a contractor that provided defective wing pins to the Department of Defense.  You may know that wing pins secure the wings of F-15 fighter aircraft.  The contractor promised that it would make the pins using a certain type of hardened steel and subject them to a rigorous safety inspection process.  But it didn’t: some of the wing pins were made with the wrong type of steel and many were not subjected to proper safety testing.  When the former owner of the contractor was questioned about the defective parts, he provided forged documents falsely claiming that a third-party testing company had conducted the necessary safety tests.  He was recently sentenced to six months in prison.

Ensuring that the equipment you use meets critical safety and performance standards is an important priority for our government.  But our country’s obligation to you does not end on the battlefield.  We also have an obligation to ensure that the rights you and your family have are protected at home while you serve overseas.  The Department of Justice works to meet this obligation by enforcing laws that protect your financial and voting rights while you serve on active duty, allowing you to focus on your critical jobs.

One such law is the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) which provides protections for servicemembers who are entering active duty by postponing or suspending certain obligations associated with rental agreements, automobile leases, mortgage foreclosures, evictions, security deposits, installment contracts, student loan payments and more.  It also eases financial burdens by providing relief from some credit obligations and court proceedings while you are on active duty.  This law is intended to allow servicemembers to focus on deployment and to reduce the stress placed on family members while their loved ones are away.  It was also created in recognition of the fact that servicemembers frequently have your lives disrupted with little advance notice, which may have serious financial implications for you and your families.

Many of you have probably heard stories of servicemembers who have lost homes, cars, or belongings while they were deployed.  Some of you may have been the victims of fraud yourselves. The Department of Justice is committed taking action in these cases.  We have used the SCRA to obtain $60 million dollars in compensation to nearly 78,000 servicemembers who were charged excess interest on their student loans by Navient Corporation, the student loan servicer that was formerly part of Sallie Mae.  We are in the process of obtaining relief for hundreds of servicemembers who were subjected to wrongful mortgage foreclosures or interest rate violations by five of the country’s largest mortgage lenders; already, 952 servicemembers and their co-borrowers have received over $123 million from four banks and mortgage lenders who improperly foreclosed on the servicemembers’ homes without going to court.  The banks also committed to repairing any negative credit reporting that occurred as a result of these wrongful foreclosures.

Many of the cases the Justice Department brings address improper foreclosures or repossessions on a large scale.  For example, earlier this year the department settled allegations that a motor vehicle lender, Santander Consumer USA, had improperly repossessed or collected fees from the repossession of over a thousand vehicles belonging to servicemembers. But these cases often begin not with thousands of complaints, but with one complaint.  The investigation of Santander started when a single soldier, Army Specialist Joshua Davis, contacted Army Legal Assistance after his car was repossessed in the middle of the night while he was at basic training.  Army Specialist Davis’s complaint made its way to the Justice Department and the resulting investigation revealed evidence not only that that the repossession of Army Specialist Davis’s car was illegal, but that hundreds of other servicemembers had suffered similar illegal repossessions at the hands of the same lender.  The SCRA requires a court to review and approve of any repossession if the servicemember took out a loan and made a payment before entering military service.  By failing to obtain court orders before repossessing these automobiles, Santander prevented the court from reviewing whether these repossessions should be delayed or adjusted in light of the owners’ military service.  Santander wound up paying at least $9.35 million to over 1,000 servicemembers, the largest settlement for illegal automobile repossessions ever obtained by the United States.  And it all started with a single servicemember calling attention to conduct that was affecting many of his peers too.

Another obstacle servicemembers and their families can face is difficulty voting while overseas.  The Department of Justice enforces the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, which requires states and territories to allow servicemembers to register and vote absentee in federal elections, as well as in some state and local elections.  The Department of Justice recently filed suit in Illinois to ensure that military and overseas citizens of Illinois have sufficient time to vote in special elections for filling vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives.  And in another recent case, the state of West Virginia was ordered by a court to count ballots submitted by military and overseas voters that may have been received after Election Day due to the state’s failure to send ballots to these voters in a timely fashion.

Of course, the challenges faced by servicemembers are not limited to times of active duty.  These challenges are often compounded by new issues stemming from military service, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, substance abuse and other issues that affect reentry to civilian life.  That is why we provided grants to support Veterans’ Treatment Courts, which link veterans to programs, benefits and services that may assist in their recovery.  We also use our grants to support the efforts of other courts, organizations and law enforcement that provide assistance to servicemembers and veterans who become involved in the criminal justice system and to support mentoring programs and services for youth with a parent in the military.

New challenges also come for servicemembers who join the Reserves, when your military obligations can lead to unfair treatment by civilian employers.  Consider the case of Sergeant Timothy Stoner, an Army National Guardsman and college campus police officer who was denied two promotions due to his military duties.  Sergeant Stoner is a Sergeant First Class in the Army National Guard with 21 years of military service, including active duty deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq.  He has been a campus police officer at Pima Community College in Arizona since 2001, but was repeatedly denied promotions.

It became clear to him that the reason was that the police chief did not approve of his service in the Guard.  Sergeant Stoner first applied for the promotion while deployed in Afghanistan and the police chief reportedly called him “selfish” for seeking promotion while he was “volunteering,” as the chief put it, for active military duty.  On another occasion, the police chief said that military servicemembers are so used to taking orders that they cannot think for themselves and do not do well in stressful situations.  And yet another time, during one of his interviews for the promotion, the police chief questioned whether Sergeant Stoner would retire from military service and became upset when he said that he did not plan to retire.

The Justice Department obtained relief for Sergeant Stoner under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) which is a statute created to protect servicemembers who have experienced discrimination in their civilian employment based on their military service or status.  USERRA ensures that servicemembers are not disadvantaged in their civilian jobs and are promptly reemployed in these jobs upon returning from duty.  This means that employers cannot deny servicemembers promotions they would have reasonably obtained if not for their military service.  This also means that employers cannot deny servicemembers their seniority, status and rate of pay they would have received if not for their military service.  It means that employers cannot deny applicants a position or withdraw employment offers based on their military service.

Sergeant Stoner is one of the thousands of servicemembers for whom the Department of Justice has sought relief under USERRA.  But our goal in bringing these cases extends beyond helping deserving men and women vindicate their rights in the civilian workforce.  It is about changing the culture of businesses that would discriminate against servicemembers.  As part of the resolution of Sergeant Stoner’s case, for example, the Justice Department required his employer to change its personnel policies to advise all of its employees of their rights and obligations under USERRA. 

Before concluding, I want to briefly circle back to the Justice Department’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, which I mentioned towards the beginning of my remarks.  One goal of the Initiative is to better coordinate and expand our enforcement efforts – to work closely with federal, state and local enforcement agencies, and with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, to ensure that we are identifying and addressing the areas in which we can best assist the military community.  We will continue to raise awareness of these issues in our discussions with military leadership, as well as with the JAG Corps, which provides legal counseling on base.  But we also encourage victims of to come forward and complain.  Too often a violation of the rights of servicemembers – particularly financial fraud -- goes unreported because victims feel embarrassed or foolish, or because they think that nothing will happen.  But only when you complain is it possible for you to get the help you need.  And only when we know there is a problem can we work to stop it.

We also want to make sure that we are doing all we can to ensure that you are aware of the legal protections available to you, and of how to take advantage of these protections if you encounter illegal practices.  And because we can’t prosecute our way out of every problem, we are engaging in and supporting consumer education where possible to prevent veterans and servicemembers like you from becoming victims of financial fraud and other illegal activity in the first place.

Our efforts in this Initiative are led by three career Department of Justice attorneys with strong ties to the military community, including Director Silas Darden, a Major in the Air Force Reserves, who is here today.  These attorneys serve as a central point of contact on issues affecting servicemembers and veterans so that we may ensure that all available tools are used to address each problem or concern.  We want to make sure that all of you and your colleagues across the country, know that this resource is there and how to tap into it.

Going forward, we hope to further strengthen our comprehensive legal support and protection network for servicemembers, veterans and families so that you may focus on your important service to our country.

Thank you again for the invitation to be here today.  I look forward to meeting many more of you and to hearing your input on how the Department of Justice can better help you and your families live securely in this country that you protect and defend.  Thank you for your time and thank you for your service.

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AUGUSTA, GA:  Jeffrey Sponseller, O.D. of Augusta, Sponseller Eye Care One, P.C., and S&H Eye Care, LLC, currently doing business as “Eye Care One,” have agreed to pay the United States a total of $275,000.00 to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of false claims to federal and state healthcare programs for services that were either inadequately performed or not performed at all.

The civil settlement resolves allegations that were originally part of a joint criminal and civil investigation of Sponseller’s submission of bogus claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Railroad Retirement Medicare Program for the lengthiest and most expensive type of eye examination conducted on nursing home patients when, in reality, he either conducted a very short eye examination or no examination at all.  On January 10, 2014, Sponseller was sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay $441,729.85 in restitution to Medicare.  Sponseller’s civil False Claims Act settlement is in addition to the restitution ordered in his criminal case.

This civil settlement resolves related allegations that were part of a federal lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act on January 8, 2014.  Sponseller is the former owner of Eye Care One, located at 3152 Washington Road in Augusta, Georgia, which is now owned by his wife, Tracie Sponseller, O.D. and Matthew Haubert, O.D.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “This settlement demonstrates the United States Attorney’s Office’s commitment to pursue all available remedies against those who commit health care fraud.  Both criminal and civil avenues will be pursued in order to protect the American taxpayers as well as our nation’s elderly citizens, who were taken advantage of in this instance.”

The case was investigated by Special Agent David Graupner, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Investigations; and Investigator Kimberly Reinken-Creamer of the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia.  The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Heath Statkus.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA- Lewis Jackson, 60, of Brunswick, Georgia pled guilty today before Chief United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to stealing loggerhead sea turtle eggs in violation of the Lacey Act.  Among other things, the Lacey Act makes it unlawful for any person to acquire, receive and transport loggerhead sea turtle eggs, as loggerheads are endangered species under federal law.  Back in 2013, Jackson was convicted a first time for stealing turtle eggs, and was sentenced to serve 6 months in prison.  Jackson was on federal supervised release when he was caught stealing turtle eggs for the second time.

According to evidence presented during today’s guilty plea hearing, on July 6, 2015, a Wildlife Technician with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Sea Turtle Program discovered that 84 loggerhead sea turtle eggs from a nest on Sapelo Island, Georgia were missing.  Law enforcement determined that one of the visitors to the island that day was Jackson, who had stolen over 150 loggerhead turtle eggs in 2012.  The next day, on July 7, Jackson was arrested trying to leave the island with a cooler full of sea turtle eggs.  Jackson appeared to have wrapped the eggs with the intent to sell them.  Loggerhead eggs now fetch as much as $25 per egg on the black market.  Because of Jackson’s handling of the turtle eggs, they were no longer viable and were therefore destroyed.  Sea turtles are long-lived and slow to reach maturity. Pressures from the illegal harvesting of eggs and the poaching of adults worsen the extinction risk faced by these animals. In Georgia, the loggerhead sea turtle is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act and is the most common sea turtle which nests on Sapelo Island.

In 2013, Jackson was sentenced to 6 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release.  For his second conviction, he faces a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  A new sentencing date will be set after the United States Probation Office conducts a presentence investigation.  Jackson remains in the custody of the United States Marshals pending his sentencing.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “This defendant has attempted to profit yet again by unlawfully exploiting an endangered species and a national treasure.  Since his 6 months was apparently not a sufficient deterrence, we will ask that this defendant be sentenced to serve a significant amount of the next few years in a federal prison.”

Luis Santiago, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, stated, “We take our mission to support our state counterpart wildlife enforcement agencies very seriously and we will continue to work with our counterparts to concentrate on and aggressively pursue individuals who are involved in the illegal trade of protected species of wildlife.”

This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and the United States Probation Office.  Assistant United States Attorney E. Greg Gilluly, Jr. is prosecuting the case for the United States.  Please direct any additional questions to First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

SAVANNAH, GA - Telly Savalas Riley, a/k/a KoJak, 39, from Crescent, Georgia was sentenced last week by United States District Judge William T. Moore, Jr. to 146 months in prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization.  Defendant Riley was the last of 22 defendants sentenced for running a drug-trafficking organization that operated out of Savannah, Atlanta, South Carolina and elsewhere.

The two-year investigation of this case was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and involved the use of court-authorized wiretaps, undercover purchases of cocaine and search warrants.  Agents with the DEA, Chatham County-Narcotics Team (CNT), Beaufort County South Carolina Sheriff’s Department, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division worked the joint investigation.  During the investigation, agents seized cocaine with an estimated street value of $1.5 million, marijuana with an estimated street value of $50,000, over $300,000 in cash and numerous automobiles.  Additionally, agents seized 10 firearms from convicted felons.

The 21 other defendants convicted in this case included:

Grilly Holloway, Jr, a/k/a “Cheese,” a/k/a “Grill Cheese,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 121 months incarceration;

Rashawn Ahamd Stewart, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Magic,” a/k/a “Black Magic,” a/k/a “Smokey,” a/k/a “Spot,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 128 months of incarceration;

Steven Patrick McCoy, a/k/a “Patche,” a/k/a “Scratch,” a/k/a “Lil Pat,” a/k/a “Project,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 121 months of incarceration;

Jack Lee Brown, a/k/a “Smooth,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 112 months of incarceration;

Anthony Dether Aaron, a/k/a “The Tire Doctor,” a/k/a “Joe Jizzle,” a/k/a “Jizzleasy,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 120 months of incarceration;

Leonard Anthony Kennedy, a/k/a “Jamal Harris,” a/k/a “Bernard Anthony Gramm,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 127 months of incarceration;

Jarvis King, a/k/a “Jeezy,” a/k/a “Anthony Jarvis King,” a/k/a “Anthony Heyward,” a/k/a “Timothy Monroe Hughes, a/k/a “Ghost,” of South Carolina, was sentenced to 57 months of incarceration;

Chad F. McCoy, a/k/a “Feezy,” of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months of incarceration;

Michael J. Singleton, a/k/a “Cheese,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 92 months of incarceration;

Dyshawn J. Beasley, a/k/a “Aubrey Beasley,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 40 months incarceration;

Leroy Chisolm, a/k/a “Fats,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 151 months incarceration;

Ron B. Allen, a/k/a “Ron Low,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 51 months incarceration;

Ricardo J. Crawford, a/k/a “Rico,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 months incarceration;

Jawyanna P. Pringle, a/k/a “Jiggie,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 78 months incarceration;

Joseph Medlock, a/k/a “Poochie Medlock,” of South Carolina, was sentenced to 77 months incarceration;

Michael L. Bostic, a/k/a “Mike B,” of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 48 months of incarceration;

Edward L. Williams, of Crescent, Georgia, was sentenced to 9 months of incarceration;

George Moran, of Crescent, Georgia, was sentenced to 52 months of incarceration;

Willie Jones, of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 151 months of incarceration;

James Wright, of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 71 months of incarceration; and,

Earnest Edwards, of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 160 months of incarceration.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Gilluly, Jr. and Karl Knoche.  The lead investigators in this case were DEA Special Agent Michael Sarhatt and CNT Agent David Arbizo.

BRUNSWICK, GA – An Indictment returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah in July and unsealed yesterday has charged 4 Georgia residents with conspiring to traffic cocaine and marijuana from 2014 to 2015 in the McIntosh, Glynn, Wayne, and Liberty County areas. The indicted defendants are:

Sterling Hunter “Tuffy” Bond, 53, from Townsend, Georgia,

Jeannette Bond, 48, from Townsend, Georgia,

Nik Kodros, 49, from Townsend, Georgia, and,

Lawrence Dewayne Floyd, 53, from Jesup, Georgia.

If convicted of the charged drug trafficking conspiracy charge, the defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Tuffy Bond, Jeanette Bond and Nik Kodros appeared in federal court in Brunswick yesterday for their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge R. Stan Baker.  The Government asked that Tuffy Bond be detained pending trial; his detention hearing will be held on Monday in Brunswick.  Kodros and Jeannette Bond were released yesterday on bond.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver emphasized that the indictments are only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The charges resulted from a federal investigation by the FBI and the DEA, with assistance from the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office and the Darien Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Bourne is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

SAVANNAH – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Pediatric Services of America Healthcare, Pediatric Services of America, Inc., Pediatric Healthcare, Inc., Pediatric Home Nursing Services (collectively, “PSA”), and Portfolio Logic, LLC agreed to pay $6.88 million ($6,882,387) to resolve allegations that PSA, a provider of home nursing services to medically fragile children, knowingly (1) failed to disclose and return overpayments that it received from federal health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, (2) submitted claims under the Georgia Pediatric Program for home nursing care without documenting the requisite monthly supervisory visits by a registered nurse, and (3) submitted claims to federal health care programs that overstated the length of time their staff had provided services, which resulted in PSA being overpaid.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, Edward J. Tarver said, “The failure to report and return a known overpayment is a serious offense that ultimately drives up the costs of health care for all of us.  This U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal and state law enforcement partners will continue to work together to ensure that health care providers, who receive millions of tax dollars every year, play by the rules and do not waste critical program funds.”

“Participants in federal health care programs are required to actively investigate whether they have received overpayments and, if so, promptly return the overpayments,” said United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia John Horn. “This settlement is the first of its kind and reflects the serious obligations of health care providers to be responsible stewards of public health funds.”

“The healthcare system is trust-based and providers who willfully ignore their fiscal responsibilities will be held accountable for their actions. This precedent-setting case should send the message that we will not tolerate any provider keeping American taxpayer dollars unjustly. Special thanks to the United States Attorney's Office for recognizing the importance of this case and partnering with us to pursue justice,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta.

John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS-Southeast Field Office, stated, “This collaborative investigative effort reflects the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s ongoing commitment to ensuring accountability throughout the military health care system, protecting the integrity of Department of Defense programs, and preserving precious taxpayer dollars.”

This is the first settlement under the False Claims Act involving a health care provider’s failure to investigate credit balances on its books to determine whether they resulted from overpayments made by a federal health care program. Under section 6402 of the Affordable Care Act, health care providers must report and return any overpayments by the later of (i) 60 days after the overpayment was identified or (ii) the date any corresponding cost report is due (if applicable).

PSA had been maintaining numerous credit balances on its books that related to claims it had submitted to various federal health care programs, some of which had been on PSA’s books for several years. Additionally PSA wrote off and absorbed credit balances that had resulted from overpayments into their revenue because they had not investigated the reason for the credit balances before doing so. At the government’s request, PSA cooperated with a joint audit of the credit balances on its books in order to identify all outstanding overpayments.

As part of the settlement, PSA has agreed to enter into a corporate integrity agreement with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), which will require PSA to put in place procedures and reviews to avoid and promptly detect conduct similar to that which gave rise to the settlement.

The settlement resolves allegations filed by Yvette Odumosu and Sheila McCray, former employees of PSA, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which authorize private parties to sue for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in the recovery. Ms. Odumosu’s lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Georgia and is captioned U.S. ex rel. Yvette Odumosu v. Pediatric Services of America Healthcare, No. 1:11-CV-1007-AT and Ms. McCray’s lawsuit subsequently was filed in the Southern District of Georgia and is captioned United States ex rel. Sheila McCray, et al. v. Pediatric Services of America, Inc., Pediatric Services of America, Pediatric Healthcare, Inc., Pediatric Home Nursing Services, collectively d/b/a PSA Healthcare; and Portfolio Logic, LLC, No. CV413-12. Ms. Odumosu and Ms. McCray will receive a share of the settlement payment that resolves the qui tam suits that they filed in the amount of $1.1 million ($1,121,729). The claims settled in the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Georgia State Attorney General’s Office, and the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units, comprised, in part, of the 20 states that are parties to the settlement.

The civil settlement was reached by Assistant United States Attorneys Neeli Ben-David, Darcy Coty and Charles Mulaney. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

WASHINGTON – Leon Nathan Davis, 37, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall of the Southern District of Georgia for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  Davis pleaded guilty to an information charging him with attempting to provide material support to ISIL on May 27, 2015.  His prison term will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Edward J. Tarver of the Southern District of New York and Special Agent in Charge J. Britt Johnson of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.

“It is the obligation of all nations to serve as responsible global citizens and stem the flow of their residents from traveling abroad as foreign terrorist fighters engaged in the violence and oppression that ISIL is inflicting everywhere it operates,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “One of the National Security Division’s top priorities remains stemming the flow of foreign fighters and bringing to justice those who seek to provide material support to foreign designated terrorist organizations.”

“This defendant planned for over a year to join, assist and fight alongside an enemy of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Tarver.  “His actions were criminal and he now faces a lengthy federal prison sentence.  I commend the hard work of the federal and local agents who work to keep our nation safe from terrorist organizations such as ISIL.”

“The details and federal charges in this case provide a clear illustration of the problems that we face as a nation when our own citizens become radicalized in support of a foreign terrorist organization such as ISIL,” said Special Agent in Charge Johnson.  “Today’s sentencing of Mr. Davis in federal court, however, clearly illustrates the consequences.  The FBI will continue to partner with its various local, state and other federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies as we remain vigilant in identifying, investigating and presenting for prosecution those individuals who would pose a threat to our national security in this manner.”

Evidence produced at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings revealed that for more than a year, an FBI-led team investigated Davis’ attempts to join an overseas designated foreign terrorist organization.  Davis was arrested at the Atlanta Hartfield-Jackson Airport in October 2014 on a parole violation, after he had purchased a ticket to fly to Turkey and then traveled from Augusta to the Atlanta airport.  Davis has been in custody since his arrest.

Assistant Attorney General Carlin and U.S. Attorney Tarver commended the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles for their work on this case.  Carlin and Tarver also expressed gratitude to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service and the Atlanta Police Department for their contributions to the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charlie Bourne and Nancy Greenwood of the Southern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Clement McGovern of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. 

AUGUSTA, GA: A 50-count indictment, unsealed today in federal court, has charged Cathedral Henderson, 50, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employee and the former Chief of Fee Basis over non-VA Care at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, with crimes related to his alleged falsification of the medical records of numerous VA patients.  The indictment alleges that Henderson terminated unresolved consults – medical appointments that had not been scheduled or completed – by falsely stating in VA patients’ medical records that “services have been completed or patient refused services.”

United States Attorney Edward Tarver stated, “The crimes alleged in this indictment are troubling.  Our VA officials and employees are entrusted with the health and welfare of some of the most honorable and vulnerable in our nation – our veterans.  Patients, doctors, nurses and hospitals rely heavily upon the truth and accuracy of our permanent medical records.  The intentional falsification of veterans’ medical records is a serious offense and will not be tolerated.”       

Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Quentin G. Aucoin stated, “The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) vigorously investigates allegations regarding VA employees who alter medical records with false statements in order to conceal unfulfilled consults for medical procedures.  These alleged actions give the appearance that medical care was rendered or, in some cases, the appearance that veterans declined medical care.  Alterations of medical records and false statements in these records needlessly expose patients to harm and also undermine the integrity of VA data relied upon by VA decision-makers, who oversee and manage operations.”

Henderson has been charged with 50 counts of making false statements.  If convicted, Henderson faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.  An indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.   

The case was investigated by Special Agents from the VA-OIG’s Office of Investigations, with assistance from clinical staff in the VA-OIG’s Office of Healthcare Inspections.  Assistant United States Attorney Lamont Belk is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  Any questions should be directed to First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

 

SAVANNAH, GA:  XAVIER FRANKLIN LEWIS, the former Pastor of the Holy Ghost Praise and Deliverance Ministries outside of Savannah, Georgia was sentenced last week to 119 months’ imprisonment for his role as the check casher in a stolen identity tax fraud scheme.  Late last year, a jury found LEWIS guilty of 22 counts, including submitting false claims to the IRS, theft of public money, aggravated identity theft, operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, and bank fraud.

According to the evidence presented during the trial and the sentencing hearing, LEWIS used a number of separate bank accounts he controlled, including three accounts opened in the name of his church, to negotiate over 90 government-funded tax refund checks.  LEWIS obtained the checks after they were either generated as the result of submitting a fraudulent income tax return with the IRS or were generated at the legitimate request of a taxpayer but stolen from the mail before it reached its final destination.  In total, LEWIS fraudulently negotiated nearly $250,000 worth of government-funded checks.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “This defendant acted as a wolf in sheep’s clothing using his church to conduct an illegal check cashing operation as part of a stolen identity and tax fraud scheme.  Now, he’ll spend almost ten years in federal prison.  This case should serve as notice to those who would abuse the trust of the American people to enrich themselves – if you attempt to rip off the taxpayers of this great country, you should expect to spend time in prison.”

“We would like this verdict and sentence to serve as a strong message that there are consequences for stealing and using other individuals’ personal identifying information,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot. “Individuals who devise schemes to steal public money face federal prosecution and federal prison.”

IRS Special Agent Stephanie Huebner and United States Secret Service Agent Matthew Britsch conducted the investigation which led to the indictment. IRS Special Agents Jason Dulin and Andres Hernandez assisted with the trial.   Assistant United States Attorneys C. Troy Clark and Charles B. Wydysh prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.  Any additional questions should be directed to First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

88 Defendants Have Now Pled Guilty In One Of The Largest

Food-Benefit Fraud Cases Ever Prosecuted

 

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA- Brandon and Kimberly Sapp, husband and wife from Atlanta, Georgia, pled guilty last week before United States District Judge William T. Moore, Jr. to running a criminal organization that defrauded the WIC and Food Stamp programs of approximately $20 million.  The Sapps initially exercised their rights to a jury trial.  However, after 2 days of testimony, they changed their pleas to guilty and the jury was dismissed.  The Sapps are currently awaiting sentencing.

In June of 2014, The Sapps were indicted along with 86 other defendants in one of the largest WIC and Food-Stamp frauds ever prosecuted in the United States.  To date, all 88 defendants have pled guilty.

Georgia’s Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) provides healthy foods to low-income pregnant and postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age 5 who are nutritionally at risk.  Participants in the WIC program receive 3-month supplies of WIC vouchers, which they can exchange at authorized stores for the healthy foods listed on the vouchers.  The Food Stamp program, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides “Food Stamp” benefits to low-income families through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which are similar to debit cards.  It is unlawful to exchange WIC or Food Stamp benefits for cash.  Both the WIC and Food Stamp programs are administered through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and paid for by federal tax dollars.

According to evidence presented during the trial and numerous guilty plea hearings, the Sapps conspired with numerous others to open 14 phony grocery stores in Savannah, Macon, Atlanta, Garden City, Lithonia, LaGrange, Stone Mountain, Riverdale, and elsewhere for the purpose of buying WIC and Food Stamp benefits for cash.  Once the stores were opened and stocked with enough prop foods to pass WIC and SNAP inspections, many of the defendants canvassed low-income neighborhoods and solicited WIC and Food Stamp participants to illegally exchange their benefits not for food, but for cash.  The defendants purchased the WIC and Food Stamp benefits for cash at a fraction of the amount they received from the USDA by redeeming the benefits they had purchased.  Typically, the conspirators would buy Food-Stamp benefits from participants for 50 cents on the dollar.  The conspirators would buy WIC vouchers for even less, sometimes as low as 15 cents on the dollar.

        54 defendants, including the Sapps, were charged together for their roles in organizing, running and operating the phony grocery stores set up throughout the state.  The Sapps created a sophisticated criminal enterprise, which included district managers, who were in charge of getting cash to the stores each day for the purpose of buying WIC vouchers and Food Stamp benefits; store managers, who were in charge of taking orders and making sure enough prop foods stayed in the stores to pass inspections; and, drivers, who would take cash to WIC and Food Stamp participants in exchange for their benefits.  During the course of the conspiracy, which lasted over 2 years, the criminal enterprise received over $30,000 each day in fraudulently obtained money from the USDA.  The Sapps, who paid their coconspirators in weekly salary checks, were the beneficiaries of a large portion of the ill-gotten gains.  They bought expensive cars, rang up over $1 million in credit card charges, withdrew over $3 million in cash from various accounts, and brazenly set up a record label named “We In Control,” the acronym of which is WIC.  A listing of the 54 defendants convicted for their roles in the Sapps’ criminal enterprise is attached.

        In addition to those responsible for owning or operating the phony grocery stores across the State, 34 recipients residing in the Southern District of Georgia who sold their WIC and Food Stamp benefits for cash to the Sapps’ organization were also charged.  The number of recipients charged represents a small fraction of those who sold their food-program benefits for cash to the Sapps’ organization.  Indeed, the number of WIC recipients whose vouchers were fraudulently purchased by the Sapp conspiracy exceeded 45,000.  A significant percentage of the 45,000 individual WIC recipients were the children whose parents or guardians that chose 15 cents on the dollar over healthy foods for their children.  Each of the 34 WIC and Food-Stamp recipients indicted either had a significant criminal history and/or traded significant amounts of food-program benefits.  Each of the 34 recipient-defendants pled guilty to stealing from the United States.  A listing of these defendants is attached.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “This prosecution, one of the largest federal food programs fraud prosecutions in history, was a complete success.  Within one year, all of the 88 defendants charged have been convicted.  Justice was swift and those convicted have been held accountable for stealing millions of dollars in federal tax dollars intended to feed the most needy families and children in our state.  No matter how complex the scheme to steal tax payer dollars, this United States Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice.”

Karen Citizen-Wilcox, Special Agent-in-Charge, USDA-OIG-Investigations, stated, “The USDA-OIG conducts hundreds of investigations nationwide on a yearly basis regarding EBT fraud.  In 2010, we became aware of a large number of Georgia WIC vendors redeeming tremendous dollar amounts from the alleged sale of WIC items.  These small establishments were, on average, redeeming more in WIC sales than chain stores such as Kroger and Wal-Mart.  From 2010 through the present, USDA-OIG conducted 16 separate WIC investigations, primarily in the Southern District of Georgia, with the assistance of DOJ, the Georgia Department of Public Health, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies.  One of those investigations determined that a criminal organization, led by Brandon and Kimberly Sapp, operated phony grocery stores across the State for the sole purpose of defrauding the WIC and EBT programs.  The investigation of the Sapps netted the largest WIC fraud in the history of USDA.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia, in a bold and unprecedented move, indicted 88 individuals, including 34 WIC and EBT recipients, for their roles in the criminal enterprise. The Sapp prosecution netted a perfect score for the taxpayers, with all 88 defendants pleading guilty to various charges.  So far, the total restitution ordered in the Sapp investigation stands at $61,249,279.  Brandon and Kimberly Sapp will be sentenced later this summer to what surely will sit as the steepest number of years in prison.  By indicting and convicting WIC and EBT recipients, the U. S. Attorney’s Office has set a new precedent that basically says, ‘You will suffer the same consequences for selling benefits as those who purchase those benefits.’  It is with much gratitude that we applaud and commend DOJ and all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in this joint effort.”

“Fraud of any kind against WIC will not be tolerated, and offenders will be prosecuted and convicted,” said Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “I applaud the U.S. Department of Justice, all of our federal and state partners, and our own Inspector General's office for taking action to send a strong message to those who plan to defraud American taxpayers and harm a program that many Georgians rely on to provide high quality, nutritious food for their children and families.”

J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: "The Sapps’ convictions mark the conclusion of a lengthy and complex fraud investigation whose subjects were targeting federal government programs intended for those in need.  These defendants, working together to illegally profit from federal food based assistance programs, showed a complete disregard for those who were truly in need.  The FBI is pleased with the role that it played in ensuring that these individuals are being held accountable for their greed based criminal conduct."

The investigation of this case was led by Special Agents with the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; Investigators with the Georgia Department of Health and Human Services and Georgia Department of Public Health, Office of Inspector General; and forensic auditors with the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI.  Assistant United States Attorney E. Greg Gilluly, First Assistant United States Attorney, James D. Durham and, both with the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, prosecuted the cases for the United States.

 

Defendants Convicted in 54-Defendant Indictment

Brandon Sapp, a/k/a “B,” 38, Austell, Georgia, awaiting sentencing.

Kimberly Sapp, a/k/a “The Money Wizard,” 35, Austell, Georgia, awaiting sentencing.

Calvin Williams, a/k/a “Slick,” 40, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,529,951.04 in restitution.

Isaac Martin, a/k/a “Ike,” 38, Jonesboro, Georgia; sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,169,962.56 in restitution.

John P. Jones, a/k/a “JP,” 40, Ellenwood, Georgia; sentenced to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,079,965.44 in restitution.

Wayne Jackson, a/k/a “J5,” 33, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 54 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,124,964.00 in restitution.

Gregory Thomas, a/k/a “Rich Gregg,” 38, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,402,465.31 in restitution.

Kerry Adams, a/k/a “Big Skreed,” a/k/a “Scrump,” 39, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 60 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,402,465.31 in restitution.

Brian Lockhart, a/k/a “Lock,” 48, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 40 months in prison and ordered to pay $989,968.32 in restitution.

Henry Ward, a/k/a “Tye,” 33, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 60 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,259,959.68 in restitution.

Vincent Harper, 41, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,304,598.24 in restitution.

Ostrando S. Brock, a/k/a “Shawn,” 33, Mableton, Georgia; sentenced to 38 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,214,961.12 in restitution.

Jesse McCoy, a/k/a “Jay Mac,” 43, Ellenwood, Georgia; sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $944,969.76 in restitution.

Terence Cosby, a/k/a “Me Gold,” 34, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and order to pay $1,124,959.68 in restitution.

Raymond Hargrove, 28, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,484,952.48 in restitution.

Jacqueline Beauchamp, a/k/a “Jackie,” 26, Pooler, Georgia; sentenced to 40 months in prison and ordered to pay $989,968.32 in restitution.

Elizabeth Beauchamp, 29, Pooler, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $404,987.04 in restitution.

Gerald Patilla, a/k/a “PT,” 31, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $989,968.32 in restitution.

Clayton Talley, 32, Pooler, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $224,992.80 in restitution.

Ebony Jacobs, 28, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $359,988.48 in restitution.

Olajawon Simmons, a/k/a “Wan,” a/k/a “Won,” 28, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 40 months in prison and ordered to pay $629,979.84 in restitution.

Reginald Simmons, a/k/a “Reggie,” 29, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $764,975.52 in restitution.

Gary Grier, a/k/a “Bundee,” a/k/a “Dee,” 38, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 34 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,124,964.00 in restitution.

Magregor Warner, a/k/a “KB,” 41, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 40 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,124,964.00 in restitution.

Benjamin Tookes, a/k/a “B,” a/k/a “Ben,” 41, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay $719,976.96 in restitution.

Carlos Davis, a/k/a “Lo,” 39, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,034,966.88 in restitution.

Raymond Hixon, a/k/a “Dre,” 39, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $809,974.08 in restitution.

Thomas Thorton, a/k/a “Big Bo,” 28, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 40 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,394,955.30 in restitution.

Branden Jordan, 33, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $130,489.71 in restitution.

Mark White, 39, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay $674,978.40 in restitution.

Tobias Render, a/k/a “Tee,” a/k/a “Toby,” 34, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $764,975.52 in restitution.

Eric Burkes, a/k/a “E,” 26, Atlanta, Georgia, sentenced to 3 years of probation and ordered to pay $217,482.85 in restitution.

Aryay Strong, 32, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $179,994.24 in restitution.

Marshall Sears, 39, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,349,956.80 in restitution.

Suleyma Arreola, 22, Marietta, Georgia; sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $449,985.60 in restitution.

Emory White, 33, Marietta, Georgia; sentenced to 60 months in prison and ordered to pay $899,971.20 in restitution.

Obryan Moore, a/k/a “OB,” 30, Powder Springs, Georgia; sentenced to 46 in prison and ordered to pay $449,985.60 in restitution.

Terry Mitchell, Jr., 44, LaGrange, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $674,978.40 in restitution.

Corey Mitchell, a/k/a “Stick,” 40, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,034,966.86 in restitution.

Luquoise Clay, a/k/a “Qui,” 31, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 4 years of probation and ordered to pay $539,982.72 in restitution.

Jessica Cameron, a/k/a “Keta,” 31, Grantville, Georgia; sentenced to 5 years of probation and ordered to pay $539,982.72 in restitution.

Joshua Dunlap, 39, Monticello, Georgia; sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $494,984.16 in restitution.

Maurice Fudge, a/k/a “Reese,” 40, Macon, Georgia; sentenced to 25 months in prison and ordered to pay $314,989.92 in restitution.

Quinton Matthews, a/k/a “Q,” a/k/a “Chuck Matthews,” 40, Macon, Georgia; sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $629,979.84 in restitution.

Charles Jackson, a/k/a “Cooley Slim,” a/k/a “Corey,” 36 Lithia Springs, Georgia; sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay $539,982.72 in restitution.

Ronnie Zachary, a/k/a “City,” 30, Byron, Georgia; sentenced to 38 months in prison and ordered to pay $584,981.28 in restitution.

Porsha Drewery, a/k/a “Parsha,” 38, Macon, Georgia; sentenced to 38 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,619,948.10 in restitution.

Taquilla Johnson, a/k/a “Quilla,” 36, Macon, Georgia; sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $478,462.27 in restitution.

Raheem Waller, 30, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $629,979.84 in restitution.

Travis Rich, 36, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,259,959.68 in restitution.

Marlon Dobbins, 30, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,079,965.44 in restitution.

Derrick Heard, a/k/a “Da Man,” a/k/a “Heard,” 44, Atlanta, Georgia; sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay $18,515,977.21 in restitution.

Roderick Turner, a/k/a “Rah Rah,” 37, Rockmart, Georgia; sentenced to 19 months in prison and ordered to pay $391,463.13 in restitution.

Antonio Dorsey, a/k/a “Bear,” 35, East Point, Georgia; awaiting sentencing.

 

List of Recipient-Defendants Charged in Separate Indictments

Chiquita Armstead, 41, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $3,008.71 in restitution.

Yontalay Bennett, 29, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $5,092.24 in restitution.

Precious T. Bevins, 25, Garden City, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $4,407.18 in restitution.

Shanika C. Blige, 23, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $7,336.95 in restitution.

Deanna W. Boles, 24, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $4,663.33 in restitution.

Candice Bostick, 24, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $1,353.15 in restitution.

Danitra Bostick, 27, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $2,060.71 in restitution.

Tia Bowers, 26, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $2,761.28 in restitution.

Tonya Clark, 42, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $6,963.34 in restitution.

Jocelyn Easterling, 49, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $10,233.97 in restitution.

Ebony Ellison, 28, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $5393.11 in restitution.

Deonka Ellison, 25, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $6,079.69 in restitution.

Joanne Ferguson, 43, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $7,027.83 in restitution.

Fanchon Hill, 27, Jesup, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $3,974.84 in restitution.

Shaquanna Hooper, 27, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $1,332.58 in restitution.

Tameshia N. Jackson, 25, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $3683.13 in restitution.

Koneshia N. Jenkins, 27, Pembroke, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $5,931.47 in restitution.

Latisha V. Jones, 31, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $6124.88 in restitution.

Jameise’ Mayberry, 24, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $10,460.00 in restitution.

Quinta Meggett-Mike, 38, Garden City, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $9,228.34 in restitution.

Ebony Roberson, 27, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $1,246.97 in restitution.

Shakeila D. Roberts, 23, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $2,215.98 in restitution.

Jasmine Sammuel, a/k/a “Jazmi Beasley,” a/k/a “Jazmi Smith,” 25, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $4,256,66 in restitution.

Deanna K. Scott, 25, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $1,991.76 in restitution.

Whitney Denise Stokes, 26, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $7174.01 in restitution.

Regina C. Styles, 22, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $2,261.13 in restitution.

Hope Taylor, 34, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $2,651.06 in restitution.

Ebonilaestei Tremble, 35, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 4 years of probation and ordered to pay $27,458.95 in restitution.

Linda J. Walker, 23, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $2,596.64 in restitution.

Tiera L. Walthour, 24, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $4,063.37 in restitution.

Alexis Washington, 27, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $2,231.79 in restitution.

Rhonda Washington, 32, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $9,948.59 in restitution.

Amber Shaniqua Wilson, 24, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 6 months in prison, 12 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $2817.30 in restitution.

Ke’Airra Young, 25, Savannah, Georgia; sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay $14,039.35 in restitution.

STATESBORO, GA – Stacy Williams, 42, of Statesboro, Georgia, was sentenced last week by Chief United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 94 months in prison. On September 23, 2014, a jury convicted Williams of conspiracy, wire fraud, wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information, and aggravated identity theft. Williams was the last of 15 federal defendants charged in April 2014 for their roles in a large-scale identity theft and tax fraud scheme. With last week’s sentencing of Williams, all 15 defendants have now been convicted and sentenced. United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “These convictions demonstrate the continuing commitment of the United States Department of Justice to prosecute those who steal the identities of American citizens in order to commit tax fraud. Federal law enforcement partners will continue to track down identity thieves and bring them to justice. This U. S. Attorney’s Office along with its federal and state law enforcement partners will not stop until the individuals running these identity theft and tax fraud rings within the Southern District of Georgia are found, prosecuted, and sent to federal prison.” IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot said, “IRS Criminal Investigation is sworn to protect the tax system and bring to justice those who steal from the Treasury. These defendants perpetuated an elaborate scheme driven by insatiable greed and a blatant disregard for the tremendous damage inflicted on innocent victims. The sentences in these cases demonstrate that stealing from the American people will not be ignored or go unpunished.” J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The sentencing of Williams brings to a conclusion an extensive scheme to not only defraud the U.S. Government but also to steal the very identities of numerous individuals and to use that information in furtherance of their fraudulent schemes. This case clearly represents a trending crime problem but also illustrates the combined law enforcement efforts in dealing with it.” In addition to Williams, the other participants convicted and sentenced as part of this prosecution included: AISHIA MILLS, 32, Statesboro, Georgia, 27 months in prison; ANGELLICA ROBERTS, 28, Claxton, Georgia, 126 months in prison; CANDACE HILLS, 24, Claxton, Georgia, 36 months in prison; CHRYSTAL HARLIE, 33, Statesboro, Georgia, 54 months in prison; DEONDRAY RICHARDSON, 40, Keysville, Georgia, five years of probation; KATRINA BEASLEY, 32, Claxton, Georgia, 104 months in prison; LATASHA CHARLES, 29, Statesboro, Georgia, 57 months in prison; MARQUITA WATSON, 31, Claxton, Georgia, 18 months in prison; MARTISHA HILL, 41, Augusta, Georgia, 42 months in prison; MARY MCDILDA, 64, Claxton, Georgia, five years of probation; MELISSA WHITFIELD, 34, Statesboro, Georgia, 40 months in prison; MONICA WHITFIELD, 33, Statesboro, Georgia, 42 months in prison; SANTANA LUNDY, 29, Statesboro, Georgia, 69 months in prison; and, TERRY GORDON, 33, Swainsboro, Georgia, 81 months in prison. FBI Special Agent Marcus Kirkland, IRS Special Agents Gwen Weston and Jason Dulin, and Sergeant James Winskey of the Statesboro Police Department, assisted by their agencies’ colleagues, conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Lamont A. Belk and C. Troy Clark prosecuted these cases on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

BRUNSWICK, GA -- Larry James Carter, 38, of Brunswick, Georgia, was sentenced last week by United States Chief District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking organization.

Carter previously pled guilty in October 2014 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.  8 other Brunswick residents were charged with Carter in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in May 2014.  The 8 other defendants, who also pled guilty and have been sentenced, include:

• Dedrick Wilkerson, 37, sentenced to 151 months in prison;

 

• Eric Demery, 41, sentenced to 151 months in prison

 

• Anthony Wilkerson, 42, sentenced to 113 months in prison;

 

• Demetrius Jones, 41, sentenced to 96 months in prison;

 

• Larry Roberson, 33, sentenced to 56 months in prison;

 

• Joseph Edward Lang, 37, sentenced to 27 months in prison;

 

• Earl Moore, 36, sentenced to 21 months in prison; and,

 

• Michael Doomes, 41, sentenced to 18 months in prison.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “Defendant Carter and his cohorts were responsible for trafficking enormous amounts of cocaine in communities across the Southern District of Georgia.  Due to the cooperative efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement partners, Carter’s organization is now out of business, and he and his fellow traffickers are serving lengthy prison sentences.  This type of law enforcement cooperation is promoted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the keystone drug enforcement program of the Department of Justice.”

The case was the result of an investigation by the DEA, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, the Glynn County Police Department, and the Brunswick Police Department, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service.   Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlton Bourne and Daniel Crumby prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Waycross, GA – Jacques Donte Taylor, 24, of Waycross, Georgia, was sentenced today to 286 months in prison by Chief United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood following his plea of guilty to a charge of coercion and enticement of a child under the age of 18 to engage in illegal sexual activity. The prison term will be followed by a 15 year term of supervised release. Taylor will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Taylor pleaded guilty to the offense on December 8, 2014.

Evidence developed during the investigation revealed that Taylor communicated via Facebook with a twelve-year-old minor female. These communications led to the production of child pornography and the eventual coercion and enticement of the minor to engage in sex acts with him on two occasions. Taylor’s co-defendant, Donnel Cornelius Shavers, 23, also of Waycross, was sentenced by Chief Judge Wood on April 20, 2015 to 300 month’s imprisonment to be followed by a life term of supervised release following his pleas of guilty to charges of production of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a child.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “This investigation again demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively prosecute individuals who are involved in predatory and exploitative acts directed at children. The conduct of these individuals was abusive and exploitative.  The victims of their behavior were minors who had their innocence and childhood stolen from them. Clearly, the conduct of these defendants was deplorable. We cannot and will not tolerate these types of offenses. The pattern of predatory behavior shown by both Taylor and Shavers is one of the many disturbing components of their criminal conduct and the lengthy sentence given to each by the Court is completely justified.”

“HSI investigations involving child exploitation fall under Operation Predator, and this case is a clear demonstration of why we use the title of predator for those who seek to victimize the innocent,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, acting special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Atlanta. “The defendants in this case used social media to stalk their prey, entice them to produce child pornography and then coerce them into meeting for the purposes of sexual assault. Law enforcement has identified several victims of this scheme.”

Ware County Sheriff Randy F. Royal said, “I am proud of our investigator who began the initial investigation, which led to Mr. Taylor’s arrest. I am prouder still of the level of support and the spirit of cooperation between our agency and Homeland Security Investigations, which afforded the manpower and resources needed to broaden the scope of the investigation so that all the victims in this case will get the opportunity for justice.”

This prosecution was the result of a joint investigation by the Ware County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Crumby, Karl Knoche and Joseph Newman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Brunswick, GA - United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver and Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson announced today that a federal indictment and numerous state indictments have been returned charging 21 South Georgia residents with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and oxycodone.

The federal indictment, unsealed this week and returned by a federal Grand Jury in May, charged the following 9 defendants with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine:

Bobby James Courson, 32, of Nahunta,

Derrick Andrew Robinson, 34, of Telfair County

Michael Lamar Hysmith, 33, of Uvalda,

Anthony Stewart Thigpen, 45, of Blackshear,

Kalvin Wayne Smith, 39, of Denton,

Kevin Thomas Ellis, 45, of Hazelhurst,

Terry Jonathan Crews, 39, of Nahunta,

Jamie Jackson Crews, 41, of Nahunta, and

Timothy Bryant Smith, 46, of Denton.

 

If convicted of the drug trafficking conspiracy charge, the federal defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a potential $1 million fine.

In cases related to the federal indictment, the following defendants were indicted yesterday on state drug charges by the Jeff Davis County Grand Jury:

Kalvin Wayne Smith, 39, of Denton,

Johsua Fussell, 27, of Jeff Davis County,

Gary Brinkley, 64, of Hazlehurst,

Greg Levi Robbins, 31, of Hazlehurst,

Zackery Thomas Bowen, 29, of Jeff Davis County,

Gina Smith, 36, of Hazlehurst,

Sheryl Snow, 45, of Hazlehurst,

Angie Hand, 49, of Hazlehurst,

Randy Hand, 61, of Hazlehurst,

Julie Clements, 37, of Hazlehurst,

Amy Michelle Corey, 27, of Hazlehurst,

Melanie Hope Calhoun, 39, of Hazlehurst, and

Jade Rena Powell, 29, of Denton.

The charges resulted from a joint federal-state investigation by the DEA, GBI, the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, the Telfair County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas-Coffee Drug Unit and the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.  Assistance was provided by the United States Marshal’s Service.

The majority of the federal defendants appeared in federal court yesterday in Brunswick for their initial appearances.

Mr. Tarver and Ms. Johnson emphasized that the indictments are only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Bourne is prosecuting the federal case and District Attorney Jackie Johnson is prosecuting the state cases in Jeff Davis County Superior Court. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

DUBLIN, GA - Michael Derrick Goins, 44, from Miami, Florida was sentenced on last month by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen to 151 months in prison following his conviction on a drug trafficking charge. Goins was one of 10 defendants charged and convicted in the United States District Court in an indictment involving a large drug-trafficking organization operating in Laurens County.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “The persons indicted in this case exploited their ties to the local area to establish a flourishing drug business. In 2013 alone, this organization trafficked about 15 kilograms of cocaine and caused all the attendant misery which follows the drug trade. The dismantling of this organization sends an important message about the consequences of dealing drugs in the Southern District of Georgia. I am pleased that the DEA and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office formed a very effective partnership to dismantle this organization. This type of cooperation is promoted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the keystone drug enforcement program of the Department of Justice.”

In addition to Goins, the other Defendants convicted and sentenced as part of this prosecution included:

Andre Colita Wright, 40, Dublin, Georgia, 120 months in prison;

Christopher Derrick Duty, 36, Dublin, Georgia, 36 months in prison

Brady Jerome Linton, 31, Dublin, Georgia, 78 months in prison

Anatay Sxlesyll Kyler, 36, Dublin, Georgia, 71 months in prison;

Jerome Kellam, 38, Dublin, Georgia, 30 months in prison;

Christopher Paul Willis, 36, Dublin, Georgia, 39 months in prison;

Luther Hurst, 52, Dublin, Georgia, 5 years of probation;

Derrick Bernard Moye; 35, Dublin, Georgia, 50 months in prison; and

Verdell Goins, Jr. 45, Dublin, Georgia, 41 months in prison.

The Goins prosecution resulted from a lengthy investigation conducted by members of the DEA, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshal’s Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karl Knoche. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Augusta, GA: Marco Charles Gilbert, 29, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced last week by United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Gilbert pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon in March 2015.

Evidence presented during Gilbert’s guilty plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on July 8, 2014, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) received information about drug activity at the Ridgewood Apartments on Wheeler Road.  When officers responded they found Gilbert seated in his car, and observed items in the car indicative of drug sales.  After a K9 unit alerted to Gilbert’s car, officers searched the car and found marijuana, scales, over $1,800 in cash, and a loaded firearm.  Gilbert had a number of prior drug-related convictions.

Gilbert’s case was prosecuted as part of Project Ceasefire, a joint firearms initiative of the U. S. Attorney’s Office, the ATF, the local District Attorney’s office and local and state law enforcement agencies.  United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated that “the purpose of Project Ceasefire is to federally prosecute certain persons in possession of a gun.  A person can be federally prosecuted for possessing a gun if they are a convicted felon, a drug dealer, an illegal alien, a fugitive, someone under indictment or someone who has committed a federal crime of violence.”   Mr. Tarver commends the cooperative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to combat gun crime by targeting violent felons and drug dealers who illegally possess firearms.

Gilbert’s case was investigated by the RCSO and the ATF.  Assistant United States Attorney Nancy C. Greenwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201‑2547.

SAVANNAH, GA –LILLIE MAE EUBANK, 40, of Fort Stewart, Georgia, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit murder for hire in connection with the murder of her husband, United States Army Specialist John Joseph Eubank.  EUBANK’s brother, CARL EVAN SWAIN, was previously convicted by a jury of various offenses related to the murder of Specialist Eubank, and received multiple sentences of life imprisonment without possibility of parole.  EUBANK pled guilty before the Honorable William T. Moore, Jr., Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, who also presided over SWAIN’s trial and sentencing hearing.

According to evidence presented at SWAIN’s trial and sentencing, and evidence presented during EUBANK’s guilty plea hearing, EUBANK plotted the murder of her husband for months in order to obtain and split a $400,000 life insurance policy and a $100,000 death gratuity benefit payable to EUBANK upon Specialist Eubank’s death.  As part of their plan, EUBANK agreed to pay Swain $160,000 for killing Specialist Eubank.

Evidence recovered from EUBANK’s own cellular telephone established how she and SWAIN planned the murder of Specialist Eubank for months.  Telephone records and text messages showed EUBANK and SWAIN discussed possible locations for the murder, various methods to commit the murder, and even included internet searches conducted by EUBANK about poisons that EUBANK might use to kill her husband that are undetectable in an autopsy.

On November 30, 2013, at approximately 5:00 p.m., EUBANK and SWAIN executed their plan when they lured Specialist Eubank into the woods at Holbrook Pond on Ft. Stewart to go “animal tracking.”  While in the woods, SWAIN attacked Specialist Eubank with a heavy wooden bat and crushed Specialist Eubank’s skull, causing massive injuries to his brain.  EUBANK watched SWAIN bludgeon her husband to death, and waited in a getaway car a short distance away.

EUBANK and SWAIN left Specialist Eubank on the ground, with no identification and no cellular telephone, choking on his own blood.  Other members of the United States Army, visiting Holbrook Pond with their families, found Specialist Eubank in the woods and heroically attempted life-saving measures, but Specialist Eubank died about one hour later at Winn Army Community Hospital.  A later autopsy revealed that Specialist Eubank suffered massive fractures to his jaw and skull; multiple brain injuries; a broken hyoid bone and other injuries to the neck.  Specialist Eubank had no defensive wounds on his body.

Shortly after the murder of Specialist Eubank, EUBANK was interviewed, and confessed to her role in the murder of her husband.  Among other things, EUBANK admitted that she hired SWAIN to kill her husband in order to obtain the life insurance and death gratuity money.

As part of EUBANK’s plea agreement, EUBANK waived her right to appeal, and now faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The conviction and sentence of SWAIN, and conviction of EUBANK, resulted from a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver commended the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant United States Attorneys Brian T. Rafferty and Jennifer G. Solari for their expert investigation and prosecution of the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

AUGUSTA, GA: Russell Donald Benjamin, 46, of North Augusta, SC, was sentenced last week by United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to 90 months in prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for Interstate Travel With Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2423(b).  Benjamin will be required to register as a sex offender.  He pled guilty to the charge in October 2014.

The evidence at Benjamin’s guilty-plea and sentencing hearings showed that, in April 2014, Benjamin posted a message on Craigslist seeking “a daddy’s girl.”  Law enforcement officers working with the FBI’s Cyber Crime/Child Exploitation Task Force (CCCX) responded to the message in an undercover capacity, indicating that a minor girl was available for a sexual encounter.  Benjamin continued the communications for approximately three to four hours, and ultimately traveled from South Carolina to a location in Richmond County believing that he would be engaging in sexual activity with a young teen.  At the time of his arrest, Benjamin possessed condoms and Viagra in a backpack in his truck.

Judge Hall attributed the lengthy sentence in part to Benjamin’s attempted escape and failure to appear just prior to his scheduled guilty-plea hearing.  The day he was first expected to appear in court to plead guilty, Benjamin, who had been placed on strict bond conditions pending trial, removed a GPS ankle-monitor from his leg and fled from his home on foot.  His disappearance led to a 24-hour manhunt conducted by the U.S. Marshal Service, the FBI, the U.S. Probation Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, which ended in Benjamin’s arrest on Wednesday morning, October 22, 2014.

The FBI’s CCCX Task Force is made up of agents and investigators with the FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, all of whom were instrumental in this investigation.  The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide U. S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver commended the CCCX Task Force and Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Greenwood, for the investigation and prosecution of this case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547

AUGUSTA, GA – Leon Nathan Davis, 37, from Augusta, Georgia, pled guilty earlier today in federal court before United States District Judge J. Randal Hall to an Information charging him with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  

According to the testimony presented in Court during the guilty plea proceeding, an FBI-led team investigated for over a year Davis’ attempts to join an overseas designated foreign terrorist organization.  Davis was arrested at the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport in October 2014 on a parole violation, after he had purchased a ticket to fly to Turkey and then traveled from Augusta to the Atlanta Airport.  Davis has been in custody since his October 2014 arrest.

Providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization is a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  A sentencing hearing will be conducted after the United States Probation Office conducts a presentence investigation.

U.S. Attorney Tarver commended the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force, the ATF, and the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles for their work on this case.  Mr. Tarver also expressed his gratitude to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service and the Atlanta Police Department for their contributions to the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by attorneys with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia and the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Savannah, GA – Jerald Bowman, 40, of Savannah, Georgia, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah on charges related to five bank robberies in the Savannah area.  Bowman was charged with five counts of armed bank robbery, five counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and the unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The indictment alleges that Bowman robbed: (1) the Georgia’s Own Credit Union located at 401 Mall Boulevard, Savannah, Georgia on September 30, 2014; (2) the Wells Fargo located at 7939 Waters Avenue, Savannah, Georgia on November 12, 2014; (3) the Heritage Bank located at 14010 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia on December 4, 2014; (4) Navy Federal Credit Union located at 3490 Highway 17 South, Richmond Hill, Georgia on February 3, 2015; and (5) the Wells Fargo located at 6999 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia on March 19, 2015.  

If convicted on all counts, Bowman faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 107 years.  Mr. Tarver emphasized that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation of this case was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southeast Georgia Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, the Richmond Hill Police Department, and the Savannah Parole Office.    Assistant United States Attorney Scarlett S. Nokes is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

SAVANNAH, GA – David Nolan Evans, 41, of Garden City, Georgia pled guilty last week before United States District Court Judge William T. Moore, Jr. for threatening to blow up the State Probation Office in Savannah.   

Evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing revealed that Evans, who was on state probation at the time, called the 911 center on December 22, 2014 and threatened to use an explosive device to kill people at the State Probation Office in Savannah.  As a result of his call, the Probation Office was evacuated.  Later in January 2015, Evans constructed a fake bomb that he planted in a rest room at the State Probation Office.  When questioned by law enforcement, Evans admitted that his threatening actions were motivated by a desire to get out of probation reporting requirements.

Evans now faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, 3 years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.   Evans’ sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the United States Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.

The Indictment arose out of a joint investigation by the FBI, the ATF, the Savannah Probation Office and Parole, and the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Bourne is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  Any further questions should be directed to First Assistant James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

SAVANNAH, GA – Former Chief Clerk of the Chatham County Probate Court, Kim H. Birge, 61, has been indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah on charges of mail fraud and federal program fraud.

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, between January 2011 and November 2014, Birge embezzled and stole more than $700,000 from the Probate Court’s bank accounts.  Birge would deposit fees and conservatorship funds into the Court’s bank accounts, but would later write checks payable to cash out of those accounts for her personal benefit.  In addition, Birge forged the signatures of conservators or their attorneys to create false documentation of conservatorship money being spent or disbursed.

Birge faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release on each of the four mail fraud charges, and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release on the federal program fraud charge. An indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Brian T. Rafferty and Scarlett S. Nokes are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  Any questions should be directed to First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

 

Waycross, GA: Donnel Cornelius Shavers, 23, of Waycross, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison by Chief United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood following his pleas of guilty to charges of production of child pornography and the coercion and enticement of a child under the age of 18 to engage in illegal sexual activity. The prison term will be followed by a life term of supervised release. Shavers will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Shavers pleaded guilty to the offenses on September 2, 2014.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “This investigation again demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively prosecute individuals who are involved in predatory and exploitative acts directed at children. Clearly, the conduct of this defendant was deplorable and damaging to his victims. We cannot and will not tolerate the types of offenses he committed. His pattern of predatory behavior as one of the many disturbing components of his criminal conduct and the lengthy punishment he received from the Court is completely justified.”

“HSI investigations involving child exploitation fall under Operation Predator, and this case is a clear demonstration of why we use the title of predator for those who seek to victimize the innocent,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, acting special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Atlanta. “The defendant in this case used social media to stalk his prey, enticed them to produce child pornography and then attempted to coerce them into meeting him so he could sexually assault them. Law enforcement has identified nearly a dozen victims of this scheme.”

Ware County Sheriff Randy F. Royal said, “I am proud of our investigator who began the initial investigation, which led to Mr. Shavers’ arrest. I am prouder still of the level of support and the spirit of cooperation between our agency and Homeland Security Investigations, which afforded the manpower and resources needed to broaden the scope of the investigation so that all the victims in this case will get the opportunity for justice.”

Evidence developed during the investigation revealed that Shavers communicated via Facebook with at least 10 minors. These communications led to the production of child pornography and the eventual coercion and enticement of several minor females to engage in sex acts with him.

This prosecution was the result of a joint investigation by the Ware County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Crumby, Karl Knoche, and Joseph Newman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Savannah, GA – Sheryl Evans, 55, of Pooler, Georgia, was sentenced earlier this week to 13 months in prison by United States District Court Judge William T. Moore, Jr. after pleading guilty to her role in a scheme to defraud the South Carolina Medicaid and federal Medicare programs.  Sheryl Evans’s husband and partner-in-crime, Robert Evans, 53, also of Pooler, was sentenced to 6 months in prison.  Additionally, the couple was ordered to repay over $189,000 of fraudulently obtained proceeds.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Sheryl and Robert Evans jointly owned and operated Trio Medical Solutions in Pooler, Georgia, which purported to provide durable medical equipment such as back, knee and hand braces.  While operating Trio from July 2010 until July 2012, the Evanses repeatedly used the identities of Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries recruited from churches, senior citizen centers and low-income neighborhoods to bill the government for expensive medical equipment that was never purchased or provided.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver stated, “The Medicaid and Medicare programs exist to help the indigent, the disabled and the elderly obtain necessary medical services.  Instead of helping those in need, however, these defendants took advantage of the programs and the beneficiaries for their own selfish purposes.  This office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who prey upon the most vulnerable members of our communities and steal taxpayer funds.”

This case was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the FBI, and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Lamont Belk and Jennifer Solari prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Augusta, GA: Tyrone A. McDonald, 35, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced earlier this week by United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to a total of 137 months in prison: 77 months for trafficking narcotics and for possessing a firearm as a felon; and an additional 60 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug crime.  After serving his combined 137-month prison sentence, McDonald will be on federal supervision for an additional 5 years.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented during McDonald’s jury trial revealed that on November 25, 2013, while searching for two fugitives in the Barton Village area, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) investigators located an assault rifle near three glass jars containing marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and scales hidden in the woods behind McDonald’s residence.  Further examination revealed McDonald’s fingerprints on the firearm (later determined to be stolen) and several of the drug-related items.  McDonald had two prior felony drug convictions.

McDonald’s case was prosecuted as part of Project Ceasefire, a joint firearms initiative of the U. S. Attorney’s Office, the ATF, and local law enforcement agencies.  Project Ceasefire is a cooperative effort between federal and local law enforcement agencies to combat gun crime by targeting violent felons and drug dealers who illegally possess firearms and narcotics.

McDonald’s case was investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF.  Assistant United States Attorney Nancy C. Greenwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201‑2547.

Augusta, GA: Ricky Lee Kennedy, 32, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced earlier this week by United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to 20 years in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented during Kennedy’s guilty plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on July 29, 2014, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) received information that Kennedy would be bringing methamphetamine from Atlanta to the Columbia County area for distribution.  CCSO Investigators surveilled Kennedy returning to Columbia County and, with the assistance of the Harlem Police Department, Kennedy was stopped.  A drug-canine alerted on Kennedy’s vehicle where over 400 grams of pure methamphetamine and two loaded firearms were found.  Kennedy had two prior serious drug convictions.

Kennedy’s case was prosecuted as part of Project Ceasefire, a joint firearms initiative of the U. S. Attorney’s Office, the ATF, and local law enforcement agencies.  Project Ceasefire is a cooperative effort between federal and local law enforcement agencies to combat gun crime by targeting violent felons and drug dealers who illegally possess firearms and narcotics.

Kennedy’s case was investigated by the CCSO and the ATF.  Assistant United States Attorney Nancy C. Greenwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201‑2547.

Savannah, GA – Sheryl Renita Wilson, 44, of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced last week to 57 months in prison by United States District Court Judge William T. Moore, Jr. after pleading guilty to her role in an identity theft and tax return scam.  Last month, Wilson’s partner-in-crime, Bryan Chester Coney, 32, also of Savannah, was sentenced to 61 months in prison.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Wilson and Coney, who lived together in Savannah, used the stolen identities of others to file fraudulent tax returns with the IRS.  Wilson and Coney stole the identities of over 75 individuals and claimed over $385,000 worth of fraudulent tax refunds.  Both Wilson and Coney have a history of committing fraud-related crimes.  

United States Attorney Edward Tarver stated, “Every year at this time, millions of law-abiding citizens truthfully complete their tax returns and timely file them with the IRS. Unfortunately, thieving criminals also attempt to use this time of year to steal — causing great harm to the victims of identity theft and to all taxpayers.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office, partnering with the IRS-Criminal Investigations, will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who commit tax fraud.  Tax fraudsters like these defendants can expect to spend the next several tax seasons in a federal prison.”

“These unscrupulous defendants thought they had figured out a clever scheme to thwart the IRS and steal from American taxpayers,” stated Special Agent in Charge, Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, IRS Criminal Investigation.  “As the defendants in this case have learned, stealing from the American people will not be tolerated and you will be held accountable.”

This case was investigated by Special Agents with IRS-CI.  Assistant United States Attorney T. Shane Mayes prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Waycross, GA – Benjamin Robert Taylor, 36, of Hortense, Georgia, was sentenced last week to 110 months in prison by Chief United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to possessing stolen firearms.  Co-defendant Brian James Wilson, 27, of Brunswick, Georgia, was earlier sentenced to 120 months in prison by Judge Wood after pleading guilty to the same charge.  Following their stays in prison, both Taylor and Wilson will be required to serve three years of supervised release. 

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings, following a traffic stop, a search of the vehicle in which Taylor and Wilson were passengers led to the discovery and seizure of multiple stolen firearms, including a pistol, two semi-automatic rifles, and two shotguns.  Further investigation revealed that all of the firearms seized during the traffic stop had been stolen in a burglary committed the day before along with multiple other firearms. Both Taylor and Wilson were multi-convicted felons at the time.

This case was jointly investigated by the ATF, the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office and the Glynn County Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney T. Shane Mayes prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

AUGUSTA, GA – Sarawin Nat Intakanok, 37, of Lilburn, Georgia, was sentenced last week by United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to 130 months in prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for the Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity.  Intakanok will be required to register as a sex offender.  He pled guilty to that charge last week.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “The online solicitation of minors for sexual purposes is deplorable, and the U. S. Attorney’s Office aggressively prosecutes individuals, like this defendant, who are involved in such predatory acts towards our children.  This defendant committed a serious crime for which this punishment is justified.”

Evidence presented during the guilty plea and sentencing hearings revealed that Intakanok responded to an ad on Craigslist, and exchanged emails with a person he believed to be the father of a 13-year-old girl.  After a month of communications, Intakanok, who had repeatedly expressed an interest in having sex with the 13-year-old, drove from Atlanta to Augusta to what he believed to be the girl’s residence.  He was immediately arrested by law enforcement officers.  When imposing the lengthy sentence, the Court cited to the egregious nature of Intakanok’s attempted sexual victimization of a minor and the need to deter not only Intakanok but others from engaging in such predatory conduct. 

This prosecution was the result of a joint investigation of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Computer Crime Child Exploitation Task Force.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide U. S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. 

Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Greenwood, Deputy Criminal Chief in the Augusta U. S. Attorney’s Branch Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

AUGUSTA, GA: Grover F. Tuten, Jr., 72, the former Coroner for Richmond County, Georgia, was indicted earlier this week by a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah on charges related to his repeated and fraudulent use of a deceased person’s debit card.  The indictment alleges that Tuten received cash payments as a result.

Tuten faces a federal charge of fraudulently using a debit card without authorization.  If convicted, Tuten faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Tuten also faces a count of aggravated identity theft.  If convicted of that charge, Tuten would receive an additional 2-year prison sentence, consecutive to any other sentence imposed.  Tuten already faces state charges of theft by taking and violation of oath by a public officer and is being prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office for the Augusta Judicial Circuit.

U.S. Attorney Edward Tarver emphasized that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation of Tuten was conducted by the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamont A. Belk is prosecuting the federal case on behalf of the United States.   For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

AUGUSTA, GA: David Dean Erskine, 43, most recently having lived at Fort Gordon Military Base, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to 63 months in prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release, for the abusive sexual contact with a minor.  Erskine pled guilty to the charge in October 2014.  Erskine, who was detained following his February 2014 arrest, was returned to custody at the conclusion of the sentencing hearing.

The evidence at Erskine’s guilty plea and sentencing hearings showed that, while the six-year-old daughter of a military member was visiting another residence on Fort Gordon military base in the Fall of 2013, Erskine, who was living in that residence at the time, exposed his penis to the girl, and asked her to touch it.  When questioned about the accusation, Erskine admitted the conduct.  The investigation arose out of comments made by the girl to a relative, who reported the information to the girl’s mother.  The mother then contacted Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) who undertook a forensic interview of the girl, and interviewed several other individuals, including Erskine.  It was later learned that Erskine engaged in the same type of behavior on at least two other occasions. 
The FBI’s Cyber Crime/Child Exploitation Task Force (CCCX) also assisted with the investigation.  The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. 
Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Greenwood, Deputy Criminal Chief in the Augusta U. S. Attorney’s Branch Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Brunswick, GA: James Jeffrey Hosea, 56, of Kingsland, Georgia, pleaded guilty last week before Chief United States District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood in connection with a long-term embezzlement scheme he perpetrated upon his employer.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing, Hosea was employed by TDS Telecommunications Corp.  Over the course of nearly seven years, Hosea executed an embezzlement scheme whereby he created a fake vendor, falsified invoices from that fake vendor, and then submitted those phony invoices to his employer for electronic payment to a PayPal account.  Once the invoices were paid by his employer, Hosea would then transfer the money from the PayPal account to his personal bank accounts.  Hosea made over 800 fraudulent transactions.  As part of the plea agreement, Hosea consented to a judgment against himself in the amount of $1,230,634.21, which represents the sum stolen from his employer.

Hosea pled guilty to wire fraud.  He faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Hosea’s sentencing will be scheduled after the United States Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.  Hosea remains out on bond pending his sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney T. Shane Mayes is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Savannah, GA: Wilson R. Smith, 63, a licensed attorney from Vidalia, Georgia, was indicted this week by a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah on charges related to an alleged scheme to settle his clients’ cases without their knowledge and to steal the settlement proceeds.  The indictment alleges that Smith stole over $1 million in fraudulently obtained settlement proceeds.   

Smith faces federal charges of mail fraud and bank fraud.  If convicted of those two charges, Smith faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison and a $1,250,000 fine.  Smith also faces a count of aggravated identity theft.  If convicted of that charge, Smith would receive an additional two-year prison sentence, consecutive to any other sentence imposed.  U. S. Attorney Edward Tarver emphasized that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  

Smith already faces state charges of theft by deception and forgery.  Smith’s state case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by District Attorney Hayward Altman of the Middle Judicial Circuit.  Since his arrest on state charges, Smith has remained in custody at the Toombs County Jail.

First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham is prosecuting the federal case on behalf of the United States.  The investigation of this case remains ongoing.

Savannah, GA: Jeremy Emmanuel Grant and Desalshia Adrien Williams, both 26 and from Savannah,were indicted by a federal grand jury today for their roles in an alleged conspiracy to engage in the sex trafficking of minors.  The indictment alleges that from at least June 2014 to January 2015, Grant and Williams conspired to recruit, harbor, and transport minors to work as prostitutes in Savannah and elsewhere. 
     
Grant and Williams are charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of children.  If convicted, Grant and Williams face a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.  U. S. Attorney Edward Tarver emphasized that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The indictment of Grant and Williams arises out of an ongoing investigation conducted by the FBI, the Pooler Police Department, and Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (SCMPD).  Anyone who suspects instances of child sexual exploitation is encouraged to call 1-800-843-5678, which is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

Assistant United States Attorney Tania D. Groover is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Augusta, GA: Jacky Ray Burley, 51, of Warrenton, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday before United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to 235 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a multi-convicted felon.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented during Burley’s guilty plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on November 25, 2013, Burley used a shotgun to robthe Dollar General store located at 644 Main Street in Thomson, Georgia.  Burley fled the store and was later arrested after a high-speed car chase ended at a roadblock in Warren County, Georgia.  Before the Dollar General robbery, Burley’s criminal history included three prior burglary convictions.  As a result of his lengthy criminal history, Burley qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which subjected him to a minimum 15-year prison sentence.  Judge Hall’s sentence exceeded the mandatory minimum by almost 5 years.

Burley’s case was prosecuted as part of Project Ceasefire, a joint firearms initiative of the U. S. Attorney’s Office, the ATF, and local law enforcement agencies.  Project Ceasefire is a cooperative effort between federal and local law enforcement agencies to combat gun crime by targeting felons previously convicted of drug offenses or crimes of violence and who are found to be in possession of firearms, as well as those who commit violent gun offenses.

United States Attorney Tarver said. “Law enforcement’s top priority is the safety of our citizens.  We will bring the full force of justice on dangerous criminals who possess firearms.  Those dangerous felons who possess firearms will be investigated, prosecuted, and can expect to serve lengthy prison sentences in federal prison.”

“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 Carl Walker.  “We will not allow residents to suffer such criminal behavior, especially that which threatens the safety of innocent civilians and law enforcement officers.”
 
Burley’s case was investigated by the ATF.  Assistant United States Attorney Lamont A. Belk prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Savannah, GA: Eric Arrana-Garcia, 39, a citizen of Mexico who previously lived in Blackshear, Georgia, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge William T. Moore, Jr. to 18 years in prison for his role in a meth conspiracy operating in southeast Georgia and elsewhere.  Arrana-Garcia is the last defendant to be sentenced as part of “Operation Ice Breaker,” a joint federal and state investigation which targeted a drug trafficking ring with ties to a Mexican drug cartel. 

According to evidence presented in court hearings and in court documents, Arrana-Garcia received large quantities of crystalized methamphetamine (also known as “Ice”) from Mexican sources in California, which he transported for distribution throughout southeast Georgia.  In addition, Arrana-Garcia had an arsenal of firearms, many of which he used during various drug transactions, sold, or traded for Ice.  Arrana-Garcia was identified by coconspirators as a Mexican drug cartel member who could “make undesirables disappear.”

As part of Operation Ice Breaker, large quantities of Ice and multiple firearms were seized.  In addition, 6 other defendants were convicted and received lengthy sentences:

• Jorge Ramos, 42, a citizen of Mexico previously living in Savannah, was sentenced to 163 months in prison;
• Mary Riggins, 48, from Blackshear, Georgia, was sentenced to 156 months in prison;
• Vernon Dowlings, 30, from Blackshear, Georgia, was sentenced to 128 months in prison;
• Jacob Lattanzie, 28, from Blackshear, Georgia, was sentenced to 87 months in prison;
• James Yarbrough, 36, from Blackshear, Georgia, was sentenced to 74 months in prison; and,
• Joshua King, 29, from Blackshear, Georgia, was sentenced to 135 months in prison.

Operation Ice Breaker was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ATF, FBI, the Chatham County Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), the Glynn Brunswick Narcotics Enforcement Team (GBNET), the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Blackshear Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys E. Gregory Gilluly, Jr. and Tania D. Groover prosecuted the cases on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Brunswick, GA: Buffy Bradford, 37, of Wayne County, Georgia, pled guilty earlier this week before Chief United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood for her role in a conspiracy to distribute thousands of highly addictive pain pills.

According to information outlined in court and in court documents, Buffy Bradford worked as a pharmacy technician at Wayne Memorial Hospital, located in Wayne County, Georgia.  Between September 2013, and March 2014, Bradford stole over 48,000 units of highly addictive controlled substances from Wayne Memorial so they could be unlawfully sold on the streets.  The pills stolen included Hydrocodone and Alprazolam (Xanax).  Bradford now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.  A sentencing hearing will be held after the U. S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.  There is no parole in the federal system.
 
The case was investigated jointly by the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency and the DEA.  Assistant United States Attorney E. Greg Gilluly, Jr. is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547. 

Savannah, GA: Derrick Andre Fullmer, 27, of Pooler, Georgia, was indicted this week by a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah on charges related to a conspiracy involving the illegal possession and distribution of the controlled substance MDMA, more commonly known as “ecstasy” or “molly.”  Fullmer was charged with conspiring to distribute molly as well as aiding and abetting other conspirators.  During much of the time of the charged conspiracy, Fullmer was an officer with the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (SCMPD). 

Fullmer was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge G.R. Smith today.  The charge against Fullmer carries a 20-year maximum prison sentence.  U. S. Attorney Ed Tarver emphasized that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the FBI, the Chatham Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) and SCMPD.  Assistant United States Attorney Scarlett S. Nokes is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Savannah, GA: Richard Adam Hall, 52, a former Chatham County Deputy Sheriff from Savannah, Georgia, pled guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge William T. Moore, Jr. to producing child pornography.  Yesterday’s plea resolves federal charges brought against Hall, which alleged that Hall coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing, Hall’s residence was searched by law enforcement officials as part of an investigation into allegations that, while he was a deputy sheriff, Hall had had molested a child.  During the search of Hall’s residence, law enforcement officials recovered numerous sexually explicit photographs of a juvenile male.  Further investigation revealed that the minor depicted in the photographs traveled with Hall to Tennessee and Florida, where the minor was molested by Hall on multiple occasions.  The sexually explicit photographs of the minor were taken by Hall when the victim was approximately 12 years old.

As a result of his plea to a federal charge, Hall faces a statutory penalty of not less than 15 years nor more than 30 years in a federal prison; a fine up to $250,000; and 5 years of supervised release.  United States Attorney Edward Tarver noted that there is no parole in the federal system.  Hall’s sentencing will be scheduled upon the completion of a presentence investigation conducted by the United States Probation Office.

Earlier this year, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Hall on 25 counts of child molestation and related offenses.  State charges against Hall remain pending.

The federal charges against Hall arose out of a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Brian T. Rafferty and Daniel R. Crumby are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

            Savannah, GA: Viacheslav Zhukov, 33, a Russian citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States, was sentenced last week by United States District Court Judge William T. Moore, Jr. to 51 months in federal prison for his role in illegally exporting firearm accessories from Savannah, Georgia to co-conspirators in Russia.

According to evidence presented during the guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Zhukov mailed multiple packages containing firearm magnifier scopes to Russia without obtaining an export license from the United States Department of Commerce.  Various firearm magnifier scopes are controlled under the Export Administration Regulations for crime control purposes and require a license from the United States Department of Commerce to export to Russia.  In an attempt to conceal his crimes, Zhukov misrepresented the contents of packages he mailed to Russia on United States Postal Service Customs Declaration forms.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “Our export laws are critical in protecting the national security of the United States.  I am proud that our law enforcement community quickly investigated Zhukov and successfully seized many of these packages before they ended up in the wrong hands.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to enforce national security laws for the safety of all Americans.”

“We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle and disrupt any illicit scheme involving the illegal exportation of weapons and related material, including in this case sensitive firearms accessories intended for Russia,” said Special Agent in Charge Brock D. Nicholson of HSI Atlanta, who oversees the agency’s criminal investigations in Georgia and the Carolinas.  “This case is a perfect example of the great work being done by our Border Enforcement Security Task Force in Savannah.”
“U. S. Customs & Border Protection, through a harmonized multi-agency effort with Homeland Security Investigations and as part of the Savannah Border Enforcement Task Force, has been successful in preventing the illegal export of weapon accessories to Russia.  Today’s sentence is the best evidence of an already successful partnership in our shared areas of interest,” said Lisa Beth Brown, U. S. Customs & Border Protection Area Port Director in Savannah, Georgia.  
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Julie Tolbert, who was acting Chief at the time of arrest, pointed to the arrest by a Metro detective assigned to the Department of Homeland Security and the assistance of Metro SWAT officers as positive signs that the department is working with all agencies to protect the public.  “Nothing good could come from a foreign visitor purchasing parts to weapons in Savannah and sending them to other parts of the world,” she said.  “Through our association with Homeland Security, we were able to curtail a dangerous situation.  I applaud our officers and the federal agents who facilitated this investigation and arrest.”
The investigation of this case was led by HSI, with assistance from U. S. Customs & Border Protection, U. S. Postal Inspection Service, and Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Tania Groover and Charlie Bourne prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Savannah, GA: Serenity Hospice Care, LLC of Dublin, Georgia, along with an affiliate corporation, has agreed to pay the United States a total of $581,504.46 to settle allegations that it submitted or caused the submission of false claims to the Medicare program for certain patients who were not eligible for hospice under Medicare regulations.  The Medicare hospice benefit is available to patients who elect palliative care (care designed to relieve the pain, symptoms, or stress of terminal illness) instead of curative care (care designed to cure an illness or condition), and who have a life expectancy of six months or less if their illness runs its normal course.

The civil settlement resolves allegations that were originally part of a lawsuit filed under the qui tam (or “whistleblower”) provisions of the False Claims Act, in which a private party (known as the “relator”) can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  As a result of the settlement, the relator will receive a share of the settlement proceeds.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver stated, “This case demonstrates that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia is committed to preserving the integrity of the Medicare program.  The settlement helps ensure that the Medicare hospice benefit is used appropriately for patients who truly qualify.”

The case was investigated by Special Agent David J. Graupner, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Investigator Kimberly Reinken of the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia.  The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Edgar D. Bueno and Charles W. Mulaney.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Augusta, GA: Kamilya Nicholson, 31, Regina Bunyon, 37, Shequita Bush, 29, and Tamaka Smith, 35, all of Waynesboro, Georgia, were each sentenced to federal prison last month by United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall for their roles in a stolen identity and tax refund scheme.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “These defendants abused the trust of the American people to line their own pockets.  This Office will continue to work hard every day to ensure those people who cheat the system are held accountable.”

“The sentences rendered today is a message to others that there are consequences to stealing and using other individuals’ personal identifying information,” stated Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.  “Individuals cannot fraudulently enrich their bank accounts at the expense of the United States Treasury and other taxpayers.”

The evidence presented at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings established that Nicholson, Bunyon, Bush, and Smith worked together to steal the names, birthdates, and social security numbers of unsuspecting victims, which they then used to file bogus income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service seeking tax refunds.  In total, the defendants attempted to defraud the IRS out of approximately $350,000.00 of taxpayers’ money.

For their roles in the scheme, Nicholson was sentenced to 20 months in prison, Bunyon was sentenced to 30 months in prison, Bush was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and Smith was sentenced to 24 months in prison.  Mr. Tarver noted that parole has been abolished in the federal system.

IRS-CI Special Agent Roger Garland and FBI Special Agent Paul Kubala investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney C. Troy Clark prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Savannah, GA: Former Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police (SCMPD) Chief Willie Clinton Lovett, 66, was convicted last week by a federal jury on charges of extortion, participating in an illegal gambling operation, conspiring to obstruct the enforcement of state criminal laws, and providing false statements to federal agents.  United States District Court Judge William T. Moore, Jr. presided over Lovett’s 5-day jury trial.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated, “We are pleased with the jury’s verdict.  For over a decade, Mr. Lovett chose to be the person he was sworn to protect the community against; that is, a criminal.  While the public should be reminded that the vast majority of law enforcement officers live by their oaths, the public should also know that this Office will continue to work tirelessly with our FBI partners to investigate, prosecute, and convict criminals in police clothing.  While we mark an end to a sad chapter in Savannah’s law enforcement history, this Office looks forward to continuing our work with new leadership to combat the violent crime that plagues our communities.” 

J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The conviction of former Police Chief Lovett concludes an extensive federal investigation that was initiated based on the numerous allegations of criminal conduct by Lovett.  The FBI, being tasked with oversight on such allegations of public corruption, embarked on a sensitive but necessary investigation that ultimately furthers the public’s trust in those that serve them.  The FBI thanks the hard work of those prosecutors that presented this case as well as that of the jurors who listened to and deliberated the facts of this case.”
According to evidence presented during the trial, for over a decade, Randall Wayne Roach and others operated an illegal gambling business in Savannah during holiday celebrations, such as St. Patrick’s Day, New Year’s Day, and other events.  The illegal gambling business operated in violation of Georgia gambling laws, but free from law enforcement intervention.  As a Major and then Chief of SCMPD (formerly the Savannah Police Department), Lovett extorted cash payments from Roach.  In return, Lovett provided protection to the illegal gambling business against enforcement of Georgia gambling laws.  Lovett received cash payments on several occasions in exchange for protection against the enforcement of the criminal gambling laws of the State of Georgia, which payments came from the proceeds of the illegal gambling business.  Lovett then knowingly provided false information to FBI agents investigating the case about his relationship with Roach and the gambling operation.  Roach pled guilty before Lovett’s trial to his role in the criminal activities.  Roach testified against Lovett, detailing his gambling operation and the cash payments made to Lovett for protection.

Lovett was convicted of one count of aiding a gambling operation, one count of conspiring to obstruct the enforcement of state gambling laws, two counts of extortion, and two counts of providing false statements.  Lovett was acquitted on three additional counts of extortion.  Lovett faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison, a $1,500,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled upon completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.  Lovett was allowed to remain on a bond pending his sentencing.

Mr. Tarver commended the hard work and dedication of the FBI, which investigated the case.  Special Agent Joshua W. Hayes led the FBI’s investigation.

First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham and Assistant United States Attorney R. Brian Tanner prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  Any questions should be directed to Mr. Durham at (912) 341-7842.

Statesboro, GA: Edward J. Tarver, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, and Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced that Aubrey Lee Price, 48, was sentenced today in Statesboro federal court to 30 years in federal prison for perpetrating a Ponzi scheme that resulted in millions of dollars of losses to dozens of Price’s investors and led to the collapse of a federally insured bank.  Today’s sentencing took place before the Honorable B. Avant Edenfield, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia.

“Through a web of lies and deceit, Aubrey Lee Price conned his elderly investors and a federally insured bank of more than $70 million, and then attempted to further his con and avoid accountability by faking his own death.  However, his life on the lam ended with a routine traffic stop.  Today’s sentence sends a strong message to those who seek to defraud the investing public and our financial institutions that we will pursue them and bring them to justice,” stated United States Attorney Lynch.
                                                                                                                                            
“The sentence imposed today reflects the magnitude of Aubrey Lee Price’s fraud,” said United States Attorney Tarver.  “Price engaged in a staggering betrayal of trust, leaving his elderly investors practically penniless, and at the same time, contributing to the collapse of a federally insured bank.  For his crimes, Price richly deserves the heavy sentence handed down today by the Court.”

George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge, FBI New York Field Office, along with J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “While today’s sentencing of former banker Aubrey Lee Price concludes a lengthy investigation as well as an extensive and resource-intensive manhunt, it does not restore the financial harm done to his many victims.  The FBI would like to express its gratitude to those many and varied law enforcement agencies whose efforts in the investigation and apprehension of Mr. Price made today’s sentencing possible.  We are hopeful that this announcement will provide some solace to his victims.”

Jason T. Moran, Special Agent in Charge, FDIC Office of Inspector General, stated: “The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General is pleased to have joined the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement colleagues in investigating the fraud that led to the conviction of Aubrey Lee Price.  It is particularly troubling when bank insiders violate the public trust and engage in activities that impact the safety and soundness of our nation’s banks.”
  
“Theft of employee benefit assets jeopardizes the benefits of workers.  This case reaffirms the Labor Department’s commitment to protect workers’ benefits by identifying criminal activity wherever and whenever it occurs,” said Isabel Colon, Regional Director of the United States Department of Labor Employee Benefit Security Administration’s Atlanta Regional Office.
 
According court filings and evidence presented at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Price embezzled over $21 million in capital from MB&T, and lost much of it by investing in risky equity securities and options.  To cover up his fraud, Price provided MB&T officials with bogus account statements and other false documents which falsely indicated the bank’s capital was safely held in an account at a financial services firm, when in truth, most of the money was gone.  A further investigation of Price revealed that between June 2009 and June 2012, he also defrauded approximately 115 individual investors who had invested $51 million in two investment funds he managed.  Price lost almost all of that money through speculative trading, and to cover up his losses, Price posted fake account statements on a secure web site that fraudulently reflected fictitious assets and fabricated investment returns for each investor.

In mid-June 2012, Price sent acquaintances “suicide letters” in which he admitted he had defrauded MB&T Bank and Price’s individual investors, and that he planned to kill himself by throwing himself off a high-speed ferry boat after it left Key West, Florida.  As a result of the suicide claim, the United States Coast Guard searched to no avail for Price’s body.  Shortly after sending the letters, Price disappeared.  After more than a year of searching for Price, he was arrested on December 31, 2013, after he presented a false identification during a routine traffic stop in Brunswick, Georgia.

Price has been in custody since his arrest on December 31, 2013.  In addition to being sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment, Price was also sentenced to serve a term of 5 years of supervised release.  Tarver noted that there is no parole in the federal system.  As part of his sentence, Price will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes in an amount to be determined at a restitution hearing to be held by February 1, 2015.  In addition, Price was ordered to forfeit a total of $51 million, representing the proceeds of his crimes.

U. S. Attorneys Tarver and Lynch credited the FBI in Georgia, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Johnson, and in New York, under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge Venizelos, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.  They also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia; the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Atlanta Regional Office; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); the Federal Reserve Board, Office of Inspector General; the United States Coast Guard; the United States Department of Labor; the Lowndes County Georgia Sheriff’s Department; the Glynn County Georgia Sheriff’s Department; the Toombs County Georgia Sheriff’s Department; and the Marion County Florida Sheriff’s Department for their cooperation and assistance in the investigation and prosecution of Price.

The government was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Brian T. Rafferty of the U. S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia, and Assistant United States Attorneys Shannon C. Jones and Brian Morris of the U. S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York.
  
         This prosecution was the result of efforts by President Barack 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.  For more information on the task force, visit http://www.StopFraud.gov.

The Defendant: AUBREY LEE PRICE
Age: 48
Valdosta, Georgia
S.D.G.A. Docket No. 612-CR-10
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 13-CR-058

Statesboro, GA: Stuart Powell Johnson, 52, of Statesboro, Georgia, was sentenced earlier this week by United States District Court Chief Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 15 years in prison, followed by twenty years of supervised release, for soliciting images of child pornography over the Internet.  He will be required to register as a sex offender.  Johnson pled guilty to the crime on June 16, 2014.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “Using the Internet in an effort to access images depicting child sexual abuse promotes the further victimization of our children and cannot be tolerated.  The U. S. Attorney’s Office aggressively prosecutes individuals, like this defendant, who exploit our children.  This defendant committed a serious crime for which a lengthy punishment is justified.”

“This is an entirely appropriate sentence for a defendant who trafficked in the sexual exploitation of children,” said Brock D. Nicholson, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI), in Atlanta.  “Most importantly, we were able to identify and save a previously unknown victim who was suffering from abuse in Texas through the outstanding work of our computer forensics analyst in Savannah.  In the fight against child pornography, these innocent victims will always come first for HSI.”

Evidence presented during the guilty plea and sentencing hearings revealed that Johnson, who had previously been convicted of a child-pornography-related offense when in the military, used an email account and an international website to solicit images depicting child sexual abuse for his own sexual gratification.  At the time Johnson was a registered sex offender, and used other individuals’ computers and wireless connections in an effort to avoid detection.  Significantly, the forensic review of a number of the images located in Johnson’s email account led to the identification of a girl in San Antonio who was being sexually exploited there. 

This prosecution was the result of a cooperative investigation conducted by HSI in St. Louis, Savannah, and HSI’s Cyber Crimes Center.  Law enforcement assistance was also provided by the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide U. S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Greenwood, Deputy Criminal Chief and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Brunswick, GA: Aaron Flores, 26, of El Paso, Texas, who was more recently stationed at Kings Bay, Georgia, was sentenced earlier this week by United States District Court Chief Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to over 17 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for the Online Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender.  Flores pled guilty to the crime on May 20, 2014.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “The defendant’s predatory behavior warrants the significant sentence imposed.  The U. S. Attorney’s Office aggressively prosecutes individuals, like this defendant, who are involved in such destructive acts towards our children.”

Evidence presented during the guilty plea and sentencing hearings revealed that Flores, then 25, but posing as a 15-year-old on a social media profile page, engaged in numerous online communications through “Tagged.com” and “Kik” in an effort to meet with minors to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and to receive illicit images from the minors.  In early September 2013, Flores contacted a 13-year-old girl living in Camden County and, through a series of chats, convinced her to sneak out of her home during the night and travel with him to his on-base apartment to engage in sexual activity.  A short time later, a concerned neighbor alerted the girl’s parents that the girl had snuck out, which led to law enforcement involvement.  Images and chats on Flores’s phone, as well as further investigative efforts in other jurisdictions, revealed efforts to solicit other minors.  The Court cited to Flores’s “ruinous acts” of sneaking a 13-year-old girl onto a military base and engaging in oral sex in support of the lengthy sentence.

This prosecution was the result of a cooperative investigation conducted by the U. S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Kingsland Police Department, and St. Mary’s Police Department.  Assistance was also provided by the Denver Police Department and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide U. S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Greenwood, Deputy Criminal Chief and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Brunswick, GA: Jerry Barnett, 64, of Brunswick, Georgia, was sentenced this week by United States District Court Chief Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to serve 5 months in prison and 5 months’ house arrest, to repay $82,864 in stolen proceeds, and to forfeit an additional $75,000 after earlier pleading guilty to stealing just over $82,000 in Social Security and Medicare benefits.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Barnett was deemed unable to work and approved to receive disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) in 2005.  Barnett returned to work in May 2007, however, and concealed his employment income from SSA by accepting payment in his spouse’s name.  When offered an opportunity to correct his status in March 2013, Barnett falsely denied he had any employment income and certified that he remained unable to work.  From May 2007 until October 2013, Barnett wrongfully collected $75,161 in disability payments and $7,703.18 in Medicare benefits.  As part of his sentence, Barnett was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $82,864.18 to the SSA and Medicare.  In addition to restitution, the Court ordered Barnett to forfeit another $75,000.00 to the U. S. Government.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver stated, “Federal benefits programs are meant to help those who are truly in need.  Our Office will continue to aggressively prosecute federal program fraud to recover the taxpayers’ money and ensure it is put to its proper use.”

Thomas Caul, Special Agent in Charge for the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Atlanta Field Division (Southeast), said, “The Office of the Inspector General has no higher priority than the investigation and prosecution of those who violate the public trust.  I’m grateful that the U. S. Attorney’s Office shares our determination to ensure the integrity of SSA’s programs.”

The case was investigated jointly by the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration and the Office of the Inspector General for Health and Human Services.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer G. Solari prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Savannah, GA: Gregory Allen, 31, and Leisha Allen, 33, brother and sister from Jesup, Georgia, pled guilty on Monday before the United States District Court Chief Judge Lisa Godbey Wood for their roles in a stolen identity and tax fraud scheme operating in Wayne County, Georgia.

Evidence presented at the guilty plea hearings showed that Gregory and Leisha Allen were operators of a fraudulent tax preparer business, B & C Superior Tax Services.  Gregory and Leisha Allen were members of a conspiracy that filed hundreds of fraudulent tax returns in order to illegally obtain tax refund checks.  The fraudulent tax returns were electronically filed using the stolen names and social security numbers of others, including people who were incarcerated or deceased.  Members of the conspiracy filed returns seeking over $2 million in fraudulent tax refunds.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “These defendants were part of a criminal organization that tried to steal over two million dollars from the American people.  The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who steal the identities of others and to safeguard our tax dollars from fraud.”  

“The Allens stole the identities of individuals who were incarcerated and those who were deceased in order to perpetuate a scheme to steal government money,” stated Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation.  “These types of criminals must be and will continue to be pursued in order to obtain justice for our nation.”

The investigation of this case was led by the IRS Criminal-Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Tania D. Groover is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

Dublin, GA: Meagan Deaton, 23, from Douglas, Georgia, pled guilty and was sentenced earlier this week in federal court in Dublin, Georgia, for her role in attempting to smuggle a cell phone into a federal prison facility for an inmate.

According to evidence presented during the guilty plea hearing, Deaton, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Contract Correctional Officer assigned to the Correctional Institution in McRae, Georgia attempted to provide a cell phone to an inmate on October 17, 2013 in exchange for money.  After entering her plea of guilty, Deaton was sentenced to 30 days in prison, 60 hours of community service, and one year of supervised release.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “This defendant chose to place her own selfish interests above the safety of other BOP employees and the public she was sworn to protect.  Those who attempt to smuggle contraband into federal prisons can expect to join the inmates from whom they are attempting to profit.”

Bob Bourbon, Special Agent in Charge, U. S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, said: “Introducing contraband such as cellphones into a prison is dangerous and can place BOP employees and other inmates in the institution at risk.  This has been a successful team effort to identify, investigate, and prosecute this matter.”

The case was investigated the U. S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General.  Assistant U. S. Attorney Carlton Bourne prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Augusta, GA: Zong Geng Chen, 47, of Augusta, Georgia was sentenced last week by U. S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to 5 months in prison followed by 5 months of home confinement and 3 years of supervised release for illegally repackaging pesticides to distribute to restaurants across the country and for making a false statement to federal agents.

According to the evidence presented during the guilty plea and sentencing hearings, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) was referred to investigate Chen and his company, Chen and Friends Pest Solutions, later renamed C&Z Pest Solutions, after state investigators discovered repackaged pesticide inside a restaurant in Missouri that Chen had distributed.  In December, 2012, after an EPA investigation, Chen entered into a Consent Order and Final Agreement with the EPA where he agreed to cease repackaging pesticide and pay a fine of $9,433.01 for previous violations.  In late 2013, investigators with the EPA received information that additional repackaged insecticide was recovered in restaurants in Indiana and Missouri.  An investigation showed that these bottles of repackaged pesticide could be traced back to Chen and were distributed after Chen agreed to cease repackaging.  As part of the labeling on his repackaged pesticide, Chen warned not to show the pesticide to the “health department.” 

Thereafter, Special Agents with the EPA conducted a covert conversation with Chen, during which the agents posed as perspective customers and Chen stated that he was allowed to sell pesticide.  A few days later, EPA Special Agents held another conversation where they identified themselves and questioned Chen about his repackaging pesticides and his compliance with the Consent Order and Final Agreement.  At that time, Chen falsely assured agents that he was not repackaging pesticides again because he knew it was wrong.

“If pesticides are not handled safely and as directed there can be severe, even fatal, consequences,” said Maureen O’Mara, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Georgia.  “Last week’s sentencing demonstrates EPA’s commitment to implementing pesticide regulations to protect public health.  EPA and its partner agencies will prosecute those who break the law in order to make a profit.”

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “In this case, the defendant was repacking and distributing pesticides to restaurants, thereby putting patrons in harm’s way.  This Office will continue to assist its partner agencies in investigating and prosecuting those who put the safety of our communities at risk.”

EPA Special Agents Chuck Carfagno, Mike Sparks, and Kimmy Poon conducted the investigation which led to the information and plea.  Assistant United States Attorney C. Troy Clark is the prosecutor in this case.  For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.