Eastern District of Kentucky
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Georgia Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – Quinton Hall, 36, of Ellenwood, Georgia was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier. Hall was previously convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute aggravated amounts of methamphetamine throughout Whitley, Laurel, and Knox Counties and of using a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking enterprise.
The evidence at trial established that Hall traveled from Atlanta, into Corbin, Kentucky, to distribute methamphetamine. Hall supplied several different methamphetamine dealers in Whitley, Knox, and Laurel Counties. Records established Hall moved drug proceeds through Western Union wire transfers, Green Dot cards, and MoneyGram. Four eyewitnesses testified that Hall was armed when dealing the drugs. According to testimony at trial, Hall engaged in violent debt collection tactics, including assaulting co-conspirators with firearms. On January 24, 2020, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office’s Gang Suppression and Vice Unit (GSVU) executed a warrant at Hall’s Georgia residence. There, officers seized a Sig Sauer p250, Taurus GZC 9mm, Taurus Judge pistol, Keltec subgun 2000 rifle, Aero Precision X15 rifle, and Radom Pioneer Arms Hellpup. Hall attempted to flee by climbing up into the attic of the residence.
Hall was indicted in May 2020, along with eleven co-conspirators, all of whom have also been convicted. The case ultimately involved the seizure of 13 firearms, over $10,000 in U.S. Currency, and a substantial amount of methamphetamine. The conspiracy involved the following sentences:
- Tramone Horne, 36, of Buffalo, New York, was sentenced to 270 months on August 1, 2021.
- Angelia Hammons, 47, of Corbin, sentenced to 68 months on October 29, 2021.
- Larry Tyler Hammons, 25, of Corbin, was sentenced to 40 months on July 20, 2021.
- Glennis Reed Nantz, 49, of Woodbine, Kentucky, was sentenced to 156 months on October 20, 2021.
- Alexander Lebeau, 27, of London, was sentenced to 74 months on May 21, 2021.
- Krysten Powell, 27, of Corbin, was sentenced to 58 months on July 14, 2021.
- Johnathon Ray Proffitt, 29, of London, was sentenced to 75 months on December 2, 2020.
- Larry Elkins, 39, of Calhoun, Georgia, was sentenced to 95 months on August 3, 2021.
- Jennifer Folgman, 41, of Corbin, was sentenced to 86.5 months on January 11, 2021.
- Glennis Kody Nantz, 26, of Corbin, was sentenced to 140 months on October 20, 2021.
Hall was found guilty after a weeklong jury trial, on July 1, 2021.
Under federal law, Hall must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, after his release from prison. Hall was also ordered to pay a $30,000 fine.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge ATF; and Rusty Hedrick, Chief of the Corbin Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Corbin Police Department, with assistance from Georgia’s Henry County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to 130 Months for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. — A Cincinnati man, Fred Carroll Randolph, 47, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to Randolph’s plea agreement, Randolph was stopped during a traffic stop where law enforcement recovered multiple bags of methamphetamine. The bags contained 81.2 grams of very pure, crystal methamphetamine. Randolph admitted that he had recently picked up three ounces of methamphetamine from a source of supply in Cincinnati, that he had distributed methamphetamine for a couple of months, and that he had distributed more than 500 grams of the drugs.
Randolph pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment in December 2021.
Under federal law, Randolph must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Kent Kleinschmidt, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Detroit Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Bracke and Andrew Spievack.
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Boone County Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in a DeathRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.— A Burlington, Ky., man, Daniel Julian Huegel, 25, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after previously pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in a death.
According to Huegel’s plea agreement, in March 2020, an overdose victim was identified. Law enforcement searched the victim’s iPad and iPhone and discovered detailed correspondence with Huegel, establishing that Huegel had distributed fentanyl to the victim. Video footage confirmed this distribution and Huegel also admitted to distributing the drugs to the victim. In his guilty plea, Huegel admitted that the victim would not have died, but for the consumption of the substance he distributed to him.
Huegel pleaded guilty in December 2021.
Under federal law, Huegel must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Kent Kleinschmidt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Detorit Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, and the Hamilton County Heroin Task Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Winslow and Tony Bracke.
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Former Lawrence County Attorney Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Federal Program TheftRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – The former County Attorney for Lawrence County, Michael T. Hogan, and his wife and legal secretary, Joy M. Hogan, 41, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to wire fraud. Michael Hogan pleaded guilty also to federal program theft.
According to the Hogans’ plea agreements, the Hogans conspired with each other to commit wire fraud by issuing checks from a second delinquent tax account for the Lawrence County Attorney’s Office, the statements for which went to their personal residence. Michael Hogan and Joy Hogan would routinely prepare “bonus” checks issued to Joy, and signed by Michael, paid with delinquent tax funds that should have been used on operating expenses for the Lawrence County Attorney’s Office. The Hogans deposited these checks in Joy’s personal account and the couple’s joint accounts and spent the funds on personal expenses. Michael Hogan admitted he personally benefitted from these payments and knew some of these payments were not reasonable in amount, nor beneficial to the public. According to the indictment, between March 8, 2013, and April 30, 2020, Michael Hogan paid Joy Hogan more than $365,000 from the Lawrence County Delinquent Tax Account.
Additionally, Michael Hogan also admitted to defrauding the Lawrence County Child Support Enforcement Office, part of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. According to the plea agreement, Hogan billed the program for more hours than he actually worked.
As part of the plea agreement, Michael Hogan agreed to resign as the Lawrence County Attorney.
The Hogans were indicted on the charges in June 2021.
“Whenever public officials turn to self-interests and use taxpayer money for their personal benefit, it causes real damage,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Mr. Hogan was an elected County Attorney – responsible for upholding the law – yet, he has now admitted to betraying that public trust and to taking a significant amount of public money for the benefit of he and his wife. Not only was this conduct a theft of public funds, but it also dangerously erodes the public’s faith in government officials and law enforcement. We appreciate the efforts of our dedicated law enforcement partners, without whom this prosecution would not have been possible.”
"The Hogans' blatant disregard for properly handling tax payers' hard-earned money eroded the public's trust in government," said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office. "The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to regain that trust by identifying and investigating those in power who choose to put their own financial gain above those they serve."
United States Attorney Shier; Special Agent in Charge Cohen; and Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Smith and James Chapman.
Michael Hogan and Joy Hogan are scheduled to be sentenced on July 6. On the wire fraud charges, they face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000 or twice the amount of gain or loss. On the federal program theft charges, Michael Hogan faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Lincoln County Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking Resulting in a DeathRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Stanford, Ky., man, Donald Means, 55, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, after pleading guilty to distribution of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, which resulted in the death of another person.
According to Means’ guilty plea, he illegally sold a substance containing heroin and fentanyl to an individual, knowing it was a controlled substance and its potency. The victim ingested the drugs, resulting in their death. According to the Kentucky State Medical Examiner’s Office, the victim’s death was caused by the acute, combined toxic effects of the drugs.
Means pleaded guilty to the charge in the indictment in January 2022.
Under federal law, Means must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Sheriff Greg Speck, Pulaski County Sherriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Trimble.
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Former Bath County Deputy Sheriff Sentenced to 25 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Morehead, Ky., man, Joshua Preece, 40, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, after pleading guilty to enticing a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Preece is a former Bath County Deputy Sheriff.
According to Preece’s plea agreement, on November 5, 2018, he admitted to answering a call about a minor victim who was acting out of control at her residence. After responding, he transported the victim to a remote area in Bath County. There, Preece sexually assaulted the victim, later asking for sexually explicit photos of the victim via Snapchat. When reviewing Preece’s phone, law enforcement found multiple sexually explicit images.
Preece admitted to the conduct and pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2021.
Under federal law, Preece must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
“The conduct in this case is simply disgraceful,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The offense itself – a brazen act of child exploitation and abuse – is abhorrent, but the fact that he did it while he was a law enforcement officer makes it even more so. He abused a vulnerable victim, while also betraying a public trust and doing enduring disservice to the dedicated efforts of all law enforcement. I am grateful for hard work of our law enforcement partners, whose efforts made this prosecution possible.”
United States Attorney Shier; Robert Holman, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service; and Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Marye.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov..
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Jackson County Man Sentenced for Violation of Lacey ActRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — A McKee, Ky., man, Christopher Cool, 59, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, after pleading guilty to one count of violating the Lacey Act.
The Lacey Act makes it unlawful to commercialize and sell wildlife, in interstate commerce, if you know or should have known that the wildlife was taken, possessed, transported, or sold in a manner that is unlawful under the law or regulation of any state, the United States or a foreign country.
According to Cool’s plea agreement, in July 2020, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service discovered that Cool had 246 Eastern Box Turtles at his residence, which he was intending to sell and ship to individuals outside of Kentucky. The commercialization and sale of these turtles is prohibited by Kentucky statue and regulation; and without a permit, a person is only allowed to possess five or fewer turtles for personal use. Further investigation revealed that between July 2019 and July 2020, Cool had sold 669 Eastern Box Turtles, which had been taken from the wild in Kentucky. Cool received an average of $100 a turtle.
In June 2021, U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents received reports from Pennsylvania and West Virginia wildlife officers indicating that Cool was selling and trafficking turtles in interstate commerce. According to information received, Cool was seen with over 125 Eastern Box Turtles while traveling through West Virginia. At the time, Cool admitted to others that he was bringing the turtles from Kentucky and was getting paid $200 a turtle, by out of state purchasers. Cool was arrested in McKee, on September 15, 2021.
Cool pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act in November 2021.
“The Lacey Act is an important tool for preserving our valuable wildlife resources,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners, both state and federal, without whom this prosecution could not have been possible and this threat to protected wildlife could have continued.”
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, considers the illegal collection and commercialization of Eastern Box Turtles a high priority,” said Stephen Clark, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We will continue to work closely with our State partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute these important cases.”
Under federal law, Cool must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for two years. Cool is also required to complete 80 hours of community service.
U.S. Attorney Shier and Special Agent in Charge Clark jointly announced the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, and Pennsylvania Game Commission. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily K. Greenfield.
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Ohio Man Convicted of Kidnapping and Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. - A Portsmouth, Ohio, man was convicted on Wednesday, by a federal jury in Ashland, of kidnapping and sexual assault.
After an hour of deliberations, following a three-day trial, the jury convicted 53-year-old Charles Glorioso, 53, of one count of kidnapping and one count of sexual assault.
According to the testimony at trial, on July 10, 2020, and the early hours of July 11, 2020, Charles Glorioso and Nathan Welch kidnapped a woman at knifepoint. The victim was driving the two men in her vehicle, from Portsmouth, into Greenup County, Kentucky. There, the victim testified, both men physically and sexually assaulted her, until she was allowed to leave, when she traveled back across the river on foot. The incident was reported to the police and she was transported to the hospital, for treatment of multiple injuries sustained during the assault. Later, where the assault took place in Greenup County, officers located the victim’s abandoned vehicle, her belt, shoe, and sandal, as well as the knife used during the kidnapping, all in or near the vehicle.
Welch and Glorioso were both indicted in January 2021. Welch was convicted by a federal jury in December 2021.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Louisville Division; Col. Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Debby Brewer, Portsmouth Police Department, jointly announced the verdict.
The investigation was conducted by FBI, KSP, the Portsmouth Police Department, and the Ohio Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos.
Glorioso is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2022, and Welch is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2022. They each face a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
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Pikeville Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky.- Eugene Sisco, III, 36, of Pikeville, Ky., was sentenced Tuesday to serve 125 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, after a jury convicted him in November 2021 of wire fraud and health care fraud.
According to the trial evidence, Sisco operated several medication assisted treatment (“MAT”) clinics in Pike, Floyd, and Harlan Counties that offered treatment to patients suffering from opioid addiction. These clinics were enrolled as providers in the Kentucky Medicaid program, and under Kentucky law were required to bill that insurance program for MAT services rendered to Medicaid patients. The evidence demonstrated that Sisco deceived patients into paying $200-$300 per month in cash for treatment at his clinics, despite having Medicaid insurance, by falsely claiming his clinics were not eligible to bill Medicaid for certain services they provided. The evidence at trial showed that the cash payments from patients totaled around $5 million between May 2016 and October 2019, most of it from Medicaid beneficiaries for whom the services should have cost nothing. At the same time, Sisco caused his clinics to bill Medicaid for MAT services, receiving millions in reimbursements from that program as well.
The jury also found that Sisco engaged in a health care fraud scheme, by causing his laboratory, Toxperts, LLC, to bill for medically unnecessary urine drug testing of samples collected from patients at his clinics. The physician witnesses at trial testified that they did not order this urine drug testing, and that some of it was done at Sisco’s direction for billing purposes, as opposed to any medical reason. Sisco is not a doctor or medical professional. At sentencing, Judge Wier found that this fraud caused a loss of more than $2 million to the Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Under federal law, Sisco must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. In addition, Sisco was ordered to pay $5.7 million in restitution. Sisco will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years, following his release from prison.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Daniel Cameron, Attorney General of Kentucky; and Col. Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by FBI, KSP, and the Office of the Attorney General, Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey.
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Louisville Man Sentenced to over 18 Years for Trafficking Methamphetamine in Knox CountyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – Courtney Leo Pierce, 32, of Louisville, was sentenced late Friday to 220 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, for methamphetamine trafficking.
A federal jury found Pierce guilty of possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, in October 2021. Trial testimony revealed that Pierce had been supplying Knox County drug dealers with methamphetamine that he brought in from Louisville. On April 2, 2020, the Knox County Sheriff’s Department stopped Pierce’s vehicle and recovered over 300 grams of methamphetamine. Because Pierce engaged in this conduct after having already been convicted of a serious violent felony, his sentence was enhanced.
Under federal law, Pierce must serve 85 percent of his 220-month prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for ten years following his release.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; Mike Smith, Knox County Sheriff; and Col. Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
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Seventeen Kentuckians Indicted for Animal Fighting ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- In four separate indictments, issued by a federal grand jury sitting in London, 17 Kentuckians have been indicted with various offenses related to animal fighting and cruelty.
In the first indictment, the grand jury charged Cruz Alejandro Mercado-Vazquez, 43, of Maysville, Ky., with two counts of attempted bribery and one count of possessing animals for the purpose of having the animals participate in an animal fighting venture.
The indictment alleges that, on two separate occasions, Mercado-Vaquez offered a bribe of more than $5,000, to the Mason County Sheriff, to influence the Sheriff in connection with a planned animal fighting venture. The indictment further alleges that Mercado-Vazquez knowingly bought, possessed, and trained roosters to participate in an animal fighting venture.
In the second indictment, the grand jury charged Rickie Dale Johnson, 55, Jacklyn Rachelle Johnson, 31, Harold “Fuzzy” Hale, 72, all of London, Ky, with conspiracy to knowingly sponsor and exhibit animals in an animal fighting venture, in connection with the Bald Rock chicken pit in Laurel County. The indictment alleges that Rickie Johnson rented property from Hale and, for at least two months in 2021, operated regular animal fighting ventures at that location, with assistance from Jacklyn Johnson. The following individuals were also charged with exhibiting an animal, specifically a rooster, in the animal fighting venture at the Bald Rock pit:
Orville D. Asher, 39, of London, Ky
Dallas Cope, 35, of Livingston, Ky
Hiram B. Creech, Jr., 47, of East Bernstadt, Ky
Bradley Cye Rose, 72, of Parkers Lake, Ky.
Joshua Westerfield, 36, of London, Ky
In the third indictment, the grand jury charged Millard Oscar Hubbard, 72, of Manchester, Ky.; Timothy Sizemore, 42, of Manchester, Ky.; Beachel Collett, 28, of Oneida, Ky.; Lester Collett, 25, of Manchester, Ky.; and Justin Smith, 33, of Manchester, Ky., with one count each of conspiracy to knowingly sponsor and exhibit animal fighting ventures. Sizemore was also charged with knowingly promoting the animal fighting events using instrumentalities of interstate commerce.
The third indictment alleges that, between November 2018 and January 2020, the defendants conspired to operate weekly animal fighting ventures at Riverside Game Club, in Manchester, Ky. The indictment further alleges that Riverside Game Club was owned and operated by Hubbard. Sizemore, with the assistance of Beachel and Lester Collett, organized the participants into various fights, cataloged the entry fees, the weight of the roosters, tracked the weapons used on the animals, arranged the fights and tracked the wins and losses of various participants. Sizemore allegedly distributed advertising material about the fights, and Hubbard collected admissions fees and had trailers that could be rented to individuals who participated in the animal fighting. It was also alleged that, the defendants paid regular employees, including Smith, to work the fights.
The third indictment further charged Sizemore with one count conspiracy to operate a weekly animal fighting venture at Blackberry Chicken Pit, located in Pike County, Kentucky. It alleges that Sizemore, with the assistance of others, operated weekly animal fighting ventures at Blackberry between May 2020 and December 2021.
In the fourth indictment, the grand jury charged Walter H. Mitchell, 55, of Ewing, Ky, Jerrard McVey, 47, and Linda McVey, 42, of Carlisle, Ky, with conspiracy to knowingly sponsor and exhibit animals in an animal fighting venture, in connection with the Valley, a chicken pit on the border of Nicholas and Fleming Counties.
“Animal fighting ventures are cruel and illegal,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We are committed to enforcing federal animal cruelty laws and I want to commend the efforts of our law enforcement partners, whose dedication and effort led to these indictments for the Eastern District of Kentucky.”
“The gruesome ritual of animal fighting simply has no place in a civilized society. Animal cruelty, however, is just one criminal aspect surrounding this barbaric activity. Whether it is illegal gambling or the attempted corruption of our public officials, the criminal enterprise surrounding cockfighting operations will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen, FBI Louisville Office. “Through outstanding cooperation and great work, the FBI and its state and federal law enforcement partners have dealt a serious blow to cockfighting and a multitude of other criminal activities in the Eastern District of Kentucky.”
United States Attorney Shier; Jason M. Williams, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Cohen; Colonel Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; and Superintendent Rob Townsend, Indiana Gaming Commission, jointly announced the indictments.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by USDA, FBI, KSP, and the Indiana Gaming Commission. The cases are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Smith and Andrea Mattingly-Williams.
Each defendant faces up to 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Mercado-Vasquez faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for the attempted bribery counts. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Perry County Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky.— A Hazard, Ky., man, Eric Edward Shuffler, 40, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, after pleading guilty to methamphetamine trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Shuffler’s plea agreement, on August 4, 2020, law enforcement stopped Shuffler and he was found to have a loaded 9mm handgun in the backseat of his car, along with a black bag that contained ammunition, 210 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, and $3,051 in cash. Shuffler admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and he carried the firearm for his protection in his drug trafficking activities.
Shuffler pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2021.
Under federal law, Shuffler must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Filed Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Rabold.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprhensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Knott County Man Sentenced to over 24 Years for Two Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Christopher Adam Cole, 34, of Knott County, was sentenced on Friday to 294 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Robert E. Wier, for charges related to two armed carjackings.
According to his plea agreement, Cole admitted to using a firearm to steal a vehicle from a victim on August 28, 2020. Cole also admitted that, just a few days later, on September 4, 2020, he stole a vehicle from another victim. During the sentencing hearing, the Court found that, on September 4, 2020, the victim had jumped on the hood of the vehicle, in an attempt to keep Cole from stealing the vehicle, and only let go when Cole pointed a gun at him. The victim sustained a broken leg and collarbone in connection with the incident.
Under federal law, Cole must serve 85 percent of his 294-month prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release. Additionally, Cole was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,120 to the victim of the September 4, 2020 carjacking.
During the September 4, 2020 carjacking, Cole was assisted by Angela “Granny” Vanover, age 44, of Perry County. Vanover pled guilty to aiding and abetting the carjacking, by driving the vehicle while it was being stolen from the victim. Vanover was also sentenced on Friday, to 126 months in federal prison. Vanover was also ordered to pay restitution the victim.
Brandi Hurt, age 28, of Perry County, who pled guilty to assisting Cole during the August 28, 2020 carjacking was previously sentenced to 67 months in federal prison.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; R. Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Louisville Field Division; Joseph Engle, Perry County Sheriff; and Dale Richardson, Knott County Sheriff, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was completed by the ATF, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, and Knott County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance by the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Letcher County Teacher Sentenced to 370 Months for Production of Child Pornography and CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Letcher County Middle School teacher, Charles Evans Hall Jr., was sentenced on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, to 370 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for production of child pornography and cyberstalking a student.
According to the evidence presented at Hall’s trial, Hall persuaded a child to setup a secret Snapchat account. Hall then manipulated the child into creating and transmitting sexually explicit pictures and videos. The Kentucky State Police (KSP) seized Hall’s cell phone on November 20, 2018. Thereafter, Hall used an Instagram account to engage in Cyberstalking. Additionally, Hall repeatedly requested the minor victim help him destroy evidence and threatened the child when she did not comply.
Following his arrest, Hall then bartered with his cellmate to get a co-conspirator, who was not in custody, to continue the Cyberstalking campaign against the child. Hall told the minor victim to make another statement to law enforcement to clear him of the charges.
The Court applied numerous sentencing enhancements, based on evidence of his engaging in sex acts with a minor, obstructing justice, abusing a position of trust, and being a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors.
Hall was convicted, after a three-day jury trial, on October 20, 2021. Under federal law, Hall must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for Life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Louisville Division; and Commissioner Col. Phillip Burnette, Jr., Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Bell County Man Sentenced to 300 Months for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – Daniel Randall Ramsey-Greene, 27, of Middlesboro, Kentucky, was sentenced Tuesday, to 300 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement and sentencing hearing, while a foster parent, Ramsey-Greene setup a wireless camera in the bathroom of his residence, to capture videos and images of his foster child’s genitals. Ramsey-Greene then saved these images to his cell phone. In April of 2020, Ramsey-Greene also made the victim smoke marijuana. Thereafter, Ramsey-Greene sexually molested the young boy. The victim’s mother informed the Middlesboro Police Department of the abuse.
Law enforcement removed the victim from Ramsey-Greene’s custody and seized Ramey-Greene’s cellular phone and wireless camera system. The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Electronic Crimes Branch performed a forensic analysis of Ramsey-Greene’s electronics, which revealed that Ramsey-Greene produced sexually explicit images of another minor, who was another foster child that Ramsey-Greene ultimately adopted. Electronic evidence and forensic interviews revealed that Ramsey-Greene produced pornographic images of both boys between September of 2019 and April of 2020.
The Court applied numerous sentencing enhancements, based on evidence of his engaging in sex acts with a minor, being a parent or guardian of the victims, and being a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors. Ramsey-Greene entered his guilty plea, to two counts of production of child pornography, on June 8, 2021. Under federal law, Ramsey-Greene must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for Life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Louisville Division; Col. Phillip Burnette, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, and Michael Orr, Middlesboro Police Chief, jointly announced the sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Whitley County Man Sentenced for Aggravated Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — A Williamsburg, Kentucky, man, Nathan Blankenship, 35, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, for aggravated methamphetamine trafficking.
Blankenship was part of a 16-defendant methamphetamine trafficking organization which spread across Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The investigation revealed that the conspiracy was supplied by a Chattanooga, Tennessee, man, Chad Burnette, 36. Burnette, who was incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections, used social media platforms, smuggled cell phones, and used Green Dot cards to move over 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, into the Eastern District of Kentucky, from December of 2018 through January of 2020. Burnette utilized cartel connections to fulfill his methamphetamine orders.
Burnette employed middleman Michael Revis, 32, of Chattanooga, Tennessee to arrange methamphetamine drops in Atlanta, for Kentucky based traffickers. Revis charged his fellow co-conspirators a 10% commission to arrange the transactions with Burnette. On August 11, 2021, Revis was convicted of aggravated methamphetamine trafficking and witness tampering, following a federal jury trial in London. The ATF seized over a dozen firearms in connection with the investigation including assault rifles, homemade explosives, and body armor.
The other defendants received the following sentences for their roles in the drug trafficking operation:
- Michael Revis, 32, of Chattanooga, 324 months and 5 years supervised release
- Chad Lee Burnette, 36, of Chattanooga, 276 months and 5 years supervised release
- Charles Coleman Burnette, 58, of Hamilton County, Tenn., 89 months and 4 years supervised release
- Diana Faye Elliott, 34, of Hixson, Tenn., 98 months and 3 years supervised release
- Michael Brock, 61, of Frakes, Ky., 65 months and 4 years supervised release
- Goldie Webb, 65, of Frakes, 35 months and 3 years supervised release
- Phillip Ohara (deceased), of Williamsburg, Ky., 100 months, 5 years supervised release
- David Lee Butler, 42, of Williamsburg, 105 months and 5 years supervised release
- Dakota Sean Wade Lovins, 26, of Williamsburg, 69 months and 5 years supervised release
- Danny Elliott, 44, of Williamsburg, 88 months and 5 years supervised release
- Ashley Lynn Lay, 38, of Williamsburg, 91 months and 5 years supervised release
- Jerry White, 44, of Williamsburg, 60 months and 4 years supervised release
- Herbert Hood, 46, of Williamsburg, 23 months and 2 years supervised release
- Ronnie Albertini, 41, of Duff, Tenn., 78 months, 5 years supervised release
- Ricky Ayers, 36, of Lafollette, Tenn., 65 months and 5 years supervised release
- Tammy Elliott, 42, of Jellico, Tenn., 100 months and 5 years supervised release
Under federal law, each of the defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences.
“There are few greater threats to our community than illegal drug trafficking, which frequently brings with it firearms, violence, overdoses, and other criminal activity,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to using all the tools available to us to combat this danger to our community, including enhancing our focus on the detection, prosecution and punishment of armed, violent drug traffickers, whose crimes take an enormous toll on the safety and security of us all.”
“Drug trafficking organizations often use firearms to further their criminal activity, increasing the threat to our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division. “Protecting the public is at the core of ATF’s mission. ATF’s Louisville Division will continue to work with our partners, like the DEA and Williamsburg Police, to target armed drug dealers and remove them from our communities. This investigation is an example of our commitment to protecting the public and making Kentucky safer.”
“Drug trafficking organizations that threaten the health and safety of our communities with violence and illicit drugs will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division. “The DEA, working with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to this mission, at a time when Americans are dying from drug overdoses in record numbers.”
U.S. Attorney Shier; SAC Morrow, ATF, Louisville Field Division; SAC Scott, DEA. Louisville Field Division; and Chief Wayne Bird, Williamsburg Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF, the DEA, and the Williamsburg Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenna E. Reed and Jason Parman.
This case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. The PSN program involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Two from Florence Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – Shannon Baker, 34, and Ryan Bell, 35, both from Florence, Ky., were sentenced Tuesday, to 150 months and 72 months, respectively, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after previously admitting to conspiring with others to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine.
According to her plea agreement, Baker led a conspiracy that distributed more than five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine throughout Northern Kentucky. Officers seized significant amounts of methamphetamine from various members of the trafficking conspiracy in Boone, Campbell, and Grant Counties during the investigation. Baker recruited Bell to join the conspiracy, after her arrest on January 4, 2021. Bell took over operations and distributed methamphetamine for a short time, before his arrest, on January 21, 2021. Baker and Bell each had a prior felony conviction for a drug offense, prior to the commission of this offense.
Three other members of the conspiracy have already been sentenced. Chad Beach was sentenced to 24 months, on January 25, 2022; Zachary Schwaller was sentenced to 84 months, on January 27, 2022; and Eric Mann was sentenced to 84 months in prison on February 8, 2022. A final member of the group, Samantha Miller Bell, is scheduled for sentencing on March 8, 2022.
Baker and Bell pleaded guilty in October 2021.
Under federal law, each Defendant must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Baker and Bell will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, following their release from prison.
Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Detroit Field Division; and Scott Hardcorn, Director of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.
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Bourbon County Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Paris, Ky., man, Joseph Moctezuma Lopez, 28, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Joseph Hood, after pleading guilty to production of child pornography.
According to Lopez’s plea agreement, in or before August 2017, he admitted to meeting a minor victim online and communicating with her over social media applications and the Internet for over two years. In September 2019, Lopez traveled from Lexington, to the Canadian border to meet the victim; but he was stopped at the border. Law enforcement found explicit photographs of the victim on his phones, which Lopez admitted he enticed the victim into producing.
Lopez pleaded guilty in November 2021.
Under federal law, Lopez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Marye and Andrea Mattingly Williams.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Two Whitley County Men Convicted of Violent KidnappingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — Two Rockholds, Kentucky, men, Jake Messer, 38, and George Oscar Messer, 62, have been convicted by federal juries sitting in London, of two counts of kidnapping. Jake Messer was convicted on Thursday morning, after a three-day trial. George Oscar Messer was convicted on January 13, 2022, after his three-day trial
According to trial evidence, the kidnappings were motivated by a drug transaction that went off track. The Messers kidnapped two victims, in Rockholds, and transported them to a remote trailer in Manchester. There, the victims were held for approximately 24 hours, during which time they were interrogated. One victim was repeatedly sexually assaulted.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Drug Enforcement and Special Investigations Unit recovered 15 firearms and numerous controlled substances from the Messer residence. Several of the firearms, including an assault rifle, were used in furtherance of the kidnappings.
The Messers were indicted in November of 2020. Their two co-conspirators, Joshua Mills and Stephen S. Jewell, previously entered guilty pleas to kidnapping and are likewise awaiting sentencing.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn S. Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police jointly announced the verdicts.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
Jake Messer will appear for sentencing on May 31, 2022; George Oscar Messer will appear on May 11, 2022; Joshua Mills will appear on May 16, 2022; and Stephen S. Jewell will appear on May 6, 2022.
Each defendant faces a maximum of Life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing the sentence.
This case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. The PSN program involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Former NFL Player Sentenced to Prison for Nationwide Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former National Football League (NFL) player was sentenced today to five years in prison for orchestrating a nationwide scheme to defraud a health care benefit program for retired NFL players.
According to court documents, Robert McCune, 42, of Riverdale, Georgia, defrauded the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan (the Plan). The Plan was established pursuant to the NFL’s 2006 collective bargaining agreement. It provided former players, their spouses and their dependents, up to a maximum of $350,000 per player tax-free reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical care expenses that were not covered by insurance.
Court documents show that McCune submitted false and fraudulent claims to the Plan on his own behalf and on behalf of dozens of other former NFL players. Between June 5, 2017, and April 12, 2018, he submitted 68 claims for 51 other players. The claims typically sought reimbursement of $40,000 or more for expensive medical equipment such as hyperbaric oxygen chambers, ultrasound machines and electromagnetic therapy devices. None of the medical equipment described in the claims was ever purchased or received. In total, McCune and his co-conspirators submitted approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent claims to the Plan.
Court documents further show that McCune obtained identifying information for other participants in the Plan, including the player’s name, insurance identification number, social security number, mailing address and/or date of birth. In exchange for submitting the false and fraudulent claims, McCune demanded kickbacks and bribes in the thousands of dollars for each claim submitted.
McCune pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of health care fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft.
Thirteen other defendants have been sentenced for their participation in the nationwide scheme:
- John Eubanks, 38, of Cleveland, Mississippi, was sentenced to 18 months in prison;
- Tamarick Vanover, 47, of Tallahassee, Florida, and Ceandris Brown, 39, of Iowa Colony, Texas, were each sentenced to a year and a day in prison;
- Correll Buckhalter, 43, of Colleyville, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, followed by 300 days’ home detention;
- Clinton Portis, 40, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by 180 days’ home detention;
- Etric Pruitt, 40, of Theodore, Alabama, was sentenced to three months in prison, followed by 180 days’ home detention;
- James Butler, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to two months in prison, followed by 180 days’ home detention;
- Carlos Rogers, 40, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was sentenced to 180 days’ home detention and 400 hours of community service;
- Anthony Montgomery, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio; Antwan Odom, 40, of Irvington, Alabama; Darrell Reid, 39, of Farmingdale, New Jersey; and Fredrick Bennett, 38, of Port Wentworth, Georgia, were each sentenced to 180 days’ home detention and 240 hours of community service; and
- Joe Horn, 50, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to 200 hours of community service.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and included efforts by various FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies, including Augusta, Georgia; Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama; Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Columbia, South Carolina; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Jackson, Mississippi; Lexington, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa, Florida; Newark, New Jersey; Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and Newport Beach, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Washington, D.C.
Assistant Chief John (Fritz) Scanlon and Trial Attorney Alexander J. Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Smith of the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted the case.
Covington Man Sentenced to 252 Months for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Covington man, Deshaun A. Jackson, 39, was sentenced to 252 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S District Judge David Bunning, after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, distribution of crack cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Jackson led a conspiracy that distributed approximately a kilogram of crack cocaine, and lesser amounts of heroin, in the Covington area from March through July 2020. Jackson also possessed a firearm in furtherance of the commission of these offenses. Jackson has four prior felony convictions, including two for drug trafficking.
Jackson pleaded guilty in October 2021
Under federal law, Jackson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years after his release from prison.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Rob Nader, Chief of the Covington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Covington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.
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Bourbon County Man Sentenced to 37 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky.— A Versailles, Ky., man, Timothy Caylor, 49, was sentenced to 444 months (37 years) in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, after pleading guilty to production of child pornography.
According to Caylor’s plea agreement, after receiving a complaint of a couple whose daughter had received inappropriate text and voice messages from Caylor, law enforcement went to Caylor’s mother’s residence, where he was staying. Officers found him hiding in the bathroom and asked for his consent to search his phones, where they found child exploitation material, including images of unidentified minors. A search warrant from Caylor’s Instagram and Facebook revealed he induced two minors to take and send sexual images. Caylor admitted that he had contacted minors online, and he sent them sexual images, as well.
Caylor was previously convicted of first-degree Sexual Abuse in Boone Circuit Court in February 1998.
Caylor pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2021.
Under federal law, Caylor must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Filed Division; and Colonel Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner, Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security-HSI, FBI and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Marye.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Whitley County Man Sentenced to 516 Months for Violent KidnappingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — A Corbin, Kentucky, man, Douglas M. Edmonson, 38, was sentenced to 43 years in federal prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, for kidnapping.
According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Edmonson and his three co-defendants lured a victim to a location in Tennessee, using an unrelated party’s Facebook account. Edmonson and his co-defendants then forced the victim into a vehicle and transported her to Corbin. Edmonson used a .38 revolver and a homemade pipe bomb to coax the victim’s compliance. The victim was bound, blindfolded, and repeatedly assaulted during the 2-day kidnapping. In describing the offense conduct, the Court stated, “[i]f hell is a place, it is almost on the edge of hell. Seeing how people can behave toward each other and treat each other. It is degrading. It is exploitive. It is sub-human to treat a person this way and to put a person in such fear for her life and to strip her, literally and figuratively, of human dignity so astonishingly.”
The Court also found that Edmonson occupied a leadership role, employed a dangerous weapon, and demanded a ransom. The Court further ruled that Edmonson sexually exploited and inflicted serious bodily injury upon the victim. The yearlong investigation revealed that Edmonson and his co-defendants employed firearms, as well as destructive devices during the kidnapping. On August 11, 2018, ATF agents were called to the kidnapping scene and assisted in locating and detonating several homemade destructive devices. The evidence revealed that the kidnapping was fueled by a perceived methamphetamine debt and underlying drug trafficking on the part of Edmonson.
In handing down the sentence, the Court commented that, “in the meth world there's almost a parallel culture where people in that world believe that they're their own police, they're their own law enforcement, they're their own collection agents. That they are operating outside of the boundaries that the rest of us take for granted. And I think that most of America would be kind of shocked what I hear in this courtroom month after month.”
Edmonson pleaded guilty in September 2021.
Edmonson’s co-defendant, Bryanna Soper, 27, of Corbin, Ky., was sentenced to 396 months and five years of supervised release. Dallas Chain Perkins, 23, of Jellico, Tenn., and Erik Peace, 34, of Corbin, Ky., are scheduled to be sentenced in February 2022.
“The victim in the case was lured, restrained, held for drugs or ransom, threatened with firearms and homemade explosives, brutally beaten, burned, and repeatedly assaulted,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “As the Court commented, this uninhibited violence caused unspeakable suffering; so now, the defendant will face the significant consequences of his despicable and brutal conduct. His appalling crimes more than justify the sentence imposed and serve to strengthen our commitment to combatting the drug trafficking violence in our communities.”
“These defendants were part of an armed drug-trafficking group that committed heinous acts of violence,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Field Division. “I commend the efforts of the ATF agents and our Kentucky State Police and Williamsburg Police partners who worked diligently on this year-long investigation to help bring justice to this victim who has had to endure the unimaginable. We hope that this sentencing brings some form of healing to the victim and sends the message that ATF and our law enforcement partners will not stand by and allow these acts of violence."
Under federal law, Edmonson and Soper must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Upon their release from prison, Edmonson will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years.
United States Attorney Shier; Special Agent in Charge Morrow; Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Wayne Bird, Williamsburg Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and KSP, with assistance provided by the Williamsburg Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. The PSN program involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Settlement with Ashland-based Hospital Resolving Alleged Violations of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office reached an agreement on Tuesday with King’s Daughters Medical Center, a private hospital based in Ashland, Kentucky, to resolve allegations that one of the hospital’s outpatient clinics violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by turning away patients because they had or were being treated for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
According to a complaint submitted by a prospective patient, King’s Daughters Outpatient Behavioral Medicine, the hospital’s outpatient behavioral medicine clinic, refused to accept her as a patient because she was prescribed buprenorphine, a medication used to treat OUD. The complaint prompted investigation pursuant to the ADA into the clinic’s practice of turning away prospective patients who were prescribed medications used to treat OUD, like buprenorphine and methadone, or who were diagnosed with OUD. Individuals receiving treatment for OUD are generally considered disabled under the ADA, which, among other things, prohibits private healthcare providers from discriminating on the basis of disability.
Under the terms of the agreement, King’s Daughters will adopt non-discriminatory admissions policies at the clinic, revise its non-discrimination policy to specifically address discrimination on the basis of OUD, provide training on the ADA and OUD to admissions personnel, pay a civil penalty of $50,000 to the United States, and pay the complainant $40,000 for pain and suffering.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Pond, as part of the U.S. Attorney Program for ADA Enforcement, in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Those interested in finding out more about the ADA or this settlement agreement can call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD) or access the Department’s ADA website at http://www.ada.gov. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
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Danville Doctor Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Danville, Ky., physician, Christopher Marek, 49, pleaded guilty to tax evasion on Tuesday, before Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves.
According to his plea agreement, between April 2015 and June 2019, Marek underreported income earned through his business, Central Kentucky Plastic Surgery, on his annual IRS income tax returns. Marek admitted to failing to list as income direct payments from patients, as well as only partially listing payments the business received from insurance companies. Overall, Marek failed to list more than $887,000 that he received, and in doing so, Marek caused a $283,687 tax deficiency that is owed by him to the United States.
Marek was indicted in June 2021.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Office jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigations. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Moynahan.
Marek is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6, 2022. He faces a maximum of five years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Mt. Sterling Man Sentenced to 234 Months for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky.— A Mt. Sterling, Ky., man, Larry A. Crump, 37, was sentenced to 234 months in prison on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, after previously pleading guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, bank robbery, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to his guilty plea agreement, Crump admitted to robbing the Cash N Check in Mt. Sterling, on November 16, 2020, and the Peoples Bank of Mt. Sterling, on November 20, 2020, at gunpoint. Crump also admitted to using a stolen firearm in the commission of the bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The amount of money taken from Cash N Check was approximately $900 and the amount of money stolen from the Peoples’ Bank was approximately $37,000. Law Enforcement agents recovered approximately $20,000 from the residence of one of Crump’s relatives. Crump was on parole at the time of the commission of the offenses.
Crump pleaded guilty in October 2021.
Under federal law, Crump must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Norman Arflack, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Chief Terry Landrum, Chief of Police, Mt. Sterling Police Department; and Jessica Stewart, Bath County Sheriff, announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Mt. Sterling Police Department, and the Bath County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, the United States Attorney coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Rockcastle County Man Sentenced to 108 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – Dallas R. Clifford, 49, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, after previously admitting to engaging in a conspiracy to distribute aggravated amounts of methamphetamine in Laurel, Madison, Rockcastle, and Fayette Counties.
In his guilty plea agreement, Clifford admitted to receiving pound quantities of methamphetamine from a source of supply and selling to others. Clifford was still on parole for a prior felony drug trafficking conviction at the time he joined the conspiracy.
Clifford is the last of four defendants to be sentenced in the methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Dustin Hurley, 34, Perry County was sentenced to 188 months; Brice Hubbard, 23, Laurel County, was sentenced to 135 months; and Jordan Moore, 23, Madison County was sentenced to 50 months.
Under federal law, Clifford and his co-defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Clifford will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, after his release from prison.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J.Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; Phillip Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Sheriff John Root, Laurel County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Eric Scott, Berea Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, Kentucky State Police, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, and the Berea Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
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Former Greenup County Sheriff Indicted for Fraudulent Use of Law Enforcement FundingRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, KY- A Murfreesboro, Tenn., man, and former Greenup County Sheriff has been indicted for fraud and theft.
Last week, a federal grand jury sitting in Covington returned an indictment charging 68-year-old Keith Cooper with one count of mail fraud and one count of theft of property from a federally funded agency.
The indictment alleges that from early 2013 through March 2017, Cooper fraudulently obtained over $50,000 in cash, by making withdrawals and failing to deposit money into a bank account used for law enforcement funds.
Additionally, the indictment alleges that Cooper directed Greenup County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriffs to purchase ammunition that did not correspond to firearms issued to them for official duty purposes and then relocate multiple boxes of the ammunition to his private residence. The indictment alleges that Cooper unlawfully retained approximately 35,000 rounds of ammunition, which was purchased with approximately $30,000 in public funds. The indictment also alleges that Cooper used a vehicle and fuel purchased with Greenup County funds to take a variety of personal out-of-state trips.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Daniel Cameron, Attorney General of Kentucky, announced the indictment.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, with the cooperation of the Greenup County Sheriff’s Office. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Boone.
A datefor Cooper to appear in court in the Eastern District of Kentucky has not yet been scheduled. He faces up to 20 years of imprisonment for mail fraud and 10 years of imprisonment for theft of public funds, and a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Lawrence County Man Sentenced to 57 years for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – A Lawrence County man, Dale Allen Fraley, 49, was sentenced on Tuesday, to 57 years in prison, by U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning, after previously being convicted of five counts of production, four counts of receipt, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of a matter containing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to the evidence at trial, Fraley used various online “personas” to induce, persuade, or coerce minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. Fraley, using the online “personas,” would threaten minor females to engage in various sexual acts and record that activity, or send the images to him “live,” via Skype or other applications. He also persuaded the minors to come to his home, sometimes at the behest of the “personas,” to get “sexual experience” with Dale Fraley as the teacher. Fraley would sometimes record the sexual activity between himself and the minors at his home, or record the minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Fraley was convicted in May 2021.
Under federal law, Fraley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Brian Mullins, Eastern Kentucky University Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Eastern Kentucky University Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Marye and Mary Melton.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Frankfort Man Sentenced to 42 years for MurderRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. - A Frankfort, Kentucky man, Patrick Baker, 43, was sentenced to 42 years in prison, with credit for the 30 months he served in state prison, on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, after previously being convicted by a federal jury of murder committed during a drug trafficking crime.
According to testimony at trial, Baker fatally shot Donald L. Mills, Jr., 29, during an armed home invasion, on May 9, 2014, in the Stinking Creek community. Mr. Mills’ pregnant wife and other children were held at gunpoint, while Baker ransacked the victims’ home for oxycodone pills. Baker entered the Mills’ home posing as a United States Marshal.
According to the evidence at trial, the KSP firearm forensics laboratory tied shell casings recovered from the victim’s master bedroom to Baker’s Kel Tec PF9. This gun was later recovered from a mud pit in Bell County. A surveillance video from the London Dollar General also showed Baker purchasing plastic handcuffs, approximately seven hours before the murder. The same handcuffs were later recovered just feet from where the victim was fatally shot. Further, cell tower data was used to trace Baker’s movements, throughout May 8 and 9, from London, to Stinking Creek, to Bell County.
Baker was convicted at trial in August 2021.
“The simple truth of this case is that Patrick Baker was found guilty of planning and committing an armed home invasion, to acquire drugs, where he shot and killed Donald Mills,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Baker was convicted of a brazen act of violence – one that resulted in a murder, committed while the victim’s family was nearby. I want to commend the dedicated work of all our law enforcement partners and our trial team. Their faithful efforts were critical to the verdict, conviction, and sentence.”
“This was a violent crime that took a victim’s life and devastated a family,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Field Division. “ATF is proud to have worked with the Kentucky State Police and the United States Attorney’s Office in bringing justice to this family.”
United States Attorney Shier; Special Agent in Charge Morrow; and Colonel Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner, Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentencing.
Under federal law, Baker must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Baker was also ordered to pay $7,500 for funeral expenses of the victim.
The investigation was conducted by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
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Alexandria Couple Convicted of Harboring Undocumented WorkersRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – An Alexandria, Ky., couple was convicted on Thursday, by a federal jury sitting in Covington of harboring undocumented workers.
After four hours of deliberation, following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Yun Zheng, a.k.a. Wendy, 50, and Yan Qui Wu, a.k.a. Jason, 48, of four counts of concealing, harboring, or shielding a person, whom the defendants knew to be present in the United States illegally, for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
According to testimony at trial, from 2014 to 2017, Zheng and Wu owned and operated the Tokyo Dragon Buffet restaurant, located in Alexandria, as husband and wife. In that capacity, the defendants employed at least four undocumented workers, who were present in the United States illegally. The evidence established that the defendants knew, or recklessly disregarded facts indicating, that these workers were illegally present in the United States. The evidence also established that they housed these workers in their own home and provided virtually all the workers’ transportation, to avoid detection.
One of those workers was badly burned by hot oil, while working at the Tokyo Dragon, but the owners initially refused to take him to the hospital because, in one of the defendant’s own words, he was present illegally and would be deported if the owners transported him to the hospital. When the worker eventually received treatment, several days later, the nurses who treated him were so disturbed, by what the worker described and the defendants’ conduct, that one of them called a law enforcement hotline. This began the investigation and resulted in the indictment.
Zheng and Wu were indicted in September 2021.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations; and Lucas T. Cooper, Chief of the Alexandria Police Department; jointly announced the guilty verdicts.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and the Alexandria Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Winslow and Zach Dembo.
Zheng and Wu are scheduled for sentencing on May 4, 2022. For each of the four counts, they face up to ten years in prison, up to $250,000 fine, and restitution. However, any sentence following the conviction will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Breathitt County Man Sentenced to 105 Months for Armed Marijuana TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lost Creek, Ky., man, Kevin Combs, 32, was sentenced to 105 months in federal prison on Tuesday, before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, after pleading guilty to cultivating more than 50 marijuana plants and brandishing a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to Combs’ guilty plea agreement, on July 16, 2020, Kentucky State Police responded to an investigation regarding suspected marijuana plants growing in a field. At the location, Combs confronted one of the officers, pointing a stainless-steel, loaded revolver pistol. When the officer told Combs to lower his pistol, he refused, ran away, and hid the pistol. The pistol was subsequently recovered as evidence. Combs further admitted to cultivating more than 50 marijuana plants on the property.
Combs has several prior state felony convictions, including fleeing and evading law enforcement, escape, trafficking in a controlled substance first degree, and trafficking in a controlled substance second degree.
Combs pleaded guilty in September 2021.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police, announced the sentence.
Under federal law, Combs must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West.
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Lexington Man Sentenced to 79 Months for Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky.— A Lexington, Ky., man, Fredrick Lester Jr., 40, was sentenced to 79 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and felon in possession of firearms.
According to Lester’s plea agreement, on July 21, 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Lester’s vehicle, where they found Lester in possession of 4.8 grams of fentanyl and a loaded Glock. That same day, law enforcement searched Lester’s residence and found 40 grams of fentanyl and 19 grams of methamphetamine. While Lester was detained, he made a series of jail calls to individuals telling them to clean out a storage unit. Law enforcement then obtained a search warrant for the storage unit and found three firearms, ammunition, and a ballistics vest. Lester admitted that he knew he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Lester had previously been convicted of being a felon in possession of firearms in 2001 and 2010.
Lester pleaded guilty in September 2021.
Under federal law, Lester must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for ___years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Wolfe County Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Campton, Ky., man, Johnathan E. Garland, 34, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Monday, by Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph Hood, after pleading guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, and distribution of fentanyl.
According to Garland’s plea agreement, between November 3 and November 27, 2020, law enforcement made multiple controlled purchases of drugs from Garland. During four separate transactions, Garland sold various amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. After Garland was arrested, a search warrant was served on his residence. There, law enforcement found additional methamphetamine, tablets marked as “M 30” (containing fentanyl), scales, baggies, more than $4,700 in cash, three shotguns, a rifle, and seven handguns.
Garland pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2021.
Under federal law, Garland must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Berl Purdue, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF, KSP, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos.
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Pike County Man Sentenced to 375 Months for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky.— A Belfry, Ky., man, Oscar Joshua Calhoun, 36, was sentenced to 375 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, after pleading guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography.
According to Court records, Calhoun admitted to engaging with others to exchange child pornography, through online platforms. Calhoun’s distribution of child pornography involved numerous images of child pornography, and images involving children under the age of twelve.
Calhoun pled guilty to the charges, as set forth in the indictment, in May 2021.
Under federal law, Calhoun must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Filed Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Rabold.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Lexington Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Lexington man, Jeffrey Robinson, 35, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Robinson’s plea agreement, law enforcement was contacted regarding a package containing narcotics that was sent to an inmate at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange, Ky., and the package was traced to Robinson. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Robinson’s address and found him in possession of one pound of methamphetamine, a quantity of heroin, MDMA, a large amount of cash, and a loaded firearm. Robinson admitted he distributed the drugs and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking.
Robinson pleaded guilty in September 2021.
Under federal law, Robinson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Detroit man, Edward Pryor Jr., was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Pryor’s plea agreement, in August 2020, law enforcement, found Pryor outside of a Lexington apartment building, with a backpack containing a Glock 42 gun, 55 grams of fentanyl, and 160 grams of methamphetamine. Pryor admitted that he possessed more than 40 grams of fentanyl and he intended to distribute it to others. Further, he admitted that he possessed the gun in furtherance of his distribution of drugs.
Pryor pleaded guilty in July 2021.
Under federal law, Pryor must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kiebler.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), a Department of Justice initiative designed to target trafficking of dangerous synthetic opioids.
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Nicholas County Man Sentenced to 36 Months for Extensive Crop Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Mt. Sterling, Ky., man, Timothy Douglas Snedegar, 65, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud related to his participation in a scheme to defraud a private crop insurance company.
According to his plea agreement, between 2012 and 2015, Snedegar, who worked as a crop insurance adjuster, purported to follow proper adjustment procedures for adjusting claims of loss on private crop insurance policies, by verifying losses on Tobacco Test Sheets and through photographic evidence of the damage. Instead, working with others (including Mike McNew, convicted and sentenced to 86 months’ incarceration) and in exchange for kickbacks, Snedegar helped agricultural producers submit false Tobacco Test Sheets and photographs of damage, from other farms. Snedegar admitted to working with other adjusters in the area to share pre-filled Tobacco Test Sheets and photographs of damage. Snedegar conceded he caused a private insurance company to pay out $2,294,693 in falsified claims of loss during the years in question.
Snedegar pleaded guilty in January 2021.
Under federal law, Snedegar must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jason M. Williams, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisville Field Office; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and Juan Garrett, Director, Kentucky Department of Insurance Fraud Investigation Division, jointly made the announcement.
The investigations were conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency Special Investigations Staff, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and Kentucky Department of Insurance. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn Anderson and Erin Roth.
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Nicholas County Man Sentenced to 56 Months for Extensive Crop Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Carlisle, Ky., man, Earl Lee Planck, Jr., 62, was sentenced to 56 months in federal prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States, crop insurance fraud, and tax evasion.
According to his guilty plea agreement, between March 2010 and December 2015, Planck obtained federal crop insurance and private crop-hail insurance covering his own crops in his own name, his business’s name, and in the names of family members and neighbors. During that time, he falsified documentation claiming losses by misrepresenting the amount of tobacco he produced. He did so, in part, by obtaining crop insurance under nominee names, selling crop production under the names of fake and real people, and obtaining and submitting fake bills of sale and grade sheets. Further, in agreement with insurers and adjusters, Planck obtained crop insurance covering crop on land that was incapable of growing crops. Evidence at his sentencing established that he obtained federal crop insurance covering a wooded tract of land, almost every year from 2006 and 2013, often in the names of his friends and family members. In total, Planck obtained $3,250,365 in federal crop insurance payments, which are funded by the taxpayers, and $2,815,821.69 in private crop insurance payments, for policies in his name, the name of his business, and the names of his family members and neighbors. According to testimony at the sentencing, Planck also assisted other neighbors and family members in conducting their own crop insurance fraud, for a kickback. In total, the Court found that Planck caused a total loss of more than $9 million, with more than $5.5 million of that from the United States.
In addition, Planck admitted that in 2014 when filing taxes, he reported his crop insurance proceeds, but he failed to report any income from sales of tobacco, when he was aware that he had substantial income from the sale of tobacco in the that year. Planck admitted to signing his tax return under penalties of perjury, even though he knew his income was underreported on the tax return. Records provided to the Court demonstrated that he underreported his income by nearly $1.9 million across Tax Years 2013 to 2015, resulting in an additional tax due and owing of $613,265.
Planck pleaded guilty in June 2021.
“This was a brazen and wide-ranging scheme that cost the taxpayers and private insurers millions of dollars,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Not only did he commit massive fraud, over the course of many years, he corruptly obtained the assistance of insurers and adjusters, he assisted others to perpetrate their own fraud, and he evaded his income taxes. Protecting the invaluable resources of crop insurance programs is absolutely critical, and this prosecution would not have been possible without the painstaking efforts of our law enforcement partners.”
Under federal law, Planck must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
United States Attorney Shier; Jason M. Williams, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisville Field Office; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and Juan Garrett, Director, Kentucky Department of Insurance Fraud Investigation Division, jointly made the announcement.
The investigations were conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency Special Investigations Staff, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and Kentucky Department of Insurance. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Roth and Kathryn Anderson.
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Lexington Man Sentenced to 322 Months for Armed Fentanyl and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Lexington man, Robert W. Bledsoe, 57, was sentenced to 322 months in federal prison on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to Bledsoe’s plea agreement, in September 2020, law enforcement received information that he was trafficking narcotics from his residence. After an investigation, law enforcement went to Bledsoe’s residence to serve a search warrant and found him in possession of a pistol, 76 grams of heroin, and 147 grams of methamphetamine. Subsequently, officers also located another firearm, ammunition, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and a debt ledger. Bledsoe further admitted that he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from owning a firearm.
Bledsoe was previously convicted of trafficking a controlled substance first degree, in the Fayette Circuit Court and of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Bledsoe pleaded guilty to the current charges in August 2021.
Under federal law, Bledsoe must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Woodford County Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in Connection with Fraudulently Obtained COVID Relief LoansRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Versailles, Ky., man, Randall “Rocky” Blankenship, Jr., 49, pleaded guilty on Thursday, before U.S. District Judge Karen C. Caldwell, to a conspiracy to commit wire fraud to obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans under false pretenses.
According to his plea agreement, in April 2020, Blankenship submitted four fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for Blankenship RV Finance Solutions LLC, RSGG Properties LLC, RSGG Holdings LLC, and RSGG Investments LLC, all business entities he formed. The Paycheck Protection Program was created as part of the CARES Act, a law passed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paycheck Protection Program loans were designed to provide an incentive for small businesses to keep workers on their payroll during the pandemic; these loans would be forgiven by the United States Small Business Administration, if the borrower established that loan proceeds were used for payroll, rent, or other approved business expenses. The amount of the loan was dependent on the business’s payroll.
As part of his fraudulent PPP loan applications, Blankenship, with the assistance of a certified public accountant, created fake tax documents and payroll records indicating that his businesses had hundreds of thousands of dollars in quarterly payroll; when in fact, none of the entities had any payroll expense at all. Blankenship submitted the applications through Kentucky Bank and Independence Bank; and as a result, he obtained fraudulent PPP loans totaling $1,323,829. According to his plea, he used some of the funds for a RV business he owned (which had already received its own PPP loan and was ineligible for additional loans at the time), as well as personal use, including paying off casino debt and purchasing real estate.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisville Field Office; Kathy Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); and Stephen Donnelly, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (FRB), jointly announced the guilty plea. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, FDIC-OIG, and FRB. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey.
Blankenship is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17, 2022. Blankenship agreed to pay restitution of $1,323,829. He faces a maximum of twenty years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, and supervised release of not more than three years. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Floyd County Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A Prestonsburg, Ky., man, James A. Newsome, 46, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, to distribution of methamphetamine and a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to Newsome’s plea agreement, on October 20, 2020, he admitted to selling over six grams of methamphetamine and one gram of a fentanyl-laced heroin mixture, to a confidential informant, from his residence. During the transaction, Newsome removed a .45 caliber firearm, from under the pillow on his bed; he proceeded to remove the safety pin from the gun, to show the informant the gun; and he appeared to place a round in the chamber.
Newsome was indicted in August 2021.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Randy Woods, Prestonsburg Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Prestonsburg Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Rabold.
Newsome’s sentencing date has yet to be scheduled. For the drug charge, he faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. For the firearm charge, he faces a minimum of five years, up to life, to run consecutively to the other charge. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Lexington Man Sentenced to 220 Months for Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Lexington man, Marcus Jones, 40, was sentenced to 220 months in federal prison on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C Reeves, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution of 50 grams of methamphetamine.
According to Jones’ plea agreement, beginning in December 2018 and continuing through April 2019, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine through Jones and DeAngelo Smith, 36, of Detroit. During the investigation, law enforcement were able to determine that Jones and Smith were working together and with others to distribute methamphetamine. The amount of methamphetamine attributable to Smith and Jones is at least 50 grams.
Smith, 36, was previously sentenced in April 2021 to 160 months for his role in the offenses.
Jones pleaded guilty in April 2021. Smith pleaded guilty in January 2021.
Under federal law, Jones and Smith must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon release from prison, Jones and Smith will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and Gateway Area High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HITDA) Task Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Lexington Man Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Subhadarshi Nayak, 49, was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison and 6 months of home detention on Monday by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The matter of restitution is set for a hearing in February 2022.
According to his plea agreement, Nayak was a co-owner of the company ScienceTomorrow. In late 2013, Nayak electronically submitted a false proposal, to maximize a DOE Phase II SBIR grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. Specifically, he inflated the budget a university in Tennessee had provisionally authorized in support of the project and, as a result of this misrepresentation, the DOE awarded a grant to ScienceTomorrow. Nayak admitted he knew, upon receipt of the award, they would have to finalize a contract with the university to match the false budget provision, but they could not justify the inflated budget with the university and never finalized a contract with the institution, as of the day he abandoned the company in August 2014. Nayak intentionally took no steps to notify the DOE or correct this material misrepresentation in the ScienceTomorrow proposal.
Separately, Nayak also admitted he obtained a $100,000.00 EPA contract for his solely owned business, Qmetry, under false pretenses. Working alone, to induce the EPA to award him the contract, he falsely certified Qmetry had an agreement with a university and professor to complete specific work, when he did not. After certifying all funds had been spent according to the contract, Nayak also unlawfully retained $46,564.61 of EPA funding for the project, well after the close of the period of performance.
Nayak pleaded guilty in August 2021.
“Government grants are critically important to furthering countless community goals,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “When individuals fraudulently obtain and misuse these valuable – and often scarce – resources, we all suffer the loss. We are committed to doing our part to protect these valuable resources from fraud, waste, and abuse, and to pursuing those who illegally prey on these important funds.
“The EPA Office of Inspector General is steadfast in our efforts to preserve the integrity of the SBIR program by aggressively rooting out attempts to defraud the U.S. government and taxpayers,” said EPA Inspector General Sean W. O’Donnell. “Today’s sentencing is the fruition of our commitment to ensuring that SBIR awardees are held accountable. I would like to thank our investigators and our law enforcement partners for their efforts and hard work on this case.”
“Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grants are valuable tools for furthering high profile research and development at the Department of Energy,” said Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson. “It is critical that we hold anyone who abuses these grants accountable, and we are thankful to our law enforcement partners and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in maintaining the integrity of these programs. The Office of Inspector General remains committed to protecting these programs, as well as all Departmental programs, to allow the generation of scientific breakthroughs and technological innovations.”
Under federal law, Nayak must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and upon his release from prison will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Sean Earle, U.S. EPA, Acting Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations; Teri L. Donaldson, U.S. Department of Energy Inspector General; and Cynthia Bruce, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Department of Defense, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the EPA-OIG, DOE-OIG, and DOD DCIS. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Tashena A. Fannin.
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Justice Department Awards More Than $17.5 Million to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. The Justice and Public Safety Cabinet of Kentucky was awarded $112,777 to administer PSN grant funds in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”
“Project Safe Neighborhoods funding is invaluable to addressing the violent crime in our communities,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “PSN funding supports an entire community, not simply the entities that receive the funding. The recipient entities use this funding to combat a community problem, making the community safer and more resilient. We all benefit from additional resources to support us in achieving that goal.
“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.
For a list of all grantees, please visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/FY21-Project-Safe-Neighborhoods-Awards.pdf
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The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Law Enforcement Targets Fraud Facilitators, Doubling Last Year’s EnforcementRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky — The Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and five other federal law enforcement agencies announced the completion of the fourth annual Money Mule Initiative, which targeted networks of individuals through which international fraudsters obtain proceeds of fraud schemes. These individuals, sometimes referred to as money mules, receive money from fraud victims and forward the illicit funds, often to overseas perpetrators.
By receiving and transferring illicit funds, money mules facilitate a wide range of fraud schemes, including those that often predominately impact older Americans — like romance scams and lottery fraud — and those that target companies through business e-mail compromise schemes. Money mules also assist the theft of funds earmarked for pandemic relief, including unemployment insurance and small business loan funds. Some money mules are aware that their actions facilitate international fraud schemes. Others, however, first interact with fraud schemes as victims and may be unaware that their actions are furthering criminal activity.
U.S. law enforcement took action to address 4,750 money mules over the last 10 weeks; enforcement actions occurred in every state in the country. These actions more than doubled the number of actions taken during last year’s effort. Agencies are also conducting outreach to educate the public about how fraudsters use money mules and how to avoid unknowingly assisting fraud by receiving and transferring money.
“Without money mules, many foreign fraudsters targeting American consumers, businesses and pandemic relief funds could not reap the proceeds of their schemes,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The department and its partners will use every tool at our disposal — consumer education, disruption and prosecution — to cripple foreign fraudsters’ ability to get money from victims’ pockets to perpetrators’ bank accounts.”
“Most criminals have tools of some kind, and a common one for fraudsters is money mules,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Countless Americans have been victimized by the efforts of money mules, who secreted away their money and ultimately got it into the hands of those stealing it. Everything we can do to make it more difficult for fraud schemes to be successful is good news for Americans, and we will continue to do our part to hinder their use of these tools for fraud.”
Eastern District of Kentucky Actions
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted and convicted three such money mules in 2021. Ismaila Fafunmi, sentenced on August 24, 2021 to 51 months’ incarceration, Livingstone Otunuya Ineh Eqwem, sentenced on October 22, 2021 to 24 months’ incarceration, and Olatunbosun Oluwakayode Ajayi, sentenced on August 17, 2021 to 12 month’s incarceration, all participated in varying degrees in the receipt and conveyance of money obtained from a victim located in the Eastern District of Kentucky. This victim, who is in her seventies, has been lured into a romantic relationship online and sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to locations throughout the United States and the world, at the direction of her purported boyfriend. These money mules either directly or indirectly received her money and sent that onto the ultimate fraudster, located in Nigeria, less their cut. Fafunmi and Ineh Eqwem also served as money mules for funds deprived of American victims of other types of scams.
Law Enforcement Actions
The department’s Consumer Protection Branch and the FBI led the initiative with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Other participating agencies were the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The campaign was conducted simultaneously with a Europol initiative, the European Money Mule Action (EMMA). Additionally, in several districts, including the District of Arizona and the Northern District of Georgia, federal law enforcement have been working closely with their state and local law enforcement counterparts.
“This year’s Money Mule Initiative successfully halted the activity of hundreds of money mules worldwide thanks to the persistence and partnership of the FBI and our federal, state, local and international partners,” said Executive Assistant Director Brian Turner of the FBI's Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. “Money mules make it easier for criminals to hide their activity, and harder for law enforcement to follow their tracks. Today’s announcement is an unmistakable warning for those who move money for criminal enterprises: even if you don’t know you’re committing a crime, acting as a money mule is illegal and punishable, and the FBI and our partners will use all available tools to disrupt the flow of funds to criminal networks.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes great pride in our history of protecting the public from being deceived by scammers,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “We work hard to safeguard vulnerable consumers through aggressive criminal investigations, as well as proactive consumer outreach, as part of our mission to protect those who might fall victim to cleverly designed deceptive offers. The Money Mule Initiative is another example of our law enforcement commitment, and that of our law enforcement partners, to vigorously pursue individuals who knowingly or unknowingly participate in criminal activity of this nature; bring them to justice and stop them in their tracks from victimizing the American public.”
The thousands of actions taken by law enforcement ranged from warning letters to civil and administrative actions, to criminal prosecutions. Law enforcement served approximately 4,670 letters warning individuals that their actions were facilitating fraud schemes. These letters outlined the potential consequences for transferring money acquired illegally. Civil or administrative actions were filed against 11 individuals, and through seizures and voluntary return of funds, law enforcement obtained nearly $3.7 million in fraud proceeds.
Additionally, more than 30 individuals were criminally charged for their roles in receiving and forwarding victim payments or otherwise laundering fraud proceeds. These cases included:
- The Consumer Protection Branch and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California charged four individuals who laundered gift cards purchased by fraud victims.
- Two U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the District of Rhode Island and the Western District of Pennsylvania, indicted individuals who, among other conduct, personally collected money from grandparent scam victims.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee charged an individual who facilitated the theft of unemployment insurance funds.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York indicted a ring of individuals who laundered money for romance scams and business email compromise fraud schemes.
The charges also consisted of cases brought against individuals who facilitated business email compromise schemes, including charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Eastern District of Wisconsin and the Western District of Kentucky. Additional charges were brought against money mules by U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Georgia, the Eastern District of Louisiana, and the District of Nebraska.
Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Community Outreach and Prevention
Agencies also turned their attention to educating the public about how fraudsters recruit individuals to serve as money mules, signs of money mule activity and steps that should be taken if someone has unknowingly facilitated fraud by moving money.
These efforts included:
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service created fliers that were displayed in post offices across the country during the Money Mule Initiative.
- FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released a money mule public service announcement.
- The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General provided information about money mule activity to state work force agencies.
- The Department’s Elder Justice Coordinators educated their communities about money mule’s activity.
- Members of the Attorney General’s Coronavirus Fraud Enforcement Task Force used outreach materials created by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to educate the public about the use of money mules to steal pandemic relief funds.
Other government agencies joining the public awareness effort included the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which created new money mule scam awareness materials, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living and AmeriCorps Seniors. By increasing awareness of money mule activity, these efforts and others sought to prevent individuals from becoming involved in money mule activity.
For more information on money mules, please visit https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/money-mule-initiative.
Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its elder fraud enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
The Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Traveling for Sex with a Minor and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Powell, Ohio, man, Syed Sheraz Ahmed, 40, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, after pleading guilty to traveling for sex with a minor and receiving a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to Ahmed’s plea agreement, he admitting to meeting a minor in the Fall of 2015, through Facebook, using a fictitious name. Ahmed then communicated with the minor over Facebook and Snapchat; and in September 2016, he made plans to drive, from his residence in Ohio to Kentucky, to meet the minor in person. Ahmed admitted to picking up the minor from her school and taking her to a motel, where they had sexual intercourse. Later, Ahmed was stopped by police and found in possession of sexually explicit images of the minor victim.
Ahmed pleaded guilty in July 2021.
Under federal law, Ahmed must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Rodney Richardson, Police Chief, Richmond Police Department, announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Madison County Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Frankfort Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Child Pornography, Firearm, and Explosive OffensesRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky.— A Frankfort man, Joshua James Moore, 45, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, after pleading guilty to knowingly receiving a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and being a felon in possession of firearm and explosive devices.
According to Moore’s plea agreement, he admitted to knowingly receiving a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, through his computer. Specifically, Moore used the Internet to search and download as many as 15 videos and 20 pictures of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Additionally, following at least two convictions for crimes punishable by imprisonment for more than one year, Moore was in possession of three firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun, and two explosive pipe bombs. Moore admitted that he knew he was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Moore has two prior convictions, a conviction of cultivation of five or more marijuana plants, in January 2018, and a conviction for possession of methamphetamine in January 2018.
Moore pleaded guilty in May 2021.
Under federal law, Moore must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; Daniel Cameron, Kentucky Attorney General, and Sheriff Chris Quire, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth and Special Assistant United States Attorney James Chapman.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Lexington Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Lexington man, Kenneth Jones, 32, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen C. Caldwell, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and two counts of possession of firearm by a convicted felon.
According to Jones’ plea agreement, in August 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on his residence and vehicle and found two firearms, a .23 caliber pistol and a .40 semi-automatic pistol. Additionally, law enforcement found approximately 25 grams of fentanyl and 192 grams of methamphetamine. Jones admitted that he intended to distribute these narcotics.
Additionally, in February 2021, law enforcement responded to a shooting at a residence, where they found Jones and a woman calling for help. At the residence, officers found a female with a gunshot wound, and Jones in possession of a firearm. During a subsequent search, law enforcement found 125 grams of fentanyl and 391 grams of methamphetamine.
Jones further admitted that he knew he was previously convicted in March 2017 of Trafficking a Controlled Substance First degree, a felony defense, and he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Jones pleaded guilty in August 2021.
Under federal law, Jones must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, announced the sentence
The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Estill County Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— An Irvine, Ky., man, George Harrison, 56, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, after previously being convicted of three counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to evidence at trial, Harrison sold methamphetamine to the Kentucky State Police, in a series of controlled purchases. Specifically, Harrison sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant, on three separate occasions, in September of 2018. During a search of his premises, at the time of arrest, approximately 12 grams of methamphetamine and over $1,000.00 was found. Harrison was arrested on September 18, 2019 and detained at the Fayette County Detention Center. While incarcerated, Harrison communicated through recorded jail phone calls with his girlfriend about securing drugs, money, and a firearm that law enforcement did not recover during the search of his house. The Kentucky State Police secured another search warrant and recovered a 45-caliber pistol, $16,546.00 and more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. The jury found that the $16,546.00 was forfeitable to the United States, as drug proceeds.
Harrison was convicted in May 2021.
Under federal law, Harrison must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Jerry C. Templet Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations; and Colonel Phillip “PJ” Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, ATF, DHS-HSI, and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily K. Greenfield.
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