District of Massachusetts
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national formerly residing in Methuen pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to federal drug charges.
Jorge Luis Nunez Martinez, who used the name William Matos, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and crack. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for March 15, 2018.
In October 2015, a confidential source reported that an individual named Javier Gonzalez Marcano was operating a large-scale drug trafficking organization in and around Lawrence and Lowell. The subsequent investigation revealed that Martinez was a runner for the Gonzalez Marcano drug trafficking organization. In October 2016, Martinez assumed control over the drug trafficking organization when Gonzalez Marcano returned to the Dominican Republic. Martinez and Juan Rodriguez Castro, another runner for the Gonzalez Marcano drug trafficking organization, were arrested in March 2017.
In June 2017, Rodriguez Castro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and crack. Gonzalez Marcano is presently a fugitive.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Martinez will face deportation upon completing his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda Hooker of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Saugus Man Charged with Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Saugus man was charged today in federal court in Boston with dealing firearms.
Leny Soares, 49, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license. Soares was initially arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Nov. 21, 2017, and has been detained since his arrest.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating the sale of firearms by Soares with the assistance of a cooperating witness. Over a period of six months, at the direction of law enforcement, the cooperating witness purchased seven firearms from Soares.
The charge of dealing firearms without a license provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Member of Lawrence Kidnapping Crew Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of a Lawrence-based kidnapping crew was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a 2012 kidnapping.
Luis Reynoso, a/k/a “Prieto,” 27, of Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 11 years in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2015, Reynoso pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Reynoso was charged in connection with a wide-ranging investigation targeting violent kidnapping and home invasion crews operating in Lawrence. According to court documents, these crews – often referred to as “joloperros,” which loosely translates to “stick-up guys” – were organized, armed and violent.
Reynoso was identified as part of a violent, sophisticated kidnapping crew that included Danny Veloz, a/k/a “Maestro;” Jose Guzman, a/k/a “Cano;” Jose Matos, a/k/a “Boyca;” and Gadiel Romero, a/k/a “TC,” all of Lawrence; Henry Maldonado of Manchester, N.H., and Thomas Wallace of Raymond, N.H.
On July 23, 2012, armed with firearms and wearing t-shirts with the word “police” on them, the crew kidnapped two men at gunpoint in Lawrence. The victims were transported to Manchester, N.H., and held overnight – during which time one was burned with a hot iron – before being rescued by law enforcement. Several cooperating defendants advised that the July 23, 2012, kidnapping was one of several kidnappings or attempted kidnappings committed by this crew in Lawrence in 2012.
A federal investigation identified this crew as one of several kidnapping and home invasion crews operating in Lawrence. The crews typically kidnapped drug dealers for large ransoms that were paid in cash or drugs; used safe houses to stash their victims; and used sophisticated tracking techniques, such as GPS devices, to follow their victims. The crews targeted drug dealers because they believed that the drug dealers were unlikely to cooperate with law enforcement, were subject to deportation, or feared reprisals, either against themselves or their families. Numerous kidnapping victims described how they were abducted, tortured, and forced to pay ransoms of hundreds of thousands of dollars (either in the U.S. or in the Dominican Republic) to joloperros crew members. Victims were burned, scarred, bruised, and given other significant physical injuries marking them as kidnapping victims. During the investigation, law enforcement seized dozens of firearms, including shotguns, GPS devices, irons used to torture victims, masks, zip ties, t-shirts with the word “police” on them, fake police badges, handcuffs and drugs.
Veloz was sentenced to life in prison in November 2017; Romero was sentenced to 23 years in prison; Guzman was sentenced to 16 years in prison; Wallace and Maldonado were each sentenced to 13 years in prison; and Matos was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Lawrence Police Chief James X. Fitzpatrick; and Manchester (N.H.) Police Chief Nick Willard made the announcement. The cases are being prosecuted by Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit.
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Guatemalan national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Elmer Noe Esquivel-Mendoza, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to six months in prison and one year of supervised release. Esquivel-Mendoza will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In October 2017, Esquivel-Mendoza pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Esquivel-Mendoza was previously deported on May 20, 2013. In January 2017, law enforcement officers in Boston encountered Esquivel-Mendoza and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Brockton Man Charged with Multiple Counts of Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was charged today in a superseding indictment with additional counts of distributing fentanyl.
Dany Brandao, 30, was charged with three additional counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl. Brandao was initially indicted in February 2017 with one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, on Oct. 7, 2016; Oct. 11, 2016; Oct. 25, 2016; and Nov. 1, 2016, investigators made a series of undercover controlled purchases of fentanyl from Brandao, and on Nov. 8, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Brandao’s home. The controlled purchases and search resulted in the seizure of more than 180 grams of fentanyl from Brandao.
As a result of the superseding indictment and a prior narcotics conviction, Brandao faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michal J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts States Police; Brockton Police Chief John Crowley; East Bridgewater Police Chief Scott Allen; and Marshfield Police Chief Phil Tavares made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Taylor and Leah Foley of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to selling crack cocaine in and around Roxbury’s Orchard Gardens Housing Development.
Dominique Dozier, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2018.
On July 13, 2016, Dozier sold cocaine base to a cooperating witness near a K-8 Pilot School in Roxbury. Dozier is one of 12 defendants arrested and charged in June 2017 following a nearly two-year investigation into the high concentration of crime in and around the Orchard Gardens Development, the largest publically funded housing development in Roxbury, which is also adjacent to a K-8 Pilot School and Dudley Square. According to court documents, the crime stems, in part, from the illegal activities of the members and associates of the Orchard Park Trailblazers, who allegedly have active feuds with rival gangs throughout the city.
The charge of distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and no greater than 40 years in prison, a minimum of six years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans made the announcement.
Salvadoran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Salvadoran national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Amilcar Menjivar Umana, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to six months in prison - to be served consecutive to an 18 month state sentence he is currently serving for violating the terms of his probation stemming from an OUI conviction - and one year of supervised release. Umana will also face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In October 2017, Umana pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Umana was previously deported on Oct. 25, 2013; Jan. 7, 2014; and March 20, 2014. On May 12, 2017, law enforcement encountered Umana and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican national previously charged with an immigration crime pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court in Boston.
Carlos Lucera-Mejia, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf, who sentenced Lucera-Mejia to time served and one year of supervised release. Lucera-Mejia will be subject to deportation proceedings.
In October 2017, law enforcement in Chelsea encountered Lucera-Mejia and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. Lucera-Mejia was previously deported in April 2016.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael S. Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Brazilian national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a federal immigration crime.
Josilei DeCastro, a/k/a Marcos Santos, a/k/a Marcos Augusto Dos Santos, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2018.
In May 2016, DeCastro was arrested and charged in state court with multiple counts of sexual assault on a nine-year-old child. In July 2016, DeCastro was indicted on those charges, and his case is scheduled for trial in January 2018.
On Dec. 9, 2016, while held on the aforementioned state charges, DeCastro was encountered by law enforcement officers at the Middlesex House of Corrections and determined to be illegally present in the United States. DeCastro was previously deported on July 17, 2000.
DeCastro faces a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Wilmington Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wilmington man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to armed bank robbery.
Russell Dinovo, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns. Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2018.
On Oct. 9, 2015, two individuals, wearing hooded sweatshirts with portions of their faces visible, entered a branch of the Hingham Institute for Savings in Boston. One of the robbers, later identified as Dinovo, vaulted the teller counter, forced open two tellers’ cash drawers, grabbed money, and put it into a duffel bag. Dinovo then demanded that a bank employee open the vault; the employee did, and Dinovo then removed money from the vault. The other individual, later identified as Anthony Pantone, remained in front of the counter throughout the entire robbery holding what appeared to be a handgun.
After stealing $16,320 from the bank, the two individuals fled on foot, but were captured a short time later in a cab with the duffel bag containing $16,320 and an airsoft gun.
Pantone pleaded guilty and was sentenced in August 2016 to 78 months in prison.
Dinovo faces a sentence of no greater than 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William Weinreb and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
New Bedford Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
Alexander Gomes, 27, pleaded guilty today to one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2018.
On Dec. 12, 2016, Gomes accompanied co-defendant Peter Lobo to a meeting with an undercover agent posing as a Maine methamphetamine dealer. At that meeting, Lobo distributed a half pound sample of methamphetamine to the agent. Lobo introduced Gomes to the undercover agent so that Gomes could conduct drug business when Lobo was out of town. Two days later, Gomes and Lobo meet the agent again, and the agent paid Lobo $4,000 for the half pound, and Lobo gave an additional four pounds of methamphetamine to the agent. Lobo and Gomes were arrested shortly after they began to drive away. At the time of their arrest, Lobo had $3,000 in his pocket and Gomes had $1,000 hidden in his sock. Subsequent drug analysis determined that the substance consisted of approximately 1,777 grams of 99% pure d-methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as “Ice.”
Lobo pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine, and on Nov. 29, 2017, he was sentenced to five years in prison.
Gomes faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore B. Heinrich of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Worcester Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Defrauding SNAP Benefits Program and Selling Counterfeit MerchandiseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of Esther’s Fashion Paradise in Worcester pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to defrauding the SNAP benefits program and selling counterfeit merchandise.
Esther Acquaye, 31, of Worcester, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to acquire, possess, and redeem SNAP benefits in an unauthorized manner, and to convert public money; one count of SNAP fraud; and one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2018.
On numerous occasions between November 2013 and April 2016, Acquaye, the owner of Esther’s Fashion Paradise in Worcester, accepted EBT cards from SNAP recipients wishing to exchange their SNAP benefits for cash. Specifically, Acquaye passed the EBT cards through a point-of-sale terminal causing the full value of the SNAP benefits to be electronically transferred to her business, and then provided less than the full value of the SNAP benefits in cash to the SNAP recipients. In total, Acquaye caused approximately $282,541 in fraudulent EBT transactions and SNAP benefits to be transacted at Esther’s.
In addition, on at least four occasions between November 2015 and March 2016, Acquaye accepted an EBT card from an undercover investigator as payment for counterfeit retail goods. Acquaye sold the investigator two counterfeit Michael Kors purses, one counterfeit Gucci purse, one counterfeit The North Face jacket, and one counterfeit Michael Kors wallet.
The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of SNAP fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain/loss, whichever is greater. The charge of trafficking in counterfeit goods provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William Weinreb; Bethanne M. Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Northeast Region; and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Dineen Jerrett of Weinreb’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Seven Romanian Nationals Plead Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and ATM SkimmingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Seven Romanian nationals pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with an ATM skimming scheme operating throughout Massachusetts and other states including Connecticut, New York and South Carolina.
Constantin Denis Hornea, 23; Maria Lazar, 19; Ludemis Hornea, 20; Claudiu Florea, 25; Denisa Bonculescu, 27; and Anamaria Margel, 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly known as RICO conspiracy, and conspiracy to use counterfeit access devices. Constantin Hornea, Lazar, and Ludemis Hornea also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and money laundering conspiracy; Constantin and Ludemis Hornea also pleaded guilty to possession of device making equipment; and Florea also pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. Ion Trifu, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use counterfeit access devices and money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for March 15, 2018.
In May 2017, the defendants were indicted along with five others whose whereabouts remain unknown.
The defendants, except for Trifu, were members of the Hornea Crew (“Crew”), led by Constantin Denis Hornea and Ludemis Hornea, and engaged in ATM skimming – obtaining debit card numbers and PINs from unsuspecting bank customers, creating counterfeit cards, and making unauthorized withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts. Over a period of 18 months, the Crew installed skimming devices and made unauthorized withdrawals in seven states, including Massachusetts. In particular, members of the Crew installed skimming devices in the following locations: Amherst, Bellingham, Billerica, Braintree, Chicopee, Quincy, Southwick, Waltham, Weymouth, and Whately, Mass.; Enfield, Conn.; Columbia, Greenville, Greenwood, Mauldin, and Saluda, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; and Yadkinville, N.C. The Crew made unauthorized withdrawals at ATMs in approximately 29 Massachusetts towns; seven Connecticut towns; six New York towns; Salem, N.H.; and Sumter, S.C.
Members of the Hornea Crew and Trifu transferred money throughout the United States and to Romania and the People’s Republic of China. Some of those transfers were for the purchase of skimming devices and related components from abroad.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to use counterfeit access devices provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison. The charge of possession of device making equipment provides for a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years or supervised, and a fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the property involved in the crime, whichever is greater. The defendants will face deportation proceedings upon completion of their sentences. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. Assistance with the investigation was also provided by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) in Boston; Massachusetts Department of Correction; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Amherst, Billerica, Braintree, Boston, Quincy, Southwick, Waltham, Whately, and Westwood Police Departments; Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, consisting of the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Service, IRS-CI, Connecticut State Police, and Greenwich Police Department; the New York City Police Department; Houston Police Department; South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; Richland County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Department; Florence and Saluda (South Carolina) Police Departments; and the Solicitor’s Offices of Greenville and Saluda Counties. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy E. Moran of Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Milton Man and Connecticut Woman Arrested for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Milton man and a Connecticut woman were arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston with federal sex trafficking crimes.
Duhamel Cassagnol, 30, of Milton, was charged in an indictment with committing sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; engaging in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; and transporting an individual for prostitution. Geneiva Whaley, 23, of Connecticut, was charged in a criminal complaint with transporting an individual for prostitution. The defendants were detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon.
The indictment charging Cassagnol alleges that, between approximately July 2014 and February 2016, he conspired to recruit and transport victims across state lines for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts, knowing that the women would be induced to engage in those acts through force, fraud, or coercion. The indictment also charges Cassagnol with transporting the victims between states with the intent that they engage in prostitution.
The complaint charging Whaley alleges that, in October 2015, she knowingly transported one of Cassagnol’s victims from Massachusetts to Connecticut with the intent that the victim would engage in prostitution. Specifically, Whaley allegedly recruited the victim, who had just been released from a detox facility, and worked with Cassagnol to keep the victim in various motels or hotels in Connecticut, which were rented in Whaley’s name. While at the motels, Whaley assisted in prostituting the victim. Cassagnol and Whaley also allegedly supplied the victim with drugs while she stayed at the motels.
The charge of sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion provides for a sentence of no less than 15 years and up to life in prison, no less than five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, no less than five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. For first-time offenders, the charge of transporting an individual for prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, no less than five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, Lexington and Needham Police Departments, and Vernon (Connecticut) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Pérez-Daple of Weinreb’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former State Senator Brian Joyce Arrested and Charged in Federal IndictmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Brian Augustine Joyce, a former Massachusetts State Senator, was arrested this morning by federal authorities for allegedly using his state senate office for private gain.
Joyce, 55, of Westport, Mass., was charged in a federal indictment unsealed today with racketeering, extortion, honest services fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and other charges. The indictment alleges that Joyce secretly profited from his position as state senator by accepting a stream of concealed bribes and kickbacks in exchange for his official action on matters before the state legislature and for exerting pressure on and advising state and municipal officials to take official action on government matters. The indictment further alleges that Joyce employed sophisticated methods to conceal his corrupt acts, including using a shell company and other entities to launder proceeds from his bribery and kickback schemes and to conceal his ongoing criminal activities.
Specifically, the indictment alleges that Joyce agreed to use his official position to exert pressure on and advise Town Administrators to use a particular energy broker in return for kickbacks in the form of commissions to a shell company, which Joyce controlled. It is further alleged that Joyce used his official position to pressure and advise members of the Milton Planning Board to approve a property subdivision waiver that a developer sought, in exchange for a kickback. Joyce allegedly concealed the kickback by, among other things, falsely telling a Milton Planning Board member that he had not been paid by the developer, and by accepting payment from the developer in the form of a Jeep from one of the developer’s car dealerships.
In addition, it is alleged that Joyce took official action, or pressured others to take official action, on behalf of a coffee-business franchise owner in exchange for hundreds of pounds of free coffee. Joyce took steps to conceal this by submitting backdated checks to the State Ethics Commission and instructed the franchise owner and his relative to falsely represent to the Ethics Commission that they had agreed to provide Joyce coffee in exchange for legal services.
According to the indictment, Joyce also exerted pressure on and advised officials at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance to take official action on matters in favor of an Energy Insurance Brokerage Company (EIB), who paid Joyce in exchange for his official assistance in promoting, sponsoring, and filing legislation that would benefit the EIB. The indictment also alleges that Joyce attempted to use his official position as state senator to collect money for “legal work” from representatives of a Philadelphia solar company who sought Joyce’s assistance with local permitting and pending legislation.
Joyce is also charged with conspiring to defraud the IRS in connection with his purchase of more than $470,000 in common stock from the EIB Company and falsely reporting the stock purchase as a tax-exempt retirement account rollover in his personal tax return.
The charges of racketeering, mail fraud, wire fraud, honest services fraud and extortion provide for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison; the money laundering charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison; and the charge of fraud, misapplication involving federal funds provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and William F. Bloomer of Weinreb’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Associates of La Cosa Nostra Plead Guilty to Extortion-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Two associates of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime family pleaded guilty today to extortion-related charges.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement.
Francesco Depergola, 61, of Springfield, Mass., and Gerald Daniele, 52, of Longmeadow, Mass., each pleaded guilty to federal charges related to extortion. Depergola pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence. Depergola also pleaded guilty to charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York of making an extortionate extension of credit. Daniele pleaded guilty to one count of using extortionate means to collect an extension of credit. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled their sentencings for March 9, 2018.
According to admissions in their plea agreements, Depergola, Daniele and co-defendants Ralph Santaniello, John Calabrese, and Richard Valentini were associates of the New York-based Genovese LCN crime family and engaged in various criminal activities in Springfield, Mass., including loansharking and extortion from legitimate and illegitimate businesses, such as illegal gambling businesses and the collection of unlawful debts. Depergola and Daniele admitted that they used violence, exploited their relationship with LCN, and implied threats of murder and physical violence to instill fear in their victims.
In addition, Depergola also admitted that in 2013, Depergola, Santaniello, Calabrese, and Valentini attempted to extort money from a Springfield businessman. Santaniello assaulted the businessman and threatened to cut off his head and bury his body if he did not comply. Over a period of four months, the businessman paid $20,000 to Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini to protect himself and his business.
Daniele further admitted that during a six-month period in 2015, he extended two extortionate and usurious loans to an individual, and then, along with Santaniello and Calabrese, threatened the individual if he did not make payments on the loans.
Santaniello and Calabrese previously pleaded guilty for extortion-related crimes. Their sentencings are scheduled respectively for Jan. 29, 2018, and Jan. 30, 2018. Valentini pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled to start Dec. 11, 2017. Valentini is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin O’Regan and Katharine Wagner and Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case.
Two Associates of La Cosa Nostra Plead Guilty to Extortion-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two associates of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime family pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Worcester to extortion-related charges.
Francesco Depergola, 61, of Springfield, Mass., and Gerald Daniele, 52, of Longmeadow, Mass., each pleaded guilty to federal charges related to extortion. Depergola pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence. Depergola also pleaded guilty to charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York of making an extortionate extension of credit. Daniele pleaded guilty to one count of using extortionate means to collect an extension of credit. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled their sentencings for March 9, 2018.
According to admissions in their plea agreements, Depergola, Daniele and co-defendants Ralph Santaniello, John Calabrese, and Richard Valentini were associates of the New York-based Genovese LCN crime family and engaged in various criminal activities in Springfield, Mass., including loansharking and extortion from legitimate and illegitimate businesses, such as illegal gambling businesses and the collection of unlawful debts. Depergola and Daniele admitted that they used violence, exploited their relationship with LCN, and implied threats of murder and physical violence to instill fear in their victims.
In addition, Depergola also admitted that in 2013, he, Santaniello, Calabrese, and Valentini attempted to extort money from a Springfield businessman. Santaniello assaulted the businessman and threatened to cut off his head and bury his body if he did not comply. Over a period of four months, the businessman paid $20,000 to Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini to protect himself and his business.
Daniele further admitted that during a six-month period in 2015, he extended two extortionate and usurious loans to an individual, and then, along with Santaniello and Calabrese, threatened the individual if he did not make payments on the loans.
Santaniello and Calabrese previously pleaded guilty to extortion-related crimes. Their sentencings are scheduled respectively for Jan. 29, 2018, and Jan. 30, 2018. Valentini pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled to start Dec. 11, 2017.
Each charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb; Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Regan, Chief of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office; Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section; and Katherine Wagner of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Salvadoran national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Gerardo Alberto Perez-Fuentes, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2018.
Perez-Fuentes was previously deported on Oct. 8, 2015. On Sept. 6, 2017, law enforcement in Chelsea encountered Perez-Fuentes and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Perez-Fuentes will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting this case.
Illinois Man Sentenced for Attempting to Sexually Exploit Two Minors over X-Box LiveRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Illinois man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for attempting to sexually exploit two minors.
Zack Sawyer, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 15 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release. In June 2017, Sawyer pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of minors.
Around May 2010, Sawyer used X-Box Live to contact a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy in Hampshire County, Mass., and asked them both to send him nude photographs. According to the statement of facts, when the first boy refused, Sawyer threatened to rape and kill him. Sawyer then asked the second boy, and when he, too, refused, Sawyer again threatened rape, adding that he had a drug that would paralyze people.
The government told the court that Sawyer also enticed a third boy in Loudon County, Va., and asked him to pose for a sexually explicit picture over the internet. Sawyer met the boy while playing the online game Minecraft. Sawyer sent a sexually explicit picture of himself to the boy, and Sawyer continued to ask the boy for sexually explicit videos.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Dana J. Boente; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Prabhu of Boente’s Cybercrime Unit prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Felipe Rodolfo Baez-Romero, 46, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2018.
On Sept, 29, 2017, law enforcement in Boston encountered Baez-Romero and determined that he was unlawfully present in the United States. Baez-Romero was previously deported on May 7, 2013.
The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, one year of supervised released and a fine of up to $250,000. Baez-Romero will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Webster Man Arrested and Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON - William Shenette, 31, was arrested on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, and charged in federal court in Worcester with possession of child pornography.
On Dec. 1, 2017, a search warrant was executed at Shenette’s residence in Webster where videos containing prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including oral and anal sex with adults, were discovered on a tablet that belonged to Shenette.
The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karin M. Bell of Weinreb’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was brought 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 DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Operating Bi-Coastal Marijuana Distribution RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a large-scale marijuana distribution and money laundering ring operating between California and the East Coast.
Ratanack Oung, a/k/a Yoshi, 32, of Allentown, Penn., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2017, Oung pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. In September 2016, Oung was indicted on these charges and arrested with co-conspirator Virayuth Chau, 40, of Temecula, Calif., who pleaded guilty in March 2017.
Beginning around January 2014, Chau and Oung shipped large quantities of marijuana from California to the East Coast of the United States. When payment for the marijuana was due, Oung collected drug proceeds from co-conspirators and deposited the cash (typically in an amount under $10,000) into one of many “feeder” accounts in banks on the East Coast, including in Massachusetts. The “feeder” accounts were maintained in the names of businesses or individuals associated with Chau in order to disguise the nature and ownership of the drug proceeds flowing into the accounts. Once the money was deposited, it was either withdrawn in cash in California or transferred into a “target” account, which was an account controlled by Chau and then withdrawn. In total, the operation distributed between 1,000 to 3,000 kilograms of marijuana and laundered approximately $6,135,035 in drug proceeds.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. The DEA, Los Angeles Division, Riverside County (California) Sheriff’s Department and Murrieta (California) Police Department also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen of Weinreb’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Former Union Officer Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 26 pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to embezzling over $100,000 from the organization.
Henry Clay Green Sr., 60, of Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from a labor union. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for March 13, 2018.
From May 19, 2011 to July 14, 2016, Green was Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 26, a labor union representing the hospitality industries in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In that capacity, Green exercised control over various aspects of Local 26’s financial operations and used his position to embezzle $171,455 from the organization for his own use. When confronted by union officials, Green confessed.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain/loss, whichever is greater, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael Mikulka, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Labor Racketeering and Fraud; Carol S. Hamilton, Acting Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; and Jonathan Russo, District Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards, Boston District Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national charged with an immigration crime pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court in Boston yesterday.
Jose Mejia Ruiz, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock sentenced Mejia Ruiz to four months in prison and three years of supervised release.
In 2009, Mejia Ruiz, using the alias, Thomas Montes, was convicted in federal court in New York of passport fraud. Upon completion of his sentence, Mejia Ruiz was placed into removal proceedings, and on Jan. 12, 2011, he was deported to the Dominican Republic.
In June 2017, Mejia Ruiz, using an alias of Carmelo Rosado, was arrested by law enforcement in Massachusetts and charged in state court with drug distribution.
On Oct. 3, 2017, while in custody on the state drug charge at Middlesex House of Correction, it was determined that Mejia Ruiz was unlawfully present in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to distributing cocaine.
Elvin Radhames Soto, a/k/a Jimmy, a/k/a Jimmy Quinones, a/k/a Frank Norris Agusto, a/k/a Jorge Belnabel Santo, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin. U.S. District Court Senior Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for Jan. 23, 2018.
Soto and Ileana Valdez supplied hundreds of grams of heroin and cocaine a week to members of Boston’s largest and most influential city-wide gang, the Columbia Point Dawgs (CPD), also known on the street as “the Point,” with the help of several drug runners. Together, Soto and Valdez ran a round-the-clock drug delivery organization which used three drug stash houses and one money stash house.
Soto is the 47th of 51 defendants tied to the CPD to plead guilty. Valdez previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Soto faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $10 million. Soto will be deported upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; and Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Correction, made the announcement.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Boston Gang Members Plead Guilty to Cocaine Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two members of the Orchard Park Trailblazers pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017, in federal court in Boston to selling crack cocaine in and around Roxbury’s Orchard Gardens Housing Development.
Lyndon Scott, a/k/a “Skizzy,” 27, of Boston, and Raul Williams, a/k/a “Boobie,” 26, of Boston, each pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school and are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27, 2018.
On April 14, 2017, Scott sold cocaine base to a cooperating witness near an elementary school in Roxbury. On April 28, 2016, Williams sold cocaine base to a cooperating witness near another school in Roxbury.
Scott and Williams are two of 12 defendants arrested and charged in June 2017 following a nearly two-year investigation into the high concentration of crime in and around the Orchard Gardens Development, the largest publically funded housing development in Roxbury, which is also adjacent to Dudley Square and neighborhood schools. According to court documents, the crime stems, in part, from the illegal activities of the members and associates of the Orchard Park Trailblazers, who allegedly have active feuds with rival gangs throughout the city that have produced numerous crimes of violence.
The charge of distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a minimum of six years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans made the announcement today.
Togolese National Sentenced for Mail FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Togolese national charged with mail fraud pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court in Boston.
Roukayatou Damerogo, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail before U.S. District Court Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV, who then sentenced Damerogo to time served. Following the hearing, Damerogo was transferred into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will be deported to Togo.
In August 2017, a Cape Cod resident contacted the United States Post Office (USPS) to report overdue mail deliveries. Further inquiry showed that an unknown person had placed a “mail hold” on the customer’s residence. When the customer traveled to his USPS branch to remove the hold and to pick up his mail, he found a box addressed to him containing 10 new Fitbit Exercise Bands. The customer had previously been the victim of fraudulent credit card transactions and believed the Fitbit purchases stemmed from the compromised credit card.
On Aug. 16, 2017, an individual purporting to be the USPS customer called USPS inquiring about the package of Fitbits. USPS informed law enforcement and they coordinated a time for the package to be delivered to the fraudulent customer, later revealed to be Damerogo. Immediately after retrieving the package, law enforcement stopped Damerogo, questioned her, and placed her under arrest.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe; and Brewster Police Chief Richard J. Koch Jr. made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Paramedic Sentenced for Stealing Fentanyl from Ambulance CompanyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A paramedic was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for diverting fentanyl intended for patients for his own use and for extracting fentanyl from vials stocked on ambulances and replacing the fentanyl with saline.
Joseph V. Amello, 50, of Rowley, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In June 2017, Amello pleaded guilty to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by deception, fraud, and forgery, and one count of tampering with a consumer product.
From approximately November 2014 to August 2015, while working as a paramedic for an ambulance company, Amello stole over 650 5-ml vials of fentanyl for his own use. In addition, beginning around July 1, 2015, Amello removed fentanyl from a number of vials intended for ambulance patients and replaced the fentanyl with saline.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Commissioner Monica Bharel, M.D., M.P.H., of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Food and Drugs, Drug Control Program, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda Hooker of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Owners of Peabody Pizza Shop Plead Guilty to Federal Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owners of Giovanni’s Roast Beef & Pizza in Peabody pleaded guilty yesterday to skimming cash receipts from Giovanni’s and failing to report the cash on their tax returns, thereby avoiding the payment of more than $550,000 in taxes.
William Panousos, 66, Theodora Panousos, 64, and Konstantinos Panousos, 38, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. William Panousos also pleaded guilty to three counts of aiding and assisting in filing false corporate and individual tax returns; Theodora pleaded guilty to four counts; and Konstantinos pleaded guilty to two counts. U.S. District Court Senior Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2018.
During tax years 2013 through 2015, the defendants skimmed approximately $1.5 million in cash receipts from Giovanni’s and did not deposit them into the business’ bank account or report them to their tax preparer. In addition, the defendants paid some of the business’ expenses in cash, including a portion of payments to suppliers and a portion of employees’ salaries. They also failed to report about $550,000 of those cash expenses on their tax returns.
The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Each charge of aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns provides for a sentence of no greater than three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Weinreb’s Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty to RICO Conspiracy Involving MurderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An MS-13 member pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to racketeering conspiracy involving the murder of a 15-year-old boy in East Boston.
Henry Josue Parada Martinez, a/k/a “Street Danger,” 22, a Salvadoran national formerly of East Boston and Montgomery County, Md., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for March 1, 2018.
During an investigation of MS-13 in Massachusetts, Parada Martinez was identified as a member of MS-13’s Molinos clique, which operated in East Boston and other parts of Massachusetts. Parada Martinez admitted that on Sept. 7, 2015, he was one of four individuals who murdered a 15-year-old boy on Constitution Beach in East Boston. Agents subsequently recorded conversations with Parada Martinez in which he acknowledged being a member of MS-13, admitted that he was one of the men who murdered the victim, and identified other MS-13 members who committed the murder with him.
After a three-year investigation, Parada Martinez was one of 61 individuals named in a superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. Parada Martinez is the 26th defendant to plead guilty in this case.
Parada Martinez faces up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; Somerville Police Chief David Fallon; and Herndon (VA) Police Chief Maggie A. DeBoard made the announcement.
Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Counterfeit Steroid ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to traffic counterfeit steroids, including testosterone and trenbolone, to customers across the country.
Philip Goodwin, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, one count of conspiracy to traffic counterfeit drugs, one count of trafficking counterfeit drugs, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 28, 2018.
In April 2017, Goodwin and five others, including Tyler Bauman, a/k/a “musclehead 320,” were arrested and charged with operating a counterfeit steroid operation on the North Shore.
According to court documents, from approximately May 2015 until April 12, 2017, the conspirators manufactured steroid products - made from raw materials purchased overseas - in Goodwin’s home, and marketed them as “Onyx” steroids using “Onyx” labels that were also ordered from overseas suppliers. Onyx, now owned by Amgen Inc., is a legitimate pharmaceutical company that does not manufacture steroids.
The defendants allegedly sold the steroids to customers across the United States using email and social media platforms, collected payment through money remitters, such as Western Union and MoneyGram, and used false identifications and multiple remitter locations to pick up the proceeds. Some of the defendants laundered proceeds from the steroid sales through Wicked Tan LLC, a tanning business located in Beverly, which they owned and operated specifically to launder the proceeds of the steroid operation.
In August 2017, Bauman pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2018.
The charges of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit drugs and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss of the conspiracy. The charge of possession of a controlled substance provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss of the conspiracy. The charge of trafficking in counterfeit drugs provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $5 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the laundering transactions. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Harman Burkart and David J. D’Addio of Weinreb’s Cybercrime Unit are prosecuting the case.
Leading Proxy Solicitation Firm Georgeson LLC Agrees to Pay $4.5 Million to Resolve Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – New York-based proxy solicitation firm Georgeson LLC has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay a $4.5 million criminal penalty to resolve the government’s criminal investigation into a conspiracy to bribe an employee of a proxy advisory firm as part of a scheme to defraud the advisory firm of confidential information about how its clients had voted on numerous shareholder proposals.
According to admissions made in the resolution documents, from September 2007 to March 2012, Georgeson, one of the nation’s leading proxy solicitation firms, conspired to provide tickets to concerts and sporting events to Brian M. Bennett, formerly known as Brian Zentmyer, an employee of one of the country’s leading proxy advisory firms, in order to obtain information about whether and how the proxy advisory firm’s clients had voted on particular shareholder proposals. Georgeson also admitted that its employees conspired to defraud Georgeson’s own clients by billing them for at least a portion of the cost of the bribes provided to Bennett, while falsely describing those charges in invoices as legitimate expenses.
Proxy advisory firms provide institutional investors with research, analysis and recommendations concerning proposals subject to vote by shareholders in publicly traded companies. The firms may also engage in ancillary businesses, such as helping clients cast their votes, also known as proxy ballots or proxies. Proxy solicitation firms, in turn, assist publicly traded companies in matters requiring shareholder approval by attempting to gather information about institutional investors’ holdings and the direction of their proxy votes. This information can help proxy solicitors and their clients determine whether particular shareholder proposals are likely to pass or fail, and can thus help to shape their strategies for affecting the outcome of shareholder votes.
In July 2015, Bennett pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud. He was sentenced in January 2017 to one year of probation. In December 2016, Keith Haynes, a former senior managing director at Georgeson, pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud. He has not yet been sentenced. Four other Georgeson employees have been charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, as well as substantive counts of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud. They are scheduled to stand trial in February 2018 in federal court in Boston. The details contained in the indictment against those individuals are allegations. They are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, Georgeson has agreed to pay the criminal penalty, to continue to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts in any ongoing investigations and prosecutions relating to the conduct, including of individuals, to enhance its compliance program and to retain an independent compliance consultant.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The United States Attorney’s Office received valuable assistance from the Securities & Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Frank, Chief of Weinreb’s Economic Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric D. Rosen, also of the Economic Crimes Unit, are prosecuting the case.
Inmate Indicted for Murder-For-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An inmate at the Essex County House of Corrections was indicted today in federal court in Boston in connection with a murder-for-hire scheme.
Mason Stickney, 20, of Byfield, was indicted on three counts of using a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire.
According to court documents, in October 2017, Stickney, who was in custody at the Essex County House of Corrections, approached a fellow inmate and solicited his assistance in the murder of a police officer, a restaurateur from New Hampshire and a student. The fellow inmate reported Stickney’s solicitation to authorities. Thereafter, at the request of investigators, the inmate provided Stickney with the phone number of a would-be hitman, who was actually an undercover agent.
It is alleged that in recorded conversations between Nov. 3 and Nov. 8, 2017, both on the phone and in person at the jail, Stickney described to the undercover agent the individuals he wanted killed and how he wanted the murders committed. Stickney promised to pay the undercover agent $10,000 upon his release from jail, as well as to “get rid of three people for you guys.”
Each charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Richardson of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fairhaven Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fairhaven man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing methamphetamine.
Peter Lobo, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. In July 2017, Lobo pleaded guilty today to one count of distributing methamphetamine.
In late 2016, an undercover agent posing as a Maine methamphetamine dealer met with Lobo, and on Dec. 12, 2016, Lobo distributed a half-pound sample of methamphetamine to the agent. Two days later, the agent paid Lobo $4,000 for the half-pound, and Lobo sold an additional four pounds of methamphetamine to the agent. A subsequent drug analysis determined that the substance consisted of 1,777 grams of 99% pure d-methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as “Ice.”
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore B. Heinrich of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Charged with Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Wilkin Pena Soto, 31, was indicted today in federal court in Boston on one count of passport fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Pena Soto applied for a passport at an Attleboro Post Office in August 2017, purporting to be a U.S. citizen. On the application, he represented that the name, Social Security number, and date of birth of a Puerto Rican man were his. He supported the application with a birth certificate and Massachusetts driver’s license in the U.S. citizen’s name. It is further alleged that Pena Soto committed aggravated identity theft in connection with the passport application.
The charging statute for aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of passport fraud provides for no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised released and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boston Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An individual identified as a member of the Orchard Park Trailblazers Gang pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to selling crack cocaine in and around Roxbury’s Orchard Gardens Housing Development.
Raymond Gaines, a/k/a “Hops,” 38, of Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Feb. 28, 2018.
On June 21, 2016, Gaines sold cocaine base to a cooperating witness near a school in Roxbury. Gaines is one of 12 defendants arrested and charged in June 2017 following a nearly two-year investigation into the high concentration of crime in and around the Orchard Gardens Development, the largest publically funded housing development in Roxbury, which is also adjacent to area schools and Dudley Square. According to court documents, the crime stems, in part, from the illegal activities of the members and associates of the Orchard Park Trailblazers, who allegedly have active feuds with rival gangs throughout the city that have produced numerous crimes of violence.
The charge of distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and no greater than 40 years in prison, a minimum of six years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans made the announcement today.
U.S. Attorney's Office and DEA Launch Opioid Abuse Prevention Public Awareness CampaignRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb spoke with members of the media today about Monday’s launch of a state-wide opioid abuse prevention campaign. The initiative, which is co-sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division, seeks to inform the public and spur conversation about the dangers and consequences of abusing, selling and sharing prescription opioids, which has had a devastating impact on families and communities in Massachusetts.
“The goal of this campaign is to remind people about the dangers of abusing, selling and sharing opioids, including prescription pain pills. Misusing prescription drugs is risky and illegal. We must do more to deter people from misusing opioids, and we hope that increasing awareness will help people make better choices – to resist the risk,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb.
“The DEA believes that a critical component to its role as the nation’s lead drug law enforcement agency is reducing the demand for drugs,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Opioid abuse is rampant in Massachusetts and throughout New England and many times the abuse of prescription opioids is a gateway to heroin and fentanyl addiction. DEA is proud to collaborate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on this campaign to encourage conversation and raise awareness about the dangers and consequences associated with the abuse of opioids.”
Dubbed #ResistTheRisk, the initiative will blend a multi-media strategy, including the use of print designs - four of which launched Monday on the MBTA’s red and orange subway lines and various MBTA buses, as well as on buses operated by the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority and the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority. Additionally, as a part of the campaign, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will engage in direct outreach with youth which will be customized to specific needs and requests. The campaign, which will also involve the use of online marketing, will roll out in stages over the next few months.
The campaign messages focus on a range of audiences, from teens, to parents, to caregivers. All are consistent in their goal of arming individuals to make informed decisions and to inspire further discussion about the opioid crisis.
For more information about the campaign, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/ResistTheRisk.
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to armed bank robbery.
Michael A. Dirocco, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2018.
On Nov. 14, 2014, two men entered a branch of the Webster Bank in Seekonk, Mass. One of the men vaulted over the teller’s counter and started taking money from the drawers. The other man brandished what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at the tellers. The two then fled the scene in a large black SUV with $10,065 in stolen cash.
A short time later, an individual in Rhode Island observed two men removing license plates from a large black SUV and exchanging them with Rhode Island plates. The individual was able to record the Rhode Island license plate numbers and provide them to law enforcement officers. The officers then spoke to the registered owner of the vehicle with Rhode Island license plates and determined that the owner’s son, Dirocco, was operating her vehicle. When officers in Rhode Island later located the black SUV, Dirocco was no longer the operator. They learned that Dirocco was now using a green pickup truck, which was later observed heading in their direction. Upon seeing police, the truck’s driver, later confirmed to be Dirocco, stopped the vehicle, made an abrupt U-turn, and sped off, resulting in an extended car chase that culminated with Dirocco crashing the vehicle into a tree. Dirocco matched the description of the gun wielding bank robber and was subsequently arrested.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn made the announcement today. The Rhode Island State Police and Burrillville, R.I., Cranston, R.I., Pawtucket, R.I., and Seekonk, Mass., Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
New Bedford Seafood Manager Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford seafood manager pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to failing to report $75,000 in earnings on his tax returns.
Orlando Cardoso, 44, of New Bedford, pleaded guilty to two counts of filing a false income tax return. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2018.
Cardoso swore on his 2012 and 2013 tax returns that the only income he had received was from his employer. However, Cardoso had received over $75,000 in cash and checks from his employer’s supplier and failed to report the income on his tax returns.
The charge of filing a false income tax return provides for a sentence of no greater than three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen P. Heymann of Weinreb’s Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Leader of MS-13 East Coast Program Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The leader of the MS-13 East Coast Program pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to racketeering conspiracy.
Jose Adan Martinez Castro, a/k/a “Chucky,” 28, a Salvadoran national formerly residing in Richmond, Va., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Feb. 26, 2018.
After a three-year investigation, Castro was one of 61 persons named in a superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts.
MS-13 leaders incarcerated in El Salvador oversee individual branches, or “cliques,” that are grouped into “programs” throughout the United States. During the investigation, Castro was identified as the leader of MS-13’s East Coast Program. On Dec. 13, 2015, Castro was recorded as he ran a meeting of East Coast Program clique leaders in Richmond, Va. During the meeting, Castro and others discussed sending money to El Salvador to support MS-13, the need to work together to increase the gang’s strength and control, and the need to violently retaliate against anyone who provided information against the gang.
Castro is the 25th defendant to be convicted.
Castro faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation upon the completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; Somerville Police Chief David Fallon; and Herndon (VA) Police Chief Maggie A. DeBoard made the announcement.
Springfield Couple Sentenced for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield couple was sentenced yesterday in federal court for operating a prostitution business advertised as “Sinful Innocence.”
U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni sentenced Milford Lewis, 37, to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release, and his wife, Tiana Lewis, 32, to six years in prison and five years of supervised release. In July 2017, the pair agreed to plead guilty to three counts of inducing travel to engage in prostitution, one count of transporting an individual to engage in prostitution and four counts of extortionate threats.
Milford and Tiana Lewis purported to be the CEOs of an adult talent agency called Sinful Innocence. Through the internet, the couple enticed young women to work as models, adult entertainers, adult pornography actors and escorts. The pair convinced the women to come from other states to Springfield, and in one case, they transported a woman from Connecticut to Springfield to work.
The women signed year-long contracts, for which there was a $350 early termination fee. The victims were taken to a house in Springfield and/or to various motels in West Springfield to work as prostitutes, sometimes without receiving any pay. If they wanted to leave, or if they broke the rules of Sinful Innocence, they were subjected to beatings and threats to kill or harm them. The couple also threatened the women with violence when the women were unable to pay the $350 termination fee imposed.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni; and West Springfield Police Chief Ronald Campurciani made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Weinreb’s Springfield Office prosecuted the case.
This case is the result of a coordinated investigation led by the Western Massachusetts Human Trafficking Working Group, which was established in August 2015 and includes the United States Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, as well as other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The Working Group aims to surge law enforcement resources to cooperatively investigate and prosecute crimes involving commercial sex trafficking.
Saugus Man Arrested on Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Saugus man was arrested yesterday and charged in federal court in Boston with dealing firearms.
Leny Soares, 49, was charged by complaint with one count of dealing firearms without a license. He appeared yesterday before Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley and was detained pending a hearing on Dec. 4, 2017.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating the sale of firearms by Soares with the use of a cooperating witness. Over a period of six months, at the direction of law enforcement, the cooperating witness purchased seven firearms from Soares.
The charge of dealing firearms without a license provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Texas man involved in a Lawrence-based fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine trafficking scheme pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston.
Joel Jahamal Rougeau, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2018. In July 2015, Rougeau and three co-defendants, Jerri Martinez-Tejeda, 31, of Lawrence; Yoelly Carmenatty, 27, of Lawrence; and Lily Solis, 28, of Texas, were charged in a criminal complaint.
In March 2014, an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in Massachusetts, California and elsewhere led law enforcement to Martinez-Tejeda. In late May or early June 2015, Martinez-Tejeda hired Rougeau and Solis to pick up nine kilograms of narcotics in California and transport them to the Northeast. On June 4, 2015, law enforcement in Oklahoma intercepted Rougeau and Solis transporting nine kilograms of fentanyl to Martinez-Tejeda and his partner, Carmenatty, in Lawrence for distribution.
In June 2016, Solis was sentenced to 33 months in prison; in October 2016, Martinez-Tejeda was sentenced to 292 months in prison; and in January 2017, Carmenatty was sentenced to six years in prison.
The charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Kanwit of Weinreb’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges and Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Massachusetts man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to possessing and distributing child pornography and to failing to register as a sex offender. The offenses stem from two separate cases.
Scot Letourneau, 44, formerly of Quincy and Maine, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography; and in a separate case, he pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2018.
In early 2015, law enforcement officers learned that an individual was trading images of child pornography on Kik Messenger, an instant messaging application, with an individual in Connecticut. Further investigation linked the Kik Messenger account to Letourneau. On May 21, 2015, a search warrant was executed at Letourneau’s home, when a preliminary review of his cellphone revealed that he exchanged images of child pornography with others. Forensic analysis revealed that Letourneau had a collection of approximately 103 videos and more than 500 images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct and acts.
After he was arrested and charged in May 2015, the government sought to detain Letourneau pending trial based on his prior convictions, including a 2004 conviction in Cheshire County Superior Court for distribution of child pornography. However, on Aug. 5, 2015, the court released Letourneau on an electronic bracelet and home confinement in Maine. On Nov. 3, 2015, Letourneau fled to New Mexico; he was apprehended in Denver in March 2017.
In addition, as a result of his 2004 conviction for distribution of child pornography in New Hampshire, Letourneau is required to register as a sex offender, which he failed to do while living in New Mexico as a fugitive under an alias.
Due to Letourneau’s previous child pornography conviction, the current charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and no greater than 40 years in prison; and the charge of possession of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum of 10 years and no greater than 20 years in prison. Both charges provide for a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of failure to register as a sex offender provides for no greater than 10 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb, U.S. Marshal John Gibbons for the District of Massachusetts and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Colorado; the Adams County (Colo.) Sheriff’s Department; Connecticut State Police; Quincy Police Department; and U.S. Coast Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
MS-13 Leader Convicted by Federal Jury of RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal jury has convicted an MS-13 gang leader of racketeering conspiracy, following a two week trial in Boston.
Rafael Leoner Aguirre, a/k/a “Tremendo,” 22, a Salvadoran national, was found guilty of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for March 2, 2018.
Leoner Aguirre was the leader of the Enfermos Criminal Salvatrucha clique (“Enfermos clique”) of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. The Enfermos clique was one of many MS-13 cliques operating in Massachusetts from 2013 to 2016.
MS-13 is a violent, transnational criminal organization whose members engage in racketeering activity involving murder, robbery and drug trafficking. Multiple witnesses testified during trial that MS-13’s core principles include a desire to control territory by killing rival gang members, and a desire to kill those who are suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. Prospective members of MS-13 are required to complete an initiation process—to move from “paro,” to “observation,” to “chequeo,” to “homeboy.” Further, MS-13 often recruits younger members in local high schools.
In 2013 and early 2014, there were several “paros” and “chequeos” in Chelsea, Mass., who were associated with MS-13, but who lacked homeboy leadership. These MS-13 members included Hector Ramires, a/k/a “Cuervo;” Bryan Galicia Barillas, a/k/a “Chucky;” David Lopez, a/k/a “Cilindro,” a/k/a “Villano;” Daniel Menjivar, a/k/a “Roca,” a/k/a “Sitiko;” Angel Pineda, a/k/a “Bravo;” and Kevin Ayala, a/k/a “Gallito.”
In 2013, Leoner Aguirre entered the United States illegally from El Salvador, and in March 2014 he moved to the Chelsea area to provide leadership and to activate, organize, and supervise the group.
Even before arriving in Chelsea, Leoner Aguirre began recruiting and planning MS-13 activities. Among other things, Leoner Aguirre created recruitment videos for MS-13 and posted them on YouTube. This enabled younger members to view these videos, including one witness who testified that he first saw these videos while at a local high school.
Once Leoner Aguirre arrived in Massachusetts, he encouraged members of the clique to attack and kill rival gang members, in addition to committing other racketeering acts such as robberies. Leoner Aguirre himself committed a number of racketeering acts, including an attempted murder involving a shooting and another attempted murder involving a machete. More junior members of the Enfermos clique also committed a number of racketeering acts after Leoner Aguirre arrived in Massachusetts, including a shooting that resulted in the death of an innocent bystander.
The other members of the Enfermos clique—Ramires, Galicia Barillas, Lopez, Menjivar, Pineda and Ayala—were also arrested and charged with RICO conspiracy and previously pleaded guilty. Ramires pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement under which the parties will recommend 27 years in prison. Galicia Barillas pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement under which the parties will recommend 22 years in prison. Lopez and Menjivar pleaded guilty pursuant to plea agreements in which there is no agreement on sentencing. Pineda was previously sentenced to 93 months in prison and Ayala was sentenced to 42 months in prison. The defendants are also subject to deportation upon the completion of their sentences.
Leoner Aguirre faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation upon the completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; Somerville Police Chief David Fallon; and Herndon (VA) Police Chief Maggie A. DeBoard made the announcement.
Billerica Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Billerica man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to sexually exploiting two young boys over a five and a half year period.
Philip Toronto, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Feb. 15, 2018.
On Feb. 28, 2017, a search warrant was executed at Toronto’s home in response to multiple CyberTips that tracked the trade of child pornography over Skype to Toronto’s Billerica address. The search revealed evidence of child pornography during a preliminary on-scene review. Law enforcement confronted Toronto with evidence that some of the child pornography appeared to be homemade, and Toronto admitted to filming his sexual abuse of two young boys: a five-year-old boy as recently as September 2016; and a 10-year-old boy a few years earlier. More extensive forensic review of the devices seized from the home revealed surreptitious recordings of the children in various stages of undress as well as videos and images of Toronto raping and indecently assaulting each of the boys.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Massachusetts State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force made the announcement today. This case was investigated in conjunction with the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, which indicted Toronto for the rape and assault of both boys. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Weinreb’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of his Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
Randolph Man Charged with Fentanyl-Related OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Randolph man was charged in federal court in Boston for distributing fentanyl on Cape Cod.
Jorge Barros, a/k/a “Joey,” 24, was charged by criminal complaint, unsealed Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, investigators identified Barros as a fentanyl distributor on Cape Cod in September 2017. A cooperating source then made a series of recorded calls to Barros arranging for a fentanyl delivery. On Nov. 13, 2017, Barros attempted to deliver approximately 40 grams of fentanyl to the cooperator; however, before Barros could do so, he was arrested in Harwich, at which time law enforcement seized approximately 38 grams of fentanyl from Barros.
The charge provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe made the announcement today. The investigation was led by the DEA Cape Cod Resident Office and the Massachusetts State Police - Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Brewster, Harwich, Sandwich, Mashpee, Chatham, Yarmouth, and Barnstable Police Departments and the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen of Weinreb’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Reynaldo Rodriguez, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to one year and one day in prison and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In October 2017, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Rodriguez was previously deported on June 14, 2007. In June 2017, law enforcement officers in Hampden County encountered Rodriguez and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Former Lawrence Police Officer Sentenced on Attempted Extortion ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Lawrence Police Officer was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with attempting to use his position as a police officer to extort cocaine from a drug trafficker.
John R. Desantis Jr., 45, of Methuen, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In August 2017, Desantis agreed to plead guilty to one count of extortion and attempted extortion under color of official right and through the use of threatened force and fear.
Desantis had been purchasing small amounts of cocaine once or twice a week from a drug trafficker for 10-12 months without identifying himself as a police officer. On May 16, 2016, during a drug transaction at his home, Desantis displayed his gun and badge, seized the cocaine and threatened to arrest the drug trafficker if he did not continue to supply him with drugs. Desantis thereafter continued to communicate with the drug trafficker through text messages, telling him, “you will not be arrested at all if you do as I tell you to.”
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Lawrence Police Chief James X. Fitzpatrick made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Barclay and Theodore Merritt of Weinreb’s Public Corruption Unit prosecuted the case.
Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Crack Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug trafficking charges.
Luis Rivera, a/k/a “Fat Louie,” 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2018.
During an investigation into a network of street gangs trafficking illegal firearms and drugs, investigators identified Rivera as a Brockton-based source of supply for cocaine and cocaine base for members and associates of the Boylston Street Gang, as well as numerous other drug dealers in Brockton and other communities.
From January to April 2016, a cooperating witness purchased significant amounts of both cocaine and crack cocaine from Rivera. Rivera operated his robust drug trafficking business from various residential locations in Brockton, and conspired with numerous other individuals, including Kenneth Burke and Kevin Davis, to distribute drugs.
Burke pleaded guilty on Nov. 15, 2017, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2018. Davis pleaded guilty in September 2017, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 19, 2017.
Rivera is one of 53 defendants indicted in June 2016 on federal firearms and drug charges following an investigation into a network of street gangs that created alliances to traffic weapons and drugs throughout Massachusetts and to generate violence against rival gang members. According to court documents, the defendants, who are leaders, members, and associates of the 18th Street Gang, East Side Money Gang and the Boylston Street Gang, were responsible for fueling a gun and drug pipeline across a number of cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts. During the course of the investigation, over 70 firearms were seized.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years to life in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Maura Healey, Attorney General of Massachusetts; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley made the announcement today. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also acknowledges the assistance of the Suffolk and Middlesex County Sheriff Departments and the Malden, Revere and Everett Police Departments. Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.