District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A former Mattapan man was sentenced today in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Aylis Dryden, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2013, Dryden pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of federal gun laws.

At approximately 8:00 p.m. on April 7, 2010, four Boston Police officers were on routine patrol in an unmarked cruiser in the vicinity of the Heath Street housing development in Jamaica Plain when they observed a large group of people gathered, drinking from open containers of alcohol. The officers observed Dryden act suspiciously and make adjustments to his center front waistband, prompting one of the officers to ask Dryden if he was carrying a gun in his waistband. Although Dryden initially denied having a gun, he inadvertently revealed it when he lifted his shirt at the officers’ request. Ultimately, officers seized the gun as he attempted to flee. Dryden, a previously convicted felon, was arrested and transported in a cruiser, where the officers found additional ammunition.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Eugenio A. Marquez, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Office, and Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett and Lisa Asiaf Schlatz of Ortiz’s Health Care Fraud Unit.

BOSTON – A complaint was unsealed today charging two men, one from Bourne and the other from New Bedford, with narcotics trafficking. The complaint resulted from the efforts of federal, state and local authorities to reduce violence and drug trafficking in the New Bedford area.

Francisco Monteiro, a/k/a Cisco, 32, of Bourne, is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin and Junior Lopes, 34, of New Bedford, is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal scheduled an initial appearance for June 4, 2013. The maximum penalty under the statute is a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of 10 years supervised release and a fine of up to $20 million.

According to court documents, Monteiro and Lopes are charged with conspiring to distribute over 100 grams of heroin. It is alleged that on February 15, 2013, Monteiro and Lopes arranged and facilitated the sale of almost 100 grams of heroin to a cooperating witness in New Bedford. The DEA recorded telephone calls to Monteiro in which he agreed to provide heroin to a cooperating witness. Monteiro and Lopes then drove with the cooperating witness to an address in New Bedford where the heroin sale was completed. Furthermore, Monteiro and Lopes planned and arranged for the sale of an additional 50 grams of heroin to the cooperating witness that was to take place on February 25, 2013, although the sale was not completed.

As detailed in the complaint, Monteiro and Lopes have extensive criminal histories of violent crimes, including armed robberies of other drug dealers to obtain money to fund their drug dealing activities. Monteiro has prior convictions for drug distribution and unlawful possession of a firearm. In 2003, Lopes was convicted in U.S. District Court in Boston for gun and drug trafficking and received a sentence of 130 months in prison and is currently on supervised release for those offenses.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; C. Samuel Sutter; Bristol County District Attorney; Sherriff Thomas M. Hodgson of Bristol County; Chief Dennis R. Woodside of the Bourne Police Department; and Chief Richard M. Stanley of the Wareham Police Department, made the announcement today.

This case is being prosecuted by Christopher Pohl of Ortiz’s Organized Crime Strike Force Unit.

BOSTON – Three men were arrested and charged on May 1, 2013, in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings investigation.

Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, and Azamat Tazhayakov, 19, both of New Bedford were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to obstruct justice by conspiring to destroy, conceal and cover up tangible objects belonging to suspected Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, namely a laptop computer and backpack containing fireworks. A third man, Robel Phillipos, 19, of Cambridge, was charged with willfully making materially false statements to federal law enforcement officials during a terrorism investigation. According to the affidavit accompanying the complaint, Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov are both nationals of Kazakhstan who entered the United States on student visas. Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and $250,000 fine. Phillipos faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI announced the charges today. This investigation was conducted by the FBI's Boston Division, the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and member agencies of the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of more than 30 federal, state and local enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and others. In addition, the Watertown Police Department, the Cambridge Police Department, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Police Department, the Boston Fire Department, the National Guard and police, fire and emergency responders from across Massachusetts and New England played critical roles in the investigation and response.

The charges contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

(Download Criminal Complaint - Dias Kadyrbayev & Azamat Tazhayakov)

(Download Criminal Complaint - Robel Phillipos )

BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Springfield for defrauding the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Charles Allen, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to two years of probation including four months of home detention, and restitution of $97,012 to be paid to the SSA. In December 2012, Allen pleaded guilty to fraudulent concealment to secure unauthorized Social Security payments and false statement of a material fact for use in determining rights to Social Security payments.

From approximately June 1, 2003 through August 31, 2010, Allen received approximately $89,000 in fraudulently obtained Social Security Title II disability benefits. Allen was not entitled to receive these benefits because he was also working as the manager of a restaurant during that time period, which was information that he intentionally concealed from the SSA in order to continue receiving these benefits. In particular, on June 21, 2010, Allen stated falsely on a SSA form that he had not worked since January 29, 1999. That same day, agents of the SSA’s Office of Inspector General interviewed Allen, who initially claimed he was not working but then admitted that he was in fact working.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Scott Antolik, Special Agent In Charge of the Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration, Office of Investigations – Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Ortiz's Springfield Branch Office.

BOSTON – A New York man pleaded guilty today to theft of government property and money laundering in connection with a scheme to cash U.S. Treasury tax refund checks fraudulently obtained using the stolen identities of Puerto Rican residents.

Odalis Castillo-Lopez, 41, a citizen of the Dominican Republic and legal permanent U.S. resident, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to theft of government property and money laundering. According to the documents filed in the case, the criminal conduct involved the attempted negotiation of U.S. Treasury income tax refund checks obtained in the name of stolen identities.

For the theft of government property charge, the statutory maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The statutory maximum penalty for the money laundering charge is 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Chief Judge Saris scheduled sentencing for May 30 at 9:30 a.m.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for Tax Division; William Offord, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Steven D. Ricciardi, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Secret Service in Boston made the announcement today. Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Justice Department’s Tax Division is prosecuting the case.

Boston – On April 25, a Milton man was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for orchestrating a large Ponzi scheme through his securities company, and for defrauding customers of millions of dollars by selling coins at inflated prices.

On October 2, 2012, Arnett L. Waters, 63, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal contempt. On November 29, 2012, he also pleaded guilty to seven counts of securities fraud, six counts of mail fraud, two counts of money laundering, and one count of obstruction of justice. In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Denise J. Casper sentenced Waters to three years of supervised release, as well as restitution and forfeiture in the amounts of over $9 million.

U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz said, “The personal nature of this fraud, the effort and calculation necessary to carry it out, and the defendant’s utter disregard for his victims and the law, makes this one of the most serious white collar cases in Massachusetts in recent memory. This crime, while not violent, had a profound and direct impact on the lives of victims who lost life savings, retirement money, funds for college educations, and funds meant for the benefit of the defendant’s own church.”

From 2007 through 2012, Waters obtained roughly $839,000 from various investors by selling units in sham investment partnerships. He spent most of the investors' funds on personal and business expenses. Waters lulled investors into a false sense of security by telling them that their investments had generated substantial profits which would be paid to them in the near future.

In April 2012, Waters was interviewed as part of an examination United States Securities and Exchange Commission of his securities business. During the interview, Waters falsely told examiners that no one had invested in his investment partnerships.

In addition, between 2002 and 2012, Waters defrauded coin customers and obtained millions of dollars by selling coins at inflated prices. Waters convinced customers to buy coins at prices that, on average, represented a 600% mark-up from market value of the coins. Waters also induced coin purchasers to return coins to him, on the false pretense that he would sell those coins on their behalf. Waters convinced one victim, who had paid Waters over $7 million for coins, to further pay him over half a million dollars for fees purportedly related to the sale and storage of the coins. In fact, Waters had already sold most or all of the coins and had used the proceeds for his own personal and business expenses.

Waters also engaged in criminal contempt when he maintained a hidden bank account in violation of the asset freeze order in a civil fraud case brought against him by the SEC. From the time the freeze order was entered in May 2012 through mid-July 2012, Waters deposited approximately $172,000 in proceeds from his mail fraud and dissipated approximately $152,000.

U.S. Attorney Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The United States Attorney’s Office appreciates the cooperation received from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. This matter came to the attention of authorities through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. DiSantis of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit. The forfeiture matters are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M. Lei.

BOSTON – An Adams woman was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Springfield for embezzlement and other related charges.

Patricia Piscioneri, 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to one day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, the first six months of which must be spent in home confinement, 100 hours of community service, and a $3,000 fine. In January 2013, Piscioneri pleaded guilty to a 30-count indictment charging her with embezzlement of funds by a credit union employee and false entries.

While employed as the manager of the former Adams Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union (AMEFCU), Piscioneri embezzled credit union funds by creating fraudulent loan accounts in the names of credit union members and depositing the proceeds of these fraudulent loans into her own account(s), her husband’s account(s), other family members’ account(s), or used the proceeds to pay off earlier obtained fraudulent loans. In an attempt to avoid detection, Piscioneri created fraudulent loan documentation, such as loan applications and promissory notes and forged signatures on these documents, created false entries in the AMEFCU accounting system, and advanced the payment due dates of the fraudulent loans.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett.

BOSTON – An Andover man was charged in an Information with obstructing a grand jury investigation by altering and deleting documents from his computer. 

Kamlesh Patel, 48, was charged with obstruction by destruction and alteration of documents in connection with a grand jury investigation.

The Information alleges that Patel received a grand jury subpoena for records relating to his business dealings with another company and relating to claims that the other company was a service-disabled, veteran-owned and operated business.  Allegedly, Patel was aware that he had documents on his computer that were responsive to the subpoena and that were relevant to the pending investigation.  Patel nonetheless deleted documents on his computer that were responsive to the grand jury subpoena.

The statutory maximum sentence for the charge is 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the crime, whichever is greater.  In the event of a conviction, any actual sentence will be determined by the assigned federal judge.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Jeffrey Hughes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Division; Luis Hernandez, Special Agent in Charge of the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, New England Regional Office; Michael D. Conner, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, Boston Fraud Branch Office; Aaron Collins, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Regional Office; Robert Panella, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering & Fraud Investigations, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and William Bloomer of Ortiz’s Office.

The details contained in the Information are allegations.  The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz announced today that Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, a U.S. citizen and resident of Cambridge, Mass., has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction against persons and property at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, resulting in the death of three people and injuries to more than 200 people.

In a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Tsarnaev is specifically charged with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (namely, an improvised explosive device or IED) against persons and property within the United States resulting in death, and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death. The statutory charges authorize a penalty, upon conviction, of death or imprisonment for life or any term of years. Tsarnaev had his initial court appearance today from his hospital room.

“Although our investigation is ongoing, today’s charges bring a successful end to a tragic week for the city of Boston, and for our country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with each of the bombing victims and brave law enforcement professionals who lost their lives or suffered serious injuries as a result of this week’s senseless violence. Thanks to the valor of state and local police, the dedication of federal law enforcement and intelligence officials, and the vigilance of members of the public, we’ve once again shown that those who target innocent Americans and attempt to terrorize our cities will not escape from justice. We will hold those who are responsible for these heinous acts accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“The events of the past week underscore in stark terms the need for continued vigilance against terrorist threats both at home and abroad,” said John Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “Friday’s arrest and today’s charges demonstrate what can be achieved by a collaborative, round-the clock response involving law enforcement officers, intelligence professionals, prosecutors and the general public.”

“Today’s charges are the culmination of extraordinary law enforcement coordination and the tireless efforts of so many, including ordinary citizens who became heroes as they responded to the call for help in the hours and days following the Marathon tragedy,” said Carmen Ortiz, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. “The impact of these crimes has been far-reaching, affecting a worldwide community that is looking for peace and justice. We hope that this prosecution will bring some small measure of comfort both to the public at large and to the victims and their families that justice will be served. While we will not be able to comment on any possible communications between the suspect and law enforcement at this time, as a general rule, the government will always seek to elicit all the actionable intelligence and information we can from terrorist suspects taken into our custody.”

“The events of this week have moved at a breakneck pace. Yet the one consistent element of this investigation has been the collective efforts of our law enforcement and intelligence partners, working side-by-side, day and night, to identify and find those responsible for this attack, while keeping the public safe,” said Rick DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “We are grateful to the American people for their assistance; we would not be successful without their trust and support. We will continue to investigate this matter with the greatest diligence and expediency, and we will do all that we can to protect those we serve.”

“Friday night’s capture of the suspect brought immediate relief to a community from a public safety viewpoint. However, much work remains and many questions require answers. Today’s charges represent another step on the long road toward justice for the victims of these crimes. On behalf of the citizens of this great Commonwealth, the Massachusetts State Police will continue to work diligently with our federal and local partners to bring this defendant to justice for his alleged acts and ensure the public’s safety,” said Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.

“Finding the alleged perpetrators of this savage act of terrorism four days after the attack on the City of Boston was a herculean effort and shows the true cooperation and dedication of the law enforcement community,” said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. “We were relentless in our pursuit of the suspects. The arrest of Tsarnaev and today’s charges should send a clear message to those who look to do us harm, the entire law enforcement community will go after you, find you and bring you to justice.”

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Boston Division, the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and member agencies of the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of more than 30 federal, state and local enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and others. In addition, the Watertown Police Department, the Cambridge Police Department, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Police Department, the Boston Fire Department, the National Guard and police, fire and emergency responders from across Massachusetts and New England played critical roles in the investigation and response.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Weinreb and Aloke Chakravarty from the Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

The public is reminded that charges contained in an indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

(Download Criminal Complaint )

BOSTON – Following a jury trial, a New Bedford man was convicted of passport fraud.

John Doe a/k/a Jose L. Cosme was convicted of two counts of passport fraud. United States District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for July 18, 2013.

On January 5, 2008, the defendant submitted an application for a U.S. passport at the U.S. Postal Office in New Bedford, representing himself as Jose L. Cosme, born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The defendant also claimed that his date of birth, social security number, and parents were those that in reality pertained to the true Jose L. Cosme. The defendant affixed his photograph to the application and provided other information required, including his mailing and residential address, which he reported as a New Bedford address. As proof of U.S. citizenship and identity, the defendant provided a birth certificate issued by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and a Massachusetts identification card, both in the name of Jose. L. Cosme. The defendant swore to the truth of the statements made in the application before a U.S. Postal Clerk. In due course, the U.S. State Department approved the application and issued a passport to the defendant in the name of Jose L. Cosme.

On May 12, 2012, after arriving at Logan International Airport on a flight from the Dominican Republic, the defendant traveling under the name of Jose L. Cosme attempted to use the issued passport and was referred by a U.S. Customs & Border Protection Officer to secondary admissibility inspection. During questioning, the defendant was unable to provide basic biographical information about his life in Puerto Rico and information regarding his family. A subsequent investigation by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security revealed that the defendant assumed the identity of the true Jose L. Cosme.

The statutory maximum penalty is 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; William Wommack, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Boston Field Office; and Kevin Weeks, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs & Border Protection, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert E. Richardson and Carlos A. Lopez of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

BOSTON – A level II sexual offender was indicted yesterday with the production of child pornography while on probation as a sex offender.

George Shipps, 31, of Chelsea, was charged with two counts of production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography and receipt of child pornography. In February 2013, Shipps was arrested at his home and has since been detained.

According to court documents, agents learned that Shipps, using a Yahoo! email address, had been sending and receiving images containing child pornography from his home in Chelsea to another individual in Hickory, NC. On February 19, 2013, agents executed a search warrant at Shipps’ home, whereupon Shipps admitted to possessing the images containing child pornography and sending them via email. Shipps further identified the six-year-old depicted in those photos and admitted to taking them between August and September of 2012.

Shipps was and is a level II sex offender on probation from the Middlesex County Superior Court for the possession of child pornography and luring a minor for the purpose of sex. Under current Massachusetts law, Shipps’ status as a level II sex offender was not available to the public via the sex offender registry website.

Because of Shipps’ status as a convicted sex offender, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and up to 50 years in prison, to be followed by up to lifetime supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and forfeiture if convicted.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announce today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy Dawson Belf of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274, and messages will be promptly returned.

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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better 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/.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A West Harwich man, formerly of Charlestown, was sentenced yesterday for possessing child pornography.

Thomas J. Richardson, 67, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to one of the victims. He was also ordered to forfeit the computers he used to store the illicit images and videos. In February 2013, Richardson pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

Between July 4th and 8th, 2008, an FBI agent working undercover for the FBI's Innocent Images Unit went online to a peer-to-peer file sharing software program. The FBI agent received a "friend" request and offline messages from Richardson using the screen name "Greatg." In the messages, Richardson asked when the agent would be online, stated that his name was "Gretchne," and falsely indicated that he was a mother of two.

On July 9, 2008, the agent logged into the file sharing program and found files containing child pornography images and videos belonging to Richardson. The agent attempted to download the files, however, Richardson terminated this transaction before it was completed because he was unable to download any content from the agent's online profile. Prior to the termination, the agent was able to download three files. One video was corrupted and could not be viewed. Another video, depicted anal-genital sexual intercourse between an adult man and a toddler boy. And an image depicted a nude, adult man touching the clothed genitals of a minor boy on a bed. The agent determined, through IP address location information, that the user profile belonged to Thomas J. Richardson in Charlestown.

In August, 2008, the agent again logged into the file-sharing program and observed that Richardson's profile was also online. The agent browsed Richardson's shared file directories, and found files containing child pornography images and videos. The agent downloaded 11 files of child pornography, including a number of images depicting a prepubescent boy and prepubescent girl engaging in sexual acts with each other. The agent determined, through IP address location information, that the user profile belonged to Richardson's address in West Harwich.

The West Midlands Police, in Birmingham, England, also had reported to the FBI in Boston that an individual using the screen name "GreatG" was communicating and trading pornography with a target in their jurisdiction through the Google Hello program. British law enforcement obtained IP login information for GreatG's account and determined that Richardson had accessed this account from his residences as well as from his then-employer.

On November 6, 2008, the FBI executed a search warrant at Richardson's homes in Charlestown and West Harwich and seized six laptop computers. The FBI conducted a forensic examination of the computers and found evidence of significant child pornography activity. The Internet browsing history and recent link files showed that Richardson accessed a number of files with explicit names indicative of child pornography. Evidence of installation and use of the file-sharing program and Google Hello were also found on an HP laptop in Charlestown.

Forensic analysis revealed at least 10 images in allocated space, including the following:

• An image which depicts a nude girl lying on a bed with her legs spread - her wrists and one visible ankle are tied to the bed frame;
  
• An image which depicts a girl, who appears to be approximately 12 to 14 years-old, holding a penis near her mouth. There appears to be semen on her face and shirt; and
  
• An image which depicts a prepubescent, nude girl who is kneeling on the floor and engaging in oral-genital sexual intercourse with an adult male who is standing. The girl is wearing a mask (with an opening at the mouth) and her hands appear to be tied.
  

Forensics further revealed numerous deleted and temporary internet images of child pornography on the computers.

From Richardson's computer, forensic agents recovered 159 chats between Richardson and 81 other users on Google Hello trading numerous images of child pornography and child erotica, including images of children as young as six engaged in sexual acts and images depicting sadomasochistic sexual abuse of children. The chats indicate Richardson's substantial knowledge of child pornography series as well as his extensive collection of child pornography, which allowed him to provide child pornography tailored to the requester's preferences.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement today.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Yoon and Stacy Dawson Belf of Ortiz's Major Crimes Unit and Trial Attorney Bonnie Kane of the Department of Justice's Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section.

This 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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

BOSTON - A Worcester woman was charged today on charges of falsifying tax returns.

Jenniffer Cox Elicier, 34, of Worcester was charged in an Indictment with multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.

The Indictment alleges that Elicier operated Cox Elicier Tax in Worcester where she prepared individual federal income tax returns for clients. Elicier allegedly inserted false information into her clients’ Form 1040 returns, including false Schedule A deductions such as gifts to charity and unreimbursed employee expenses and educator expenses, and thereby generated illegal refunds.

The statutory maximum penalty for the crime charged is three years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori J. Holik of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.

The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Boston - A Medford man was charged late yesterday in federal court with bank burglary.

Terry K. Leigh, 43 was charged in a criminal complaint with bank burglary. On Aug. 11, 2012, at approximately 9:45 p.m., agents were conducting surveillance at the Bank of America located at 465 Columbus Avenue, Boston. According to the complaint affidavit, agents observed an individual, later identified as Leigh, enter the bank’s ATM, wearing a dark green hat, a fake beard and carrying a dark green messenger-style bag. While inside the ATM, agents witnessed Leigh use a tool to pry the ATM’s internal access door open and enter the ATM’s internal room and close the door behind him. According to the affidavit, as the agents approached the bank’s ATM they observed Leigh exit the ATM’s internal room and walk up a rear stairway. Leigh was located and arrested on the roof of the building with the green messenger-style bag, which contained saw blades, gloves, a fake beard and a grinder saw.

A detention hearing is scheduled before United States Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler on April 18, 2013.

The statutory maximum penalty is up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Office and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis made the announcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Boston - A West Springfield man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for possession of child pornography.

William Crites, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography charges on Aug. 6, 2012.

Had the case proceeded to trial, the Government’s evidence would have proven that between March 11, 2011 and May 3, 2011 Crites, who had been previously convicted of receipt and distribution of child pornography, possessed child pornography on a tablet computer he owned.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; John Gibbons, United States Marshal; Hampden County District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni; and Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Unit.

Boston - A Springfield man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for conspiracy and distribution of cocaine base.

Juan Dessasure, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Dessasure pleaded guilty to conspiracy and distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine on Oct. 27, 2011.

Had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that Dessasure, working with another individual, sold crack cocaine to a cooperating witness in November 2009 and again in January 2010.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Office; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Boston Field Office; Hampden County District Attorney Mark. G. Mastroianni; United States Marshal John Gibbons; Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Holyoke Police Chief James M. Neiswanger made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Unit.

BOSTON - A North Attleboro woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court for taking over $112,000 from the bank where she was employed.

Debra S. Antonitis, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William G. Young to time served, to be followed by two years of supervised release, of which six months will be served in home detention. Antonitis was also order to pay restitution of $92,128.95 and a $100 special assessment. The Court also entered a forfeiture order of $112,385. Antonitis pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on Jan. 14, 2013.

Between April 2006 and early January 2012, Antonitis made 143 fraudulent transfers of funds through the records system of the bank where she worked, in order to take approximately $112,385. Antonitis conducted each of these fraudulent transfers by creating fictitious withdrawals from customers’ accounts and transferring the funds to herself in cash or in deposits to her own accounts. She covered up her thefts by creating false entries in the bank’s records to make it appear that customers had withdrawn the funds.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard Deslauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division made the announcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.

BOSTON - A New York woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on charges of conspiring to transport women in interstate travel for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor and harboring aliens.

Hong Wei, a/k/a “Ms. Chen,” 37, of Flushing, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

From August of 2004 through February of 2010, Wei, along with Jing Liang Chen, a/k/a “Mike,” 30 , of Quincy; Xiang Hua Zhang, a/k/a “Darren,” 27, of Flushing, New York; Yuen Jin, a/k/a “Eric,” 26, of Quincy; and Don Kai Chen, 41, of Quincy, engaged in a conspiracy to entice Asian women to travel to Massachusetts to engage in prostitution. The conspiracy involved the use of advertising in various newspapers in New York, California, Massachusetts, and elsewhere, seeking the services of Asian women to work in the defendants’ brothels. The women generally arrived at South Street Bus Station in Boston from New York and elsewhere around the country and were thereafter transported by the defendants to various apartments throughout Massachusetts where they then engaged in prostitution. Some of the women were not legally in the United States when they were harbored in the brothels. Some of the women were forced to work in the brothels.

Jing Liang Chen has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing; Yuen Jin is pending trial; Don Kai Chen pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2012 to 15 months in prison. Xiang Hua Zhang pleaded guilty and in November 2011 was sentenced to 21 months.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis; Chief Paul Keenan of the Quincy Police Department; Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Michael Kent of the Burlington Police Department made the announcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura J. Kaplan and Timothy Moran in the Organized Crime Strike Force Unit.

BOSTON – A Peabody man was charged yesterday with heading an identity fraud conspiracy that used identities stolen from employees of a Florida company to fraudulently obtain $368,000 in credit at large chain retail stores.

William G. Dodge, 45, of Peabody, was charged in a criminal complaint with access device fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The complaint alleges that Dodge claimed to have given the employee of a Florida company $3,000 for a list of her coworkers’ identity information, such as their names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and salaries. From June 2012 through February 2013, Dodge headed a conspiracy of individuals who obtained false identity cards that looked like Massachusetts drivers’ licenses and bore the co-conspirators’ pictures but the Florida company employees’ personal information. With these false identity cards, Dodge and the co-conspirators posed as the Florida company’s employees at large chain retail stores. In a typical fraudulent transaction, a conspirator would pose as the employee, pretend that he or she had left his store credit card at home, and ask the store personnel to provide the employee’s store credit card number. If the identity victim did not have an account with the store, the conspirator would use the false identity card to apply for a new credit account in the identity victim’s name. Upon obtaining a credit card number, the conspirator would use the account to purchase gift cards and other items such as electronics that they could resell. The store would lose the money, because the co-conspirators did not intend to pay the credit bill.

Dodge was originally arrested in December 2012, right after committing about $1,200 in identity fraud at a Peabody department store. Then in February 2013, Dodge was tailed to a Framingham electronics store, where he committed another $3,100 in identity fraud and then was arrested by police. The complaint alleges that Dodge and a co-conspirator were caught with dozens of false identity cards, that the conspiracy as a whole victimized at least 89 identity victims in 30 states, with losses of at least $368,000. The complaint also alleges that Dodge personally used the identities of at least 46 victims to commit at least $183,000 in identity fraud, and that he took 50 percent of the other conspirators’ cut.

On the charge of access device fraud, the maximum penalty under the statute is 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, forfeiture, restitution and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss. On the charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, the maximum penalty under the statute is five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, forfeiture, restitution and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss. On the charge of aggravated identity theft, the mandatory sentence under the statute is two years in prison, which would be served after any other prison sentence, followed by one year of supervised release, forfeiture, restitution, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the Peabody Police Department, Framingham Police Department, and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the Florida company for cooperating during the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott L. Garland of Ortiz’s Cybercrime Unit.

The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON - One of the leaders of a drug trafficking organization operating on Cape Cod was sentenced yesterday to serve 25 years in federal prison.

Yesterday United States District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, sentenced Russell Rose, a/k/a “Double R,” a/k/a Baby Russell, 31, of Randolph, to 25 years in federal prison. Rose, along with Kelvin Frye, a/k/a “Kelvin Andrews,” a/k/a “Brian Wright,” a/k/a “Cool Kel,” a/k/a “Cool Cal,” 29, of East Wareham, was convicted in December by a jury of participating in a longstanding, entrenched conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin in Falmouth, Mashpee, Bourne, and surrounding areas on Cape Cod.

Rose and Frye were the leaders of an organization responsible for distributing large quantities of cocaine and heroin on Cape Cod between 2008 and 2010. Fifteen members of the conspiracy were convicted in federal court; a sixteenth member of the conspiracy died while awaiting trial.

Law enforcement agents began investigating members of the organization in March 2008, during which time there were court authorized interceptions of seven cellular telephones used by alleged members of the organization. Based upon evidence obtained during hundreds of intercepted calls, agents determined that Rose and Frye were the leaders of the organization, that they had various sources of supply for cocaine and heroin, and that they directed others to distribute the drugs for them. During the course of the investigation, approximately two kilograms of cocaine and more than 300 grams of heroin were seized.

In 2002, Rose was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for drug trafficking. He was released from federal prison in March 2008, and immediately resumed distributing cocaine. Rose began arranging to purchase kilograms of cocaine that he, Frye, and others then processed and distributed.

Rose was responsible for the distribution of at least nine kilograms of cocaine, along with smaller quantities of heroin and marijuana. Evidence at trial further established that other members of the conspiracy were responsible for receiving and distributing even more cocaine and heroin, and that members of the conspiracy had attempted to smuggle heroin to Anthony Vaughn, a member of the organization who was serving a federal prison in Pollack, Louisiana. In addition, the organization had been provided access to empty units at a vacation resort in Falmouth, where they stored and processed drugs, and that Rose had stored various firearms above the resort’s management offices.

To date, four other members of the conspiracy have been sentenced: Omay Ford, a/k/a “Papa Doc,” 42, of Boston, was sentenced to 180 months; Adalberto Graciani, a/k/a “Berto,” 39, of Marstons Mills, was sentenced to 120 months; Kyle Hicks, a/k/a “Sleepy,” a/k/a “Sleep,” 31, of Marstons Mills was sentenced to 120 months; and Jeremy Wobecky, 38, of Falmouth, was sentenced to 44 months.

United States Attorney Carmen Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Office; Kevin Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; John J. Arvantis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Boston Field Division; William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe; Chief Edward Dunne of the Falmouth Police Department; Chief Rodney Collins of the Mashpee Police Department; Chief Dennis R. Woodside of the Bourne Police Department; Chief Brian E. Stewart of the Scituate Police Department; Chief Russell W. Jenkins of the Braintree Police Department; Chief Paul MacDonald of the Barnstable Police Department; Sheriff James M. Cummings of Barnstable County; and Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, Jr. of Plymouth County made the announcement today.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. D’Addio and James E. Arnold of Ortiz’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force.

BOSTON - A Holyoke resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Springfield to defrauding MassHealth by billing for personal care attendant services that were never provided.

Miosottis Gonzalez, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Three other individuals involved in the conspiracy, including Gonzalez’s aunt and uncle, previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced earlier this month.

Gonzalez engaged in a scheme to defraud the state’s Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Program, which is funded by MassHealth, the Commonwealth’s Medicaid Program, and assists individuals with permanent or chronic disabilities to keep their independence, stay in the community and manage their own personal care. The disabled individual is responsible for recruiting, hiring, scheduling, training, and, if necessary, firing his or her PCA and track the work performed by the PCA on bi-weekly time sheets.

Gonzalez recruited friends to provide identification documents which were used to bill MassHealth for PCA services that were never provided. She also signed and submitted false time sheets in her own name to obtain payment for services she never provided.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Susan J. Waddell, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement today. The case was investigated by HHS-OIG with the assistance of the Massachusetts Auditor’s Office, Bureau of Special Investigations, and the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Goodwin, of Ortiz’s Springfield branch office.

BOSTON - A North Andover man was sentenced today in federal court for financial institution fraud and interstate transporting of stolen property.

Francis X. Sullivan, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served, to be followed by three years of supervised release, of which six months will be served in home confinement with electronic monitoring. Sullivan was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $98,720.78 and a $200 special assessment. Sullivan pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, 2013 to one count of financial institution fraud and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

Between March and December 2010, Sullivan, a vice president of finance for a real estate financing company (“PRC”), took $113,821 by: making 44 withdrawals from 11 PRC bank accounts totaling $105,608.76; approving his own payroll advances, expense reports for training not taken, and other “miscellaneous” payments to himself in nine transactions totaling $6,777.02; and forging an endorsement of a pension check that was intended for the widow of a former PRC employee. Sullivan deposited the $1,435 check in his personal account.

For one of these unauthorized transactions, Sullivan traveled from Massachusetts to Plaistow, New Hampshire with a check for $5,500 made against PRC and deposited a portion of the money in his own account and took the rest in cash.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard Deslauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Office made the announcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.

BOSTON - A former Massachusetts State Representative was sentenced today in federal court for civil rights violations after his role in submitting fraudulent absentee ballot applications and casting invalid ballots in multiple elections in 2009 and 2010.

Stephen Smith, 57, of Everett, was sentenced by Magistrate Judge Leo T. Sorokin to four months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release and a $20,000 fine. Smith was ordered to report to prison on May 21, 2013. On Dec. 20, 2012, Smith pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Smith was called to resign his position in the Massachusetts House of Representatives effective Jan. 1, 2013, and is not allowed to seek elected office for five years.

Smith, as the Representative of the 28th Middlesex District, cast invalid absentee ballots in support of his races for public office for voters who were ineligible or otherwise unaware of ballots being cast in their names. Smith submitted fraudulent Massachusetts Official Absentee Applications, which resulted in the issuance of absentee ballots. He obtained many of the absentee ballots and cause them to be delivered to the ineligible voters, who would then cast votes despite lacking any eligibility to do so, or Smith would cast the ballots himself.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Ortiz’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit.

BOSTON – A Boston area couple were arrested today and charged with sex trafficking a child.

David Minasian, 24, of Malden and Madonna Say, 23, of Lynn, were charged via federal complaint with sex trafficking of a child and sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.

According to the affidavit, the investigation revealed that in July 2012, Minasian transported a 15-year-old girl to Florida, causing her to engage in prostitution. After returning to Massachusetts, Minasian and Say photographed the victim wearing revealing lingerie and posing in provocative positions. Minasian and Say then posted these photographs to the adult section of Backpage.com with advertisements soliciting customers for “escort services.” Backpage.com is an Internet site used for advertising commercial sex activity. Customers who responded to the advertisements were directed to where Minasian and Say were staying with the victim to have sex for a fee with her. Minasian and Say also transported the victim to motels inside Massachusetts where they paid for rooms for the purposes of prostituting her.

On the charge of sex trafficking of a child, the statutory minimum penalty is 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. On the charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, the statutory minimum penalty is 15 years, followed by five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Child Exploitation Task Force, which is comprised of members from the FBI, Massachusetts State Police, the Malden Police Department and the Arlington Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Foley in Ortiz’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team.

BOSTON – An Easthampton man was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Springfield of distributing more than 500 grams of cocaine.

Julio Vidal Hermida, 26, formerly of Easthampton, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of more than 500 grams of cocaine.

Between July 31, 2010, and May 2, 2011, Hermida and others participated in a criminal conspiracy that transported kilograms of cocaine from Texas to western Massachusetts.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 2, 2013. The statutory maximum penalty is up to 40 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Boston Field Division, and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Regan of Ortiz’s Springfield Office.

BOSTON - A Weston real estate developer and entrepreneur, who was apprehended in Cyprus nearly eight months after he was indicted on federal criminal charges, was convicted yesterday of wire fraud in connection with his defrauding several individuals in 2008.

After a jury trial, Paul John McMann, 54, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud. United States District Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2013.

In October and November of 2008, McMann purchased various fraudulent bank documents, including “Proof of Funds” letters on Bank of America and Wachovia Bank letterhead purporting to show that McMann and his company, Commonwealth Albanian Hydro Ventures, Inc. (CAHV), held accounts in those banks containing large sums of money. McMann used these and other fraudulent documents, including a phony letter of credit purporting to come from Wachovia Bank, as part of fraudulent scheme to obtain money and other consideration from various individuals in the Boston area and elsewhere. Specifically, McMann utilized the fraudulent documents to secure at least $450,000 in loans, as well as to convince a creditor to whom McMann owed over $1.6 million, to hold off on foreclosing on various properties McMann had developed.

The indictment was returned on November 10, 2010, but McMann, after being informed by the United States Secret Service of the pending charges against him, remained at-large, outside the United States, until he was detained on July 10, 2011, in Cyprus. He has been held pending trial.

The statutory maximum penalty is up to 20 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of loss inflicted by his fraud, whichever is greater, on each count of wire fraud.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Steven Ricciardi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division and United States Marshal John Gibbons made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vassili Thomadakis and Ryan M. DiSantis of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.

Individuals who believe that they may have been a victim of McMann, should contact the United States Attorney’s Office at: [email protected].

BOSTON – A Shrewsbury man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Worcester to traveling to the Dominican Republic with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

Conrad Gallant, 61, previously of Winchendon and most recently of Shrewsbury, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the Court must sentence Gallant to between 60 and 168 months in prison, 10 years of supervised release, restitution and forfeiture. Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2013.

According to the agreed upon statement of facts, Gallant traveled to the Dominican Republic in February 2011 and had sexual relations in his apartment with a 14-year-old girl he knew was underage. Gallant returned to the Dominican Republic four times over the course of a year to engage in illicit sexual relations with the underage victim, giving her money, a laptop computer, and jewelry during that time. Additionally, on these trips, Gallant took photographs of the victim while she was nude and while engaging in sexual acts, and took those images back to the United States.

In February 2012, the National Tourist Police of the Dominican Republic learned that Gallant had engaged in sexual relations with the then 15-year-old victim. The victim was forensically interviewed by a medical professional and she confirmed that Gallant engaged in sex with her. She provided agents with a cell phone containing images of Gallant naked, including an image of Gallant and the victim engaged in sexual activity. The victim disclosed that Gallant had promised her certain items and money to take her mother to the doctor, but never gave them to her. Additionally, the victim stated that Gallant forced her to have sex with him a couple times when she was unwilling. The victim also informed investigators that Gallant asked her to bring him other minor girls to have sex with and this happened on two occasions. Gallant paid both of these minors $100.

In March 2012, a federal search warrant was executed at Gallant’s Shrewsbury address. During the search, agents recovered images of Gallant and the victim together engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including an image of the victim performing oral sex on Gallant and a close-up image of the victim’s genitalia displayed in a sexually explicit manner.

A second federal search warrant was executed on the items seized from Gallant’s apartment in the Dominican Republic and revealed a laptop containing numerous images of child pornography, including the images mentioned above of Gallant engaging the sexual conduct with the victim.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Bruce Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Chief James Hester, Jr. of the Shrewsbury Police Department, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael I. Yoon, Stacy Dawson Belf, and Eve Piemonte Stacey of Ortiz's Major Crimes Unit.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to extend its appreciation to HSI’s attaché in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Tourist Police (Politur), Dominican prosecutors in Higuey and Santo Domingo, Dominican Migration and HSI's Santo Domingo Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit members for their assistance and cooperation.

BOSTON – A Quincy man was convicted today of credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with his use of stolen credit card numbers to purchase more than $64,000 in cigarettes and other items.

Yek Doug Wong, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole to using counterfeit access devices, possession of device-making equipment, and six counts of aggravated identity theft. For the charge of using counterfeit access devices, the statutory maximum penalty is 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine; for the charge of possession of device-making equipment, the statutory maximum penalty is 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and $250,000 fine; for the charges of aggravated identity theft, the statute mandates two years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2013.

In October 2011, the Braintree, Brockton and Holbrook Police Departments received reports from numerous people who identified fraudulent activity on their credit card accounts, even though all of the victims still possessed their actual cards. Law enforcement collected surveillance video from many of the locations where the purchases had been made as well as receipts from suspect transactions. The surveillance videos showed a man, later identified as Wong, making the purchases and then driving off. Ultimately, one clerk noted the license plate of the car which led to Wong and a search of his residence. The search resulted in the seizure of, among other things, more than 1,170 embossed and blank Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards, three credit card skimming devices, a card reader and encoding device, two credit card embossing machines, various pieces of computer equipment, 42 cartons of cigarettes, 22 bottles of rice wine, and $16,900 in cash. Officers also seized two safe deposit box keys which led to the seizure of an additional $4,250 in cash.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Steven D. Ricciardi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service; Chief Russell W. Jenkins of the Braintree Police Department; Chief Emanuel Gomes of the Brockton Police Department; Chief William D. Marbel, Jr. of the Holbrook Police Department; and Chief Paul Keenan of the Quincy Police Department, made the announcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.

Boston - Seven men were arrested in Brockton and Stoughton charged today in federal court on oxycodone distribution charges and aiding and abetting. An eighth man was arrested and charged on state drug charges also.

John Cruz, 33; Kenneth A. Harris, Jr., 30; Isaac J. Marrero a/k/a Saki, 19; Joel Marrero, 32; Reinaldo Marrero, a/k/a Joseph, a/k/a Jo Jo, 33; and Louis Porter, 35, all of Brockton and Jose Martinez More, 34, of New York were arrested and charged today in federal court with oxycodone offenses. Cruz, Isaac Marrero, Joel Marrero, Reinaldo Marrero and Porter were arrested this morning in Brockton and Harris was arrested in Stoughton. The defendants all appeared in U.S. District Court this afternoon.

Martinez More was also arrested in Connecticut as part of this investigation and is being held on related state charges. In addition Rey Marrero, 21, of Brockton was arrested on state narcotics charges.

The indictment which was unsealed this afternoon, charges all of the federal defendants with one count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Oxycodone; and charges John Cruz, Joel Marrero, and Reinaldo Marrero with one count of Distribution of Oxycodone and Aiding and Abetting. The indictment also contains a Drug Asset Forefeiture allegation.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Boston Field Division; Chief Emanuel C. Gomes of the Brockton Police Department; Colonel Timothy Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Timothy J. Cruz of the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda M. Ricci of Ortiz’s Drug Task Force Unit.

Boston - The owner of Charlton Welding and Repair, Inc. was sentenced today for violating the federal Clean Water Act.

Larry McKissick, II, 43, of Charlton, was sentenced today by Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal to 12 months of probation, including four months of home detention and ordered to pay a fine of $75,000. In addition, McKissick must submit a written public apology within two weeks of sentencing, at his own expense, to the Boston Globe Metro West Edition, or Worcester Region Edition or Worcester Telegram and Gazette. He must also complete a Spill Prevention and Countermeasures training course. Restitution was not part of McKissick’s plea agreement, as authorities are pursing it through a separate process under the Clean Water Act.

McKissick is President of Charlton Welding, which operates a trucking and plowing company on Griffin Road in Charlton. In October 2012 McKissick plead guilty to negligently discharging a harmful quantity of oil, namely diesel fuel, into or upon the navigable waters of the United States. On June 11, 2010, McKissick washed diesel fuel off of the parking lot at his business property after realizing that the fuel had been released from a storage tanker parked on the property. It is estimated that 3,200 gallons of diesel fuel were released from the storage tank and washed into a tributary stream connected to the Quinebaug River. The fuel spill caused impacts to the wetlands and residents of a nearby housing complex, and triggered a six-month cleanup response by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) costing more than $680,000.

United States Attorney Carmen Ortiz said, “The federal Clean Water Act is one of the most important tools we have in our ongoing effort to protect our natural resources. Mr. McKissick’s negligence impacted important wetlands and tributary stream, and that could have been much worse, if not for the outstanding clean up efforts of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. I want to thank the EPA and Mass DEP for their ongoing commitment and partnership in our mutual mission to preserve our precious wetlands and waterways.”

“Mr. McKissick’s efforts to conceal the spill resulted in its spread to a larger area,” said MassDEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell. “Washing the spill into the nearby wetland created noxious fumes that endangered nearby residents and greatly complicated the immediate clean up actions performed by MassDEP. This case shows the legal consequences that follow from trying to evade responsibility for spills to the environment.”

“Today’s sentencing underscores EPA’s commitment to ensure that fuel is stored safely and in a manner that will protect the environment. Mr. McKissick chose to ignore all responsibility and instead flush thousands of gallons of spilled diesel into a brook,” said John Gauthier, Acting Special Agent in Charge of EPA-CID.

United States Attorney Ortiz, Acting SAC Gauthier and Commissioner Kimmell made the announcement today. The Mass DEP oversaw extensive cleanup efforts within the wetlands and their Environmental Strike Force assisted in this investigation as well. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anton P. Giedt of Ortiz’s office.

BOSTON – A Foxboro man was convicted today of fraud and tax evasion in connection with the operation of his financial planning service that targeted senior citizens.

John A. Picini, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph L. Tauro to mail fraud and tax evasion charges. The statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain/loss, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2013.

Picini operated a business called the Center for Senior Financial Planning in North Attleboro. Picini targeted senior citizen investors as clients and represented to them that he was knowledgeable in the protection and conservation of their assets. Beginning around 2006, Picini repeatedly advised various clients to liquidate retirement funds invested in annuities or other tax deferred investment vehicles and to re-invest these funds in purported accounts supposedly managed by Picini. Contrary to his representations, Picini did not invest these monies but instead used his clients’ funds for his own personal purposes.

In addition to depleting and spending his clients’ investments, Picini also charged his clients thousands of dollars in fees for nonexistent investments and for purchasing annuities for which he had already been compensated via commissions from the sellers of the annuities. Picini’s scheme also cost his clients thousands of dollars in fees and penalties for cashing out their legitimate investments, based on his directives. Furthermore, Picini filed false individual income tax returns with the IRS which substantially understated his true income.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Kevin Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts Securities Division. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Holik of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.

BOSTON - An Easthampton man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Springfield, for counterfeiting United States currency.

Shayne Pancione, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to 33 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Pancione pleaded guilty to manufacturing and distributing counterfeit currency on Feb. 14, 2013.

Between Aug. 28, 2011, and Sept. 6, 2011, Pancione manufactured and distributed counterfeit 20 dollar bills in Easthampton and Southampton.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Steven D. Ricciardi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service; and Chief Bruce McMahon of the Easthampton Police Department made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Regan of Ortiz’s Springfield Office.

BOSTON - Ten Holyoke men, and one Springfield man, were charged today in federal court in Springfield on charges of distributing drugs and possessing firearms and ammunition. In addition, eight individuals were also charged with state drug charges.

Kelly Arzate, 29; Francisco Diaz, 34; Antonio Caraballo, 35; Luzander Montoya, 29; Miguel Medina, 30; William Rodriguez, 28; Pedro Colon, 31; Reynaldo Figueroa, 27; Miguel Alcazar, 23; and Edison Lajara, 25, all of Holyoke, and Charlie Santiago, 32, of Springfield, were charged in separate indictments with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin or cocaine. Figueroa and Colon were also indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm.

The indictments allege that each defendant distributed heroin or cocaine in Holyoke between August of 2012 and March of 2013. The indictments further allege that Figueroa and Colon also possessed a firearm and ammunition during that time period. The indictments were the result of a long-term investigation by the law enforcement into heroin and cocaine trafficking in Holyoke by members of the La Familia and Latin Kings street gangs.

If convicted on these charges, Arzate faces up to life in prison, Montoya, Figueroa, Colon, Santiago, Caraballo, Alcazar and Lajara, face up to 30 years and Diaz, Rodriguez, and Medina face up to 20 years. In addition, Figueroa and Colon also face up to 10 years on the firearms charges.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Office; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Boston Field Division; Hampden County District Attorney Mark. G. Mastroianni; United States Marshal John Gibbons; Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Holyoke Police Chief James M. Neiswanger, made the announcement today.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Hart Smyth and Todd E. Newhouse of Ortiz’s Springfield Office. The state cases are being prosecuted by the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office.

The details contained in the indictments are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Ludlow man was charged today in U.S. District Court in Springfield with sexual exploitation of a child.

James Pease, 34, was indicted on four counts of sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. The sentences under the respective statutes are as follows, sexual exploitation of a child: a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years; receipt of child pornography: a minimum of five years and up to 20 years; possession of child pornography: a maximum of 10 years in prison.

The indictment alleges that on four occasions in 2010 and 2012, Pease attempted to use a minor to produce child pornography. It also alleges that between 2006 and 2012, Pease received and possessed child pornography.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Leigh-Alistar Barzey, Resident Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General, Department of Defense’s Department of Criminal Investigative Service in Boston, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Unit.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Braintree man was convicted today of stealing credit cards from a mail-sorting facility and using them to commit fraud.

Gerald K. Acholonu, 32, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Richard G. Stearns to credit card fraud and theft of mail. Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2013. Acholonu faces between 48 and 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture, and a fine.

From August 2010 through May 2011, Acholonu worked for a contractor that sorted mail for the U.S. Postal System. In late April 2011, Acholonu was spotted leaving his employer’s restroom with a tray of U.S. mail. Investigators then searched the trash from his residence and found 11 stolen Discover credit cards and evidence that Acholonu was using or planning to use the Discover customers’ identities by setting up telephone accounts in their names. In his plea agreement, the parties agreed that all told, there were more than 250 victims and the loss totaled between $400,000 and $1 million.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Kevin Niland, Postal Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Rafael Medina, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted Scott L. Garland and Eric Christofferson, respectively of Ortiz's Cybercrimes and Economic Crimes Units.

BOSTON – A Waltham police officer was charged today with sending and receiving child pornography.

Paul Manganelli, 46, of Waltham, was charged in a criminal complaint with receipt of child pornography. The statute provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. At an initial appearance this afternoon, Chief Magistrate Judge Leo T. Sorokin ordered Manganelli detained until March 28, 2013 when he will return to court for a detention hearing.

According to court documents, agents learned that Manganelli, using a Yahoo! email address, had been sending and receiving images containing child pornography from his home in Waltham to individuals outside of Massachusetts. On March 25, 2013, a search warrant was executed at Manganelli’s home, during which Manganelli admitted possessing, receiving and distributing child pornography via email. Manganelli further identified images of child pornography as being photos he sent and received.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy Dawson Belf of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274, and messages will be promptly returned.

This 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better 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/.

The details contained in the complaint affidavit are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON - In an indictment unsealed today, a Roxbury woman and two Boston men have been charged with sex trafficking of a minor. This is the third sex trafficking case within 10 months to be charged by United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz’s office.

Darian Thomson, a/k/a Bo, 29, of Boston, Corey Norris, a/k/a Case or Jacorey Johnson, 23, of Boston, and Vanessa Grandoit, 24, of Roxbury, were charged with sex trafficking of a minor victim and transportation of the minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The sentence under the statute is a maximum of life in prison.

According to the indictment, in December 2012, Thomson, Norris and Grandoit conspired to transport a minor from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to engage in criminal sexual activity.

U.S. Attorney Ortiz; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart of Ortiz’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team.

The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The aggressive enforcement of federal civil rights laws is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Since U.S. Attorney Ortiz created the Civil Rights Enforcement Team (CRET) in May 2010, the Office has substantially increased its focus on civil and criminal civil rights enforcement. In recent months, the CRET has charged Michael Gemma and Darrell Graham in separate cases with sex trafficking.

BOSTON – A Cape Cod man, who is a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography.

Scott Harrison, 45, of West Yarmouth, will be sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Patti B. Saris on June 19, 2013. As a result of his previous conviction for indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14, the statute provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

On Oct. 27, 2010, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Harrison’s home seizing two computers. A forensic examination of the two computers revealed child pornography. Harrison became the target of a police investigation after an undercover trooper downloaded child pornography from Harrison’s Internet file sharing account. Harrison placed child pornography on the Internet to be shared and copied by other Internet users.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Chief Frank Frederickson of the Yarmouth Police Department; and Kevin Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Tobin and Suzanne M. Sullivan of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

BOSTON – A Medford man was sentenced today for possessing child pornography.

James Patrick Judge, 58, was sentenced by United States District Judge William G. Young to three years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In January, Judge pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

In 2011, Judge was arrested after receiving a child pornography video he had ordered through the mail. In a separate case, in May 2012, Judge was arrested at the Medford Public Library after allegedly using the library’s computer to view and print pornographic images of boys. A probable cause hearing in that case is scheduled for April 30, in Somerville District Court.

U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Kevin Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Bruce Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Chief Leo A. Sacco, Jr. of the Medford Police Department, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Tobin and Suzanne M. Sullivan of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

BOSTON – A Milton man was convicted today of bank and wire fraud charges in connection with a property flipping scheme.

Edward Johnson, 52, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper to bank fraud and six counts of wire fraud.

From May through July 2006, Johnson recruited two financially unqualified individuals to buy multiple properties in Dorchester and Mattapan. To secure their participation in the scheme, Johnson, or others acting with him, promised these individuals that they would have no responsibility for any expenses or payments on the property. Johnson promised that the individuals would hold the titles in their name for a few months until the property was improved and sold, and in exchange, they would receive a payment for each property purchased. The individuals acted under the assumption that this would improve their credit so they could eventually buy their own homes. Johnson, and others, submitted false mortgage applications on behalf of these individuals that misrepresented their income, employment, prior indebtedness, and intention to reside in the purchased properties. The mortgages were not paid as promised and all of the properties went into foreclosure.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2013. On the charge of bank fraud, the sentence under the statute is a maximum of 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. For wire fraud, the sentence under the statute is a maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Cary Rubenstein, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, New York Regional Office; Kevin Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori J. Holik and Sandra S. Bower of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.

BOSTON - A Chicopee store owner was charged today in federal court with selling counterfeit NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA sports apparel.

James M. Dent, 51, was charged in an Information with trafficking in counterfeit goods. The Information alleges that between 2007 and 2012, Dent sold counterfeit sports apparel from the four major professional sports leagues, in his Central and Western Massachusetts stores. The stores were located in the Holyoke Mall in Holyoke (Sports Zone); the Greendale Mall in Worcester (Sports Zone); the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough (Collectibles and Cards); the Hampshire Mall in Hadley (Collectibles and Cards); and the Eastfield Mall in Springfield (Collectibles and Cards).

The statutory maximum penalty is 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart of Ortiz’s Cybercrime Unit.

The details contained in the Information are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Leominster man was convicted Friday in U.S. District Court in Worcester for various firearms offenses.

Benjamin Batista, 32, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman to being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and possession of an unregistered firearm silencer. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2013. For the charges of possessing a firearm and ammunition, the sentence under the statute is a maximum of 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. For the charge of possessing a silencer, the sentence under the statute is a maximum of 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine.

In November 2010, Batista, a previously convicted felon, arranged for the sale of a semiautomatic firearm to a cooperating witness. On Dec. 20, 2010, Batista sold a silencer and 43 rounds of ammunition for the semiautomatic firearm to the same cooperating witness. The silencer was not registered to Batista in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Eugenio A. Marquez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Chief Robert A. DeMoura of the Fitchburg Police Department; and Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett and Cory Flashner of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office.

BOSTON – A former financial aid advisor at a Brockton training school was arrested today for stealing over $62,000 in student financial aid.

Ayana Bean, 38, of Hyde Park was charged with theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.

Sullivan and Cogliano Training Centers (SCTC) is a for-profit career training school that offers certificate programs in information technology and other careers. The office of Federal Student Aid within the U.S. Department of Education administers financial aid to eligible students attending educational institutions around the country. Whenever an educational institution, such as SCTC, disburses federal financial aid funds by crediting a student’s account, and the total amount of all federal financial aid funds credited exceeds the amount of tuition and fees, room and board, and other authorized charges, the institution must pay the resulting credit balance directly to the student, often in the form of what is known as a federal financial aid refund check.

According to the complaint affidavit, in July 2010, Bean was employed by SCTC as a financial aid advisor. As part of her responsibilities, Bean also had access to SCTC students’ federal financial aid refund checks. On Aug. 15, 2012, a SCTC student contacted SCTC about the status of her federal financial aid refund check. SCTC staff determined that Bean had stolen the student’s check, forged the student’s endorsement, and deposited the check into a personal bank account. A subsequent investigation revealed that Bean had mishandled and stolen approximately 100 federal financial aid refund checks during her employment at SCTC. The complaint affidavit specifically identifies 77 financial aid refund checks, totaling over $62,000, that Bean allegedly stole between June 2011 and August 2012. ATM surveillance images show Bean depositing some of the checks into her personal bank accounts.

Bean was previously convicted in Suffolk Superior Court on multiple counts of uttering false and forged records and larceny. In that case, Bean stole just under $240,000 worth of federal financial aid refund checks from two local colleges. Bean was sentenced to two years in prison; she served six months of that sentence followed by three years of probation.

The maximum sentence under the statute is 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Brian Hickey, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General; and Chief Emanuel Gomes of the Brockton Police Department, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maxim Grinberg of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – Fifteen men from the North Shore, primarily Lynn and Revere, were charged today in federal and state court with various drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

A total of 15 individuals were arrested early this morning. Nine have been charged in federal indictments on drug trafficking and firearm offenses. Five have been charged by the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office and one individual has been charged by the Essex District Attorney’s Office. The charges are a result of a coordinated, joint federal and state investigation into drug trafficking and firearm possession in the North Shore.

The following individuals were arrested on federal charges today:

• Michael Johnson, a/k/a Juni, a/k/a Junebug, 28, of Revere, conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base;
• Kenny Bailey, a/k/a Bless, 22, of New Bedford, conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base;
• Freddy Dunbar, a/k/a Fox, 26, of Revere, conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base;
• Winford McRae, a/k/a E, 38, of Revere, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base;
• David Batista, 37, of Lynn, conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin;
• Henry Mercado, a/k/a Chapo, 35, of Lynn, conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base;
• Manuel Rivera, 29, of Lynn, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition;
• Gilberto Echevarria, a/k/a/ Roberto Echevarria, a/k/a Alberto Echevarria, 40, of Lynn, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and distribution of heroin; and
• Jermaine Rucker, 29, of Lynn, charged via complaint with conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.
  

The following individuals were arrested on state charges in Suffolk County today:

• Quinnelle Wheeler (charges in Suffolk and Essex Counties)
• Kevin Sanchez
• Sigfredo Sanchez
• Sulayman Abdul-Shafi
• Damien Hutchinson

The following individual was arrested on state charges in Essex County:

• Javier Santiago-Rosado

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Field Division; Eugenia A. Marquez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Boston Field Division; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Luis S. Spencer of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Sherriff Frank G. Cousins, Jr. of the Essex Sherriff’s Office; Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone; Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Chief Kevin F. Coppinger of the Lynn Police Department; and Chief Joseph Cafarelli of the Revere Police Department, made the announcement today.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Boston Field Division. The federal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in Ortiz=s Organized Crime and Gang Unit. The state defendants will be prosecuted by District Attorney Leone and Blodgett’s Office.

The charges contained in the indictments and complaints are accusations, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

For inquiries related to the state defendants, please contact Stephanie Chelf Guyotte, Communications Director, Middlesex District Attorney’s Office at (781) 897-8325 or the Essex District Attorney’s Office at (978) 745-6610 ext. 5079.

BOSTON – A Chicopee man and soccer coach was arrested this morning on sexual exploitation of children charges.

Michael DuPont, 36 formerly of Westfield and most recently from Chicopee, was charged by criminal complaint following a search at his residence early this morning. According to the criminal complaint affidavit, on Dec. 26, 2012, Vermont State Police were contacted by a “Minor A” victim’s mother, who reported that on Dec. 19, 2012, she inadvertently discovered inappropriate email correspondence between her minor child and another individual. According to the affidavit, agents met with Minor A who told them that in October 2012, she was contacted by an individual named “Mike” in a chatroom who indicated that he was a 37-year-old soccer coach in Massachusetts. Minor A told “Mike” that she was 14-years-old. It is alleged that Minor A also communicated at times with “Mike” via webcam when she was asked to “put on a show” over the webcam for him. It was later determined by authorities that “Mike” was identified as Dupont.

According to the complaint affidavit, after being advised of his Miranda rights, Mr. Dupont admitted that he has received explicit photos of at least five different girls over the Internet including Minor A and that he had asked Minor A to display herself nude over the webcam. He also admitted that he knew that Minor A was 14 or 15 years old.

If convicted, Dupont faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and maximum of 30 years in prison, to be followed by a mandatory minimum of five years and maximum life term of supervised release.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Chief John R. Ferraro, Jr. of the Chicopee Police Department made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Breslow of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.

The charges contained in the complaint are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Boston, MASS: The FBI, along with Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, released new information about one of the largest property crimes in U.S. history, the art theft from the museum more than two decades ago. The FBI is appealing to the public for help in what is one of the FBI’s Top Ten Art Crimes.

The FBI believes it has determined where the stolen art was transported in the years after the theft and that it knows the identity of the thieves, Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston office, revealed for the first time in the 23 year investigation. “The FBI believes with a high degree of confidence in the years after the theft the art was transported to Connecticut and the Philadelphia region and some of the art was taken to Philadelphia where it was offered for sale by those responsible for the theft.” DesLauriers added, “With that same confidence we have identified the thieves who are members of a criminal organization with a base in the mid-Atlantic states and New England.” After the attempted sale, which took place approximately a decade ago, the FBI’s knowledge of the art’s whereabouts is limited.

Information is being sought from those who possess, or know the whereabouts of, the 13 stolen works of art, including rare paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer, by publicizing new details about the case and continuing to highlight the $5 million reward for the return of the art. Although the FBI does not know where the art is currently located, the FBI is continuing its search, both in and beyond the Connecticut and Philadelphia areas. “With this announcement, we want to widen the ‘aperture of awareness’ of this crime, to the reach the American public and others around the world,” said DesLauriers.

Anthony Amore, the museum’s chief of security, noted that the reward is for “information that leads directly to the recovery of all of our items in good condition.” He further explained, “You don’t have to hand us the paintings to be eligible for the reward. We hope that through this media campaign people will see how earnest we are in our attempts to pay this reward and make our institution whole. We simply want to recover our paintings and move forward. Today marks 23 years since the robbery. It’s time for these paintings to come home.”

“The investigation into the Gardner Museum theft has been an active and aggressive effort, with law enforcement following leads and tracking down potential sources of information around the globe. Over the past three years, I have visited the museum several times, and each time I entered the Dutch Room and saw the empty frames, I was reminded of the enormous impact of this theft. I do remain optimistic that one day soon the paintings will be returned to their rightful place in the Fenway, as Mrs. Gardner intended,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “As we have said in the past, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will consider the possibility of immunity from criminal prosecution for information that leads to the return of the paintings based on the set of facts and circumstances brought to our attention. Our primary goal is, and always has been, to have the paintings returned.”

To recover stolen items and prosecute art and cultural property crime, the FBI has a specialized Art Crime Team of 14 Special Agents supported by special trial attorneys. The team investigates theft, fraud, looting and trafficking across state and international lines with estimated losses running as high as $6 billion annually. The FBI also runs the National Stolen Art File, a computerized index of stolen art and cultural properties that is used as a reference by law enforcement agencies worldwide.

The FBI stressed that anyone with information about the artwork may contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the museum directly or through a third party, said Special Agent Geoffrey Kelly, who is the lead investigator for the theft and a member of the art crime team, “In the past, people who realize they are in possession of stolen art have returned the art in a variety of ways, including through third parties, attorneys and anonymously leaving items in churches or at police stations.” Tips may also be submitted online at https://tips.fbi.gov.

The publicity campaign announced today includes a dedicated FBI website on the Gardner Museum theft, video postings on FBI social media sites, publicity on digital billboards in Philadelphia region, and a podcast. To view and listen to these items, link to the FBI’s new website about the theft: www.FBI.gov/gardner.

BOSTON – In an indictment unsealed late yesterday, two California men have been charged with remotely hacking into the computerized cash registers of a number of Subway restaurants in order to fraudulently obtain gift cards.

On March 6, Shahin Abdollahi (aka Sean Holdt), 46, of Lake Elsinore, Calif., and Jeffrey Thomas Wilkinson, 35, of Rialto, Calif., were both charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud, and one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Abdollahi owned Subway franchises in Southern California from 2005 to 2008, and later operated a California company called “POS Doctor,” which sold and installed point-of-sale (POS) computer systems to Subway restaurant franchises around the country. POS systems are a type of computerized checkout register that allows merchants to manage customer purchases made by credit, debit and gift cards.

The indictment alleges that beginning in approximately 2011, Abdollahi and Wilkinson conspired to remotely hack into POS systems in Subway restaurant franchises around the country. According to the indictment, members of the conspiracy hacked into at least 13 Subway POS systems that Abdollahi sold through POS Doctor and fraudulently added at least $40,000 in value to Subway gift cards. Abdollahi and Wilkinson allegedly used the fraudulent gift cards to make purchases at Subway, and Wilkinson also allegedly sold fraudulent gift cards to others using eBay and Craigslist.

The statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. Abdollahi is scheduled to have his initial appearance on March 27 at 3:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman; and Resident Agent in Charge Holly Fraumeni, of the United States Secret Service in Manchester, N.H., made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Bookbinder and Mona Sedky, a trial attorney with the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

BOSTON – A Randolph woman was sentenced late yesterday for using a stolen identity to sign fraudulent mortgage loan documents.

Allison Gates, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole to six months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution to the mortgage lenders. In July 2012, Gates pleaded guilty to seven counts of wire fraud and four counts of identity fraud. She has been ordered to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons before April 15.

Gates was solicited by co-defendant Peterson Cherimond to pose as the buyer for the purchase of four residential properties in Halifax, Brockton, and Worcester. For each of the four properties, Gates was paid approximately $3,000 to use a stolen identification to execute mortgage loan closing papers. Gates was paid a total of approximately $12,000.

In July 2012, Cherimond pleaded guilty to nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering, and pleaded guilty to four additional counts of wire fraud, seven counts of identity fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in October 2012. Sentencing is scheduled for April 11, 2013.

In February 2013, co-defendant Judy Bonas was also sentenced to six months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $936,000 in restitution. In April 2012, Bonas pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud and three counts of identity fraud for playing a similar role in the fraud scheme. Bonas has been ordered to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons before April 22, 2013.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Kevin Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and William Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit and Brian Pérez-Daple of Ortiz’s Civil Division.

BOSTON – A Westfield man was charged today with the sexually exploitation of a child.

Gardner Whitney, 61, was indicted on seven counts of sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography.

The indictment alleges that between June 2010 and December 2011, Whitney used a minor to produce child pornography and that he possessed child pornography.

The maximum sentence under the statute is 30 years in prison on each count of sexual exploitation of a child and 10 years on the charge of possession of child pornography, followed by a lifetime of supervised release and a $2 million fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Mark G. Mastroianni, Hampden County District Attorney; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Chief John Camerota of the Westfield Police Department, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Unit.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

"We respect the opinion of the Court and will continue to prepare the matter for trial. We are hopeful that this opinion will not cause a delay, as it has always been our goal to try this case as soon as possible. The victims' families have waited long enough."

For Audio: http://www.justice.gov/usao/ma/audiovideo.html