District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A North Andover man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiring to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the Essex County Jail.

Steven Rios, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2022, Rios pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to distribute Suboxone. 

Rios was charged in November 2021 along with 12 others in connection with a large drug conspiracy centering around the Gangster Disciples in Lawrence, Haverhill and Methuen. The investigation, which began in August 2020, intercepted communications between Gangster Disciples’ leaders, members and drug suppliers pertaining to their alleged distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and Suboxone in Massachusetts, Maine and southern New Hampshire as well as into the Essex County Jail. The investigation intercepted phone calls between Rios and other gang members, who conspired to kidnap and assault a marijuana supplier from Maine. The dispute originated from an alleged drug debt and suspicions that the drug supplier had stolen one of Rios’s breeding dogs. Following related search warrants, Rios was again intercepted in phone calls planning to smuggle Suboxone into the Essex County Jail when he was arrested. Jail officials were able to screen Rios, who had attempted to smuggle drugs into the jail by swallowing them. After several days at the hospital, jail officials seized Suboxone from Rios. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is also a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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

BOSTON – A New Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition. 

David Acosta, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Alison D. Burroughs to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2022, Acosta pleaded guilty to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

On Oct. 22, 2020, Acosta was found in possession of a loaded Glock .45 caliber pistol and 10 rounds of assorted .45 caliber ammunition. Co-defendant, Marquise Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to three years of supervised release on Nov. 15, 2022. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

BOSTON – A Fitchburg man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Pedro Villot-Santiago, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine) and 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 12, 2023. Villot-Santiago was indicted in July 2020 along with 17 others, including his brother and co-conspirator Jonathan Villot.

Following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area. Beginning in July 2019, court authorized interceptions of wire and electronic communications between members of the DTO and its suppliers revealed Villot-Santiago as a large-scale cocaine supplier. 

Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine were seized, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000. On the day of his arrest in July 2023, Villot-Santiago was found in possession of a stolen, loaded handgun, as well as over $252,000 in cash.  
    
Villot-Santiago is the last of all 18 defendants to be convicted in this case – either by guilty plea or jury conviction following trial.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments and U.S. Postal Inspection Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.  

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

BOSTON – A Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) and a Boston man have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly conspiring to illegally traffic and straw purchase firearms.

Cory Daigle, 29, of Revere, and Gustavo Rodriguez, 20 of Boston, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL and one count of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL. Shakim Grant, 21, of Boston, was charged by Information with the same offenses. Daigle was also indicted on one count of trafficking in firearms, one count of illegal possession of a machine gun and one count of receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm. In January 2023, Daigle, Grant and Rodriguez were charged by criminal complaint. 

According to the indictment, from in or about August 2022 through November 2022, Daigle and Rodriguez conspired to create false entries in records required to be maintained by Daigle, an FFL, in order to conceal the illegal sale of multiple firearms via Grant to Rodriguez, who could not lawfully purchase or possess firearms. Specifically, it is alleged that Daigle and Grant made and signed false representations on required forms to disguise Rodriguez’s identity as the true firearm purchaser. Rodriguez is prohibited from possessing a firearm. It is further alleged that the defendants attempted to coverup the illegal straw purchase by providing false information to law enforcement. 

“Straw purchases are serious crimes that can result in deadly firearms getting into the hands of people the law strictly prohibits from possessing them. Frequently, we find that gun violence, including shootings and murders, is committed with an illegally obtained firearm by prohibited individuals, whether they are unlicensed, underage or precluded due to criminal history. In fact, that is exactly what is alleged to have happened here.  Mr. Rodriguez does not have a license to legally possess or carry firearms and is banned from having a firearm in Massachusetts based on his age. Through excellent investigative work, authorities were led to an alleged straw purchaser, Grant, and Daigle, a Federal Firearms Licensee and gun vendor at a mill in Littleton, Massachusetts which has been publicly reported to be the largest congregation of gun vendors at a single address in the country. We allege that these individuals circumvented the law to knowingly engage in a straw purchase,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This criminal conspiracy came to light in the wake of a violent shooting in Boston. These types of crimes can have real and life altering consequences.  We pledge to aggressively combat the illegal trafficking of firearms in our Commonwealth and to hold all participants – not just the buyers – in straw purchases accountable.”

“When you buy a gun for someone who is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm, you could be buying yourself time in federal prison,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division. “The surge of gun violence in our cities is being fueled by individuals who circumvent the law and put firearms in the wrong hands. Our mission is clear and we will continue working with our partners to stop the flow of illegal firearm transfers that fuel the cycles of violence.”

The charge of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of trafficking in firearms provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of illegal possession of a machine gun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, ATF Boston SAC Ferguson and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Amanda P. Masselam Strachan, Co-Chief of United States Attorney Rollins’ Criminal Division, has been selected by the National Association of Former United States Attorneys (NAFUSA) as the recipient of its 2023 J. Michael Bradford Memorial Award for Most Outstanding Assistant United States Attorney. 

Each year, the distinguished J. Michael Bradford Memorial Award is awarded to one AUSA in the nation in recognition of outstanding performance. The recipient is selected for their remarkable handling of a significant investigation and prosecution(s) that has had a significant impact and merits special recognition. AUSA Strachan is the sixth woman to be awarded this honor since its inception in 1999.

“AUSA Strachan is an outstanding lawyer, a fierce advocate on behalf of victims, and a leader among leaders in our District and the legal community. Her acumen, compassion and dedication are evident in every case she has prosecuted over the course of her 16-year career as an AUSA, but her decade-long role in pursuing justice for the 793 victims of the New England Compounding Center (NECC) fungal meningitis outbreak makes her uniquely deserving of this exceptional honor,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins. 

In the fall of 2012, a nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis infected patients in 20 states. The CDC and FDA traced the fungal infections to contaminated steroid injections (MPA) produced by NECC, a compounding pharmacy then located in Massachusetts. NECC had sold and shipped more than 17,000 vials of contaminated MPA to medical facilities throughout the nation. The CDC identified staggering amounts of contamination within these supposedly sterile vials of MPA, which doctors injected into patients’ bodies to treat back and joint pain. NECC’s contaminated drugs infected at least 793 individuals and caused more than 100 of them to die. 

The fungal meningitis outbreak is the largest public health crisis ever caused by a compounded drug. AUSA Strachan and her team conducted a thorough investigation which uncovered evidence of widespread systemic fraud at NECC and a shocking disregard for patients’ lives. The investigation discovered dangerously unsafe production practices and unsanitary conditions inside NECC’s facility. 

In December 2014, 14 NECC owners, employees and executives were indicted on numerous counts, including RICO, RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the FDA, mail fraud, structuring, and FDCA violations. Between 2017-2019, AUSA Strachan led four trials against the defendants (totaling 24 weeks), and four other defendants pleaded guilty. In total, 13 defendants were convicted of 168 counts. Additionally, AUSA Strachan won four affirmative appeals in this case before the First Circuit to ensure full accountability for the defendants and complete recognition for all 793 victims. 

AUSA Strachan’s tireless advocacy on the victims’ behalf went beyond the courtroom; she successfully lobbied the Office of Victims of Crime to recognize the fungal meningitis victims as crime victims and helped secure for them a $40 million federal contribution to the Victims of Violent Crimes Compensation Fund. In the face of this unprecedented national tragedy, AUSA Strachan’s steadfast commitment to holding the wrongdoers accountable secured a measure of justice for the victims and their families and shined a light on the abuses of the compounding pharmacy industry. 

“As brilliant and tenacious as she is as a lawyer, AUSA Strachan also has demonstrated that she is an exceptional leader. She inspired and empowered a team of AUSAs, legal assistants, victim specialists, and other professionals to do their best work on behalf of these victims. Her impressive mentoring and management skills led me to promote her to Co-Chief of our Criminal Division, making her only the second woman ever appointed to lead the Criminal Division,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins. 

AUSA Strachan is a two-time recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service (2013, 2019) and received EOUSA’s Director’s Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team in 2020. In 2019, AUSA Strachan was named a Top Woman of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. 

BOSTON – Three men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with the Nov. 17, 2022 armed bank robbery of the Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury, Mass.

Miquel Antonio Jones, 39, of Edgartown, and Omar Odion Johnson, 32 of Canterbury, N.H., were indicted on one count each of armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting. Romane Andre Clayton, 21, of Jamaica, was indicted on one count of being an accessory after the fact to armed bank robbery. Jones, Johnson and Clayton will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Following the defendants’ initial arrest and charge by criminal complaint in December 2022, Jones and Johnson have remained in custody and Clayton was released on conditions.

According to the charging documents, on the morning of Nov. 17, 2022, three masked and armed individuals forced their way into the rear door of the Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury. All three individuals were wearing dark colored clothing and white masks resembling an elderly man with exaggerated facial features. According to witnesses, each of the individuals were allegedly carrying what appeared to be semi-automatic handguns. The video surveillance also showed that one of the individuals was carrying what appeared to be a walkie-talkie. Once inside the bank, one of the individuals allegedly held a gun to the head of one of the bank employees and forced him to open the bank’s vault. It is further alleged that the individuals entered the vault and took approximately $39,100, then bound the employees with duct tape and plastic zip ties, demanded access to one of their vehicles, and left the premises in an employee’s car.  

A short time after the robbery, the stolen car was located in a parking lot approximately 2.3 miles from the bank and determined that, minutes after the robbery, the individuals allegedly left the parking lot in another vehicle.  

Additionally, according to the charging documents, during a search of the Tisbury farm used by a local landscaping company that employs Jones, a glove, paper money band, zip tie and multiple rubber band – items consistent with the bank robbery – were recovered. During the search, investigators observed an area that appeared to have had a recent fire, and found burned pieces of nylon, white metal plastic consistent with a white mask, burned walkie-talkie pieces, an antennae, batteries and pieces of metal consistent with a duffle bag zipper. Within a few feet of the burned area two semi-automatic handguns loaded with 9mm ammunition were discovered buried inches under the ground. These items, including the handguns, were consistent with items possessed by the robbers during the robbery of the Rockland Trust bank.

According to surveillance video obtained from the Steamship Authority ferry terminal in Vineyard Haven, it is alleged that less than 40 minutes after the robbery – at approximately 8:58 a.m. on Nov. 17, 2022 – Clayton was captured arriving in a silver sedan to a parking lot nearby the ferry terminal, parking the vehicle, purchasing ferry tickets and boarding a ferry at 9:21 a.m. Approximately 30 minutes later, at 9:53 a.m., Johnson is allegedly captured arriving to the same parking lot and getting into the driver’s seat of the silver sedan Clayton had previously arrived in and parked before boarding a ferry. It is further alleged that Johnson is later captured driving the silver sedan to the vehicle reservation clerk booth, purchasing a vehicle ferry ticket and boarding a freight ferry in the silver sedan at 12:24 p.m.

The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of being an accessory after the fact to armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 150 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Tisbury Police Chief Chris Habekos; West Tisbury Police Chief Matt Mincone; Edgartown Police Chief Bruce R. McNamee; Chilmark Police Chief Jonathan Klaren; Oak Bluffs Police Chief Jonathan Searle; Aquinnah Police Chief Randhi P. Belain; and Canterbury (N.H.) Police Chief Michael Labrecque made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the United States Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – The owner of Stash’s Pizza was arrested this morning on forced labor charges for allegedly employing a victim who lacked immigration status and forcing him to work for years while threatening him with deportation and subjecting him to repeated verbal and physical abuse.  

Stavros Papantoniadis, a/k/a “Steve Papantoniadis,” 47, of Westwood, was charged with one count of forced labor. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon, Papantoniadis was detained pending a detention hearing set for March 20, 2023 at 11:30 a.m.

“Forced labor is a form of human trafficking. It is not a wage dispute. If someone is being compelled to work through the use of force, threats of force, or coercion, that is a federal crime. We allege that Mr. Papantoniadis compelled and threatened victims to work against their will using fear, violence and the threat of deportation,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The allegations in this case are horrific. Nobody has the right to violently kick, slap, punch or choke anyone, and certainly not an employer to an employee. This case illustrates the manipulative, violent and abusive tactics some employers utilize for their own greed and financial gain. Labor trafficking is real and happening every day in Massachusetts and beyond. We are working hard to expose this disturbing crime and to hold those that abuse and traffic people accountable. We ask anyone with information about this or other alleged trafficking violations to contact our office.”  

“Stavros Papantoniadis is alleged to have underpaid, threatened, and physically assaulted his employees, creating a climate of fear,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Homeland Security Investigations is committed to investigating labor trafficking and bringing to justice those who use force, fraud, or coercion to force people to work.”

“An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of labor trafficking involving the use of coercion or force. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region. 

According to court documents, Papantoniadis is the owner and operator of Stash’s Pizza, a chain of pizzerias which has locations in Dorchester and Roslindale, and previously had pizzerias in Norwood, Norwell and Randolph (d/b/a Boston Pizza Company), Weymouth (d/b/a Pacini’s Italian Eatery) and Wareham, Mass. Over the course of several years, Papantoniadis allegedly targeted victims who lacked immigration status, employed them at depressed wages and demanded that they work, in most cases, six to seven days per week, at times for far more than eight hours per day and often without breaks or overtime compensation. Papantoniadis also allegedly withheld wages. 

It is further alleged that Papantoniadis routinely threatened to have employees deported from the United States and used violence and threats to scare victims and ensure that they complied with his excessive workplace demands. 

According to the charging documents, Victim 1 worked at Stash’s Pizza from 2001 to 2015. During his time there, it is alleged that Papantoniadis repeatedly made derogatory comments about Victim 1’s religion and violently attacked Victim 1 several times. On one occasion when Victim 1 missed a day of work, Papantoniadis allegedly responded by pushing him to the floor and calling him a “f*cking Muslim.” Another time, it is alleged that Papantoniadis kicked Victim 1 in the genital, causing Victim 1 to suffer severe pain. When Victim 1 sought medical treatment, Papantoniadis threatened to kill Victim 1 or report him to immigration authorities if he did not return to work. On another occasions, Papantoniadis allegedly slapped and choked Victim 1 and broke Victim 1’s teeth, causing Victim 1 to have teeth removed and causing him to wear dentures. According to court documents, as a result of the threats and violence, Victim 1 feared Papantoniadis and kept working for him at Stash’s Pizza.

Other former Stash’s Pizza employees disclosed additional information about Papantoniadis’ threats and violence. It is alleged that when one victim planned to quit, Papantoniadis told him that he was not going to leave and subsequently attacked the victim, forcing him to run to safety in the parking lot. When another victim intended to quit, Papantoniadis allegedly made a false police report, falsely stating that the victim had hit his car and left the scene of the accident after leaving Stash’s Pizza’s Norwood location. As a result, the victim was pulled over and cited by police.

The charge of forced labor provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to 5 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Members of the public who believe they be a victim of this case or have any relevant information related to this case please call 888-221-6023, Option 5 or send an email with contact information to [email protected].

U.S. Attorney Rollins, HSI SAC Millhollin and DOL-OIG SAC Mellone made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran, Chief of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit, and Brian A. Fogerty of Rollins’ Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Malden man pleaded guilty today to attempting to hire a contract killer – who was actually an undercover federal agent – to murder his wife. 
    
Massimo Marenghi, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of murder-for-hire. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 8, 2023. Marenghi was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in January 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2021.

On Jan. 1, 2021, an individual reported to law enforcement that Marenghi had complained about his wife seeking a restraining order against him. Marenghi asked the individual for assistance in killing his wife. At the direction of federal agents, the individual introduced Marenghi to an undercover agent who posed as a contract killer. On Jan. 20, 2021, Marenghi met with the undercover agent and sought help to “eliminate” his problem. Marenghi provided the undercover agent with a photograph of his wife’s residence and explained how to evade detection by cameras while approaching the residence.

On Jan. 29, 2021, Marenghi again met with the undercover agent and discussed moving forward with the killing of his wife. Marenghi provided $1,500 cash as a deposit for the murder and explained that the sooner the “demolition job” takes place, the sooner he will be able to pay the balance owed. He also provided the undercover agent with a photograph of his wife, the color, model and license plate number of her car, the hours of operation of her place of business and a schedule indicating when he would have custody of his children, which he said would be the “best time for the construction work to start.”

The charge of murder-for-hire, in a case in which neither personal injury nor death results, provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Malden Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Chelsea man pleaded guilty yesterday to federal firearms offenses. 

Miguel Reyes, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for July 27, 2023. Reyes was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2021 and subsequently charged in a superseding Information on March 13, 2023. 

On two separate occasions in August 2020, Reyes was found in possession of a Beretta, Model U22, .22 LR caliber pistol and ammunition and a Glock, model 48, 9 mm pistol and ammunition. Additionally, at the time of his arrest in Chelsea in May 2021, Reyes was found in possession of a Glock replica, polymer 80 and ammunition. Due to a prior felony conviction, Reyes is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

The charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Chelsea Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

BOSTON – A Barnstable man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for sexually exploiting two minor girls who were approximately four years old.

Atticus J. Bernard, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 20 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 30 years in prison. In November 2022, Bernard pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography

“Mr. Bernard’s vile and criminal behavior is a parent’s worst nightmare. He preyed upon, harmed and exploited two defenseless toddlers known to him. These innocent victims were under the age of five years old. That he documented the abuse for this own gross personal gratification is even more disgusting. Predators like Mr. Bernard who seek to sexualize and harm our children are a danger to society. While nothing can stop the pain he has caused, today’s sentence ensures that Mr. Bernard will be removed from our communities and unable to victimize, traumatize or harm any other children for many, many years,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Child exploitation cases are among the most difficult and most important matters we prosecute. These defenseless victims deserve justice and accountability. Today’s sentence is a step closer to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all of our children.”
 
“Bernard’s exploitation of two children was a heinous and irrevocable act. We hope that today’s sentence brings a measure of justice to these families as they heal and move forward,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Homeland Security Investigations remains dedicated to the protection of children through our work with our partners to detect and apprehend predators like Bernard.”

On separate occasions in approximately November 2019 and approximately October 2020, Bernard sexually exploited two minor girls under the age of five-years-old and who were known to him. Bernard documented the abuse and exploitation and possessed the child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. A search of Bernard’s phone in January 2021 revealed numerous photos of Bernard exploiting the minor victims. 

Bernard admitted that he had assaulted approximately five girls and recorded the assaults and that each victim was assaulted four or five times.  

U.S. Attorney Rollins; HSI SAC Millhollin; Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

BOSTON – A Chelmsford man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston to trafficking counterfeit oxycodone and Adderall pills that contained fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Vando Gvozdarevic, 30, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On July 7, 2022, Gvozdarevic pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

“Communities across our Commonwealth and beyond are plagued by the chaos and harm caused by the opioid epidemic that manifests itself in overdose deaths, violence, and crime. Mr. Gvozdarevic trafficked this poison into our neighborhoods in the form of tens of thousands of counterfeit pills. The risk of overdose was increased for those seeking diverted pharmaceutical pills and people unfamiliar with street narcotics who thought they were illicitly getting prescription pills when in fact they had potentially deadly and addicting opioid or stimulant,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. 

“The Gangster Disciples are a ruthless gang that preyed upon our communities, and Vando Gvozdarevic was a driving force and prolific pill pusher, who supplied them with deadly narcotics disguised as prescription pills,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence should be a warning to other bad actors. The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force will stop at nothing to identify, investigate, and disrupt those who insist on bringing their harmful business to our neighborhoods.”

Gvozdarevic was charged in November 2021 along with 12 others in connection with a large drug conspiracy centering around the Gangster Disciples in Lawrence, Haverhill and Methuen. The investigation, which began in August 2020, intercepted communications between Gangster Disciples’ leaders, members and drug suppliers pertaining to their alleged distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and suboxone in Massachusetts, Maine and southern New Hampshire as well as into the Essex County Jail. The investigation identified Gvozdarevic as a supplier of methamphetamine and fentanyl disguised as counterfeit Adderall and oxycodone pills. 12,556 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine and 3,717 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl were seized from Gvozdarevic’s apartment during the execution of a federal search warrant. 

Gvozdarevic was previously sentenced to five years in state prison for drug distribution and firearm offenses. 

U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chelmsford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is also a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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

BOSTON – A resident doctor in Western Massachusetts was arrested this morning for allegedly possessing child pornography. 

Bradford Ferrick, 32, of Winchester, Mass., and Amherst, Mass., was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Ferrick will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 11:45 a.m. today via remote proceeding. At the time of his arrest today, Ferrick was on home confinement restrictions for pending related state charges. 

According to the charging documents, Ferrick lived in Syracuse, N.Y., between approximately 2018 and 2022 while he attended State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University. After graduating from SUNY, Ferrick began a medical residency in July 2022 focused on Family Medicine with Baystate Franklin Family Medicine, including rotations at facilities in at least Greenfield, Deerfield and Springfield, Mass. It is alleged that during a search of Ferrick’s Winchester, Mass., residence on Feb. 13, 2023, approximately 61 devices – including external hard drives, computers, cell phones, hidden camera systems and SD cards – which state investigators allege contained thousands of images and videos of suspected child pornography were seized. Ferrick was arrested by state authorities and released on home confinement after posting bail in Woburn District Court. On Feb. 17, 2023, a second search of Ferrick’s residence in Winchester, Mass., resulted in the recovery of 11 additional devices by state investigators. A preliminary review of some of the devices seized allegedly revealed images and videos depicting child pornography of victims who appear to be between the ages of six and 11 years old. 

During a search of a separate residence Ferrick was renting in Amherst, Mass., on Feb. 21, 2023, eight additional devices including multiple hidden camera devices and USB storage devices were seized. It is alleged that one of the hidden camera devices – which was designed to be worn as a bracelet – was found to contain at least two surreptitiously recorded videos of Ferrick administering medical exams. It is alleged that two minors who investigators believe to be patients could be heard and, at times, partially seen in the videos. Forensic review of the devices seized at both residences remains ongoing.

“I can think of no greater fear as a parent or guardian than potential harm coming to your child. Today we allege that this doctor, who held a position of trust with access to children, maintained child sexual abuse material. The investigation is active and ongoing,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Members of the public with questions, concerns or any information pertaining to this doctor are strongly encouraged to contact the FBI via the provided form. As members of law enforcement, the safety of children is our highest priority. Together, in close cooperation with the medical facilities where Dr. Ferrick was employed, we will do all that we can to identify the duration and scope of his alleged offenses and proceed accordingly and expeditiously.”

“Today, the FBI arrested Dr. Bradford Ferrick, a resident doctor with access to children, who now stands accused of extremely troubling behavior,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This is very much an active investigation and we urge anyone with information to contact us. Thanks to our close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we are grateful to have been able to put a stop to Dr. Ferrick’s alleged conduct.”

Members of the public who have information, questions or concerns regarding this case should visit this link: https://forms.fbi.gov/FerrickInvestigation 

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; Winchester Police Chief Daniel O'Connell; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine G. Curley and Michael Mazur of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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

BOSTON – A Providence man has been charged with selling oxycodone in Worcester on multiple occasions to an undercover officer.  
 
Brandon Jones, 32, was charged with distribution of oxycodone. Jones was arrested yesterday in Worcester and made an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester this morning before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy. 
 
According to the charging documents, in July 2022, Jones was identified as an oxycodone and cocaine distributor in the Worcester area. Specifically, it is alleged that Jones traveled to Worcester in rental vehicles on a daily basis to sell drugs throughout the area in the afternoon before returning to Providence. On at least three occasions between October 2022 and January 2023, Jones allegedly distributed oxycodone pills to an undercover officer in controlled purchases. 
 
The charge of unlawful distribution of oxycodone provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division and Southbridge Police Chief Shane D. Woodson made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Friedholm of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.  
 
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Haverhill man pleaded guilty today to orchestrating schemes to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles and other merchandise and apply for and utilize bank accounts and credit cards.

Alvin Rivera, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number. Rivera pleaded guilty to similar schemes in two cases, one originating in the District of Massachusetts and another originating in the District of New Jersey that was transferred to the District of Massachusetts for resolution. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing in both cases for June 15, 2023. 
 
Rivera and multiple co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020 in the District of Massachusetts. In a coordinated multi-jurisdictional effort, the defendant was also charged in the District of New Jersey, and others involved in the scheme were also charged there, in the state of New Jersey, the Northern District of Ohio and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

According to charging documents, between October 2017 and September 2020, Rivera was the leader of a conspiracy in Massachusetts that used stolen identity information of United States citizens to obtain credit and goods. Under Rivera’s direction, and with stolen identity information that he provided, co-conspirators visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. In support of the applications, the co-conspirators provided stolen biographical information from real United States citizens, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses and Social Security cards in those identities, as proof of identification. The co-conspirators used the stolen identities to illegally open bank accounts and credit cards and purchase vehicles, many of which were exported out of the United States.

According to charging documents, between October 2017 and February 2018, Rivera also personally used stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for credit and fraudulently purchase vehicles in a similar scheme in New Jersey.

The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. 
 
The District of Massachusetts investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
 
The District of New Jersey investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations

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

BOSTON – Two men pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to their roles in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack, and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Ivan Torres, 32, of Fitchburg, and Abel Rodriguez Rivera, 35, of Ponce, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine), and 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencings for Sept. 7, 2023. Torres and Rivera were indicted on July 22, 2020, along with 15 other defendants.  

According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization in the Fitchburg area. Beginning in July 2019, court authorized interceptions of wire and electronic communications to and from telephones used by members of the drug trafficking organization and its suppliers revealed that Torres and Rivera were both cocaine dealers. 

Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine, over 50 grams of crack cocaine, a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 in U.S. currency were seized.  
    
Torres and Rivera are the 16th and 17th defendants to be convicted in this case – either by guilty plea or jury conviction following trial.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Massachusetts State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.  

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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

BOSTON – A Randolph woman was arrested today in connection with her involvement in a payroll tax avoidance scheme. 
 
Lilian Giang, 53, was indicted by a federal grand jury with mail fraud and failure to collect and pay over taxes. Giang was released on conditions following an appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell.
 
According to court records, between 2015 and 2019, Giang owned and operated Able Temp Agency, a temporary employment agency in Quincy that served client companies in Massachusetts. The client companies paid Able Temp Agency for the temporary employees’ work on an hourly basis. Giang deposited those payments into bank accounts in the name of Able Temp Agency that she controlled, and then allegedly paid the temporary employees through a combination of checks and cash. By using cash payments, Giang allegedly hid over $3.2 million in payroll and avoided paying more than $815,000 in required payroll taxes. It is further alleged that Giang also used her false payroll numbers to obtain worker’s compensation insurance at lower premium rates. 
 
The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of failure to collect or pay over taxes provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $10,000 and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
 
United States Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
 
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Framingham man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme.

Gustaf Njei, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 27 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Njei was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $94,630. In December 2022, Njei was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of wire fraud, one count of structuring to avoid reporting requirements, one count of unlawful monetary transactions and one count of money laundering conspiracy. 

Njei set up a bank account in the name of a fake business, “Njei Trading,” to receive the criminal proceeds of a BEC scheme. A BEC scheme is a sophisticated scam often targeting businesses involved in wire transfer payments. The fraud is carried out by compromising and/or “spoofing” legitimate business email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques, to cause employees of the victim company (or other individuals involved in legitimate business transactions) to transfer funds to accounts controlled by the scammers.

Njei’s co-conspirators used hacked and spoofed email accounts to trick the victims of the scheme into wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to a bank account under Njei’s control. Njei then transferred part of the funds to a bank account located overseas, while splitting the remaining funds with a co-conspirator in the United States.

“Since June 2016, victims have lost over $43 billion to BEC fraud schemes just like the one Mr. Njei and his co-conspirators engaged in. The network of online criminals targeting victims is growing every day and their tools are getting more sophisticated. This sentence should send a clear message to scammers that they will be identified and held accountable,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Njei knew he was engaging in a devastating fraud scheme, but all that mattered to him was lining his pockets with proceeds stolen from unwitting innocent victims. This sentence holds him accountable and we will to make sure that the restitution the court ordered gets to his victims.” 

“Scam artists like Gustaf Njei are committing fraud on a massive scale and must be held accountable. This sentence does exactly that, although the harm the victims in this case suffered can’t be measured in dollars and cents,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Every year, victims lose billions of dollars of their hard-earned money, along with many sleepless nights, and fear losing their businesses and credibility. This case shows the FBI will do everything it can to find and hold financial fraudsters like Mr. Njei accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Brady and Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The former founder and chief executive of the local nonprofit Violence in Boston (VIB) and her husband, also a former founding director of the organization, have been charged in a superseding indictment today charging additional schemes to defraud the City of Boston out of COVID-19 relief funds and rental assistance money.  

Monica Cannon-Grant, 42, and Clark Grant, 39, both of Taunton, have been charged by a federal grand jury in a 27-count superseding indictment, returned today with three counts of wire fraud conspiracy; 17 counts of wire fraud; one count of conspiracy; and one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business. The new wire fraud charges center on alleged schemes to obtain and utilize pandemic assistance funds from the Boston Resiliency Fund for purposes not disclosed to the City, including for their own personal benefit, as well as to fraudulently obtain rental assistance payments from Boston’s Office of Housing Stability. Cannon-Grant was also charged with mail fraud, filing false tax returns, and failing to file tax returns. Cannon-Grant and Clark Grant were previously charged in an 18-count indictment in March 2022. The defendants will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

Cannon-Grant was the founder and CEO of VIB, an anti-violence nonprofit formally established in 2017, the stated purpose of which is to reduce violence, raise social awareness and aid community causes in Boston, among other purposes. Grant is Cannon-Grant’s husband, a founding director of VIB and, beginning in July 2018 until recently, was a full-time employee for a commuter services company. 

According to the superseding indictment, the defendants allegedly conspired to use VIB to defraud the Boston Resiliency Fund, a charitable fund established by the City of Boston to provide aid to Boston residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. After receiving approximately $53,977 in pandemic relief funds, the defendants allegedly withdrew approximately $30,000 in cash from the VIB bank account, some of which the defendants kept. After depositing the COVID-19 relief grant check, the defendants are also alleged to have used VIB funds to pay their auto loan and auto insurance bills.

In addition, the superseding indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to defraud Boston’s Office of Housing Stability by concealing thousands of dollars of household income in order to obtain $12,600 in rental assistance from the City of Boston. Instead of truthfully reporting that Clark Grant was receiving pandemic unemployment assistance (in addition to his salary), and that other family members were gainfully employed and receiving pandemic unemployment (in the case of one other family member), the defendants allegedly misrepresented their actual household income to obtain rent relief funds that were intended to aid Boston residents who were facing housing insecurity.    

It is further alleged that the defendants conspired to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance by submitting a forged employment document so that another family member could receive approximately $43,893 in unemployment assistance, bringing the total amount of fraudulent unemployment assistance received by the defendants and their co-conspirators to approximately $145,269. Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that Cannon-Grant filed false tax returns for 2017 and 2018 and that she failed to file tax returns for 2019 and 2020, failing to report tens of thousands of dollars that Cannon-Grant received from VIB and an entity with which she contracted to provide consulting services. 

If you believe you are a victim of or have information pertaining to the crimes alleged against the defendants, you may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts at: 617-748-3663.

The charges of wire fraud conspiracy each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements to a mortgage lending business provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. The charge of failure to file a tax return provides for a sentence of up to one year of prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $25,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigation; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General; and Massachusetts Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Deitch and Dustin Chao of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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

BOSTON – An Auburn man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for a child pornography charge.

Christopher Rondeau, 37, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2022, Rondeau pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest in November 2020. 

During a search of Rondeau’s residence in November 2020, a cell phone was found containing images and videos of child pornography. In 2016, Rondeau was convicted of receipt of child pornography and sentenced to 68 months in prison and seven years of supervised release. He was released from federal custody in August 2019 and was on supervised release at the time of his November arrest.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Auburn Police Chief Todd. R. Lemon; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today for his role in distributing fentanyl. 

Albert Ventura, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 32 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2022, Ventura pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Ventura has been in federal custody since June 9, 2022. 

On several occasions between September 2020 and March 2022, Ventura sold over 70 grams of fentanyl – including to undercover law enforcement.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

BOSTON – An Ipswich man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material photo (CSAM).
 
Julien Toulotte, 24, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 104 months in prison and five years of supervised release, as well as restitution to multiple minor victims. In November 2022, Toulotte pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
 
In mid-January 2021, Toulotte began communicating with an undercover agent purporting to be a 15-year-old girl through social media applications. Toulotte sent multiple nude photos of himself and encouraged the purported teenager to send photos of herself in return and asked to meet. 

In late-January 2021, Toulotte began communicating over the internet with the undercover agent, purporting to be an adult female with whom Toulotte had previously been communicating with on-line and to whom he had previously sent photo depicting CSAM. In February 2021, Toulotte sent two videos depicting CSAM to the undercover agent purporting to be the adult female. On March 11, 2021, a search of Toulotte’s residences in Ipswich and Boston resulted in the recovery of his electronic devices. One of the electronic devices contained approximately 385 videos and approximately 320 images depicting CSAM – including child pornography videos and images depicting infants and toddlers. CSAM was also found on other electronic devices seized on that date and on another date in this case.
  
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Ipswich Police Chief Paul Nikas; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Lincoln Police Chief A. Kevin Kennedy made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. 
 
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

BOSTON – A Dorchester man pleaded guilty yesterday to unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition as a previously convicted felon.

Kevin Blackmore, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper schedule sentencing for June 29, 2023. Blackmore was charged in October 2022. 

On June 19, 2022, local law enforcement was dispatched to a hotel in Sharon in response to a call for a possible disturbance involving two vehicles. At the scene, the female occupant of one vehicle requested police assistance in collecting personal items from Blackmore, who was driving the second vehicle. When officers assisted Blackmore in searching the vehicle for those items, they recovered a black Smith and Wesson .45 caliber semi-automatic firearm, a Taurus .9mm semi-automatic firearm, 67 rounds of .9mm ammunition and 80 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Due to prior felony convictions stemming from 2006 through 2020, Blackmore is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Sharon Police Department and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service employee was sentenced today in Worcester for stealing packages in Gardner.  

Roberta Feliz, 33, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to three years of probation, with the first six months to be served in home confinement. In April 2022, Feliz pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. 

Feliz was employed as Lead Sales and Services Associate with the Gardner Post Office. Between February and July 2020, Feliz stole over $90,000 in cash deposits that were mailed from a Tractor Supply Company to its bank. Feliz, who was scheduled to work on each day that a cash package was mailed, was observed on surveillance camera removing envelopes from the postal service floor into the employee locker area or the women’s restroom. In August 2020, Feliz was approached by law enforcement after she took a control package containing cash from the postal floor into an office, removed money from the envelope and hid it in an unused desk. Feliz admitted to stealing packages from the Tractor Supply Company and stated that she used the money to pay off debt and sent some to family overseas. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Worcester man has been charged with possessing a machine gun after allegedly being found in possession of several Glock switches.

Jose Rivera, 24, was charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun. Rivera was arrested today and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy, was detained pending a hearing set for March 10, 2023. 

Glock switches convert semi-automatic Glock pistols into fully automatic machine guns and are considered machine guns under federal law. According to the charging documents, during a search of Rivera’s Worcester residence today, three Glock switches – including one attached to a Glock .40 caliber firearm – were recovered from Rivera’s bedroom. 

The charge of unlawful possession of a machine gun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

The U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have entered into a consent decree with the City of Gloucester, Massachusetts, to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act regarding the city’s water pollution control facility that discharges undertreated effluent into Massachusetts Bay.

The settlement requires Gloucester to undertake a construction project to add secondary treatment to its water pollution control facility. Secondary treatment is a combination of physical and biological processes that break down many harmful elements in municipal sewage. The city has operated without secondary controls on its treatment plant under a permit waiver issued most recently in 2001. EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) more recently determined that upgrading the City’s treatment plant to provide secondary treatment was needed to address water pollution in Massachusetts Bay. In response, under the proposed settlement the city agreed to proceed with the upgrades. The cost of the remedial measures is expected to be in excess of $150 million.

“The Clean Water Act requires controls to limit the harmful impacts of sewage discharges,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The settlement will ensure significant, long-term investment into the City’s water treatment infrastructure to safeguard the health of Massachusetts Bay.”

“Fiercely protecting our environment is a civil and human rights issue. Ensuring that bodies of water are not contaminated with harmful toxins and pollutants remains a vital part of this work. This consent decree requires Gloucester to take significant steps to improve the quality of the water it discharges into Massachusetts Bay,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts. “The successful implementation of the Consent Decree will ensure a healthier environment for the residents of Gloucester and all of us in the Commonwealth. My office remains committed to fighting for healthier, cleaner and safer communities.”

“Sewage can carry harmful pollutants, posing potential harm to human health and aquatic organisms,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “By reducing discharges into Massachusetts Bay, this settlement will result in cleaner, safer water, benefiting both local communities and the environment.”

In 2022, EPA issued a new NPDES Permit to the City of Gloucester which included pollution limits that the current treatment plant cannot meet because the plant only provides primary treatment, known as clarification or settling and disinfection. Complying with the proposed consent decree, if entered by the federal court, will help ensure that Gloucester comes into compliance with the Clean Water Act.

The City of Gloucester has already provided an aggressive schedule to EPA and MassDEP for design and construction of secondary treatment. The city has proposed to complete design and bidding of the project by the end of 2024, complete construction of secondary treatment by the end of 2027, and achieve compliance with all permit limits by March 30, 2028.

Undertreated sewage from the city’s existing water treatment facility results in a variety of harmful discharges into Massachusetts Bay, including disease causing organisms and toxic pollutants.

The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval after it is published in the Federal Register. It is available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

The EPA and MassDEP are investigating the case.

Assistant Section Chief Henry Friedman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna for the District of Massachusetts and EPA Attorney Jeff Kopf are handling this matter.

BOSTON – A Oxford man has been sentenced in federal court in Worcester for false representation of a Social Security number and theft of government funds.  

Richard Diaz-Montero, a/k/a John Doe, 44, was sentenced on March 1, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Diaz-Montero was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $39,698 to the Internal Revenue Service. 

In March 2016, Diaz-Montero cashed a federal income tax refund in the name of another person he fraudulently filed for earlier that year. Two years later, in May 2018, Diaz-Montero used the Social Security number of that same person to apply for a Massachusetts driver’s license, which was ultimately issued to Diaz-Montero.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Sutton Police Chief Dennis J. Towle made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.   

BOSTON – A Miami woman pleaded guilty today to fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in pandemic-related loans using the stolen identities of more than 10 individuals, and then using those funds for personal expenses, including chartering a private jet and rental of a luxury apartment.

Danielle Miller, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2023. Miller was arrested on a criminal complaint in May 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2021. 

From in or around July 2020 through May 2021, Miller devised and executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief loans funded by the federal government – including Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as well as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and related unemployment benefits. To execute the scheme, Miller used the personal identifying information of more than 10 individuals and used fake business names to apply for and receive more than $1 million in government benefits. 

Additionally, Miller possessed counterfeit driver’s licenses in the victims’ names but bearing Miller’s photograph. In August 2020, Miller used a counterfeit driver’s license in the name of a Massachusetts victim to arrange a Gulfstream private jet charter flight from Florida to California, where she stayed at a luxury hotel under the same victim’s name. In a separate instance, Miller used the identity of another victim to rent a luxury apartment in Florida. 

Miller maintained an active social media presence via her Instagram account, which had more than 34,000 followers. There, Miller posted her extravagant use of the fraud proceeds and stolen identities, publicizing her purchasing of luxury goods and renting of luxury accommodations. Posts to this account included a post showing Miller at luxury hotels in California where transactions were made using the bank account in one of the victim’s names. 

The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of aggravated identity theft provide for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentenced imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Abington (Mass.) Police Chief David DelPapa made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Miami and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division and Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

BOSTON – A Leominster, Mass. man has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to open an emergency exit door while aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston and then allegedly attempting to stab a flight attendant in the neck.

Francisco Severo Torres, 33, was charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. Torres was arrested last evening at Boston Logan International Airport and, following an initial appearance today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Dein, was detained pending a hearing set for March 9, 2023. 

According to the charging documents, on March 5, 2023, Torres was a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. Approximately 45 minutes prior to landing, the flight crew received an alarm in the cockpit that a starboard side door located between the first class and coach sections of the aircraft was disarmed. Upon inspection, a flight attendant found that the door’s locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position – approximately a quarter of the way towards the towards the unlocked position – and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the “disarmed” position. The flight attendant reported this to the captain and flight crew after securing the door and emergency slide. 

In subsequent discussions, a fellow flight attendant reported that he had observed Torres near the door and believed Torres had tampered with the door. A flight attendant then confronted Torres about tampering with the door, to which he allegedly responded by asking if there were cameras showing that he had done so. According to court documents, the flight attendant then notified the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat to the aircraft and that the captain needed to land the aircraft as soon as possible.  

Shortly thereafter, it is alleged that Torres got out of his seat and approached the starboard side door where two flight attendants were standing in the aisle. One of the flight attendants saw Torres mouthing something that he could not hear. Torres then allegedly thrust towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times. Passengers then tackled Torres and he was restrained with the assistance of flight crew. Torres was immediately taken into custody upon the flight’s arrival to Boston.  

It is alleged that during subsequent interviews, passengers who were aboard the flight reported that Torres asked a fellow passenger where on the safety card it showed where the door handle was located during the flight attendants’ safety briefing prior to takeoff and that Torres was seen pacing in a galley before attacking the flight attendant. 

The charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – The former owner of a now-defunct luxury home building business in West Springfield has been indicted for allegedly obstructing a grand jury’s investigation of his businesses’ cash receipts.

Kent Pecoy, 64, of Wilbraham, was indicted on one count of corrupt concealment of records with intent to impair their use in an official proceeding, one count of obstruction of an official proceeding and one count of count of false statements. Pecoy will appear in federal court in Springfield at a later date. 

Pecoy was previously indicted in a separate case in December 2019 along with his son, Jason Pecoy, and Kevin M. Kennedy, the former owner of a golf management company, for allegedly conspiring to defraud the United States by concealing cash payments for the construction of Kennedy’s two homes in East Longmeadow and West Dennis. The defendants were later charged in a superseding indictment in January 2020. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty in that case and are pending trial. 

Pecoy was the sole owner, operator and chief executive officer of Kent Pecoy & Sons, Construction, Inc. (KPSC) – a West Springfield-based commercial and luxury home construction company. According to today’s indictment, between 2013 and 2016, a customer allegedly paid Pecoy and KPSC hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to construct a home in West Dennis. It is alleged that Pecoy failed to deposit most of the cash into business bank accounts and instead distributed the cash directly to vendors and subcontractors for the project. 

On April 29, 2015, a federal grand jury sitting in Springfield issued KPSC a subpoena requiring the production of KPSC’s cash for services records beginning in Jan. 1, 2012. In June 2015, KPSC produced the subpoenaed records which allegedly included documents confirming that KPSC had made numerous, substantial cash payments to the lumber company, but no records indicating KPSC’s own receipt of cash. It is alleged that in response to a request for additional records concerning KPSC’s cash receipts, Pecoy falsely stated that KPSC had no additional records concerning KPSC’s cash receipts.

During a search of KPSC’s business premises in April 2016, it is alleged that numerous documents were discovered relating to KPSC’s receipt and distribution of cash from the customer home construction project, including payment ledgers, contracts, project check lists and e-mails exchanged between Pecoy and the project manager. 

The charges of corrupt concealment of records with intent to impair their use in an official proceeding and obstruction of an official proceeding each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Eric B. Powers of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – The announcement of a consent decree with the City of Gloucester, Mass. resolves violation of the federal and state Clean Water Acts regarding the City’s water pollution control facility that discharges undertreated waste into Massachusetts Bay. 

The settlement requires the City of Gloucester (City) to undertake a construction project to add secondary treatment to its water pollution control facility. Secondary treatment is a combination of physical and biological processes that break down many harmful elements in municipal sewage. The City has operated without secondary controls on its treatment plant pursuant to a waiver issued in 2001. EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) more recently determined that water pollution data indicated that the waiver should not be renewed and that upgrading the City’s treatment plant to provide secondary treatment is needed. In response, under the proposed settlement the City agreed to proceed with the upgrades, an expected cost in excess of $150 million. 

In 2022, EPA and MassDEP issued a new National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit to the City of Gloucester that included pollution limits which the current treatment plant cannot meet because the plant only provides primary treatment (clarification/settling and disinfection). Complying with the proposed consent decree, if entered by the federal court, will help ensure that Gloucester comes into compliance with the Clean Water Act.

“Fiercely protecting our environment is a civil and human rights issue. Ensuring that bodies of water are not contaminated with harmful toxins and pollutants remains a vital part of this work. This Consent Decree requires Gloucester to take significant steps to improve the quality of the water it discharges into Massachusetts Bay,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The successful implementation of the Consent Decree will ensure a healthier environment for the residents of Gloucester and all of us in the Commonwealth. My office remains committed to fighting for healthier, cleaner and safer communities.”

“This settlement is the result of many years of work between EPA and our state and local partners to address sewage pollution from this community entering Massachusetts Bay. The work required under the proposed settlement will help result in cleaner and healthier water for overburdened communities, and a better-protected environment in nearby areas. Notably, this means Gloucester will be the final major city in the eastern U.S. to install secondary treatment at their wastewater treatment facilities. The timing of this is fortunate, as it is a great time to make investments in water treatment infrastructure thanks to funding assistance available in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that may help defray costs borne by local ratepayers,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash.

“The Clean Water Act requires controls to limit the harmful impacts of sewage discharges,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The settlement will ensure significant, long-term investment into the City’s water treatment infrastructure to safeguard the health of Massachusetts Bay.”

“We are grateful to our federal and municipal partners for working with us to improve the water quality, and thus the overall health, of Gloucester’s residents,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “These are necessary measures as we continue to ensure that residents, especially those in our coastal communities, live in a healthy and safe environment.”

The City of Gloucester has already provided an aggressive schedule to EPA and MassDEP for design and construction of secondary treatment. The City has proposed to complete design and bidding of the project by the end of 2024; complete construction of secondary treatment by the end of 2027; and achieved compliance with all permit limits by March 30, 2028.  

Undertreated sewage from the City’s existing water treatment facility results in a variety of unauthorized discharges into Massachusetts Bay, including disease causing organisms and toxic pollutants.

The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval after it is published in the Federal Register. It is available at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees 

U.S. Attorney Rollins; EPA Administrator Cash; AAG Kim and AG Campbell made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna of Rollins’ Civil Division; Henry Friedman, Assistant Section Chief for the Department of Justice’s Environment and National Resources Division (DOJ-ENRD); Brian Donohue, Senior Trial Attorney for DOJ-ENRD; and Jeffrey Kopf, Senior Enforcement Counsel for EPA handled the matter.

More Information: 

How EPA works to protect water by ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/water-enforcement 

How municipalities manage wastewater:  https://www.epa.gov/npdes/municipal-wastewater 

Final Permit for the City and 301(h) decision: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2025-06/finalma0100625permit2-2022.pdf

BOSTON – U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins has announced that a Justice Department delegation of more than 30 U.S. Attorneys from across the country will travel to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, in commemoration of the 58th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The delegation will meet with community and civil rights leaders while exploring some of the significant and historic civil rights institutions in Alabama from March 4-7, 2023. Rollins, who serves as Vice-Chair of the Attorney General Advisory Committee’s Civil Rights Subcommittee, along with Chair U.S. Attorney Nicholas Brown of the Western District of Washington, planned the trip and will lead the delegation.   

“Walking the same steps as those who courageously marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 is a powerful and moving experience. I am incredibly honored to join my Justice Department colleagues in Selma,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins. “The beliefs that compelled those before us to march toward justice – that everyone should have equitable access to participatory democracy, fair and equal protection of the law, and the ability to live and thrive authentically and fully as themselves – are identical to what drives the work of my office and the Justice Department today.”

“As Vice-Chair of the Civil Rights Subcommittee, I have the privilege of furthering the Justice Department’s mission and priorities to uphold the rule of law and protect civil rights. I am proud of the exceptional work we have done in Massachusetts, including: 

• Setting up a hotline (1-83-END-H8-NOW) to allow the public to report hate crimes or incidents in our Commonwealth; 
• Being an inaugural District for United Against Hate – a Justice Department program that educates the public about their civil rights;
• Ensuring that every neighborhood and person in our Commonwealth has the benefit of constitutional, lawful, and effective policing; and 
• Creating our District’s first Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, including racially motivated church burnings in Springfield, multiple incidences of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia across our Commonwealth, race-directed violence and hatred in Quincy, and threats against Boston Children’s Hospital and other medical institutions for providing gender-affirming care.”  

In addition to walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Sunday, March 5th, the U.S. Attorneys will meet with Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; distinguished jurist Myron Thompson, the first Black Assistant Attorney General for Alabama and the second Black federal judge in the state; and Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons. In addition, the U.S. Attorneys will visit The Johnson Institute in the Montgomery federal courthouse where many key civil rights cases were decided; The Legacy Museum, which provides a comprehensive history on the legacy of slavery; and The Memorial for Peace and Justice. These opportunities are some examples of the way U.S. Attorney Rollins has worked to bring learning out of the conference room and into the communities we have the privilege to protect and serve. She and U.S. Attorney Brown have also convened the Civil Rights Subcommittee for programs with the U.S. Holocaust Museum. 

U.S. Attorneys from the following Districts have confirmed they will attend the Selma and Montgomery events: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, South Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana,  Eastern District of Wisconsin, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, Middle District of Florida, Northern and Eastern  Districts of California, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Virginia, Western District of North Carolina, Southern District of Ohio, Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of West Virginia.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and U.S. Attorney Brown want to acknowledge the assistance of the Middle District of Alabama, who is hosting the delegation, as well as U.S. Attorney Breon Peace of the Eastern District of New York and former U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung of the Western District of Pennsylvania who provided valuable assistance.

BOSTON – A Sutton man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

Oliver Smith, 47, pleaded guilty on March 1, 2023 to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Aug. 11, 2023. Smith was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in November 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021. 

In November 2020, after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Swedish law enforcement authorities, a search warrant was executed at Smith’s Sutton residence and several devices were seized. A forensic review of devices seized revealed images and videos depicting CSAM found on a memory card stored in Smith’s backpack. In addition to the images saved to the memory card, Smith had access to an email account which contained images of CSAM. Additionally, in July 2019, while Smith resided in Sweden, he had emailed CSAM from his email account to a separate account he also controlled. 

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Sutton Police Chief Dennis J. Towle made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office and William Clayman of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

BOSTON – A Boston man responsible for a leading large drug trafficking organization (DTO) pleaded guilty today to heroin and fentanyl conspiracy charges and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his organization.  

Mujab Mubarak, a/k/a “Big Homie,” a/k/a “Easy,” a/k/a “E,” 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and one count of use and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for May 31, 2023. Mubarak was charged by complaint in August 2020 and later indicted by a federal grand jury.

Mubarak was responsible for a large DTO and employed multiple lower-level co-conspirators as part of his distribution network. Recordings obtained during the course of the investigation captured Mubarak describing the scope and extent of his drug trafficking operation. A cooperating witness made over 20 recorded purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine from subordinates of Mubarak. Later during the investigation, Mubarak discussed employing the cooperating witness as a distributor and explained the business in detail. 

Additionally, Mubarak was captured on recording discussing a 2017 shooting incident where he targeted a former co-conspirator because he believed the co-conspirator had stolen the DTO’s drug money. Mubarak explained that the co-conspirator was transporting cash through Logan airport on behalf of Mubarak’s DTO and that the co-conspirator claimed that the money was seized by police, which was in fact true. When the co-conspirator failed to provide satisfactory proof of the seizure, Mubarak stated on recording that he located the co-conspirator and shot him. Police and medical records showed that the co-conspirator was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his back.

As part of the plea agreement, Mubarak agreed to forfeit $360,000 in cash, two motorcycles, a truck and multiple luxury watches that were purchased with proceeds of the drug trafficking organization. In total, the value of the forfeited property is approximately $523,000.

The charge of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of using and possessing of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Boston Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

BOSTON – A Fitchburg man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Jonathan Villot, 31 pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine), and 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2023. Villot was indicted in July 2020 along with 17 others, including his brother and alleged co-conspirator Pedro Villot-Santiago.  

According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area. Beginning in July 2019, controlled purchases and intercepted electronic communications between members of the DTO and its suppliers identified Villot as a cocaine distributor.  

Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 was seized.

Villot is the 15th defendant to be convicted in the case – either by guilty plea or jury conviction following trial.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments and U.S. Postal Inspection Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.  

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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

BOSTON – A Boston man has been sentenced for robbing a TD Bank branch in Cambridge.

Jamall Copeland, 49, was sentenced on March 1, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2022, Copeland pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.

On April 27, 2022, an unknown male – later identified as Copeland – entered the TD Bank located at 1270 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge at approximately 1:45 p.m. and handed the teller a demand note that stated, “Give up all Hundreds! AN 50's Robbery!” Copeland obtained $1,455 in cash and fled the scene. Following the robbery, law enforcement recovered a fingerprint from the demand note that matched the known fingerprint of Copeland.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Cambridge Police Chief Christine Elow made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Two individuals have been charged and have agreed to plead guilty in connection with separate conspiracies to knowingly issue passing test scores to individuals who did not actually pass tests at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton. 

Mia Cox-Johnson, 43, of Brockton, was charged with two counts of extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiring to commit extortion. Estevao Semedo, 61, also of Brockton, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the court. 

According to the charging documents, Cox-Johnson, a former manager of the RMV service center in Brockton, took money in exchange for giving passing scores on learner’s permit tests for both passenger vehicle driver’s licenses and Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). It is alleged that between December 2018 and October 2019, Cox-Johnson conspired to take money in exchange for agreeing to give customers passing scores on their multiple-choice learner’s permit tests even if they did not pass. These customers were allegedly told to request a paper test instead of taking the test on the RMV computer. Cox-Johnson scored these customers’ paper tests. 

On Dec. 28, 2018, Cox-Johnson allegedly accepted $1,000 in cash – delivered from a friend on behalf of another individual – in exchange for giving a passing score to the individual’s relative who had failed the passenger vehicle learner’s permit test six times when taking it in their native language. It is further alleged that Cox-Johnson agreed to score the relative as having passed the permit test regardless of whether they had actually passed. Cox-Johnson did in fact pass the relative’s test, which was taken on paper in English.

On Oct. 21, 2019, a customer came to the Brockton RMV and took three multiple-choice tests they needed to pass in order to get a commercial learner’s permit – a prerequisite to taking the road test for a CDL. Cox-Johnson allegedly accepted $200 in cash from an individual to score the customer as having passed the tests even if they did not actually pass. In fact, the applicant failed one of the tests, but it is alleged that Cox-Johnson scored the applicant as having passed all three tests.

According to the charging documents, Semedo, the owner of a driving school, conspired to defraud the RMV into issuing driver’s licenses to applicants who did not pass the road test. Specifically, it is alleged that Semedo paid a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent to the RMV that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when in fact they had not. Some of the applicants did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants.

The charges of extortion under color of official right and conspiracy to commit extortion each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charging document also seeks a $17,000 forfeiture money judgment against Semedo. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF). Valuable assistance was provided by the Mattapoisett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of Rollins’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Spencer man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).    

Joseph Michael Smith, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 27 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In November 2022, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. 

Investigators received several tips that CSAM was shared from messenger accounts tied to Smith’s address. During a search of Smith’s residence on Nov. 10, 2021, a drive was seized, and a forensic analysis revealed 35 videos depicting children as young as two-years-old being sexually abused, as well as over 300 images depicting CSAM that had downloaded to, and deleted from, the USB drive. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Spencer Police Chief David Darrin made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.  

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

BOSTON – A New York man was arrested yesterday in connection with allegedly trafficking drugs and firearms.

Jason Lebberes, 31, of Tuckahoe, N.Y., was indicted on one count of distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine; one count of transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident; and one count of transferring a machinegun. Lebberres was arrested in New York this morning and appeared in federal court in the Southern District of New York yesterday. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the indictment, Lebberes sold more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a privately manufactured firearm, commonly known as a “ghost gun” and a Glock switch. A Glock switch is a device that converts firearms into automatic weapons. The investigation revealed that Lebberes had allegedly sold numerous Glock switches to other customers in the past. 

It is further alleged that, during a search of Lebberes’ residence in Tuckahoe, N.Y. yesterday, a treasure trove of handguns, assault rifles, and ammunition were recovered, several of which appeared to be privately manufactured. A video of Lebberes discharging a handgun out of his car window was also allegedly recovered during the investigation.  

The charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least ten years and up to life years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000,000. The charge of transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of transferring a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office; Darnell Edwards, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – An East Boston man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Cristopher Vladimir Pineda Martinez, 23, was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Pineda was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in January 2023.

According to the charging documents, law enforcement identified Pineda as member of several private large-scale group chats involved in the distribution of CSAM on an online chat platform. It is alleged that on Dec. 12, 2022, Pineda distributed eight videos depicting CSAM in three online chat groups. It is further alleged that an additional 54 videos of CSAM, involving children as young as six years old, were found on Pineda’s personal cell phone. 

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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

BOSTON – A Boston woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to defraud an insurance provider for physical therapy services that were not provided to patients.  

Raya Bagardi, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2023. Bagardi was indicted in February 2021 along with co-defendants Gyulnara Bayryshova, Anna Barenboym and Slava Pride.

Bagardi was a licensed physical therapy assistant at Brighton Physical Therapy (BPT), a Brighton-based physical therapy clinic owned by Bayryshova. According to the charging documents, from October 2018 through June 2020, Bayryshova, Bagardi and their co-defendants conspired to cause an insurance company to reimburse them for physical therapy services that were not actually provided and/or were not medically necessary and, in some cases, were provided by individuals not licensed to provide the services. Specifically, Bayryshova, Bagardi and allegedly their co-defendants falsely billed for services purportedly rendered to patients injured in automobile accidents when the services were not actually provided. It is further alleged that BPT paid patients for referrals and referred patients to attorneys to assist with patients’ insurance settlements. 

Bagardi was one of three defendants to plead guilty in the case. Barenboym and Pride previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2023 and May 24, 2023, respectively.  

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Tewksbury woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to embezzling more than $1.8 million from her employer, collecting unemployment assistance while employed fulltime and related tax charges.

Joanne Dinoto a/k/a Joanne Mara, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of filing a false tax return. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for June 29, 2023. Dinoto was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2021 and subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in March 2022. 

Between April 2008 and April 2020, Dinoto stole more than $1.8 million from her employer, a flooring company based in Acton, by falsely inflating her compensation, using her employer’s corporate credit card for personal expenses, and forging at least two checks to herself drawn on her employer’s checking account. To hide her scheme, Dinoto modified her employer’s accounting records. Dinoto later collected unemployment benefits from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance under her true Social Security number, despite the fact that she was then working full time for a different employer, a lighting company based in Wilmington, under a fake Social Security number. Between 2015 and 2020, Dinoto did not report the more than $1 million that she embezzled from the Acton company or received from the Wilmington company on her federal income tax returns.  

The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Office; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations made the announcement today. The Acton Police Department and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Lenox man has been arrested and charged in connection with attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor.

Paul J. Bruzzi, 35, was charged with attempt to transfer obscene material to a minor. Bruzzi will make an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield today.  

According to the charging documents, starting in September 2022, Bruzzi used social media applications to communicate with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was actually an undercover federal investigator. During these conversations, it is alleged that Bruzzi sent the purported minor nine photographs and videos of himself displaying his genitalia and attempted to pressure her into sending him photos of herself. 

The charge of attempt to transfer obscene matter to a minor provides for a sentence of at least 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Salisbury and Winchester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Office is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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

BOSTON – A Dominican man pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States following a prior removal.

Juan Nova-Nivar, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper, who scheduled sentencing for April 5, 2023. Nova-Nivar was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2017 after being arrested on unrelated state charges in Essex County. He remains in state custody.

In 2012, Nova-Nivar was encountered by immigration officials in Texas, determined to be illegally present in the United States and placed into removal proceedings. He was deported to the Dominican Republic on June 6, 2012.

Sometime after his 2012 removal, Nova-Nivar illegally reentered the United States. In 2015, Nova-Nivar was arrested in Lawrence under an alias on drug distribution charges. Nova-Nivar failed to appear for a number of scheduled pre-trial hearings and a warrant was issued for his arrest. 

Fingerprints obtained at the time of Nova-Nivar’s arrest provided a positive match with those from his 2012 removal and Nova-Nivar, leading to his March 2017 indictment for illegal reentry in this case.
 
In May 2022, Novar Nivar — while still in warrant status for the state drug distribution charges — was arrested in Lawrence again using the same alias. He was later transferred into federal custody.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Jamaican man was sentenced yesterday for illegally reentering the United States after two prior removals.

Arik Hugh Halliman, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time-served (approximately seven months in prison) to be followed by three years of supervised release. Halliman will be subject to removal proceedings. In November 2022, Halliman pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

In 2008, Halliman was arrested in Worcester County on cocaine trafficking charges, for which he was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to five years in prison. Upon completion of his sentence, Halliman was placed into removal proceedings and deported in June 2013.

Sometime after his 2013 removal, Halliman illegally reentered to the United States. In 2018, he was arrested in Worcester County on cocaine trafficking charges and subsequently arrested by immigration authorities after making bail on the state charges. Once in immigration custody, Halliman’s previous order of removal was reinstated and he was deported for the second time in July 2018. 

Sometime after his 2018 removal, Halliman again illegally reentered to the United States. In July 2022, Halliman was arrested in Dudley, Mass., for motor vehicle violations and using a false ID. Upon making bail, Halliman was arrested by immigration authorities and transferred into federal custody.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Hyde Park man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to using a stolen identity to fraudulently obtain pandemic relief funds and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, previously known as Food Stamps.

Fernando Mateo Valenzuela, 69, pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of misrepresentation of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for May, 24 2023. Valenzuela was charged by criminal complaint in June 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022. 

Valenzuela used the identity of a United States citizen to apply for and receive $29,051 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Valenzuela also used the identity to apply for and receive $7,230 in SNAP benefits.
 
The charges of mail fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of aggravated identity theft each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, one of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of misrepresentation of a Social Security number each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Bethanne M. Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigation, Northeast Region; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ketty Larco-Ward, Postal Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; United States Marshals Service; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

BOSTON – Two men from the North Shore have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a drug conspiracy involving tens of thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. 

Charles Bates, 31, of Reading, and Aaron Lenardis, 36, of Saugus, were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Lenardis was also indicted on an additional count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Bates and Lenardis will appear in federal court in Boston tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. They were initially charged by complaint in October 2022. 

According to the charging documents, in August 2022, an investigation began into Bates after he ordered 50 kilograms of an orange binding agent commonly used to make counterfeit Adderall pills, which he was allegedly observed picking up at a UPS store in Boston. 

Court filings allege that Bates exchanged text messages with drug customers and associates in which he spoke about pills that are “made to order,” described being physically present at the place where the pills were made and “watching the guy work so no corners have been cut.” It is also alleged that Bates drafted recipes for counterfeit pills that he kept on his phone or sent to others. It is alleged that the offense involved at least 136,000 counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, equivalent to approximately 40 kilograms of such pills.  

It is further alleged that after the pill press broke, Bates traveled to Pawtucket, R.I., to obtain a replacement. Bates was allegedly observed transporting a large, heavy item that appeared to be a pill press to Lenardis’ residence in Saugus. 

According to court documents, a search of Lenardis’ residence in Saugus on Oct. 25, 2022 resulted in the seizure of: an industrial pill press, 14 firearms including a Glock outfitted to operate as a machinegun, at least 1.85 kilograms of pills and powder containing methamphetamine, at least 87.6 grams of pills and powder containing fentanyl and “M30” stamps commonly used to manufacture counterfeit pills.

The charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $8 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A New Hampshire man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for the allegedly committing a string of five bank robberies across Northern Massachusetts. 

Reinaldo Ortiz, 45, of Manchester, N.H., was indicted on five counts of bank robbery. Ortiz was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Jan. 12, 2023. 

According to the charging documents, between March 9 and March 24, 2022, Ortiz drove from New Hampshire to Massachusetts and robbed a string of banks in Fitchburg, Lowell, Chelmsford, Wilmington and Lexington. It is alleged that Ortiz entered each of the banks disguised in a mask and demanded cash from the teller’s drawer. When the tellers complied, Ortiz allegedly made off with several thousand dollars in cash and fled the scene of the robbery in a gray 2006 Honda Accord. A subsequent investigation allegedly found Ortiz’s fingerprints on a glove discarded outside one of the robbed banks and that his cellphone movement was consistent with the robbery route.

The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester (N.H.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Tolkoff of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A member of a prolific and violent North Shore-based drug trafficking organization that manufactured and supplied over 30 kilograms of fentanyl pills was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing firearms, including an automatic weapon.

Ernest Johnson, 34, a/k/a “Yo Pesci,” a/k/a “Mr. Live Mr. Drive,” of Salem, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 90 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2022, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. 

“We can only hope that the ‘Yo Pesci’ show has reached its final episode. Mr. Johnson was an active participant in a violent drug enterprise that coordinated armed robberies, engaged in violent shootings and pumped more than 500,000 deadly fentanyl pills onto our streets. He not only unlawfully possessed a stockpile of dangerous firearms, including a machine gun and large capacity magazines, but Mr. Johnson brazenly flaunted his arsenal through livestream videos,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “His behavior, both on and off social media, promoted violence and a complete disregard for the rule of law. His days as social media influencer for criminal enterprises have ended. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to put down violent criminal organizations and do everything in our power to keep our communities safe.”  

“Today, convicted felon Ernest Johnson learned his fate for brandishing numerous firearms he wasn’t allowed to possess in support of an extremely violent drug trafficking enterprise that dealt deadly fentanyl and orchestrated numerous shootings and armed robberies, using an arsenal of firearms, including machine guns,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and eliminate violent criminal organizations like the one Johnson belonged to that are responsible for inflicting serious harm on our communities.”

“Armed violent drug dealers are wreaking havoc in our communities, and using fentanyl in counterfeit prescriptions is a deadly combination. ATF will continue to work alongside our OCDETF partners to become a force multiplier in stopping these organizations from devastating our neighborhoods,” said James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division.

Johnson was arrested and charged in June 2021 along with co-conspirators Vincent Caruso, Laurie Caruso and Nicole Benton – all of whom pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. On Dec. 15, 2022, Benton was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised. On June 30, 2022, Vincent Caruso was sentenced to 250 months (more than 20 years) in prison and five years of supervised release. On June 29, 2022, Laurie Caruso was sentenced to nine years in prison and four years of supervised release. 

Johnson was a member of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) operated by Vincent Caruso, a self-admitted Crip gang member, that included Benton and Vincent Caruso’s mother, Laurie Caruso, among others. The DTO specialized in the manufacture and sale of pressed counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl designed to imitate Percocet tablets. The DTO produced the pills using multiple large pill presses and distributed the illicit drugs to dealers throughout the North Shore. According to court papers, Caruso boasted about utilizing a pill press that weighed 1,000 pounds and was capable of producing 15,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills per hour – with pill retailing for between $10-$20, thereby generating millions of dollars in retails sales. In total, the Caruso DTO trafficked more than 30 kilograms of fentanyl, equating to 500,000 pills per year. 

Johnson served in a security role as Vincent Caruso’s driver and personal assistant. As a member of the DTO, Johnson possessed and used a variety of firearms (including an AR-15; a fully automatic Glock 17; multiple large caliber revolvers; and a number of pistols equipped with large-capacity magazines) to threaten rival drug dealers and cultivate the DTO’s violent reputation in furtherance of its drug trafficking activities. The investigation determined Johnson was involved in multiple violent offenses committed on behalf of the DTO, including an attempted armed robbery in May 2021. Additionally, Johnson used social media to post and message photos and videos that showcased the DTO’s arsenal of firearms, fentanyl pills, cash and high-end jewelry. In a number of videos, Johnson boasted about his involvement in shootings, beatings and drug trafficking, promoted the DTO’s reputation for violence and gunplay, as well as identified and threatened people he believed to be a “rat” or a “snitch.” Based on multiple prior felony convictions, Johnson was prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms.

FAUSA Levy; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; ATF SAC Ferguson; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk County District Attorneys’ Offices; Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk and Hancock (Maine) County Sheriffs’ Departments; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine; Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; and the Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Danvers, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Revere, Bolton (Maine), Bangor (Maine), Portland (Maine) and Westbrook (Maine) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.

BOSTON – A former nurse has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly diverting opioids from a Boston-area hospital.

Andrea Falzano, 38, of Winchester, was indicted on three counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception and subterfuge. Falzano was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley. 

According to the indictment, while working as a registered nurse at a hospital in the Boston-area, Falzano acquired hydromorphone and morphine both of which are opioids and Schedule II controlled substances. 

The charge of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud provides a sentence of up to four years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office; and Margret R. Cooke, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Dominican man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Felix Bienvenido Gonzalez-Arias, a/k/a “Victor Manuel Trinidad-Lugo,” 38, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for May 17, 2023. Gonzalez-Arias was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2022. 

At an unknown time, Gonzales-Arias illegally entered the United States. In November 2014, he was arrested in Essex County on state charges of heroin trafficking. Gonzales-Arias was convicted of the offense, sentenced to three and a half to five years in state prison and upon completion of his sentence, he was removed from the United States in April 2018. Some point thereafter, Gonzales-Arias illegally reentered the United States. 

On Sept. 1, 2022, Gonzalez-Arias was arrested in Lawrence on drug trafficking charges. . Gonzalez-Arias’ fingerprints produced a positive match from those from his 2014 arrest and 2018 removal and he was identified as being illegally present in the United States after deportation.
                                     
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.