District of Massachusetts
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national residing in Fall River was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegal reentry. The defendant was previously convicted on state charges of three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child as well as assault and disorderly conduct.
Rudy Osorto Bonilla, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (approximately eight months in prison) and three years of supervised release. Osorto will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On Oct. 14, 2021, Osorto Bonilla pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
In 2003 Osorto Bonilla, who was illegally present in the United States, was convicted in the Fall River District Court with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child. Osorto Bonilla was subsequently placed into removal proceedings and in March 2004, was deported to Honduras.
Sometime after this 2004 removal, Osorto Bonilla illegally returned to the United States. In June 2010, Osorto Bonilla arrested and later convicted in Maryland state court of assault and disorderly conduct. Following this conviction, Osorto Bonilla was charged and convicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland of illegal reentry and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Following completion of his sentence, Osorto Bonilla was placed into removal proceedings and was deported to his native country of Honduras in July 2011.
Sometime after this second removal, Osorto Bonilla again illegally returned to the United States and in June 2021 was arrested in Fall River by federal agents. His previous Order of Removal was reinstated, and his case was referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston for prosecution.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, 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 prosecuted the case.
Boston-Area Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearms Conspiracy Involving Six Shootings, Including One with Machine GunRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Tiny Rascals Gang (TRG) pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Massachusetts and Maine and to his involvement in six shootings in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Jaiir Coleman, a/k/a “JC”, a/k/a “Chino,” 22, of Malden, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 280 grams or more of cocaine base, and other controlled substances; one count of conspiring to possess, use and carry firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy; one count of possessing a machine gun; and one count of possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 8, 2022. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Coleman faces a mandatory term of 40 years in prison for these drug and gun crimes.
Coleman was arrested in January 2021 on state offenses and charged in April 2021 as part of Operation Street Sweepah: Kings of Belaire, an investigation that began in 2020 in direct response to increased violence in communities north of Boston where a significant spike in shootings is believed to be the result of gang-related rivalries.
Coleman is a self-identified member of TRG, one of the largest and most violent criminal street gangs in the country that operates on a decentralized structure via local groups or “sets.” TRG is involved in street-level distribution of powdered cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy and methamphetamine and members are known for their involvement in gun violence on the street, including drive-by shootings of residences of rival gang members.
Coleman participated in a long-running conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine base (crack cocaine) locally and in the Bangor, Maine, area. The charging documents describe numerous recorded conversations between Coleman and a co-conspirator in which the sale and distribution of controlled substances is discussed, including explicit instructions by Coleman about the manner in which to adulterate fentanyl and the proper prices to charge.
Coleman admitted to committing six shootings in furtherance of this drug conspiracy. Four shootings took place on Nov. 11, 2019, in Chelsea and Somerville, during which homes and vehicles were struck with gunfire. A fifth shooting took place in May 2020 in Somerville targeting individuals who were believed to be rival gang members. A sixth shooting took place in Cambridge in July 2020, during which Coleman used a machine gun to shoot at a group of individuals in response to a video posting made on social media.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Coleman was arrested for operating with a suspended license. A subsequent search of Coleman’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of a machine gun. According to the charging documents, a music video posted online earlier that week depicts Coleman holding and brandishing the same machine gun recovered from the vehicle on Jan. 6, 2021.
The charge of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 280 grams or more of cocaine base, provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of conspiring to possess, use and carry firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to life in prison because a machine gun was involved in the offense, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possessing 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 possessing a machine gun during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and up to life in prison to be served consecutively to the penalty for the underlying drug trafficking crime, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Roy E. McKinney, Director of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; Somerville Acting Police Chief Charles Femino; Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes; Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy; Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow; Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis; and Revere Police Chief James Guido made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine; Middlesex County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices; Suffolk County and Essex County Sheriff’s Departments; and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting 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.
Waltham Man Indicted for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Waltham man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly receiving child pornography.
Robert Daigle, 45, was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography. Daigle was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Jan. 11, 2022, with the same offense and, after a detention hearing, was released on pretrial conditions.
According to charging documents, a search of Daigle’s residence on Jan. 11, 2022, resulted in the recovery of electronic devices belonging to the defendant. An on-site forensic examination revealed images and videos depicting child pornography on at least one device. During an interview with investigative agents, Daigle allegedly admitted to downloading hundreds of thousands of child pornography files.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States 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; and Waltham Police Chief Kevin O’Connell made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Springfield Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Cocaine and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in federal court in Worcester for his role in a conspiracy to traffic drugs from California to Western Massachusetts and launder the proceeds.
Miguel Betancourt, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Aug. 18, 2021, Betancourt pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In July, 2016, Betancourt received five kilograms of cocaine from a Mexican drug trafficking organization (DTO) and distributed it in Western Massachusetts. As partial payment for the cocaine, Betancourt engaged in two types of money laundering. First, by providing his source with two vehicles, from the inventory of an auto dealership Betancourt owned, for no payment. Second, Betancourt also helped wire cash from his own drug sales back to the Mexican DTO.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, San Diego Division, Homeland Security Investigations and the Westfield Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil L. Desroches and Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Office prosecuted the case.
Serial Sex Trafficker Sentenced to over 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A serial sex trafficker who exploited multiple victims over a 15-year period was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on various sex trafficking charges.
Bruce “Arki” Brown, 43, of Dorchester, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 138 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On Nov. 1, 2021, Brown pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor; transportation of a minor for purposes of prostitution; two counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; obstruction of justice; and witness tampering. Brown has remained in federal custody since his arrest in February 2020.
“For more than 15 years, Brown preyed upon women and profited from his sex trafficking enterprise. His exploitation and violence caused immeasurable harm and trauma,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Many people assume that this kind of depravity doesn’t exist our communities, but it does. Sex trafficking activity on the local level is a reality – and so is imprisonment. Today’s sentence shows that those who engage in such heinous crimes will be identified, prosecuted and put behind bars. My office and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in our efforts to hold traffickers accountable and bring accountability to their victims.”
“What Bruce Brown did is unconscionable. He sexually exploited vulnerable victims and plied them with promises of a better life and then used violence, and psychological manipulation as a means of control,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today’s sentence cannot erase the harm inflicted upon his victims, but it keeps Mr. Brown exactly where he belongs—behind bars. The FBI will never stop working to find and help victims of human trafficking, to protect them from further abuse, and to keep their traffickers from hurting anyone else.”
Brown was originally indicted in February 2020. In June 2020, Brown was charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice and witness tampering for his attempt to influence a victim’s testimony related to the charges against him. In July 2020, Brown was charged in a second superseding indictment.
Brown targeted particularly vulnerable and transient victims and manipulated them through tailored psychological techniques to maintain control.
After Brown was charged in February 2020, he attempted to obstruct justice and tamper with his victims’ testimony. He directed co-conspirators to call victims and try to get them to alter or withdraw their testimony against him. Brown dubbed this scheme his “Plan B.”
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The Newton Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Mackenzie J. Duane of Rollins’ Civil Rights Enforcement Team prosecuted the case.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
Maine Man Indicted for Hate Crime Offenses Relating to Burning of a Black Church in Springfield, MassachusettsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maine man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mass., in connection with the Dec. 28, 2020, fire that destroyed a predominately Black church in Springfield.
Dushko Vulchev, 45, of Houlton, Maine, was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of damage to religious property involving fire and one count of use of fire to commit a federal felony. Vulchev was previously charged by criminal complaint in April 2021.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of Dec. 28, 2020, law enforcement observed a fire at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Presbyterian Church (MLK Church) which caused significant damage to the building. During a subsequent investigation, it was determined that the fire was related to other incidents, including arsons and malicious damage to vehicles that occurred on church property and the surrounding area. These included a fire at the backdoor of the MLK Church on Dec. 13, 2020, and two additional fires near the backdoor of the Church on Dec. 15, 2020. Further investigation and review of video surveillance identified Vulchev as the alleged perpetrator.
According to court documents, during a subsequent search of Vulchev’s vehicle, multiple electronic storage devices containing images demonstrating Vulchev’s racial animus toward Black people, including a “White Lives Matter” mural and a photo of Adolf Hitler in a track suit were seized. Vulchev’s electronic devices also allegedly contained messages revealing Vulchev’s hatred of Black people dating back several years, with Vulchev’s recent messages from December 2020 calling to “eliminate all N*****s,” and stating “I need a gun to kill N*****s.” According to the court documents, individuals familiar with Vulchev told law enforcement that Vulchev frequently displayed racial animus towards non-whites and routinely referred to Black people using a racial epithet.
The charge of damage to religious property involving fire provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of use of fire to commit a federal felony provides for a sentence of at least 10 years in prison, in addition to any sentence received for the other charged crimes. 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; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Massachusetts State Police Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by Hampden and Berkshire District Attorney’s Office; Springfield Fire Department; and the Springfield, Pittsfield, Houlton (Maine), Newington (Conn.) and American International College Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Chief of Rollins’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with advertising the sale of firearms on Snapchat.
Juan Aparicio, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2022. Aparicio was indicted in August 2020.
In June 2019 and January 2020, Aparicio posted videos on his Snapchat offering to sell numerous firearms. A search of Aparicio’s residence resulted in the recovery of a loaded assault rifle and handgun. Due to previous convictions punishable by more than one year in prison, Aparicio 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, 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 other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; and Superintendent Raymond Kelly Richardson of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich and Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Office are 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Parent Sentenced in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former senior gaming and hospitality executive was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his participation in a conspiracy to facilitate his daughter’s admission to the University of Southern California (USC) as a purported basketball recruit through bribery and fraud.
Gamal Abdelaziz, 65, of Las Vegas, Nev., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to one year and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, 400 hours of community service and a fine of $250,000. On Oct. 8, 2021, Abdelaziz was convicted following a four-week jury trial of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and honest services mail fraud and wire fraud; and one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery.
In 2017, Abdelaziz agreed to pay a co-conspirator, William “Rick” Singer, $300,000 to facilitate the admission of Abdelaziz’s daughter to USC as a purported basketball recruit. At the time, Abdelaziz’s daughter had not played basketball in well over a year and she had never been a member of her high school’s varsity basketball team.
As part of the scheme, a co-conspirator created a basketball profile for Abdelaziz’s daughter which included a photo of a different athlete and listed falsified awards and athletic honors. Another co-conspirator who was employed in the USC athletic department, then used that fake profile to secure the admission of Abdelaziz’s daughter to USC as a purported basketball recruit. Abdelaziz later wired $300,000 to Singer’s sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, in exchange for the fraudulent admission.
Singer previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Mark Deckett, Resident Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Ian Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
UPDATE: In May 2023, The First Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the defendant’s jury conviction. In June 2023, the government moved to dismiss all criminal charges against defendant Gamal Abdelaziz.
Westborough Man Sentenced for Trafficking in Smokeless TobaccoRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Westborough man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for trafficking contraband smokeless tobacco into Massachusetts.
Muhammad Mushtaq Balaparaya, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to one year and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. In April 2021, Balaparaya pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in contraband smokeless tobacco.
Between February 2014 through April 2018, Balaparaya transported more than 500 units of contraband smokeless tobacco in violation of federal law. Balaparaya imported the contraband smokeless tobacco into Massachusetts from Pennsylvania, where he had obtained it. At no time was Balaparaya licensed to sell or distribute tobacco products in Massachusetts, nor had Balaparaya paid the required excise tax on the smokeless tobacco products that was seized from him.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Postal Worker Charged with Mail TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service employee has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with stealing packages in Gardner.
Roberta Feliz, 32, of Fitchburg, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. A plea hearing is scheduled for March 15, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman.
According to the charging documents, from approximately February through August 2020, Feliz stole mail entrusted to her for delivery while a Postal Service employee in Gardner.
The charge of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service provides for a sentence of up to five 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 other statutory factors.
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 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.
New England Compounding Center's National Sales Director SentencedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The National Sales Director of the now-defunct New England Compounding Center (NECC) was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with conspiring to defraud the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Robert A. Ronzio, 48, of North Providence, R.I., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served. In December 2016, Ronzio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the FDA. Ronzio cooperated with the government and testified at three trials of other NECC defendants.
NECC fraudulently held itself out as a pharmacy dispensing drugs pursuant to physician-created prescriptions when in fact it operated as a manufacturer distributing drugs in bulk. NECC created numerous work-around methods to make it appear to federal and state regulators that NECC was dispensing drugs pursuant to valid patient-specific prescriptions when in fact it was not.
Specifically, NECC sales representatives requested that customers (hospitals and clinics) send in a list of patient names with their orders, but informed the customers that NECC would not label the drugs with the names of patients, thereby allowing the customers to use the drugs for any patients. NECC sales representatives requested customers send patient rosters or appointment schedules with their orders, from which NECC employees created patient-specific prescriptions that could be provided to federal or state regulators. Furthermore, NECC would not request patient names for first orders and often waived the requirement entirely for certain customers or drug orders. To determine the number of patient names required, the former owner of NECC and head pharmacist, Barry Cadden, created ratios of patient names to the number of drug units sought in an order. Ronzio admitted that the reason for these work-around methods was to maintain NECC’s status as a pharmacy and avoid heightened regulatory oversight of the FDA.
The NECC criminal case arose from the nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis that was traced back to contaminated vials of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) manufactured by NECC. In 2012, 753 patients in 20 states were diagnosed with a fungal infection after receiving injections of MPA manufactured by NECC, and more than 100 patients died as a result. The outbreak was the largest public health crisis ever caused by a contaminated pharmaceutical drug.
In December 2014, following a two-year investigation, Ronzio and 13 other owners, employees, and associates of NECC were charged in a 131-count indictment. The indictment did not charge Ronzio with having any role in the drug manufacturing operations of NECC.
On July 7, 2021, Cadden was resentenced, following the government’s successful appeal of his original sentence, to 174 months in prison and ordered to pay forfeiture of $1.4 million and restitution of $82 million. On July 21, 2021, Chin was resentenced, following the government’s successful appeal of his original sentence, to 126 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Chin was also ordered to pay forfeiture of approximately $473,584 and restitution in the amount of $82 million.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D.; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda P.M. Strachan, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.
Latin Kings Associate Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An associate of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) pleaded guilty today to firearm and ammunition charges.
Derek Southworth, 34, of Fitchburg, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2022.
On April 18, 2017, Southworth provided an AK-47 style rifle and approximately 49 rounds of ammunition to a cooperating witness. The transaction was captured on audio-video recording. Due to a prior conviction, Southworth is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against dozens of leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Southworth is the 56th defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition 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 other statutory factors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; 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 New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting 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 charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Brockton Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a Smith & Wesson, .40 caliber pistol and ammunition.
David Dardy, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to two years in prison and two years of supervised release. On Sept. 17, 2021, Dardy pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition while being a convicted felon.
On or about Sept. 19, 2020, Dardy possessed a Smith & Wesson, .40 caliber pistol. The firearm was loaded with five rounds of .40 caliber “Federal 40 S&W” ammunition, five rounds of .40 caliber “Perfecta 40 S.W.” ammunition, two rounds of .40 caliber “PPU 40 S&W” ammunition and one round of .40 caliber “FC NR 40 S&W” ammunition.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Boston Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An alleged member of the Franklin Hill street gang in Boston was sentenced today for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine base (crack cocaine).
Timmy Hunt, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 70 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Oct. 21, 2021, Hunt pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 28 grams of cocaine base. Hunt was indicted in June 2020 along with co-conspirator Trevel Brewster.
Hunt distributed crack cocaine to Brewster, who in turn sold the drugs to a cooperating witness in February and March of 2020. Immediately prior to both sales, Hunt arrived in a separate vehicle and provided the drugs to Brewster before Brewster sold them to the cooperating witness. In total, Hunt provided approximately 40.35 grams of crack cocaine for Brewster to sell to the cooperating witness. On Sept. 16, 2021, Brewster was sentenced by Judge Casper to five years in prison and four years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; and Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes made the announcement today. Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Boston Man Sentenced for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in federal court in Boston for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Michael Toussaint, 40, of Hyde Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In June 2021, Toussaint pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base.
In June 2020, Toussaint was charged along with 23 others as part of Operation Snowfall. According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement conducted an investigation into drug trafficking activities by Boston-based street gang members and associates in the Commonwealth Development in Brighton, formerly known as Fidelis Way, a multi-apartment public housing development. It is alleged that the defendants, through their drug trafficking activities, assumed control over multiple apartments, where they stored, cooked, packaged and sold drugs. As a result, their activities caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents. The investigation also targeted large-scale drug suppliers and their associates. It is alleged that the targets continued to distribute cocaine and cocaine base throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown.
During the investigation, investigators identified Toussaint as a drug trafficker and distributor. From September 2019 through February 2020, during intercepted calls between Toussaint and a co-conspirator, Toussaint ordered distribution quantities of cocaine. The investigation identified that, in February 2020 alone, Toussaint participated in at least 10 drug deals and ordered over 400 grams of cocaine. Toussaint is the 5th defendant to be sentenced in the case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Timothy E. Moran of the 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.
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.
Worcester Man Sentenced on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced today in connection with brandishing a loaded sawed-off shotgun in December 2019.
Steven Dillon, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 43 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Sept. 27, 2021, Dillon pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm.
On Dec. 25, 2019, Dillon went out drinking following a family Christmas dinner. He returned to his apartment intoxicated and approached the teenagers who had stayed home. After arguing with the teenagers, he went to his bedroom and retrieved a sawed-off shot gun, which he cocked while walking down the hall towards the room occupied by the teenagers. The teenagers barricaded themselves in the bedroom and contacted police. When police arrived, they found Dillon in the apartment and the shotgun and ammunition in his bedroom. Dillon was previously convicted of a felony punishable by more than one year in prison and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Announces Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Rachael S. Rollins have announced the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which aims to enhance the Department’s capacity to prevent human trafficking; prosecute human trafficking cases; and support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination, and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally funded, locally led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
“The fight against sex and labor trafficking, and supporting these victims, is one of my highest priorities for this office. Coordination among local, state and federal partners to provide a victim-centered approach to prevent human trafficking in the District will be further enhanced by the Justice Department’s newly released strategy,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Human trafficking has a devastating and sustained impact on victims and their loved ones. My office will spare no resource in identifying, prosecuting and holding traffickers accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
The District of Massachusetts has established itself as a leader in the fight to address human trafficking.
Since 2017, the Department of Justice has committed approximately $235 million in federal grants throughout the District of Massachusetts to aid in the fight against sex and labor trafficking and support victims of crime, including survivors of human trafficking. These funding streams have supported health and human service organizations providing direct services to survivors, state and local human trafficking prevention programs, law enforcement trainings and other support to victims and minor victims of human trafficking.
In FY2021, the following federal grants were awarded in Massachusetts to support local and state anti-trafficking programs, and provide direct services to victims of crime, including survivors of human trafficking:
- Baystate Medical Center, Inc., $600,000
- Ascentria Community Services, Inc., $800,000
- Attorney General’s Office, $1,558,000
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts: $21,488,509
In 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice awarded the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office $1,699,742 to develop a Massachusetts Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking. The Commonwealth’s Anti-Trafficking (CAT) Task Force is a federally funded, multidisciplinary approach that is the first of its kind and a national model for locally led anti-human trafficking task forces. This effort is a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, direct service providers, and state, local and federal law enforcement to proactively investigate and effectively prosecute human trafficking in Massachusetts while also providing trauma informed comprehensive services for victims of human trafficking.
The Massachusetts CAT Task Force receives referrals for all types of human trafficking cases. Referrals or questions should be communicated to the CAT Task Force through the Attorney General’s Office or via email to [email protected]. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To receive more information related to applying for federal grant programs to support anti-trafficking work, please visit www.grants.gov.
The Department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017. To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
United States Attorney Announces over $880,000 Recovery for Victims of Real Estate Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that $884,755 recovered from forfeited assets of Scott J. Wolas will be distributed to his victims. The United States Attorney’s Office expressly sought permission to have the forfeited assets directly applied to victim restitution, which was granted by the Department of Justice.
Wolas, who had been a fugitive for more than 20 years prior to his arrest in April 2017, was convicted in 2018 of seven counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of misuse of a Social Security number and one count of tax evasion in connection with $1.9 million real estate investment fraud scheme in Quincy.
“My office will diligently pursue financial recovery for our crime victims—even years after someone has been convicted and sentenced, we will continue our pursuit,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “These ill-gotten gains have finally been recovered and our efforts send an important message that crime does not pay.”
In January 2019, Wolas was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 81 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,949,813 in restitution to the victims of his fraud scheme. Chief Judge Saylor also ordered Wolas to pay $69,768 in restitution to Social Security and Medicare, $318,266 in restitution to the IRS and entered a forfeiture money judgment of $1,949,813.
From at least 2009 through 2016, Wolas, using the name Eugene Grathwohl, operated a real estate business known as Increasing Fortune Inc. and worked as a licensed real estate agent for Century 21 in Quincy. From 2014 through 2016, he solicited investments for the development of the Beachcomber Bar property on Quincy Shore Drive and for the construction of a single-family home on the adjacent property. He collected more than $1.9 million from at least 24 investors and promised each of them a significant return on their investments. He further promised to pay out at least 125% of the profits related to the single-family home construction. However, Wolas used the money mostly for personal expenses unrelated to development of the real estate projects.
Law enforcement then discovered that Grathwohl was actually Wolas, a former lawyer who had been a fugitive since 1997 after being charged with fraud and grand larceny in New York. The real Eugene Grathwohl resided in Florida and was known to Wolas.
On Nov. 17, 2016, law enforcement officers interviewed Wolas’ ex-wife, Cecily Sturge, of Delray Beach, Fla., who stated that she had not been in contact with her ex-husband for approximately 15 years, since their divorce in 2001. Further investigation determined this was false and that Wolas had stayed at a condo rented under Sturge’s name five days prior to her interview with law enforcement. Sturge later pleaded guilty to making a materially false statement to a federal agent and was sentenced in May 2018 to one year of probation.
Prior to her conviction, Sturge filed a petition with a Florida court in February 2017 to modify the 2001 divorce judgment to obtain the contents of Wolas’ retirement account. At the time Sturge filed the petition, Wolas’ retirement account had a balance of approximately $647,000 from the law firm where he worked prior to being indicted in 1997 by New York authorities. Sturge had previously tried to obtain the retirement account by claiming Wolas was dead, but in 2016, Wolas suggested that they amend the divorce decree to get access to the account. Law enforcement established that Wolas had drafted the petition to modify the divorce judgment to transfer the contents of Wolas’ retirement account to Sturge. The petition that Wolas drafted and Sturge signed falsely stated that Sturge did not know Wolas’ whereabouts. After Wolas’ arrest, he and Sturge continued to discuss the transfer of the retirement account during jail calls and using thinly veiled code words.
After the Florida court allowed Sturge’s petition, but before the account was transferred to her, the U.S. Attorney’s Office restrained the retirement account and moved to forfeit it. Sturge opposed forfeiture, claiming ownership of the retirement account. In February 2021, Chief Judge Saylor issued a 39-page memorandum and order finding that the transfer of the retirement account to Sturge was a fraudulent transfer and granted the government’s motion to deny her ownership claim. As a result, the retirement account was liquidated and $884,755 was turned over to the United States. The United States Attorney’s Office then sought permission to have the forfeited assets applied to victim restitution, which was granted by the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section in January 2022.
United States Attorney Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; John Cremonini, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit, handled the forfeiture litigation.
Salvadorian National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Salvadoran national residing in Lynn was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Inmar Samuel Aguiluz-Palacios, 29, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry.
According to the indictment, on Aug. 21, 2021, Aguiluz-Palacios was encountered in Massachusetts having been previously deported in May 2014.
The charge of illegal reentry provides 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 defendant will be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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 and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, 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.
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.
Repeat Felon Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A repeat felon with three prior federal firearm convictions was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his fourth federal firearms charge and the third since 2015.
Darnell Upshaw, 40, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 64 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2021, Upshaw pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In the early morning hours in November 2019, Upshaw was pulled over on Route 140 in Taunton by law enforcement for traffic violations. After observing Upshaw’s speech and appearance, his performance on the field sobriety test, as well as an open bottle of Hennessey’s in Upshaw’s vehicle, the officer determined Upshaw to be extremely inebriated and he was subsequently arrested. A search of Upshaw’s vehicle recovered a 9mm Glock pistol loaded with 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition tucked under the floor mat of the driver’s seat, with the grip positioned up towards the driver.
Upshaw is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to three previous federal convictions. In April 2005, Upshaw sold an undercover agent 50 rounds of .25 caliber ammunition. In August 2015, during a traffic stop in which he was determined to be operating under the influence of alcohol, Upshaw was found in possession of a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with four rounds of .32 caliber ammunition.
In May 2017, officers responded to a report of shots fired on Owens Avenue in Brockton. Based on information provided at the scene, law enforcement officers suspected that Upshaw was responsible for the shooting and began surveillance of his house. Subsequently, officers observed a vehicle matching the description of the shooter’s vehicle arrive and park near Upshaw’s house, where two men exited the vehicle. Minutes later, Upshaw was observed leaving his house and driving away in a black SUV which the officers followed and, when it stopped, Upshaw exited and took off running with his right arm braced tightly against his side. The officers followed Upshaw as he fled, climbed over a fence and entered his girlfriend’s mother’s house. Upshaw was apprehended inside the house and a loaded firearm was found lying on top of a pile of lawn clippings near the fence Upshaw had climbed. Subsequent lab analysis revealed that Upshaw’s shirt bore traces of gunshot primer residue.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Trinitarios Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Multiple Guns, Ammunition, Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Trinitarios street gang pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with trafficking firearms, ammunition, cocaine and fentanyl in the Greater Lawrence area.
Arismendy Gil-Padilla, 31, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm; two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and one count of distribution and possession to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for May 26, 2022.
Gil-Padilla was indicted and arrested in November 2019 as part of a federal sweep targeting federal and state offenders, including members and associates of the Trinitarios street gang, in the Greater Lawrence area.
Beginning in 2017, law enforcement conducted an investigation into the members, associates and suppliers of the Trinitarios operating in the Greater Lawrence area. The Trinitarios is a street gang originating in the New York area with increased presence in Lawrence and the surrounding communities. According to court documents, many Trinitarios members are involved in a broad range of illegal activities including, but not limited to, firearms and drug trafficking as well as violent crimes undertaken to protect the interests of the gang and its members.
During the investigation, Gil-Padilla was identified as a member of the Trinitarios. On eight separate occasions between April and August 2018, Gil-Padilla sold at least 16 guns, ammunition, cocaine and fentanyl to a cooperating witness. Specifically, Gil-Padilla sold the cooperating witness two handguns, ammunition and cocaine for $3,600 on June 28, 2018; seven firearms, ammunition and cocaine for $6,240 on July 11, 2018; cocaine and fentanyl on August 2, 2018; and seven firearms and ammunition, a laser sight, fentanyl and cocaine for $2,900 on various dates between April and May 2018. Gil-Padilla is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a 2014 conviction of sale of a controlled substance that was punishable by more than one year in prison.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of distribution of and possession to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of at leave five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based on 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 Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Field Division; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit 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.
Connecticut Man Arrested for Cyberstalking and Threatening Massachusetts WomanRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man was arrested today for allegedly threatening, harassing and intimidating a Massachusetts woman through social media and email.
Marshall Nicholas Fain, 31, of New Haven, Conn., was charged with one count of cyberstalking and one count of transmitting threats through interstate commerce. Fain was arrested this morning and made an initial appearance today in federal court in Boston before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal. Fain is being held in custody pending a detention hearing schedule for Feb. 8, 2022.
According to the charging documents, Fain was in a relationship with the victim for approximately two years, until the relationship ended in August 2021. Soon after, in September 2021 and continuing through December 2021, Fain sent the victim multiple private messages through email and social media threatening to kill the victim and members of her family.
Fain allegedly created multiple social media and email accounts which he used to harass and threaten the victim anonymously. Specifically, according to the charging documents, Fain used anonymous Instagram and Facebook accounts to send the victim messages that said, among other things, “I’ll kill you” and “You gonna get yours if it’s the last thing I do.” Fain allegedly also used anonymous email addresses to send the victim threatening messages that said, among other things, “I’m gonna find you and kill you if it’s the last thing I do,” “By now you know I don’t give a f*** about my own life so I really don’t mind taking yours,” and “When the time is right you gonna be one of the girls going missing. Ima torture the f*** out of you when I catch you.”
The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of transmitting threats through interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Division, provided valuable assistance in the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins Major Crimes Division 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.
Connecticut Man Arrested for Corporate Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man was arrested today on charges arising from a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $500,000 from his former employer, New England Sports Network (NESN).
Ariel Legassa, 49, of Burlington, Conn., was charged with one count of mail fraud. Legassa made his initial appearance in federal court in the District of Connecticut today and will appear in federal court in the District of Massachusetts at a later date.
According to the charging documents, from approximately December 2020 to January 2022, Legassa orchestrated a scheme to defraud NESN. It is alleged that as Legassa negotiated a legitimate contract with a New York company to provide web development services for NESN, Legassa simultaneously created a fictitious business under a similar name in Connecticut that he then used to receive fraudulent payments from NESN. During the pendency of the legitimate contract between the New York company and NESN, in addition to approving legitimate invoices from the New York company, Legassa allegedly created and approved several fake invoices from the Connecticut company. In all, it is alleged that NESN paid the Connecticut company, which did not have an actual business purpose, $575,500 into an account controlled by Legassa, who then spent the funds on personal expenses and transferred the funds into other accounts under his control.
The charge of mail 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 from the offense, whichever is greater. 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 and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman 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 Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin, Fentanyl and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in connection with heroin and fentanyl distribution and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Anthony Howard, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for May 25, 2022. Howard was arrested and charged in August 2021.
This case arose from a series of controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Howard by a cooperating witness. On July 20, 2021, Howard sold a cooperating witness over 32 grams of heroin. A search of Howard’s apartment on Aug. 5, 2021, resulted in the seizure of approximately 24.52 grams of fentanyl; drug distribution paraphernalia; and several firearms, including a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with a drum magazine capable of 50 round capacity and containing 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Federal law prohibits Howard from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to prior felony convictions. Additionally, at the time of the offenses, Howard was on state pre-trial release for a 2014 indictment for murder, armed assault to murder and illegal firearm possession, amongst other charges, in connection with a shooting of multiple victims. On Nov. 15, 2021, Howard was convicted on several charges in this matter and sentenced to 18 to 20 years in state prison.
The charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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 $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Springfield Woman Sentenced for Social Security Benefit TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield woman was sentenced today for stealing over $62,000 in Social Security benefits.
Patricia Shibles, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni to three years of probation, with the first six months to be served on home detention. Shibles was also ordered to pay $62,113 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA). On September 22, 2021, Shibles pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds.
In April 2016, the father of Shibles’ fiancé, who was receiving Social Security benefits, passed away. The SSA was not informed of the death, and SSA continued to deposit monthly benefits into a bank account held by Shibles and the deceased beneficiary. From April 2016 through April 2020, Shibles stole approximately $62,113 in Social Security benefits from the account.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and John Cremonini, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Dineen Jerrett of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Springfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Fraud Related to COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield woman pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.
Audri Ford-Victory, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 1, 2022. Ford-Victory was charged on Dec. 15, 2021.
In March 2020, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which in Massachusetts is administered by the Department of Unemployment Assistance. This program provides unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits.
Ford-Victory and her co-conspirator submitted more than 100 fraudulent PUA claims resulting in more than $1.2 million in payments. Approximately half of the PUA claims were made on behalf of individuals residing outside of Massachusetts. In some instances, Ford-Victory and her co-conspirator received kickback payments for doing so.
The charge of wire fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 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 other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Frederick J. Regan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, New York Regional Office, made the announcement. The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance provided assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is 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.
Middleboro Financial Advisor Charged in Superseding Indictment with Investment Adviser Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Middleboro financial advisor has been charged in a superseding indictment in connection with defrauding his elderly clients and stealing the victims’ retirement assets.
Paul R. McGonigle, 67, has been charged in a superseding indictment with one count of investment adviser fraud and two counts of money laundering. McGonigle was previously arrested and charged in June 2021 with three counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the charging document, McGonigle served as a financial advisor for the elderly victims. Beginning no later than February 2015, McGonigle allegedly caused unauthorized withdrawals from victims’ annuities and induced victims to give him money to invest on their behalf, which he then used for personal and business expenses. To carry out his scheme, McGonigle allegedly posed as clients on calls with their annuity companies and signed their names on forms requesting withdrawals from their annuities.
The charge of investment adviser fraud provides for a sentence of up to five 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, whichever is greater. The charges of money laundering provide for a sentence of up to 10 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, whichever is greater. The charges of mail and 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, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. 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 and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney 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.
Lynn Woman Indicted for Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn woman was arrested today for allegedly stealing over $50,000 in Social Security benefits.
Teresa M. Carrington, 64, was charged with one count of theft of public funds. Carrington was released on conditions following an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein in federal court in Boston this afternoon.
According to the indictment, from June 2016 through January 2020, Carrington stole at least $50,210 in Social Security benefits.
The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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 and John Cremonini, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Rollins’ Major Crimes 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.
Cardinal Health Agrees to Pay More than $13 Million to Resolve Allegations that it Paid Kickbacks to PhysiciansRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Ohio-based pharmaceutical distributor, Cardinal Health, Inc., has agreed to pay $13,125,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying “upfront discounts” to its physician practice customers, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits pharmaceutical distributors from offering or paying any compensation to induce physicians to purchase drugs for use on Medicare patients. When a pharmaceutical distributor sells drugs to a physician practice for administration in an outpatient setting, the distributor may legally offer commercially available discounts to its customers under certain circumstances permitted by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). HHS-OIG has advised that upfront discount arrangements present significant kickback concerns unless they are tied to specific purchases and that distributors maintain appropriate controls to ensure that discounts are clawed back if the purchaser ultimately does not purchase enough product to earn the discount. According to facts that the company has acknowledged in the settlement agreement, Cardinal Health, Inc. failed to meet these requirements because the upfront discounts it provided to its customers were not attributable to identifiable sales or were purported rebates which Cardinal Health’s customers had not actually earned.
“Cardinal Health recruited new customers by offering and paying cash bonuses in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act. Kickback schemes, such as this one, have the potential to pervert clinical decision-making and are detrimental to our federal health care system and taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We commend Cardinal Health for resolving this matter cooperatively.”
“Pharmaceutical distributors are expected to play by the rules and not engage in illegal arrangements,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate kickback schemes that threaten the integrity of our federal health care system, no matter how those schemes are disguised.”
“Cardinal Health thought it hit upon a surefire moneymaker by paying kickbacks to doctors, which cost health benefit programs millions of dollars in potentially fraudulent claims,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Anyone involved in, or entertaining, similar activity should know that health care fraud is a priority for the FBI, and we will pursue anyone trying to profit from this country’s vital health care system.”
The False Claims Act settlements resolve allegations originally brought in lawsuits filed by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, the relators will receive approximately $2.6 million of the recovery.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, HHS-OIG SAC Coyne and Boston FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich and Lindsey Ross of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.
Boston Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Roles in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man and woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiracy and distribution charges involving fentanyl.
Valentin Pujols, 35, and Katherine Olivares-Soto, a/k/a “Jessy,” 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count each of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Pujols and Olivares-Soto are scheduled to be sentenced on May 18 and May 24, 2022, respectively.
Pujols and Olivares-Soto were indicted in September 2019 along with co-conspirator Maria Yovanny Soto-Diaz-Deperez, a/k/a “Betty.” Soto-Diaz-Deperez remains a fugitive.
Pujols and Olivares-Soto allegedly conspired with Soto-Diaz-Deperez to distribute fentanyl. As stated during the plea hearing, on multiple occasions between December 2018 and February 2019, Soto-Diaz-Deperez agreed to sell quantities of fentanyl to an undercover agent. In December 2018, Pujols and Soto-Diaz-Deperez sold the undercover agent approximately 49 grams of fentanyl. In January 2019, Olivares-Soto, allegedly acting on behalf of Soto-Diaz-Deperez, sold approximately 109 grams of fentanyl and on a third occasion, Soto-Diaz-Deperez allegedly sold approximately 124 grams of fentanyl to the undercover agent.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more fentanyl each provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Arlington Police Chief Juliann Flaherty; and Somerville Acting Police Chief Charles Femino made the announcement today. Assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston Housing Authority Police Division and the Arlington Public Housing Authority. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Everett Man Indicted on Wire Fraud, Social Security Misuse and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Everett man was indicted today on identity theft and fraud charges in connection with schemes to fraudulently obtain an apartment and pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Tedje Menard, 27, was indicted on two counts of wire fraud, one count of false representation of a social security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. Menard was initially charged and arrested in November 2021.
According to the charging documents, in or around November 2020, Menard applied to rent an apartment in East Boston using the name and identity of another person. As part of the application and screening process, Menard falsely claimed to be the victim by providing the company overseeing the property with, among other things, the victim’s name, Social Security number, date of birth and a copy of a purported North Carolina driver’s license containing the victim’s information but depicting a photograph of Menard. Additionally, in June 2021, Menard allegedly submitted an EIDL application in the amount of $40,000 using the victim’s name and personal identifiable information.
It is also alleged that in April 2021, Menard used his own name to apply for a PPP loan in the amount of approximately $20,833. In the loan application, it is alleged that Menard falsely represented his business’ total gross income in 2019 and his criminal history.
The charge of wire fraud provides 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 false representation of a social security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence 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 other statutory factors.
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 Department of Labor and the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is 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.
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.
Centerville Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Heroin Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Centerville man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a wide-ranging heroin trafficking conspiracy.
Vinicius Zangrande, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2022.
In May 2019, Zangrande and 10 co-defendants were arrested and charged with various drug distribution offenses. According to court documents, in 2019, law enforcement began investigating a Cape Cod drug trafficking organization, allegedly led by Edwin Otero. It is alleged that Otero and his co-conspirators distributed large quantities of heroin throughout Cape Cod, including Hyannis, Mashpee, Centerville and Osterville as well as Pawtucket, R.I. The investigation identified Zangrande as Otero’s driver, in which he provided transportation directly for Otero or transported drugs on Otero’s behalf. In addition to moving sizeable quantities of heroin, the investigation revealed that members of the Otero crew allegedly shot at a drug customer over an unpaid debt and videotaped themselves beating another man they incorrectly believed had provided information to the police. As a result of the investigation, heroin, oxycodone, packaging materials, scales, a finger press, cash and three firearms, including a 9-millimeter assault-type weapon that fit an ammunition clip recovered from the drug debt shooting, were seized.
Zangrande is the 5th defendant to plead guilty in the case. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Barnstable Police Chief Matthew K. Sonnabend made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Lauren Graber of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting 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 charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Man Arrested for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York Man was arrested today on charges arising from a scheme to fraudulently obtain business loans and unemployment pandemic relief funds made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Ronald Buie, 35, was charged with one count of wire fraud. Buie will make an initial appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of New York this afternoon and will appear in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Buie engaged in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting fraudulent applications for loans offered in connection with the CARES Act. It is alleged that Buie applied for SBA loans under various false identities for which he had also opened bank accounts and email accounts. Buie also allegedly submitted fraudulent documentation to apply for and obtain a fraudulent loan from the SBA Paycheck Protection Program for his company, Platinum Car Service LLC. Specifically, in support of his loan application, Buie allegedly provided what he purported to be a monthly bank statement for his business checking account showing an ending balance of more than $198,000, whereas bank records for that particular month show that the actual balance was less than $3,000. In addition, it is alleged that Buie’s scheme also involved the utilization of various false identities to apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits.
The charge of wire fraud provides 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. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Frederick J. Regan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office; Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance; and the New York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division, 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.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An MS-13 member was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for racketeering conspiracy and being an illegal alien in unlawful possession of ammunition.
Cristian Alvarez Hernandez, a/k/a “Duende,” 22, a Salvadoran national residing in East Boston, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 121 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Alvarez Hernandez will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In September 2021, Alvarez Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and to being an illegal alien in unlawful possession of ammunition.
MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational street gang operating in Massachusetts and numerous other states, as well as countries such as El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. MS-13 members follow certain core rules and principles, including that members attack and attempt to kill members of rival gangs and that members do not act as informants or cooperate with law enforcement.
Alvarez Hernandez was a chequeo, or mid-level, member in MS-13’s Everett Locos Salvatrucha (ELS) clique. As a member of MS-13, Alvarez Hernandez accepted and furthered its core objectives of attacking rival gang members or MS-13 members who violated the enterprise’s rules. Alvarez Hernandez was a rising member within ELS, and photographs showed him embracing MS-13’s lifestyle, including flashing gang signs, wearing gang colors or symbols, posing with weapons and being photographed alongside numerous other MS-13 members. He was also found in possession of three firearms and over 150 rounds of ammunition.
Alvarez Hernandez’s membership activity within the gang also included his dispute with a teenage boy who was killed in September 2015 by four other MS-13 gang members based on the victim’s perceived status as a rival. The four MS-13 members who personally participated in the murder were charged separately and have each been convicted for their participation in the murder. Edwin Gonzalez a/k/a “Sangriento,” was sentenced to life in prison; Carlos Melara a/k/a “Chuchito,” was sentenced to 36 years in prison; and Henry Parada Martinez a/k/a “Street Danger,” was sentenced to 21 years in prison. The last remaining MS-13 member involved, Rene Mejia Flores, a/k/a Gasper, pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; 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 Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy; and Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes made the announcement today.
Orchard Park Gang Associate Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An associate of the Orchard Park gang pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to firearm and drug charges arising from his involvement in a Boston-area drug trafficking organization.
Raymond Gaines, 42, of Bridgewater, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Feb. 10, 2022. Gaines was arrested on June 1, 2021 and has remained in custody since then.
In April 2021, an investigation was opened into a drug trafficking organization involving Gaines. The investigation revealed that Gaines was an associate of the Orchard Park gang and that he actively sold cocaine in and around the Boston area. On June 1, 2021, Gaines was found in possession of cocaine intended for sale, as well as a Ruger .380 LCP semiautomatic handgun, loaded with one round of .380 caliber ammunition and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun, along with numerous rounds of additional 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 $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least five years and 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 on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; and Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher D. Delmonte made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Trafficking FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A North Carolina man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for firearms trafficking.
Gabriel Gispert-Poe, 24, of Hope Mills, N.C., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 18 months probation and was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000. On Sept. 22, 2021, Gispert-Poe pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license.
At various times in 2019 and 2020, Gispert-Poe acquired firearms in North Carolina from straw buyers or other sources, and then sold these firearms to Chiweze Ihunwo at a profit. Ihunwo then transported the firearms he obtained from Gispert-Poe to Massachusetts and offered them for resale, including through social media. Gispert-Poe and Ihunwo communicated by phone regarding the proposed acquisition and subsequent resale of firearms.
On Dec. 16, 2021, Ihunwo was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to trafficking firearms in August 2021.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Randolph Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division, prosecuted the case
Taunton Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug trafficking activities involving fentanyl.
Carlos Rivera, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for May 23, 2022. Rivera was indicted in February 2021 and has been in custody since his arrest in January 2021.
Between September 2020 and January 2021, Rivera and a co-conspirator engaged in four separate sales of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Taunton. Rivera used his residence and his barbershop, Knockout Barbershop, to sell drugs and store drug proceeds. On the morning of Jan. 29, 2021, agents arrested Rivera outside his apartment. An on-site search found that Rivera was carrying approximately 40 grams of fentanyl at the time of his arrest.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentenced of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Taunton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Five Men Indicted for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Five Boston-area men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for firearm and drug offenses.
Trevon Bell, 26, of Boston, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Freily Cabral, 25, of Boston and Quincy, was indicted on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Dumari Scarlett-Dixon, 21, of Boston and Weymouth, was indicted on one count of unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Dane Mitchell, a/k/a “Cheaney,” 31, of Revere, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Lawrence Alexander, 24, of Stoughton, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Bell was arrested on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, and was detained following an initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell that afternoon. Cabral, Scarlett-Dixon and Mitchell had previously been arrested and remain in federal custody. Alexander remains at large.
According to charging documents, an investigation conducted from August through December 2021 identified the defendants as illegally possessing or selling firearms. As part of the investigation, a series of search warrants were executed at the defendants’ residences which allegedly resulted in the seizure of numerous firearms, ammunition and drugs packaged for sale. According to charging documents, a search of Cabral and Alexander’s residence on Sept. 9, 2021, resulted in the seizure of a Taurus .38 caliber revolver, a Hopkins and Allen .32 caliber revolver, a Walther 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, .38 caliber and 9-millimeter ammunition, approximately 1.3 kilograms of marijuana packaged for sale and over $23,000 in cash. A search of Scarlett-Dixon’s residence on Sept. 21, 2021, resulted in the seizure of a Bersa 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, 49 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition and 10 rounds of .380 caliber ammunition. A search of Mitchel’s residence on Dec. 28, 2021, resulted in the seizure of a Taurus .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, .380 caliber ammunition, eight bags of cocaine packaged for sale, a digital scale and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. Agents also recovered a Glock Model 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol that was linked to Bell. At the time of the offenses, Cabral, Scarlett-Dixon and Bell were each on house arrest via electronic monitoring for pending state court firearm charges and Mitchell was on supervised release for a prior federal firearms charge.
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. The charge of being a drug user 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. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, at least two years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, from and after any sentence imposed on the underlying drug trafficking counts, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The operation was conducted is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, made the announcement. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston, Quincy and Lynn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
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.
Weymouth Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Conspiracy and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Weymouth man pleaded guilty yesterday to his involvement in a scheme to defraud a financial institution and to obtain money from its customers using fraudulent identification documents.
Judemario Josaphat, Jr., 26, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for May 4, 2022. Josaphat was charged with an alleged co-conspirator on Feb. 4, 2021.
Josaphat participated in and, at times, directed a scheme to defraud a financial institution. To carry out the scheme, Josaphat and others used fraudulent identification documents, among other means, to withdraw money from customers’ accounts at a federally-insured bank in the form of checks and cash. The fraudulently-obtained funds were then deposited in other bank accounts opened in the names of fictitious business entities before being withdrawn. The scheme resulted in over $800,000 in losses between December 2017 and February 2018.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides 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 $250,000. 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 and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie A. Wright and Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Webster Man Sentenced for Mailing Threatening Communications to a West Virginia JudgeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Webster man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for mailing threatening communications to a West Virginia District Court Judge.
Keith Lessard, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to time served (approximately four months) and one year of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of two years in prison, the maximum sentence permitted by statute. On Sept. 15, 2021, Lessard pleaded guilty to one count of mailing threatening communications.
Lessard was charged and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2020 in the Southern District of West Virginia. The case was transferred to the District of Massachusetts in July 2021 for plea and sentencing proceedings.
From August 2019 through June 2020, Lessard engaged in a series of communications with a West Virginia District Court Judge, and others, using email and postal mail. Prior to becoming a judge, the victim had previously served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in a case against Lessard in 2010. The communications sent by Lessard were part of a scheme to extort money from the victim by threatening injury to her reputation by falsely claiming that she engaged in illegal prosecutorial misconduct when she prosecuted him.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to over Four Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national previously residing in Lawrence was sentenced today for drug trafficking activities involving fentanyl and oxycodone.
Jose Amador Guerrero, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 56 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Oct. 20, 2021, Guerrero pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of fentanyl and oxycodone; three counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
In June 2020, Guerrero contacted a phone number he had received through contacts in the drug trade, in an attempt to gain a new customer – not realizing that the number was that of an undercover agent. Between June and August 2020, Guerrero met with the undercover agent on five separate occasions in Lawrence to sell fentanyl pills and powder and oxycodone powder. Guerrero was arrested on Aug. 26, 2020, after completing the fifth sale. A subsequent search of Guerrero’s apartment resulted in the seizure of an additional 837 grams of fentanyl, packaged for sale, along with drug packaging and distribution paraphernalia. In total, Guerrero sold or possessed with intent to sell 1.378 kilograms of fentanyl.
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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Charged with Firearms and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man with multiple prior felony convictions was charged yesterday for possessing a loaded firearm and drugs intended for distribution.
Ramon Silvelo-Miles, 32, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy, Silvelo-Miles was detained pending a probable cause hearing scheduled for Jan. 25, 2022.
According to the charging documents, in the early morning hours of Sept. 20, 2021, Silvelo-Miles was stopped by law enforcement for driving erratically on Route 24 in West Bridgewater. Field sobriety tests administered on-site indicated that Silvelo-Miles was too impaired to drive. It is alleged that a subsequent search of the defendant’s car uncovered over 300 grams of cocaine packaged in small, clear plastic bags, as well as a small backpack inside the glove compartment that contained a clear plastic bag of fentanyl. A Raven Arms MP-25 .25 caliber pistol hidden within a black sock is also alleged to have been found in the glove compartment. The gun was loaded with one bullet in the chamber and five bullets in the magazine. Silvelo-Miles is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions including a 2014 conviction for manslaughter.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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 $250,000. 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 and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Wyshak, III of Rollins’ Organized Crime and Gangs 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty today in connection with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Terrence Kenol, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman who scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2022. Kenol was indicted in October 2021.
On Sept. 3, 2021, Kenol was found in possession of a firearm and a loaded magazine in his vehicle after he drove around Worcester police cruisers that were blocking an active accident reconstruction scene on Granite Street in Worcester. At the time of the offense, Kenol had been previously convicted of offenses that carried a possible maximum punishment of greater than one year in prison. In addition, at the time of the offense, Kenol was on probation for a prior state conviction of kidnapping and assault and battery.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm 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 other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Statement from U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins on the Dismissal of the Gang Chen CaseRead the Press Release
“Today’s dismissal of the criminal charges against Gang Chen is a result of our continued investigation into this matter. Through that effort, we recently obtained additional information pertaining to the materiality of Professor Chen’s alleged omissions in the context of the grant review process at issue in this case. After a careful assessment of this new information in the context of all the evidence, our office has concluded that we can no longer meet our burden of proof at trial. As prosecutors, we have an obligation in every matter we pursue to continually examine the facts while being open to receiving and uncovering new information. We understand that our charging decisions deeply impact people’s lives. As United States Attorney, I will always encourage the prosecutors in our office to engage in this type of rigorous and continued review at every stage of a proceeding. Today’s dismissal is a result of that process and is in the interests of justice.”
Princeton Man Indicted for Arson OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Princeton man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in connection with the burning of a Leominster restaurant in in October 2021.
Edmond Charrette, a/k/a Edmond Kuhn, 31, was indicted on one count of damage and destruction of a building by means of fire. Charrette will make an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester on Jan. 27, 2022.
According to the indictment, on Oct. 12, 2021, Charrette maliciously damaged and destroyed China City, a restaurant in Leominster, and its contents by means of fire.
The charge of damage and destruction of a building by means of fire provides for a sentence of at least five years and 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 other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Leominster Interim Police Chief Aaron Kennedy made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto 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.
Malden Man Sentenced for Crack Cocaine and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden man was sentenced yesterday in connection with possessing 100 grams of crack cocaine for distribution and numerous firearms.
Alberto Junior Lopez, 27, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. On June 10, 2020, Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack cocaine) and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
This case arose from a search of the Lopez’s Malden residence in November 2018 pertaining to a September 2018 drive-by shooting in Revere in which he was a suspect. The search resulted in the recovery of numerous firearms including a Colt .45 automatic firearm with an obliterated serial number, a Glock .45 automatic firearm, two loaded Glock magazines, numerous rounds of other ammunition and a bag containing about 94 grams of crack cocaine and more than $3,000 in cash, among other items.
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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Malden and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Owner of Illicit Massage Parlor Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former owner of a massage parlor pleaded guilty today in connection with filing for and obtaining fraudulent pandemic-related loans for her illicit business where workers engaged in commercial sex acts with customers.
Chynna Savath, 56, of Woonsocket, R.I., pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2022. Savath was charged in September 2021.
Savath is the former owner of Thai Body Work, a massage parlor in Franklin, Mass. In June 2020, Savath submitted fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration for COVID-19 relief through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. In the applications, Savath falsely certified that the applicant was not engaged in any illegal activity, despite knowing that her employees at Thai Body Work engaged in prostitution with customers and that she collected a portion of fees paid by each customer. In total, Savath obtained $29,646 in fraudulent payments from the EIDL and PPP loan programs.
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. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Cambridge, Boston, Franklin and Lexington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Wan of the Criminal Division and Suffolk County Assistant District Attorneys Alyssa Tochka and Luke Goldworm, who were appointed as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys, are prosecuting the cases.
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.
Former Member of Connecticut Latin Kings Chapter Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former member of the Connecticut Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced yesterday on racketeering charges.
Esther Ortiz, a/k/a “Queen India,” 50, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (approximately 72 days in prison) and three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 21 months in prison. On Oct. 12, 2021, Ortiz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
Ortiz was a member of the Latin Kings and the Latin Kings’ Regional Crown Council. As Regional Crown Council member, Ortiz advised leadership, heard evidence concerning violations of the manifesto and determined punishment for members who violated the rules of the Latin Kings. One such trial, which took place in March 2019, was captured on video. This trial involved complaints against Angel Roldan, a/k/a “King Big A,” the former second-in-command, or Cacique, of the Latin Kings in Massachusetts, who had reportedly robbed fellow gang members of drugs and failed to repay drug debts owed to the leader of the New Bedford Chapter.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Ortiz is the 42nd defendant to be sentenced in the case in the case. Roldan pleaded guilty and was sentenced in July 2021 to seven years in prison.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the 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.
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.
Fitchburg Man Sentenced for Role in Fentanyl, Heroin, Crack and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Pablo Vidarte Hernandez, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 81 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Sept. 20, 2021, Vidarte Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to 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.
According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area led by co-conspirators Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez. Beginning in July 2019, electronic communications revealed that Vidarte Hernandez, and others, distributed a fentanyl and heroin mixture on a regular basis to individuals in the Fitchburg area, including to Pedro and Anthony Baez, who redistributed that mixture to others.
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. Vidarte Hernandez was responsible for distributing over a kilogram of a fentanyl and heroin mixture.
Vidarte Hernandez was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. He is the third defendant to be sentenced in the case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison. Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 3, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2022. Six other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
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 Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Fitchburg Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
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.
Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Role in Nationwide Rideshare and Delivery Account Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national pleaded guilty today in connection with a nationwide conspiracy to open fraudulent driver accounts with rideshare and delivery service companies.
Wemerson Dutra Aguiar, 29, a Brazilian national formerly residing in Lynn and Woburn, Mass., pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for May 10, 2022.
In May 2021, Aguiar was charged along with 18 co-defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud by using stolen identities and falsified documents to create fraudulent driver accounts for rent or sale to individuals who might not otherwise qualify to drive for the rideshare or delivery services.
According to the charging documents, the defendants allegedly used victims’ identifying information to apply for driver accounts with the rideshare and delivery companies – enabling the defendants to pass those companies’ required background checks and create driver accounts in victims’ names. At times, it is alleged that the defendants edited victims’ driver’s license images to display photos of the drivers renting or buying the fraudulent accounts in order to circumvent facial recognition technology that the rideshare and delivery companies used as a security measure. The defendants allegedly obtained victims’ names, dates of birth, driver’s license information and or Social Security numbers from co-conspirators and other sources, including sites on the Dark Net. The defendants and co-conspirators also obtained driver’s license images directly from victims, by photographing victims’ licenses while completing an alcohol delivery through one of the services or while exchanging information with victims following vehicle accidents, some of which defendants or co-conspirators intentionally caused in order to obtain victims’ license information. As a result of the scheme, Internal Revenue Service Forms 1099 were generated in victims’ names for income that conspirators earned from the rideshare and delivery companies.
It is further alleged that the defendants used fraudulent driver accounts to exploit referral bonus programs offered by the rideshare and delivery companies and used “bots” and GPS “spoofing” technology to increase the income earned from the companies.
In connection with the scheme, Aguiar admitted that he obtained driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers that his co-conspirators procured from the DarkNet and other sources. Aguiar also admitted that he paid co-conspirators to alter driver’s license photos to display pictures of other individuals and that he used templates to create image files of fraudulent driver’s licenses displaying identity theft victims’ information. Aguiar used these stolen identifiers to create hundreds of fraudulent accounts with the rideshare and delivery companies and supplied these identifiers to other co-conspirators who also created fraudulent accounts. Aguiar advertised fraudulent accounts for sale or rent to Brazilian nationals living in the United States via WhatsApp chat groups and by word of mouth. He managed these accounts and attempted to prevent the accounts from being closed by the companies for fraud. Between June 2019 and January 2021, Aguiar received over $375,000 in rental payments from individuals driving under these accounts and payments from the companies generated with these accounts.
Sixteen of the defendants have been arrested in connection with the conspiracy and three remain at large. Aguiar is the second defendant to plead guilty in the case. If you believe that you may be a victim of the allegations in this case, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/us-v-wemerson-dutra-aguiar-and-us-v-priscila-barbosa-et-al.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a sentence of at least two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed. 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 and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the Concord, Lexington, Plymouth, Wilmington, Marlborough and Village of Rye Brook (N.Y.) Police Departments; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the National Crime Insurance Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen A. Kearney and David M. Holcomb of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.