Southern District of Mississippi
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Mental Health Facility to Pay Almost $7 Million to Resolve Fraud AllegationsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss - Region 8 Mental Health Services has agreed to pay the United States government in excess of $6.93 million under the False Claims Act to resolve allegations that it was paid for services that it either did not provide or that were not provided by qualified individuals as part of its preschool Day Treatment program, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Today’s announcement is believed to be the largest False Claims Act healthcare settlement in the history of the State of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health reports that nearly 35,000 Mississippi children and adolescents suffer mental health issues that are "severe and persistent." Day Treatment is defined by Medicaid as "a behavioral intervention program, provided in the context of a therapeutic milieu, which provides children/adolescents with serious emotional disturbances the intensity treatment necessary to enable them to live in the community." Day Treatment services covered by Medicaid provide a vital service to the citizens of Mississippi, enabling the State’s youth to live productive lives and grow to become healthy, productive adults.
Region 8, a regional community health center covering Copiah, Lincoln, Madison, Rankin and Simpson Counties, operated a Day Treatment program for preschool age children. During its investigation, the United States Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, discovered that many of the claims submitted for payment from 2004 to 2010 were for services that were either not provided or were not provided by qualified individuals.
"Our children are among the most valuable and vulnerable in our society, and it is imperative that we do all that we can to protect the programs that offer them the services that they need," says U.S. Attorney Hurst. The Office of the United States Attorney says that it continues to increase its efforts to investigate allegations of fraud and protect the federal programs serving the citizens of this State and country. "The work we do in combatting waste, fraud and abuse in government programs is among some of the most important work this office does, and we will continue to vigorously investigate all allegations of fraud," says U.S. Attorney Hurst.
Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, adds, "It is imperative that these children receive the behavioral intervention services they need. We will continue to monitor Region 8 Mental Health Services to ensure the organization is providing intervention services by qualified staff and properly billing Medicaid."
The allegations settled today arose from a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower, who was a former employee of the company, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. Such private citizens are referred to as relators. The relator in this case will receive more than $1 million from the recovery announced today. The case is styled United States v. Madison-Simpson-Copiah Mental Health Commission Region 8, et al., 3:09cv441- HTW-LRA (S.D. Miss.).
The investigation and settlement were the result of a coordinated effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. There were also significant contributions to the investigation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The United States government was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Angela Givens Williams, with contribution from Auditor Kim Mitchell. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid will receive a portion of the settlement in proportion to its contribution to the Medicaid fund.
Moving forward, Region 8 will be subject to oversight under its Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. This agreement is designed to increase accountability and transparency and prevent future fraud and abuse.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Michael Ervin a/k/a Michael Irving of Jackson, Mississippi, pled guilty Tuesday, December 12, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 13, 2017, while attempting to execute an arrest warrant, the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Taskforce discovered multiple firearms in the possession of Michael Ervin at a residence in Jackson. During that search, officers recovered two handguns, two semi-automatic rifles, eight magazines (six loaded), and approximately 150 rounds of ammunition.
Ervin was previously convicted in the First Judicial District of Hinds County for possession of cocaine and for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
He will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III on March 12, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Taskforce. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha D. Middleton.
Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – John Wayne Clark, 32, of Biloxi, Mississippi, pled guilty, before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. Clark is a documented Simon City Royal gang member.
On May 7, 2015, the Drug Enforcement Administration received a tip that Clark would be transporting methamphetamine. When Clark was pulled over and his car was searched, law enforcement agencies found methamphetamine and a gun, which was hidden in the engine compartment. In April 2016, Clark entered guilty pleas on two previous state drug charges and is currently serving a three-year state sentence.
Clark will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden on March 22, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of a violent crime initiative. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Law Enforcement Partners, and Community Leaders Introduce PROJECT EJECT to Combat Violent Crime in City of JacksonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Today, Mike Hurst, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, along with the Jackson Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and many other federal, state and local law enforcement and community leaders, announced the rollout of a new collaborative initiative to combat violent crime in the City of Jackson, Mississippi.
Known as PROJECT EJECT, the initiative is designed as an enhanced violent crime reduction program that incorporates decades of experience in bringing various levels of law enforcement together with stakeholders in the community, with the overall goal of producing a long-term, meaningful reduction in and prevention of violent crime.
PROJECT EJECT stands for “Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together.”
Joined by law enforcement, community, faith-based, non-profit, neighborhood association and business leaders in Jackson, U.S. Attorney Hurst described the project as a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach that combines law enforcement arrests and prosecutions of violent criminals with prevention efforts, rehabilitation and reentry, educational initiatives, and improved communication.
“We want to empower Jackson and its citizens, expel crime from our communities, and work together to make our Capitol City safe for everyone. The message to violent criminals in Jackson is simple - if you violate our laws and terrorize our neighborhoods, you will be ejected from our community. In the federal system, we will immediately lock you up, move to detain you without bond, you will serve a significant prison sentence without parole, and we will seek to have you serve your sentence away from Mississippi.” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
“But, there is hope in all of this. To those terrorizing our neighborhoods, put down your illegal guns and obey the law, and you can live as law-abiding citizens with us in our communities. And, if you do break the law and are ejected, know that there is grace at the other end. After you serve your sentence, you can choose to be rehabilitated, follow the law and re-enter society. The ultimate goal of PROJECT EJECT is a safer Jackson for all of us.”
The goal of PROJECT EJECT is to reduce violent crime and make Jackson neighborhoods safer for all to enjoy. Part of the project will include discussions with the public and encouraging communities to help law enforcement in this effort, as well as communicating to the criminals that they will be prosecuted and punished for gun crimes and violent crimes. The Project will also seek to support locally-based prevention, rehabilitation and re-entry efforts, to stop violence and crimes before they occur and to help those whom have been punished to return to society as law-abiding citizens.
PROJECT EJECT is comprised of approximately a dozen agents and task force officers from various federal and state agencies who interact on a daily basis with the Jackson Police Department to identity and respond to violent crimes when they occur in Jackson. Cases arising from these crimes are then presented to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Over the next few months, PROJECT EJECT will seek to hold town hall meetings to educate the public and solicit input, conduct media campaigns to raise awareness of the project and its consequences to would-be criminals, and grow and strengthen the partnership between the project and its stakeholders in the community.
“If we expect Jackson and the surrounding metropolitan area to be a viable option for our children and their future, then we need to work diligently to reduce not only violence in general but violence committed with a firearm,” said Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Jackson Division. “We will leverage the full resources of the FBI to provide a long term solution to dramatically reduce violent crime in the city of Jackson, and create a safer place today and for our children in the future.”
“Ensuring the safety and security of our residents in the city of Jackson, Mississippi is a priority for ATF,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols. “We are proud to partner with local law enforcement, our federal partners, the United States Attorney's Office, and the community on this violent crime initiative. Project EJECT is another example of how by working together, law enforcement and the community, we can truly make a difference in the city of Jackson.”
Today’s announcement of PROJECT EJECT follows a recent directive from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to the U.S. Department of Justice to reinvigorate DOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) with the intent to reduce the rising tide of violent crime in America. PROJECT EJECT is the Southern District of Mississippi’s PSN initiative specifically tailored to address violent crime in the City of Jackson.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is leading PROJECT EJECT, with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca guiding the taskforce and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin serving as the Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. – Donyale Jerrel Holloway, 37, of Bogue Chitto, Mississippi, and Ennis Montgomery, 48, of Rockford, Illinois, were sentenced on December 5, 2017, by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
Holloway was sentenced to 211 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $53,674.00. Montgomery was sentenced to 51months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Both defendants were also ordered to pay a $1500.00 fine.
The defendants were arrested after a lengthy investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in South Mississippi. Montgomery was transporting marijuana in an 18-wheeler from Texas to Lincoln County, Mississippi. Holloway would then distribute the marijuana in Southwest Mississippi.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force in Hattiesburg, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Mississippi State Auditor, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hattiesburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry L. Rushing
Carthage Man Sentenced to 40 years in Federal Prison for MurderRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss - Christopher E. Lemon, age 37, of Carthage, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves to a term of 480 months in federal prison for second degree murder, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Christopher Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the National Park Service- Investigative Services Branch.
On July 3, 2014, Lemon was riding in a car with a co-worker on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Leake County, Mississippi. Lemon had stolen a firearm from their employer’s store before getting into the vehicle with the victim. While inside the vehicle, Lemon shot the victim five times in the chest and leg, leaving her in the backseat of her vehicle. She was later found by a National Park Service ranger dead at the scene.
A federal grand jury indicted Lemon on September 20, 2016, charging him with Murder in the Second Degree, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Stealing a Firearm and Use of a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence. On September 6, 2017, Lemon appeared before U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves and pled guilty to Murder in the Second Degree. This charge carries a penalty of any number of years and up to life in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and $250,000.00 fine.
Lemon’s sentenced of 480 months of imprisonment will be immediately followed by a 5 year term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,269.34 to the Office of Attorney General- Crime Victim Compensation Fund.
This case was investigated by the National Park Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Leake County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Candace Mayberry and Mary Helen Wall.
Florida Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Robert Espinal, Jr., 52, of Cape Coral, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. today to 14 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. Espinal was also ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and special assessments totaling $5,100. He entered a guilty plea to the charge on July 26, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., in Gulfport.
On February 16, 2017, a Kia Sorento vehicle owned and driven by Espinal, was stopped by a City of D’Iberville Police Officer on Interstate-10 in Harrison County, Mississippi, for careless driving. While the Kia Sorento was designed to seat seven people, the police officer observed that, in addition to the driver, there were eight unidentified passengers for a total of nine occupants in the vehicle. The eight passengers could not be identified by Espinal. The Blue Lightning Operations Center of the Department of Homeland Security was notified, and agents of Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol responded.
The passengers did not have proper documents, were illegally present in the United States, and were being smuggled by Mr. Espinal. All occupants of the vehicle were arrested. Espinal confirmed that he knew his passengers were illegal aliens and that he had allowed some of them to stay overnight at an apartment he had in Texas. Some of the passengers later testified that their family agreed to pay Espinal to drive them to various states throughout the country.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and the D’Iberville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for the case.
Mississippi Skilled Nursing Facility, Related Companies, and Executives Agree to Pay $1.25 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Grossly Substandard Care to Facility ResidentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that Hyperion Foundation, a Georgia not-for-profit entity (Hyperion), Julie Mittleider, a resident of Georgia and Hyperion’s former President, AltaCare Corporation, a Georgia corporation engaged in nursing home management (AltaCare), Douglas Mittleider, AltaCare’s Chief Executive Officer, and related companies, Long Term Care Services Inc. and Sentry Healthcare Acquirors Inc., have agreed to pay the United States a total of $1.25 million to resolve allegations of false claims to Medicare and the Mississippi Medicaid program for providing grossly substandard care to residents at the Oxford Health and Rehabilitation nursing home in Lumberton, Mississippi, from late 2005 through mid-2012, when it was operated by AltaCare, under a contract with Hyperion.
“Residents of nursing homes are some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Nursing home operators who bill Medicare and Medicaid for providing their residents with grossly deficient services will be held accountable.”
The government alleged that from October 2005 to May 2012, Hyperion made claims to Medicare and Medicaid for providing effectively worthless services to residents at the Lumberton, Mississippi facility, while the facility was managed by AltaCare. For example, the United States alleged that Hyperion failed to meet the nutritional needs of residents, failed to administer medications to residents as prescribed by their physicians, overmedicated residents, hired insufficient staff to care for them, and diverted Medicare and Medicaid funds to other entities affiliated with Douglas or Julie Mittleider, leaving the facility unable to pay for its basic operations, including food, heat, air conditioning, pest control, and cleaning. These failures, the United States alleged, caused the facility’s residents to suffer pressure ulcers, falls, dehydration, and malnutrition, among other physical, mental and emotional harms. As a result, Hyperion allegedly submitted false claims for grossly substandard care, and Douglas Mittleider, AltaCare and certain related companies allegedly caused such false claims.
“When operators of nursing homes harm our most vulnerable citizens and break the law by defrauding our government for grossly substandard or worthless services, we will bring to bear all the resources of the Federal Government in order to rectify these terrible actions,” said D. Michael Hurst, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. “I commend our attorneys and investigators for resolving this travesty with one of the largest healthcare fraud settlements involving a single nursing home. We will continue the Department of Justice’s long-standing commitment to protecting the elderly.”
“It’s troubling when a nursing home company and its executives accept Medicare and Medicaid money to care for vulnerable nursing home residents and provide grossly deficient care, as alleged in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to hold nursing homes accountable to ensure residents receive quality healthcare and are provided safe living conditions.”
The settlement resolves allegations filed in a lawsuit by Academy Health Center Inc., the owner and landlord of the Lumberton, Mississippi skilled nursing facility. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government for the submission of false claims and share in any recovery. The False Claims Act authorizes the United States to intervene and take over primary responsibility for the action, as it did in this case. The amount to be recovered by the private whistleblower has not been determined.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Academy Health Center, Inc. v. Hyperion Foundation, Inc., et al., 3:10-cv-552-CWR-LRA (S.D. Miss.). It was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, and HHS-OIG. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The government’s complaint in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Mississippi Skilled Nursing Facility, Related Companies, and Executives Agree to Pay $1.25 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Grossly Substandard Care to Facility ResidentsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Hyperion Foundation, a Georgia not-for-profit entity (Hyperion), Julie Mittleider, a resident of Georgia and Hyperion’s former President, AltaCare Corporation, a Georgia corporation engaged in nursing home management (AltaCare), Douglas Mittleider, AltaCare’s Chief Executive Officer, and related companies, Long Term Care Services Inc. and Sentry Healthcare Acquirors Inc., have agreed to pay the United States a total of $1.25 million to resolve allegations of false claims to Medicare and the Mississippi Medicaid program for providing grossly substandard care to residents at the Oxford Health and Rehabilitation nursing home in Lumberton, Mississippi, from late 2005 through mid-2012, when it was operated by AltaCare, under a contract with Hyperion.
“Residents of nursing homes are some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Nursing home operators who bill Medicare and Medicaid for providing their residents with grossly deficient services will be held accountable.”
The government alleged that from October 2005 to May 2012, Hyperion made claims to Medicare and Medicaid for providing effectively worthless services to residents at the Lumberton, Mississippi facility, while the facility was managed by AltaCare. For example, the United States alleged that Hyperion failed to meet the nutritional needs of residents, failed to administer medications to residents as prescribed by their physicians, overmedicated residents, hired insufficient staff to care for them, and diverted Medicare and Medicaid funds to other entities affiliated with Douglas or Julie Mittleider, leaving the facility unable to pay for its basic operations, including food, heat, air conditioning, pest control, and cleaning. These failures, the United States alleged, caused the facility’s residents to suffer pressure ulcers, falls, dehydration, and malnutrition, among other physical, mental and emotional harms. As a result, Hyperion allegedly submitted false claims for grossly substandard care, and Douglas Mittleider, AltaCare and certain related companies allegedly caused such false claims.
“When operators of nursing homes harm our most vulnerable citizens and break the law by defrauding our government for grossly substandard or worthless services, we will bring to bear all the resources of the Federal Government in order to rectify these terrible actions,” said D. Michael Hurst, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. “I commend our attorneys and investigators for resolving this travesty with one of the largest healthcare fraud settlements involving a single nursing home. We will continue the Department of Justice’s long-standing commitment to protecting the elderly.”
“It’s troubling when a nursing home company and its executives accept Medicare and Medicaid money to care for vulnerable nursing home residents and provide grossly deficient care, as alleged in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to hold nursing homes accountable to ensure residents receive quality healthcare and are provided safe living conditions.”
The settlement resolves allegations filed in a lawsuit by Academy Health Center Inc., the owner and landlord of the Lumberton, Mississippi skilled nursing facility. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government for the submission of false claims and share in any recovery. The False Claims Act authorizes the United States to intervene and take over primary responsibility for the action, as it did in this case. The amount to be recovered by the private whistleblower has not been determined.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Academy Health Center, Inc. v. Hyperion Foundation, Inc., et al., 3:10-cv-552-CWR-LRA (S.D. Miss.). It was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, and HHS-OIG. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The government’s complaint in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – On Wednesday, November 15, 2017, Rodrigo Hernandez-Garcia, 32, an illegal alien living in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to 8 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced U. S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Raymond Parmer, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Immigration Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, in New Orleans.
Hernandez-Garcia was ordered to be turned over to Immigration officials for deportation to Mexico upon completion of his sentence.
This case was investigated by Immigration Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams.
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Two Charges of Possession of Firearms by a FelonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – On Tuesday, November 14, 2017, Cornell Lamar Abram, 38, of Gulfport, pled guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to two separate indictments charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
The first indictment was filed in the Southern District of Mississippi in 2015. The case was investigated by the Gulfport Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The second indictment was filed in the Northern District of Alabama in 2017. That case was investigated by the Birmingham, Alabama, Police Department and transferred to the Southern District of Mississippi. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams.
Abram will be sentenced on February 15, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine in each case.
Two McComb Women Sentenced to Prison on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss – Shawanda Matthews, 31, and Veronica Thomas, 37, both of McComb, Mississippi, were sentenced on November 14, 2017, by Senior U.S. District Judge David Bramlette III, for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
Shawanda Matthews was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, and Veronica Thomas was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The defendants were charged as the result of a lengthy investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in south Mississippi. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force in Hattiesburg, along with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Office of the Mississippi State Auditor, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hattiesburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry L. Rushing.
Three McComb Men Sentenced to Prison for their Roles in a Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss – Samuel Cardell Reed, 30, Eugene Rodrigues Lewis, 35, and Gary Thompson, 34, all of McComb, Mississippi, were sentenced on November 14, 2017 by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III, for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
Samuel Cardell Reed was sentenced to 169 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride.
Eugene Rodrigues Lewis was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride.
Gary Thompson was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride.
The indictment in this case was the result of a lengthy investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in south Mississippi. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force in Hattiesburg, along with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Office of the Mississippi State Auditor, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hattiesburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry L. Rushing.
Lebanese National Indicted for CybercrimesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Rani Bin Muhammad Qubaysi, 29, of Beirut, Lebanon, has been charged in a two-count federal indictment with knowingly transmitting a program, information, code, or command causing damage to a protected computer, and extorting money by threatening to damage a protected computer, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
According to the indictment, Qubaysi, a Lebanese national, executed a distributed denial of service ("DDoS") attack on a Ridgeland, Mississippi business. Qubaysi utilized a computer in Beirut, Lebanon to extort payments from the business while conducting computer attacks to interfere with their computer business and operations.
If convicted on all charges, Qubaysi faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Kennedy.
The public is reminded that a criminal indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. It is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Laurel Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Veterans BenefitsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - Gregory Donald Myrick, 50, of Laurel, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, to thirteen months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for theft of government funds, announced U. S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge James Werner of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General. Myrick was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $143,106.00.
Myrick pled guilty on July 31, 2017, to a criminal indictment charging him with theft of government funds. Myrick’s grandfather, an Army veteran, received U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits for his service in the United States Army. After his grandfather passed away in 2008, Myrick continued to receive the deceased veteran’s checks, which were electronically deposited into a bank account the two men shared. From May 2008, through May 2015, Myrick fraudulently received and used for his personal gain a sum of $143,106.00 in veterans disbursements to which he was not entitled.
The investigation in this case was led by Special Agent Gwendolyn McCleave of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall.
Ocean Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Accessing the Internet with the Intent to View Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Mississippi. – Steven Dedual, Jr., 45, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, pled guilty in United States District Court to accessing the internet with the intent to view child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer Jr. of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.
From November 2015 through May 2016, Steven Dedual, Jr., through the use of computers in Gulfport and Ocean Springs, Mississippi, accessed the internet as a user of a file-sharing network, with the intent to view visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including visual depictions of a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
Dedual will be sentenced on February 9, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., by U. S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison on Federal Firearms Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Paula Villalva-Patricio, 57, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on October 26, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to 180 months in federal prison for smuggling firearms and ammunition from North Carolina to Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Raymond Parmer, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Immigration Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.
In August 2011, a traffic stop by Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies led to the discovery of two firearms and flak jackets hidden in a spare tire. As a result, Homeland Security agents opened an investigation. A subsequent traffic stop of the same truck in November 2011 uncovered an additional 28 firearms and 900 rounds of ammunition secreted under the truck bed. Further investigation led to the indictment of Villalva-Patricio in September 2012. She was apprehended in November 2016, while crossing into the United States at the border in San Diego, California.
In July 2017, a jury found Villalva-Patricio guilty of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, attempting to smuggle firearms out of the United States in violation of regulations and laws, and transporting or delivering firearms to a person who does not reside in the same state.
This case is the result of an investigation led by the Homeland Security Investigations Gulfport office in partnership with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annette Williams and Kathlyn Van Buskirk.
Meridian Residents Charged with Harboring and Employing Illegal ImmigrantsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Cheng Lin, 35, Guo Guang Lin, 60, and Yan Fei Tang, 33, all of Meridian, have been charged in a four-count criminal indictment with harboring and shielding illegal aliens, hiring illegal aliens, continuing employment of illegal aliens, and wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. Lin and Lin are Legal Permanent Residents and Tang is an illegal alien from China living in Meridian.
According to the indictment, Lin, Lin, and Tang engaged in a pattern and practice of employing illegal aliens at China Buffet II in Meridian, Mississippi. They transported the illegal aliens to and from work daily, provided housing, deducted rental payments from the cash wages of the illegal aliens, and submitted false tax documents, all in an effort to shield the illegal aliens from detection by authorities.
"Those who come into our country illegally and those who harbor and employ them will be vigorously prosecuted by this office. We will not allow those who violate the law to steal jobs and expend resources intended for American citizens and those here legally," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also seeking forfeiture of proceeds and property used to facilitate the offenses, including $594,240 in currency, a house in Meridian, and a Ford van.
Lin, Lin, and Tang appeared for arraignment today before U.S. Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball. A trial is scheduled for January 8, 2018, before U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III.
If convicted on all charges, the defendants each face a penalty of up to 80 years in prison and fines in excess of $500,000.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenda Haynes and Dave Fulcher.
The public is reminded that a criminal indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. It is merely an accusation and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Choctaw Woman Found Guilty of Assault with a Deadly WeaponRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Ida Mae Sam, 56, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, was found guilty in U.S. District Court today on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
A jury returned the guilty verdict against Sam for assaulting another Choctaw member with a deadly weapon (a knife) on April 25, 2015, causing three separate stab wounds to the right forearm of the victim.
Sam will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III, on January 9, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Chalk and Keesha Middleton.
Bay St. Louis Man Sentenced to Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Peter Skladzien, 58, of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 236 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. Skladzien was also ordered to pay restitution to victims in the amount of $119,000.
Skladzien pled guilty on July 11, 2017, to possession and receipt of visual images depicting minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda Haynes.
Illegal Immigrant Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Gustavo Millan-Arizmendi, 29, a citizen of Mexico, pled guilty on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, before U.S. District Court Judge Sul Ozerden, to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
On May 29, 2017, Millan-Arizmendi was pulled over by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on Interstate 10 and was found to be in the United States illegally. After his arrest, agents discovered that Millan-Arizmendi was in possession of child pornography.
"Child pornography is a great menace to our society, harming our youth and robbing them of their childhood. It’s even more troubling when it is being furthered by individuals illegally in our country. Those who perpetuate these types of heinous crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
Millan-Arizmendi will be sentenced on February 9, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Drug Trafficking Organization Members IndictedRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss – Six people have been charged in a five-count federal indictment with drug trafficking offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
The indictment charges Dexter Jones, 42, of Soso, Mississippi, with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distibute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; John Baxter, 35, of Stockton, California, with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetmine; Darrion Jones, 32, of Laurel, Mississippi, with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Mitchell Jones, 42, of Soso, Mississippi, with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Jamie Wheat, 41, of Laurel, Mississippi, with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and John Foster, 41, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The indictment alleges that beginning in 2015, the defendants conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute narcotic drug controlled substances including methamphetamine and cocaine in the Eastern Division of the Southern District of Mississippi.
"The way to address our drug crisis is to attack the criminal organizations that perpetuate it. I commend our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies for their diligent investigation. We will not stop prosecuting these criminal enterprises until our citizens are safe and our communities are protected," said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
"With these arrests, DEA and its state and local law enforcement partners have taken down an organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the state of Mississippi. By removing these violent criminals from the streets, they can no longer threaten the health and safety of our communities. We will continue to work together to target criminal organizations and their assets to ensure that drug traffickers are held responsible for the harm they cause," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam.
"This is another great example of how the efforts of DEA and MBN continue to dismantle drug trafficking organizations within our state," said MBN Director John M. Dowdy, Jr.
If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison and fines of up to $10,000,000.
Five of the defendants appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Michael T. Parker on October 25, 2017 for initial appearances and arraignments. The remaining defendant, John Baxter, will be arraigned at a later date. A jury trial is scheduled for December 18, 2017, before United States District Judge Keith Starrett in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Lamar County Sheriff’s Department, Jones County Sheriff’s Department, and the Hattiesburg Police Department.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely an allegation and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Nurse Practitioner and Physician Indicted in Compounding Pharmacy Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
A Mississippi-based nurse practitioner was charged in an indictment unsealed today for her role in a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud TRICARE, the health care benefit program serving U.S. military, veterans and their respective family members. A Mississippi-based physician was charged in a separate indictment filed last week for his role in a similar scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst of the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI’s Jackson, Mississippi Field Division and Special Agent in Charge Jerome R. McDuffie of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
Susan Perry N.P., 58, of Grand Bay, Alabama, and Albert Diaz M.D., 78, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, were charged in separate indictments returned on Oct. 18, in the Southern District of Mississippi, in Hattiesburg. Perry’s indictment was unsealed upon her arrest and initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Gargiulo of the Southern District of Mississippi. Perry is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 25, at 10:30 a.m., and Diaz is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 1, at 10:30 a.m., both before Judge Gargiulo.
Perry was charged in a 13-count indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to distribute and dispense a controlled substance, one count of distributing and dispensing of a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to solicit and receive healthcare kickbacks, four counts of soliciting and receiving healthcare kickbacks and one count of making false statements. Diaz was charged in a 16-count indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to distribute and dispense a controlled substance, four counts of distributing and dispensing a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to falsify records in a federal investigation and five counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation.
The indictments allege that both Perry and Diaz participated in schemes to defraud TRICARE by prescribing medically unnecessary compounded medications, some of which included Ketamine, a controlled substance, to individuals they had not examined, for the purpose of having a Hattiesburg-based compounding pharmacy dispense these medically unnecessary compounded medications and to seek reimbursement from TRICARE. According to the indictments, between February 2013 and October 2016, TRICARE reimbursed the compounding pharmacy more than $3.3 million for compounded medications prescribed by Perry, and between October 2014 and December 2015, TRICARE reimbursed the compounding pharmacy more than $2.3 million for compounded medications prescribed by Diaz. Additionally, Perry is alleged to have received more than $50,000 in kickback payments from a marketer for the compounding pharmacy in return for prescribing the compounded medications, as well as having made false statements to the FBI. Diaz is alleged to have submitted falsified patient records in response to an audit conducted by TRICARE to make it appear as though he had examined patients before prescribing the compounding medications.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI, IRS-CI, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and other government agencies investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Dustin M. Davis, Katherine Payerle and Jared Hasten of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall of the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
First in the Nation Criminal Indictment of a Chinese National for Manufacturing and Distributing Fentanyl and Other OpiatesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss- A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Mississippi recently indicted a Chinese national for conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and other deadly chemicals in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam, Mississippi Commissioner of Public Safety Marshall Fisher and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director John M. Dowdy, Jr.
This Chinese national is the first manufacturer and distributor of fentanyl and other opiate substances to be indicted in the history of the United States while being designated as a Consolidated Priority Organization Target (CPOT). CPOT designations are those who have "command and control" elements of the most prolific international drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and are considered by DEA to be some of the most significant drug trafficking threats in the world. On Sept. 7, Xiaobing Yan, 40, of China, was indicted in the Southern District of Mississippi on two counts of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, and seven counts of manufacturing and distributing the drugs in specific instances. According to the Indictment, Yan, a distributor of a multitude of illegal drugs, used different names and company identities over a period of at least six years and operated websites selling acetyl fentanyl and other deadly fentanyl analogues directly to U.S. customers in multiple cities across the country. Yan also operated at least two chemical plants in China that were capable of producing ton quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. Yan monitored legislation and law enforcement activities in the United States and China, modifying the chemical structure of the fentanyl analogues he produced to evade prosecution in the United States. Over the course of the investigation, federal agents identified more than 100 distributors of synthetic opioids involved with Yan’s manufacturing and distribution networks. Federal investigations of the distributors are ongoing in 10 judicial districts, and investigators have traced illegal proceeds of the distribution network. In addition, law enforcement agents intercepted packages mailed from Yan’s Internet pharmaceutical companies, seizing multiple kilograms of suspected acetyl fentanyl, potentially enough for thousands of lethal doses.
"This case illustrates that the opioid crisis we face is a global epidemic with international roots and deadly outcomes in our local communities. The President and Attorney General have made combating this scourge a priority and we will continue to pursue local traffic stops involving these horrific substances all the way up to the international drug kingpins that supply them in order to safeguard and protect our citizens. Our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners are to be commended, as they are united with us in this effort and we together will not be stopped," said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst of the Southern District of Mississippi.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam stated: "Opioids, including fentanyl, are killing people across this country at horrific rates. In this investigation, law enforcement literally reached across a hemisphere to strike a blow against a criminal drug trafficking organization that was a vital lifeline to several domestic manufacturing and distribution networks. DEA is proud to be part of this historical effort in fighting this opioid crisis. This indictment alleges that Xiaobing Yan manufactured and imported tons of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues into the United States. Currently, a criminal drug trafficking organization that misused technology to open the world’s medicine cabinet, placing unbridled greed before public health and safety, has been stopped."
"At a rate of 175 overdose deaths per day, agencies working together on cases like this one is essential to the fight against the opioid epidemic plaguing our state and nation as a whole," said Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher. "Citizens need to be aware of the dangers of ordering illicit drugs online and the gravity of the number of people that are dying from doing so."
"This indictment is a significant enforcement action that hopefully will help curb the tide in the opioid epidemic we’re fighting," said MBN Director John Dowdy. "Our partnerships with the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to be invaluable in this fight. Fentanyl is a death drug and we must use every available asset to get this killer off our streets."
"This case is evidence of how illegal substances on the streets of our communities are provided through complex organizations that cross local, state and national borders." said Gulfport Police Chief Leonard Papania. "It also shows that no criminal organization can avoid the collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement efforts."
The indictment announced today is the result of a coordinated, multi-agency, multi-national investigation conducted by agents and investigators of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a partnership between federal, state, local and international law enforcement agencies, including in this case Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Gulfport, and D'Iberville Police Departments, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
If convicted, Yan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Doctor Charged in Compounding Pharmacy Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss – A Biloxi-based physician was charged today for his role in a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud TRICARE, the health care benefit program serving our nation’s military, veterans, and their respective family members.
U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze, and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Jerome McDuffie made the announcement.
Albert Diaz,M.D., of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was charged today in a sixteen-count indictment in the Southern District of Mississippi, and is scheduled to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Gargiulo on October 31, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. The indictment charges Diaz with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud; four counts of wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to distribute and dispense a controlled substance; four counts of distributing and dispensing of a controlled substance; one count of conspiracy to falsify records in a federal investigation; and, five counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation.
The indictment alleges that Diaz participated in a scheme to defraud TRICARE by prescribing medically unnecessary compounded medications, some of which included Ketamine, a controlled substance, to individuals without first examining the individuals for the purpose of having a Hattiesburg-based compounding pharmacy dispense these medically unnecessary compounded medications, and to have TRICARE reimburse the compounding pharmacy for dispensing the medications. According to the indictment, between October 2014 and December 2015, TRICARE reimbursed the pharmacy more than $2.3 million for the medications prescribed by Diaz. Additionally, the indictment alleges that in response to an audit conducted by TRICARE of these prescriptions signed by Diaz, Diaz submitted falsified patient records indicating that he had examined these individuals prior to prescribing these compounded medications.
This indictment has been designated as a related prosecution to two cases charged earlier this year in the Southern District of Mississippi. Jason May, the pharmacist-in-charge of Advantage Pharmacy, pled guilty on July 25, 2017, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering regarding a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, of more than $190 million. Gerald Schaar, a marketer, pled guilty on July 25, 2017, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud regarding a scheme to defraud TRICARE of more than $2.3 million.
If convicted of all counts, Diaz faces 305 years in jail and fines up to $7.5 million.
The case is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue
Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and other government agencies.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely an allegation and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Hattiesburg, Miss – A Biloxi-based physician was charged today for his role in a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud TRICARE, the health care benefit program serving our nation’s military, veterans, and their respective family members.
U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze, and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Jerome McDuffie made the announcement.
Albert Diaz,M.D., of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was charged today in a sixteen-count indictment in the Southern District of Mississippi, and is scheduled to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Gargiulo on October 31, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. The indictment charges Diaz with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud; four counts of wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to distribute and dispense a controlled substance; four counts of distributing and dispensing of a controlled substance; one count of conspiracy to falsify records in a federal investigation; and, five counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation.
The indictment alleges that Diaz participated in a scheme to defraud TRICARE by prescribing medically unnecessary compounded medications, some of which included Ketamine, a controlled substance, to individuals without first examining the individuals for the purpose of having a Hattiesburg-based compounding pharmacy dispense these medically unnecessary compounded medications, and to have TRICARE reimburse the compounding pharmacy for dispensing the medications. According to the indictment, between October 2014 and December 2015, TRICARE reimbursed the pharmacy more than $2.3 million for the medications prescribed by Diaz. Additionally, the indictment alleges that in response to an audit conducted by TRICARE of these prescriptions signed by Diaz, Diaz submitted falsified patient records indicating that he had examined these individuals prior to prescribing these compounded medications.
This indictment has been designated as a related prosecution to two cases charged earlier this year in the Southern District of Mississippi. Jason May, the pharmacist-in-charge of Advantage Pharmacy, pled guilty on July 25, 2017, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering regarding a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, of more than $190 million. Gerald Schaar, a marketer, pled guilty on July 25, 2017, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud regarding a scheme to defraud TRICARE of more than $2.3 million.
If convicted of all counts, Diaz faces 305 years in jail and fines up to $7.5 million.
The case is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue
Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and other government agencies.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely an allegation and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Two Louisiana Residents Plead Guilty to Smuggling Live White-Tailed Deer into MississippiRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Edward L. Donaldson Jr., 75, and John Jared Oertling, 42, both residents of Pearl River, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, pled guilty today to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act for importing live white-tailed deer into Mississippi, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Luis Santiago of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement.
Mississippi law makes it unlawful to import live white-tailed deer into the State of Mississippi and authorizes the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Commission with the responsibility of establishing regulations governing the importation of white-tailed deer with the emphasis on preventing the introduction of disease. The Commission established a regulation that mirrors the state statute, prohibiting the importation of live white- tailed deer into the State of Mississippi. The Lacey Act makes it unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase wildlife that were taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any state.
Donaldson and Oertling admitted to United States District Judge Keith Starrett to purchasing and transporting live white-tailed deer into Mississippi in violation of state and federal law from February 2010 through November 2012. Donaldson and Oertling manage a 1,031 acre high fenced enclosure in Forrest County, Mississippi, known as Turkey Trott Ranch .
Donaldson and Oertling admitted that the live white-tailed deer purchased and imported from Pennsylvania to Turkey Trott Ranch in Forrest County, Mississippi, came from a herd of captive white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania that tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is the chief threat to deer and elk populations in North America. The disease, which ultimately ends in death of infected animals, is a transmissible neurological disease that produces small lesions in the brain of deer and elk and is characterized by loss of body condition and behavioral abnormalities.
This is the third such case brought by federal authorities against South Mississippi landowners caught importing white-tailed deer since February of 2014. "The illegal transportation and importation of live animals across state lines can have a potentially devastating impact on the health and safety of our citizens. This case demonstrates our continuing commitment, together with our federal and state law enforcement partners, to hunt down and prosecute those who choose to violate federal law," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent in Charge Luis Santiago stated: "We take our mission working with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and the citizens
of Mississippi in conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats very seriously. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement considers the potential spread of disease caused by the illegal commercialization of wildlife resources a high priority, and we will continue to work closely with our State partners to assist them in these important investigations."
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. It is being prosecuted by Criminal Division Chief Darren J. LaMarca.
Justice Department Announces First Ever Indictments Against Designated Chinese Manufacturers of Deadly Fentanyl and Other Opiate SubstancesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today that federal grand juries in the Southern District of Mississippi and the District of North Dakota returned indictments, unsealed yesterday, against two Chinese nationals and their North American based traffickers and distributors for separate conspiracies to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and other opiate substances in the United States. The Chinese nationals are the first manufacturers and distributors of fentanyl and other opiate substances to be designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs). CPOT designations are those who have “command and control” elements of the most prolific international drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
On Sept. 7, Xiaobing Yan, 40, of China, was indicted in the Southern District of Mississippi on two counts of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, and seven counts of manufacturing and distributing the drugs in specific instances. Yan, a distributor of a multitude of illegal drugs, used different names and company identities over a period of at least six years and operated websites selling acetyl fentanyl and other deadly fentanyl analogues directly to U.S. customers in multiple cities across the country. Yan also operated at least two chemical plants in China that were capable of producing ton quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. Yan monitored legislation and law enforcement activities in the United States and China, modifying the chemical structure of the fentanyl analogues he produced to evade prosecution in the United States. Over the course of the investigation, federal agents identified more than 100 distributors of synthetic opioids involved with Yan’s manufacturing and distribution networks. Federal investigations of the distributors are ongoing in 10 judicial districts, and investigators have traced illegal proceeds of the distribution network. In addition, law enforcement agents intercepted packages mailed from Yan’s Internet pharmaceutical companies, seizing multiple kilograms of suspected acetyl fentanyl, potentially enough for thousands of lethal doses.
On Sept. 20, Jian Zhang, 38, of China, five Canadian citizens, two residents of Florida, and a resident of New Jersey were indicted in the District of North Dakota for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogues in the United States, conspiracy to import the drugs from Canada and China, a money laundering conspiracy, an international money laundering conspiracy, and operation of a continuing criminal enterprise. Zhang ran an organization that manufactured fentanyl in at least four known labs in China and advertised and sold fentanyl to U.S. customers over the Internet. Zhang’s organization would send orders of fentanyl or other illicit drugs, or pill presses, stamps, or dies used to shape fentanyl into pills, to customers in the United States through the mail or international parcel delivery services. Federal law enforcement agents determined that Zhang sent many thousands of these packages since January of 2013.
On Oct. 11, Elizabeth Ton, 26, and Anthony Gomes, 33, both of Davie, Florida were arrested. On Oct. 12, Darius Ghahary, 48, of Ramsey, New Jersey was arrested. Ton, Gomes, and Ghahary are charged with drug trafficking conspiracy in the Zhang indictment.
The investigations of Yan and Zhang revealed a new and disturbing facet of the opioid crisis in America: fentanyl and fentanyl analogues are coming into the United States in numerous ways, including highly pure shipments of fentanyl from factories in China directly to U.S. customers who purchase it on the Internet. Unwary or inexperienced users often have no idea that they are ingesting fentanyl until it is too late. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 20,000 Americans were killed by fentanyl and fentanyl analogues in 2016, and the number is rising at an exponential rate.
Zhang was charged with conduct resulting in the deaths of four individuals in North Carolina, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Oregon in 2014 and 2015 and the serious bodily injuries related to five additional individuals.
These recent law enforcement efforts to keep fentanyl and fentanyl analogues from entering the United States were announced by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein; Acting Administrator Robert W. Patterson of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Acting Deputy Director Peter T. Edge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Assistant Commissioner Joanne Crampton of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
“Zhang and Yan are the first Chinese nationals designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs),” said Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein. “CPOTs are among the most significant drug trafficking threats in the world. The defendants allegedly shipped massive quantities of deadly fentanyl and other synthetic opioids to communities throughout the United States, mostly purchased on the Internet and sent through the mail. The chemicals allegedly killed and injured people in several states, and surely caused misery to many thousands of people. Under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Sessions, we are taking back our communities by pursuing suppliers of deadly drugs wherever they are located.”
“Xiaobing Yan, Jian Zhang and their respective associates represent one of the most significant drug threats facing the country – overseas organized crime groups capable of producing nearly any synthetic drug imaginable, including fentanyl, and who attempt to hide their tracks with web-based sales, international shipments and cryptocurrency transactions,” said DEA Acting Administrator Patterson. “At a time when overdose deaths are at catastrophic levels, one of DEA’s top priorities is the pursuit of criminal organizations distributing their poison to American neighborhoods. These indictments are a first step; our investigators remain relentless in their pursuit to dismantle these organizations and bring those responsible to justice. DEA, along with our global network of law enforcement partners, will go after these types of criminals wherever they operate.”
“This case began when local police officers responded to what has become an all-too familiar tragedy in the United States: the heroin and fentanyl overdose of two young adults, one who survived and another who did not,” said ICE Acting Deputy Director Edge. “Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Drug trafficking organizations that deal in such a deadly game will have to face the combined resources of federal law enforcement agencies and our international partners. ICE Homeland Security Investigations is committed to helping combat this new and growing epidemic.”
“We live in an increasingly global and interconnected world – crime has no borders,” said Assistant Commissioner Crampton. “Law enforcement must respond accordingly by working beyond our borders together to detect and disrupt criminal activity. By fostering a solid integrated and coordinated law enforcement approach, we will continue to disrupt international drug trafficking networks.”
The cases against Yan and Zhang are being investigated by the DEA, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the RCMP. Valuable investigative assistance has also been provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Ministry of Public Security of China. The case against Yan is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie in the Southern District of Mississippi. The case against Zhang is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Chris Myers and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin in the District of North Dakota, along with Trial Attorney Adrienne Rose of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. Substantial prosecutorial assistance has been provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Oregon and the Quebec office of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.
Both of the indictments announced today are the result of coordinated, multi-agency, multi-national investigations conducted by agents and investigators of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), and were further supported with national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (SOD). The OCDETF Program is a partnership between federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to target the most serious transnational organized crime threats facing the United States, including drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering. Prior to the announcement of these indictments, Jian Zhang and Xiaobing Yan were designated as OCDETF Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs), and are considered by the United States as some of the most significant drug trafficking threats in the world.
If convicted, Yan faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and three years of supervised release. Zhang faces up to life in prison and $12.5 million in fines. Any sentences will be determined at the discretion of the district courts after considering any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Twenty-one individuals in total have been indicted on federal drug charges in both North Dakota and Oregon as part of the investigation.Mike Hurst Sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of MississippiRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – On Tuesday, October 10, 2017, D. Michael Hurst, Jr. was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi by U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan in Jackson, Mississippi. Hurst was nominated by President Donald J. Trump on June 29, 2017, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on October 3, 2017.
"I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to return to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to do the work of justice and serve the people of Mississippi. We have some of the hardest working, most caring people in this office, and I look forward to partnering with our state and local law enforcement to make sure people are protected, victims are served, and our communities are safer," said Hurst.
Hurst most recently served as the Director of the Mississippi Justice Institute ("MJI"), a division of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. Before starting MJI, he was the Republican nominee for Mississippi Attorney General in 2015.
From 2006 until February 2015, Hurst served as an Assistant United States Attorney within the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Jackson, where he focused primarily on fighting public corruption. He received numerous awards from the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and other federal law enforcement agencies.
Before going to work for the US Attorney’s Office, Hurst served on the staff of Congressman Chip Pickering in Washington, DC. Prior to that, he was Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Constitution Subcommittee. He practiced law at Troutman Sanders in Washington, DC, after graduating from law school.
Hurst is originally from Hickory, Mississippi, and is a graduate of East Central Community College in Decatur, and Millsaps College in Jackson, as well as The George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. Hurst and his wife, Celeste, live in Sandhill, Mississippi, with their five children and Mike’s younger sister.
Wife of Former Representative Pleads guilty to Paying Kickbacks to Former Corrections CommissionerRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Teresa Malone, 56, of Carthage, Mississippi, entered a plea of guilty to paying kickbacks to former Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner (MDOC) Christopher B. Epps in exchange for receiving a consulting agreement involving the MDOC and its operations, announced Acting United States Attorney Harold Brittain and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
During her guilty plea, Malone admitted to receiving $225,000.00 from a consulting agreement with an out of state contractor arranged by former MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps. Malone received $5,000.00 a month out of which she paid Epps varying amounts of $1,000.00 to $1,750.00 per month. The scheme lasted from October of 2010 through July of 2014.
Malone will be sentenced on January 10, 2018, by United States District Judge Henry T. Wingate. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Criminal Chief Darren LaMarca, Assistant United States Attorney Patrick A. Lemon, and financial analyst Kim Mitchell.
Jackson Woman Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Alsher Williams 39, of Jackson, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to defraud the United States by aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Jerome McDuffie. Williams was also ordered to pay $128,112.22 in restitution.
Williams and other co-conspirators caused the presentation of false claims to the IRS by preparing and submitting false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040, for tax years 2009 through 2012, using stolen identities. Approximately 90 refunds totaling $128,112.22 were deposited into a bank account controlled by Williams. The conspiracy included 865 false claims totaling over $1 million in fraud. Co-conspirators Tiffany Brown, Shonda Williams, and Larry Crawford were convicted and sentenced earlier this year.
Special Agent in Charge Jerome R. McDuffie of IRS Criminal Investigation stated: "Today, Alsher Williams suffered the consequences of being a willing co-conspirator in the identity theft and tax crimes committed by Tiffany Brown, Shonda Williams, and Larry Crawford. Identity Theft is a continuing investigative priority for the Special Agents of IRS-CI. No matter what role an individual plays in a tax-related identity theft scheme, know that we will pursue their prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, and will seek to hold them accountable for the violations they have committed against the taxpayers we are sworn to protect."
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall.
Drug Trafficking Defendant Sentenced to 360 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Mark Randall Jones, 52, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on October 3, 2017, by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III, to serve a term of 360 months in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release and to pay a $25,000 fine for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Inspector in Charge Nichole Cooper of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Los Angeles Division.
Jones was charged in a two-count federal indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Jones went to trial and was found guilty on both counts on March 29, 2017.
"This sentencing highlights the outstanding, hard work of Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners. While we may feel satisfaction from its outcome, the true satisfaction in this case comes from knowing we were able to stand up for so many unsuspecting victims." said Nichole Cooper, Los Angeles Division Inspector in Charge. "The United States Postal Service will not be used by Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) to facilitate the illegal transportation of narcotics and other dangerous substances."
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Chalk and Keesha Middleton.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Re-entering the United States after Prior DeportationsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Simon Parra-Avila, a/k/a Jose Simon Parra-Barragan, a/k/a Simon Parra-Barraga, 27, from Morton, Mississippi, and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on October 3, 2017, by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III, to serve three months in federal prison followed by deportation for illegally entering the United States after having been previously deported by the United States to Mexico in 2008, 2010, and 2011, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain.
During each of his deportations to Mexico, Parra-Avila was warned that he must not return to the United States without proper legal authority. On April 12, 2017, in Morton, MS, federal agents found Parra-Avila, who had failed to obtain the permission of any U.S. authorities to enter the United States legally.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carla J. Clark and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Fayette Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement of U.S. MailRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Tammy Barnes, 49, of Fayette, Mississippi, pled guilty on October 3, 2017, before U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III, to embezzlement of U.S. mail, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Special Agent in Charge Maximo Eamiguel, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.
From March 13, through June 17, 2016, Barnes worked as a relief Highway Contract Route driver hired to transport mail from Jackson, Mississippi to local U.S. Post Offices in the Mississippi towns of Port Gibson, Lorman, Fayette, Union Church, Washington, and Natchez. Barnes admitted that, during that time, she unlawfully took packages from the U.S. mail stream that did not belong to her, keeping them at her residence and using the contents of those packages for her own use. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) received approximately 112 complaints of non-receipt of packages from residents along the described rural route. Barnes also admitted that she embezzled stamp stock, pre-paid envelopes, and other postal products, valued at approximately $12,560, that she was supposed to deliver to the U.S. Post Offices on her route.
Barnes is currently released on bond and will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III on December 5, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. She faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
"The overwhelming majority of postal employees work very conscientiously to move the nation's mail to its proper destination and it is a responsibility they take very seriously.
Unfortunately, a few abuse the public trust placed in them," said Special Agent in Charge Maximo Eamiguel, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office. "Mail theft complaints will be vigorously investigated in order to ensure the protection of the U.S. Postal Service and its customers."
The prosecution of Barnes is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Carla J. Clark and agents from the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
Choctaw Man Indicted for 2nd Degree MurderRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Stuart Brian Nickey, 33, a Choctaw Indian from the Bogue Homa Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation in Jones County, has been charged in a federal indictment with 2nd degree murder, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain. The indictment alleges that, on or about July 1, 2017, Nickey murdered "C.S.", also a Choctaw Indian, by striking her in the head and face.
Nickey appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Parker on October 3, 2017, for an initial appearance and arraignment. He was detained in federal custody until further order of the court. A jury trial is scheduled for November 21, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
The prosecution of Nickey is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Carla J. Clark, and agents with the FBI and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Department of Public Safety.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Gulfport Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Brett Michael Sekinger, age 26, of Waveland, Mississippi, pled guilty on September 21, 2017, to possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
On February 5, 2016, at a residence in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Sekinger knowingly possessed computers and other electronic components containing visual depictions, in digital still and video format, of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Sekinger will be sentenced on December 14, 2017, by Chief U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and not less than 5 years to life of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which is composed of agents from the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, officers from the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Offices in Jackson and Oxford. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.
Removed Alien Sentenced to Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Jose Mendez-Hernandez a/k/a Eduardo Perez Reynoso a/k/a Jose Mendez a/k/a Eduardo Gumercindo Reynoso "P" a/k/a Jose Hernandez-Mendez a/k/a Jose A. Mendez, 31, an alien to the United States and native of Guatemala, was sentenced on September 13, 2017, by Chief U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to 24 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal reentry of a removed alien, Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain announced.
Mendez-Hernandez was encountered by U. S. Immigration agents on or about February 6, 2017, in Harrison County, Mississippi, where it was determined he was an alien to the United States. Mendez-Hernandez was also identified as a previously removed aggravated felon, having previously been convicted in the State of South Carolina for burglary in the 3rd degree, who had been removed and deported from the United States to Mexico in November of 2006. When found in Mississippi in February of this year, it was determined that Mendez-Hernandez was in the United States without having received the permission of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States.
This case was investigated by Immigration Enforcement Agents for the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Hinds County Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Michael Evans, 34, from Jackson, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze. Evans was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
Evans pled guilty on June 9, 2017, to possessing a firearm at a time in which he was already a convicted felon. On March 29, 2017, an auto theft took place and Jackson Police Department officers were able to track the vehicle. They pursued the vehicle which ultimately crashed into another vehicle. Officers discovered a firearm on the defendant once they approached the wrecked vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin.
Two Louisiana Residents Charged with Smuggling Live White-Tailed Deer into MississippiRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Edward L. Donaldson Jr., 75, and John Jared Oertling, 42, both residents of Pearl River, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, were charged in a Criminal Information with conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act for importing live white-tailed deer into Mississippi, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Special Agent in Charge Luis Santiago of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement.
Mississippi law makes it unlawful to import live white-tailed deer into the State of Mississippi and authorizes the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Commission with the responsibility of establishing regulations governing the importation of white-tailed deer with the emphasis on preventing the introduction of disease. The Commission established a regulation that mirrors the state statute, prohibiting the importation of live white- tailed deer into the State of Mississippi. The Lacey Act makes it unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase wildlife that were taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any state.
According to the Criminal Information, from February of 2010 through November of 2012, Edward L. Donaldson Jr., and John Jared Oertling did knowing and willfully conspire to transport live white-tailed deer in interstate commerce in violation of state and federal laws. Donaldson Jr. and Oertling manage a 1,031-acre high fenced enclosure in Forrest County, Mississippi known as Turkey Trott Ranch. Jill Marie Donaldson, wife of Oertling and daughter of Donaldson is the owner of Turkey Trott Ranch.
The Information also alleges that it was part of the conspiracy that the defendants would unlawfully smuggle the live white-tailed deer into Mississippi for the purpose of breeding and killing trophy white-tailed buck deer. Donaldson Jr. and Oertling learned in 2012 that the live white-tailed deer purchased and imported from Pennsylvania to Turkey Trott Ranch in Forrest County, Mississippi came from a herd of captive white-tailed deer in PA that tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is the chief threat to deer and elk populations in North America. The disease, which ultimately ends in death of infected animals, is a transmissible neurological disease that produces small lesions in the brain of deer and elk and is characterized by loss of body condition and behavioral abnormalities.
"This case demonstrates our continuing commitment, together with our federal and state law enforcement partners, to investigate and prosecute those who choose to violate the federal Lacey Act by illegally importing white-tailed deer into our state," said Acting U.S. Attorney Brittain.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent in Charge Luis Santiago stated "We take our mission working with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and the citizens of Mississippi in conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats very seriously. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement considers the potential spread of disease caused by the illegal commercialization of wildlife resources a high priority, and we will continue to work closely with our State partners to assist them in these important investigations."
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. It is being prosecuted by Criminal Division Chief Darren J. LaMarca.
Former Gautier Resident Sentenced to Prison for Mail FraudRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Leonard Charles Thomas, 39, formerly of Gautier, Mississippi, was sentenced on August 31, 2017, by U.S District Judge Sul Ozerden, to serve 25 months in federal prison for mail fraud in connection with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain. Thomas was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $118,171.52 to BP America, Inc.
Thomas carried out a scheme to defraud the Gulf Coast Claims Facility by making materially false representations, through wire and mail submissions, that he suffered damages and lost employment as a deckhand and fisherman on a fishing boat in the harbor in Pass Christian, Mississippi. An investigation revealed that Thomas did not work on the fishing boat and did not lose earnings and profits as a result of the oil spill. He received $118,171.52 as a result of his fraudulent scheme.
This case, which was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones, is the result of this District’s partnership with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), a nationwide initiative to protect available funds and assistance for those victims of both natural and man-made disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and the recent Gulf oil spill. If you have knowledge of fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, you can contact the NCDF by either calling the hotline at (866) 720-5721, faxing (225) 334-4707, emailing at [email protected] or in writing to National Center for Disaster Fraud, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909.
Former Federal Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss - James P. Cheatham III, 24, of Brandon, a former federal corrections officer, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III, to serve 15 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1500 fine, for accepting bribes to introduce contraband into the federal correctional facility in Yazoo County, Mississippi, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Special Agent in Charge Robert Bourbon of the DOJ OIG’s Miami Field Office.
Cheatham previously pled guilty to a one-count federal indictment charging him with violation of Title 18 USC 201(b)(2)(C) – being a public official providing to an inmate a prohibited object.
"Greed and corruption have no place in our criminal justice system," stated Special Agent in Charge Robert Bourbon of the DOJ OIG’s Miami Field Office. "We want to thank our law enforcement partners for their continued efforts to ensure that individuals who abuse their position are vigorously investigated, prosecuted, and punished."
The case was investigated by the Department of Justice-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.
Former Federal Corrections Officer Sentenced for BriberyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - Julius Pearson, 27, a former federal corrections officer from Madison County, Mississippi, was sentenced on August 31, 2017, by Senior U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour, to 12 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for bribery, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze, and U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Bourbon. Pearson previously pled guilty to the charge.
Beginning in approximately August 2016, Julius Pearson began smuggling tobacco into the Federal Prison in Yazoo County where he was employed as a corrections officer. Pearson was paid approximately ten thousand dollars by inmates and others for delivering the tobacco to inmates inside the facility.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Patrick Lemon.
Ocean Springs Man Sentenced for Accessing with Intent to View Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Mississippi. – Kristopher Michael Brumfield, 39, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was sentenced on August 24, 2017, by Chief U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to 120 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for accessing with intent to view child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer, Jr.
In addition to the prison term, Brumfield was ordered to pay a fine of $15,000 and a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.
In August, 2014, HSI identified three user profiles contained within a foreign photo sharing website which contained child pornography. The HSI investigation that followed identified Brumfield as the individual who knowingly accessed the website and viewed the uploaded images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. It was further determined that via email, Brumfield corresponded with other users of the website, and subsequently traded numerous videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct via his email accounts.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Jones and Glenda Haynes.
Biloxi Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Michael Lee, 53, of Biloxi, Mississippi, was sentenced on August 14, 2017, by Chief U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to serve 108 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer, Jr.
In addition to the prison term, Lee was ordered to pay restitution of $1,000 to a victim and a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.
The investigation revealed that on September 16, 2014, Lee was identified as the individual at a Biloxi address who, through activity with a Peer to Peer file sharing network, knowingly possessed on his computer and hard drive visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Jones and Glenda Haynes.
California Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison on International Federal Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Susan Ann Villeneuve, 62, of Escalon, California, was sentenced today on international fraud charges that started in 2014 when sixteen individuals were arrested in South Africa, Canada, California, Wisconsin, New York and Indiana, pursuant to an eight-count federal indictment filed in the Southern District of Mississippi, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Raymond Parmer, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.
Villeneuve was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to a total of 84 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She was also ordered to pay $32,857 in restitution for losses to 10 of her counterfeit check victims. When released from prison, she will serve three years of supervised release. She previously pled guilty to the charges.
The case involved a West African transnational organized crime enterprise involved in numerous complex financial fraud schemes over the internet. This mass marketing fraud included romance scams, re-shipping scams, fraudulent check scams and work-at-home scams, along with bank, financial and credit card account take-overs.
The investigation was initiated in October 2011, by HSI agents in Gulfport after U.S. law enforcement officers were contacted by a female victim in Mississippi who was the victim of a sweetheart scam. The victim received a package in the mail requesting that she reship the merchandise to an address in Pretoria, South Africa. The investigation later revealed that the merchandise was purchased using stolen personal identity information and fraudulent credit card information of persons in the United States. Investigators identified hundreds of victims of this scam in the United States, resulting in the loss of millions of U.S. dollars. Villeneuve was responsible for sending out over $26 million in counterfeit checks to victims across the country by USPS, UPS and FedEx.
If you believe you were the victim of criminal fraud committed by any of the defendants, you may contact the government at the email address [email protected].
The investigation in this case was led by the HSI Gulfport office in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, South African Police Service, Toronto Police, HSI Cyber Crimes Center, Treasury Executive Office of Asset Forfeiture, HSI Ontario, HSI Charleston, Interpol South Africa, HSI Pretoria and HSI Atlanta.
The case in Mississippi was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams, Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe with the DOJ Organized Crime and Gang Section, and Peter Roman, Senior Counsel for the Computer Crimes Intellectual Property Section.
Defense Contractor Agrees to Pay $9.2 Million to Settle False Billing AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII), a publicly traded company headquartered in Newport, Virginia, has agreed to a $9.2 million settlement of allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the government for labor on U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships at its shipyards in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Under the settlement, HII will make a payment of $7.9 million which, combined with earlier repayments, will result in the settlement recovery of approximately $9.2 million.
“Contractors that knowingly bill the government in violation of contract terms will face serious consequences,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates, once again, that we will not tolerate defense contractors who falsely charge the armed forces or any agency of the United States.”
"Our Armed Forces depend on defense contractors to follow the rules, and this civil settlement, the second largest in the District’s history, should remind all those who conduct business with the United States Government that they are expected to abide by the rules,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain, who also noted three earlier guilty pleas in a related criminal matter in the Southern District of Mississippi. Two individuals pleaded guilty in United States v. N. R. Holden & R.G. Gardner, Criminal No 1:15-cr-42 HSO-RHW, and were sentenced in 2015. Another individual pleaded guilty in United States v. R.M. Wilson, Criminal No 1:16-cr-34-LG-RHW, and was sentenced in 2016. According to Acting U.S. Attorney Brittain, “the Southern District of Mississippi will remain vigilant in identifying and prosecuting those involved in nefarious activities and fraudulent billing, which ultimately result in substantial cost overruns on Navy and Coast Guard shipbuilding projects.”
Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Southeast Field Office, Mike Wiest, says "Corruption, fraud and bribery are not victimless crimes. Overcharging for work not done is not only criminal on its face, investigating those crimes siphoned resources and time which would have been better invested in protecting the nation. Multiple federal agencies spent years investigating this lack of integrity, to help hold accountable those who would squander American taxpayer dollars."
"Today's results are part of ongoing efforts by the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Coast Guard's acquisition systems by holding individuals and corporations accountable when they attempt to defraud U.S. taxpayers", said Special Agent in Charge Brian Jeanfreau.
"Contractors are expected to comply with their statutory obligations and act in good faith when dealing with the Department of Defense (DOD)," commented John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “This settlement is the culmination of hard work by DCIS, our investigative partners, the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi; and clearly demonstrates that combatting fraud, waste and abuse within DOD contracting remains a top priority."
The civil settlement resolves alleged labor mischarging on various U.S. Navy and Coast Guard contracts dating back to 2003. HII allegedly mischarged labor incurred on particular contracts to other contracts, even though the costs were not actually incurred by those contracts. The settlement also resolves claims disclosed by HII that it had billed the Navy and Coast Guard for dive operations to support ship hull construction that did not actually occur as claimed.
The labor mischarging allegations resolved by the settlement were originally raised in a lawsuit brought by Bryon Faulkner, a former HII employee, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA), which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did in this case. Mr. Faulkner will receive $1,590,144 as a result of the civil action he filed, which is captioned United States ex rel. Faulkner v. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. 1:13-cv-295 HSO RHW in the Southern District of Mississippi.
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, DCIS, NCIS, and CGIS. The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Defense Contractor Agrees to Pay $9.2 Million to Settle False Billing AllegationsRead the Press Release
Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII), a publicly traded company headquartered in Newport, Virginia, has agreed to a $9.2 million settlement of allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the government for labor on U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships at its shipyards in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Under the settlement, HII will make a payment of $7.9 million which, combined with earlier repayments, will result in the settlement recovery of approximately $9.2 million.
“Contractors that knowingly bill the government in violation of contract terms will face serious consequences,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates, once again, that we will not tolerate defense contractors who falsely charge the armed forces or any agency of the United States.”
"Our Armed Forces depend on defense contractors to follow the rules, and this civil settlement, the second largest in the District’s history, should remind all those who conduct business with the United States Government that they are expected to abide by the rules,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain, who also noted three earlier guilty pleas in a related criminal matter in the Southern District of Mississippi. Two individuals pleaded guilty in United States v. N. R. Holden & R.G. Gardner, Criminal No 1:15-cr-42 HSO-RHW, and were sentenced in 2015. Another individual pleaded guilty in United States v. R.M. Wilson, Criminal No 1:16-cr-34-LG-RHW, and was sentenced in 2016. According to Acting U.S. Attorney Brittain, “the Southern District of Mississippi will remain vigilant in identifying and prosecuting those involved in nefarious activities and fraudulent billing, which ultimately result in substantial cost overruns on Navy and Coast Guard shipbuilding projects.”
Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Southeast Field Office, Mike Wiest, says "Corruption, fraud and bribery are not victimless crimes. Overcharging for work not done is not only criminal on its face, investigating those crimes siphoned resources and time which would have been better invested in protecting the nation. Multiple federal agencies spent years investigating this lack of integrity, to help hold accountable those who would squander American taxpayer dollars."
"Today's results are part of ongoing efforts by the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Coast Guard's acquisition systems by holding individuals and corporations accountable when they attempt to defraud U.S. taxpayers", said Special Agent in Charge Brian Jeanfreau.
"Contractors are expected to comply with their statutory obligations and act in good faith when dealing with the Department of Defense (DOD)," commented John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “This settlement is the culmination of hard work by DCIS, our investigative partners, the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi; and clearly demonstrates that combatting fraud, waste and abuse within DOD contracting remains a top priority."
The civil settlement resolves alleged labor mischarging on various U.S. Navy and Coast Guard contracts dating back to 2003. HII allegedly mischarged labor incurred on particular contracts to other contracts, even though the costs were not actually incurred by those contracts. The settlement also resolves claims disclosed by HII that it had billed the Navy and Coast Guard for dive operations to support ship hull construction that did not actually occur as claimed.
The labor mischarging allegations resolved by the settlement were originally raised in a lawsuit brought by Bryon Faulkner, a former HII employee, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA), which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did in this case. Mr. Faulkner will receive $1,590,144 as a result of the civil action he filed, which is captioned United States ex rel. Faulkner v. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. 1:13-cv-295 HSO RHW in the Southern District of Mississippi.
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, DCIS, NCIS, and CGIS. The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Former Brookhaven Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Brian Monroe Lewis, 33, formerly of Brookhaven, Mississippi, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain.
Lewis admitted that, on December 20, 2016, he possessed a HiPoint brand, model C9, 9mm handgun after having previously been convicted in Mississippi state court for aggravated assault in 2006 and possession of a cocaine in 2010.
Lewis is currently detained in the Madison County Jail and will be sentenced on November 14, 2017, by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III, at the U.S. Courthouse in Natchez. Lewis faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Clark is prosecuting the case for the government.
Jackson Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Shonda Williams, 38, of Jackson, was sentenced on August 8, 2017, to 15 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to defraud the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Jerome McDuffie.
As part of the conspiracy, Williams stole patients’ personal identifying information from current and former patients at Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center while employed at the facility. She sold the social security numbers to other co-conspirators for cash. Those co-conspirators later submitted false claims to the IRS by preparing and submitting false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040 for tax year 2010 through 2013, using stolen identities. Fraudulent tax refunds were then deposited into the bank accounts of other co-conspirators involved in the scheme. The 865 false claims totaled over $1,000,000 in fraud. Williams was ordered to pay $35,975.00 in restitution for her part in the scheme.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – William Jason Moore, 38, of Jackson, was sentenced on August 8, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves, to serve 50 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain. Moore was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
Moore previously pled guilty to possession of a firearm at a time when he was already a convicted felon. He was arrested on May 16, 2016, during a traffic stop in Rankin County, after Pearl Police officers found two firearms in the stolen vehicle he was driving. Moore’s previous convictions are for grand larceny and burglary.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives along with the Pearl Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall.
Gulfport Felon Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison for Dollar Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Joseph Towner, Jr., 32, of Gulfport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to serve a total of 32 years in federal prison for armed robbery, announced Acting U. S. Attorney Harold H. Brittain. Towner previously pled guilty to two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced to 84 months in prison on the first count, and 300 months in prison on the second count, for a total of 32 years.
Judge Ozerden ordered Towner’s sentences to be served consecutively with each other and consecutively to the 8 years he is currently serving in the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He was ordered to pay restitution while in prison to Dollar General, Family Dollar, and an individual, for a total of $13,926.13. Once the restitution is paid, Towner is ordered to pay a fine of $20,000. When released from prison, he will be on supervised release for five years.
The charges in this case stem from a series of armed robberies of Dollar General and Family Dollar stores in Long Beach, Gulfport, D’Iberville and Biloxi in 2014. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives along with D’Iberville, Biloxi, Long Beach and Gulfport Police Departments. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.