District of New Hampshire

 

            CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Mark Gagnon, 54, of Candia, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for possessing heroin with intent to distribute.

 

            Gagnon was convicted at a jury trial on August 2, 2017.  Testimony during the trial showed that on July 10, 2016, Gagnon and Alfredo Gonzalez traveled from Manchester, New Hampshire to Lawrence, Massachusetts to acquire approximately 500 grams of heroin from a drug trafficking organization led by Alberto Guerrero Marte.  Gagnon and Gonzalez met with Marte at a restaurant in Lawrence at approximately 10:00 p.m. on July 10, 2016.  Gagnon retrieved a shopping bag containing three cans of tomato sauce from Marte’s vehicle.  Gagnon placed the cans in his own vehicle and drove to New Hampshire.  During a traffic stop of Gagnon’s vehicle, a drug detection dog alerted officers that the vehicle contained drugs.  After obtaining a search warrant on the following day, law enforcement officers searched the vehicle and found that the three cans of tomato sauce contained over 500 grams of heroin.

 

            After serving his prison sentence, Gagnon will be on supervised release for a period of three years.

 

            Alberto Guerrero Marte is serving a 15-year prison sentence.  Gonzalez was convicted at trial on November 10, 2017.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2018.

 

            “This case is an example of how federal, state, and local law enforcement officers continue to work together to stop the flow of heroin and other drugs into New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “The investigators in this case prevented a large quantity of heroin from being sold in the Granite State.  While we support access to treatment for those who suffer from addiction, individuals like Mr. Gagnon who participate in the distribution of deadly drugs will be prosecuted aggressively.” 

 

         “Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire and across the North East,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “Fentanyl and heroin are causing overdose deaths across the Granite State, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue and hold accountable anyone who distributes and profits from spreading this misery.  This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

            This matter was investigated by the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; the Massachusetts State Police; the Haverhill Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the New Hampshire State Police; the Manchester Police Department; the Lawrence Police Department; the Lowell Police Department, the Methuen Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.

 

            This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. -   Acting United States Attorney John Farley announced today that Judith Morale (formerly known as Judith Remo), 54, currently a resident of Webster, New York, has pleaded guilty to health care fraud.

 

          According to court documents, from 2006 to 2012, Morale owned and operated a business, Bedford Geriatric Physical Therapy, LLC, that provided physical therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries.  Through the business, Morale provided routine foot care (e.g., toenail trimming, ingrown toenail repair and callus shaving) to patients in an assisted living facility in Bedford, New Hampshire.  Knowing that the services were not covered by Medicare, Morale obtained payments totaling $41,127.89 by submitting claims for payment to Medicare that falsely described these routine services as wound care.

 

          Morale is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joseph DiClerico on March 27, 2018.

 

          “Fraud against federal health care programs such as Medicare is a very a serious crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “When health care providers fraudulently obtain money from the Medicare program, they will be held accountable for their actions.  I commend the efforts of the law enforcement agents whose work led to this conviction.”

 

         “By literally using the Medicare system as her own personal ATM, Ms. Morale violated the basic trust that taxpayers extend to healthcare providers.” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division.  “Fraudulently billing the government defrauds every American taxpayer, and the FBI is committed to finding those who abuse public health care programs to which we all contribute and depend on.”

 

         “Every Medicare dollar is needed to provide necessary patient care, thus skimming off funds by providers will not be tolerated,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  “The message is clear.  Those who steal from Medicare will have to pay the price.”

          This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Davis and Robert Kinsella.

 

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            CONCORD – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Justin Gauthier, 39, formerly of Northfield, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to charges that he unlawfully possessed methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and carfentanil with the intent to distribute and that he unlawfully possessed firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

 

Court documents and statements in court showed that law enforcement officers executed two search warrants on Gauthier’s Northwood residence. During the first search on August 5, 2016, law enforcement officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, multiple firearms, and $13,980 in cash.  During the second search on March 10, 2017, quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, carfentanil, multiple firearms, and $6,791 in cash were seized.

 

“Guns and drugs are a deadly combination and those who use guns as part of the drug trade present a substantial threat to our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “This case is particularly notable because the defendant was distributing carfentanil.  Carfentanil is far more powerful than fentanyl and presents a serious public safety concern.  In order to protect the public, we will work closely with all of our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who seek to profit from the distribution of carfentanil and other deadly substances.”

 

"ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement counterparts, to aggressively combat drug traffickers and the threat they pose to our citizens by illegally possessing firearms in furtherance of their illegal drug trade," said Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge, ATF  Boston Field Division.

 

Gauthier’s sentencing is scheduled for March 27, 2018. 

 

            This case is being investigated by the New Hampshire State Police, Narcotics Investigation Unit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Tilton and Northfield, New Hampshire Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.

 

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. -  Kevin Corriveau, 42, of Nashua, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in federal court today to one count of obstruction of justice in connection with an investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley of the District of New Hampshire announced today.

 

According to court documents, Corriveau owned and operated a painting company, Kevin Corriveau Painting, Inc.  Corriveau admitted that he caused an employee of his company to provide false information to investigators from the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in 2009 and 2011 regarding the extent of overtime hours worked by employees of the company.

 

From 2007 through April 2011, Corriveau had been directing employees to report only non-overtime work payroll and time records to conceal Fair Labor Standards Act overtime violations from being found in those records. In 2011, Corriveau himself also falsely stated to investigators that his employees did not work overtime on a Needham, Massachusetts, construction project. 

 

In 2013, in connection with a civil suit filed against him by the Department of Labor for alleged overtime violations, Corriveau knowingly created and provided the Department’s attorneys with fraudulent invoices and an altered change order that falsely stated that his employees did not work overtime on the Needham project.

 

Corriveau is scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2018.

 

This is believed to be the first federal criminal prosecution arising from a Labor Department wage and hour investigation in New Hampshire. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and Office of the Inspector General investigated the case with assistance from the Department’s Office of the Solicitor and Employee Benefits Security Administration.

 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Kinsella and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Miller.  Scott Miller is also a Senior Trial Attorney at the Labor Department’s Office of the Solicitor in Boston, Massachusetts. 

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. -  Gary Peter Borak, 50, formerly of the Pelham, New Hampshire area, was sentenced to two years in prison for participating in a tax evasion scheme, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, Borak filed a legitimate federal income tax return for 2007 – prepared by his accountant -- that established that he had an outstanding tax debt of more than $50,000.  In response to IRS efforts to collect that debt after Borak failed to pay it, Borak engaged in a series of ploys in an attempt to defeat the payment of the tax and the assessment of new income taxes for future tax years. 

 

        Among other things, in 2011, Borak filed an amended return for 2007 and an original, but delinquent, tax return for 2008 in which he made bogus claims that he had large amounts of Original Issue Discount (often abbreviated “OID”) income and large amounts of corresponding withholding from a so-called non-existent “straw man” financial account.  He claimed that the withholding not only satisfied his outstanding tax debt from 2007, but also qualified him for large tax refunds.  To support his false claims, Borak created fake IRS forms purportedly prepared and issued by a particular bank and sent the IRS volumes of correspondence and other documents containing highly unconventional and meritless claims about the tax laws.  Borak persisted in pressing his bogus claims even after the IRS and his accountant told him that they were frivolous.  He also attempted to satisfy his tax debt by submitting sham financial instruments to the IRS. 

 

        Finally, until about two weeks before entering his guilty plea, Borak failed to file any tax returns for tax years 2009 through 2016, even though he earned substantial amounts of income in at least several of those years.  Borak’s conduct resulted in an actual tax loss to the U.S. Treasury of about $168,147. 

 

        Borak previously had pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion two counts of making false statements on his tax returns.  After serving his two-year prison sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release.  He also was ordered to pay full restitution to the United States Treasury.

 

        “This case shows that there are substantial penalties for those who attempt to use fraudulent techniques to avoid their tax obligations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “The defendant’s scheme of creating false documents in order to try to mislead the IRS was unlawful and he has been held accountable for his actions.”

 

        “Our voluntary system of self-reported tax liability depends upon people to honestly report their income and timely pay their taxes,” said Joel Garland, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation.  “Those who willfully file false tax returns and obstruct the IRS in their collection efforts damage our nation’s system of taxation.  Violators will be prosecuted, punished, and obligated to repay their taxes along with applicable penalties and interest, which are substantial.” 

 

        This matter was investigated by the Manchester office of Criminal Investigation of the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.  They were assisted by the Rockingham County and Hillsborough County Sheriff Departments and the Atkinson, Hudson, Salem, and Pelham police departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Aframe and Bill Morse.

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. -  Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Crystal Watson, 37, of Barrington, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

 

            According to documents filed in court and statements made during the sentencing hearing, after an investigation of Watson’s drug trafficking activities, law enforcement officers executed search warrants and arrested Watson at her home in Barrington on April 7, 2015.  During the search, officers seized $244,028 in United States currency, 570 grams of heroin, and three firearms. 

 

On February 25, 2016, Watson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, three counts of distribution of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.  As part of her plea agreement, Watson agreed to forfeit the seized cash and firearms, as well as real estate, two log cabin style park trailers, and a vehicle.

 

            “The law enforcement community is united in its effort to identify and prosecute those who are distributing heroin and other deadly drugs in the Granite State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Not only are drugs lethal, but those who possess firearms while trafficking in drugs present an added danger to the community.  We will continue to do our utmost to prevent the distribution of drugs, reduce the risk of gun violence, and seize assets so that drug traffickers do not profit from their unlawful activities.”

           

            “Those suffering from the disease of opioid addiction need access to treatment and recovery,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “But, those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like heroin to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions.  DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute this poison.”

 

This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  

 

The DEA; the United States Marshals Service; the New Hampshire State Police; the Barrington Police Department; and the Rochester Police Department participated in the investigation of this case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.

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            CONCORD, N.H. - Brandon Gray, 22, of New Hampton, New Hampshire, was sentenced in federal court on Monday to 70 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography and cyberstalking, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley of the District of New Hampshire announced today.

 

            According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendant created a fake online identity pretending to be a teen pop star, and met a 14-year-old child on the Internet. From 2014 to 2016, the child took various sexually explicit pictures and videos of himself and sent them to the defendant. Eventually, the child discovered that the online persona was fake and attempted to stop communicating with the defendant. The defendant responded by sending him harassing texts, emails, and chats over various social media outlets including messages threatening to post pornographic images of the child online. A search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence and he was found to be in possession of various images and videos constituting child pornography. The defendant admitted to using the alias, to possessing sexually explicit images of the minor victim, and to threatening to post them online.  

 

            “Keeping the Internet safe for children is one of the highest priorities of my office,” said Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley. “I commend the collaboration between the Louisiana State Police and Homeland Security Investigations personnel in New Hampshire in locating and bringing this individual to justice. Cyber predators cannot hide behind a computer screen. When their actions cause real harm, there will be real consequences.”

 

            This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Manchester, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Louisiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.

 

            In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Michael Roman Burghardt, 33, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to illegal firearm possession, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley of the District of New Hampshire announced today.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement agents began an investigation after receiving information from a reliable source that Burghardt was regularly carrying a .380 caliber handgun. At the time, Burghardt had a prior felony conviction, and could not legally possess any firearms.  After arresting Burghardt on an unrelated warrant, agents found in his coat pocket a handgun consistent with the information they had received.

 

          Burghardt is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2018.

 

          “Gun violence threatens the safety of our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “One important way to prevent gun violence is to enforce our firearms laws to ensure that criminals do not possess dangerous weapons.  This case is one example of how the U.S. Attorney’s Office is working closely with our law enforcement partners to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.”

 

         This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Dronzek.

 

          The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes. 

           

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Vincent M. Torraco, 26, of Athol, Massachusetts, was sentenced to serve 43 months in federal prison for a series of bank robberies that occurred in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. 

 

          According to court documents and statements made during Torraco’s earlier plea hearing, Torraco robbed TD Bank branches in Gardner, Massachusetts, on September 16, 2016, in Rindge, on September 23, 2016, and in Winchester, Connecticut, on September 24, 2016.  In each robbery, Torraco passed a note to a bank teller demanding money.  In at least two of the robberies, the notes included warnings not to include dye packs with the money.  Torraco was identified as the robber in each instance through bank security images, which revealed distinctive clothing and physical characteristics common to Torraco, and in one case a fingerprint on the demand note.  Torraco was arrested on September 27, 2016, in Huntersville, North Carolina.

 

          Torraco previously pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery.  After serving his sentence, he will serve a three-year term of supervised release.

 

          “Bank robberies are inherently violent offenses that can jeopardize the lives of bank employees and customers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with all of our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime and to improve the safety of our communities.”

 

          Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division said, "Mr. Torraco not only took money from a federally insured bank, he also  intimidated the tellers, and  wasted taxpayer resources by requiring law enforcement officers to search for him.  This sentence imposed on the defendant reflects the serious nature of bank robbery. The FBI is proud of the relationship with its law enforcement partners and working together, we are able to make our community a safer place."

 

          The investigation of this matter was overseen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and conducted by the Rindge (N.H.) Police Department, the Gardner (Massachusetts) Police Department, the Winchester (Connecticut) Police Department and the Huntersville (North Carolina) Police Department.  The prosecution of the case is being coordinated with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Massachusetts and Connecticut, the Middle District (Massachusetts) Attorney’s Office, and the Litchfield County (Connecticut) State’s Attorney’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

 

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that, Rafael Delacruz, a/k/a “Simba,” 55, previously of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced on Friday to serve twelve years in federal prison for selling heroin and fentanyl in southern New Hampshire. 

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, Delacruz sold heroin and fentanyl in hand-to-hand exchanges with cooperating individuals inside a retail store in Plaistow, New Hampshire on July 8, October 20, and November 19, 2015.  Delacruz also admitted to selling fentanyl to a cooperating individual on June 22, 2016, inside a retail store in Epping, New Hampshire.  Each of the transactions was surveilled and recorded by law enforcement officers and, in at least one instance, on a store’s security surveillance video. 

 

          Delacruz pleaded guilty on August 18, 2017, to three counts of distributing a controlled substance.  After his release from prison, Delacruz will be required to serve a six-year term of supervised release. 

 

          “Those who come to New Hampshire to distribute deadly drugs will be identified and prosecuted,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are working hard each day to stop the flow of fentanyl, heroin, and other drugs from coming into the Granite State.  I salute the teamwork of the officers who assisted in this investigation.  Thanks to their efforts, this drug trafficker will no longer be damaging our community.”

 

          “Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels across New England and those suffering from opioid addiction need access to treatment and recovery,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “But those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like heroin and fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions.  DEA is committed to aggressively pursuing Drug Trafficking Organizations or individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute these poisons in order to profit and destroy people’s lives.  In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice anyone who distributes these drugs.”

 

          This matter was investigated by the Portsmouth (N.H.) Tactical Diversion Squad of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Berwick (Maine) Police Department with the help of the York (Maine) and Ogunquit (Maine) police departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley today announced that, after a four-day trial, a jury returned guilty verdicts late Wednesday afternoon against Valentin Delo Perez Soto, also known as Miguel Angel Sanchez Caraballo, 49, of Manchester, New Hampshire.

 

          Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that the defendant sold fentanyl and heroin to a cooperating individual on April 23, June 4, and October 2, 2015.  A search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence on Pearl Street in Manchester on November 2, 2015, where quantities of cocaine, oxycodone, and over 100 grams of heroin were recovered.

 

          Perez Soto was convicted of one count of distributing fentanyl, two counts of distributing heroin, and one count of possessing cocaine, oxycodone and 100 grams of more of heroin with the intent to distribute. 

 

          Perez Soto, who is in custody, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least ten years and a maximum of life in prison.  His sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

 

          “This prosecution demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to working with our law enforcement partners to stop the distribution of drugs in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “While we recognize that those who struggle with substance abuse require access to treatment, we will continue to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute those who are responsible for distributing these deadly substances in the Granite State.” 

 

          The investigation that led to this prosecution was co-led by the New Hampshire State Police and the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force.  They were assisted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Northeast Laboratory, and the Hillsborough County House of Corrections.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Morse and Anna Dronzek.

 

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Dana Michelle Lawrence, 43, of Nashua has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for using another person’s social security number.

          According to court documents and statements made during a lengthy hearing in U.S. District Court yesterday, in 2006, Lawrence completed consecutive one-year prison terms for fraud-related offenses she committed in New York and Rhode Island.  After Lawrence was released from a New York prison, she was required to serve a nine-year period of probation in connection with the Rhode Island case and pay restitution totaling more than $47,000 to the victims of that case.  However, shortly after Lawrence completed the prison sentence, she absconded from supervision and a warrant was ultimately issued for her arrest.

           Using an alias, “Genevieve Kaplan,” in November 2016, Lawrence began working as a volunteer for the City of Nashua, preparing grant applications. Last May, the Nashua Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation were told that “Kaplan” tried to obtain routing and account numbers for bank accounts that belonged to the City.  The NPD and FBI discovered Lawrence’s true identity and obtained a copy of a lease application that “Kaplan” used to rent an apartment in Nashua. On the application, “Kaplan” used a social security number assigned to another person.  She was arrested for that federal offense on May 11, 2017.  She pleaded guilty on August 11, 2017.

          During the 11-year period that Lawrence was a fugitive from justice, she used a number of aliases, social security numbers that belonged other people, falsely claimed to be a graduate of an Ivy League law school with access to substantial sums of money.  She moved to different states in order to steal money from people she befriended, businesses that employed her, charitable organizations, and other entities.

          The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Nashua Police Department investigated the case.

           The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Kinsella and Anna Dronzek.

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Eric Collins, 43, of Epsom, pleaded guilty in federal court to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, in February of 2017, Concord police officers executed a search warrant for the defendant’s vehicle and recovered two firearms, over $7,500 in cash and various controlled substances, including methamphetamine packaged for sale.

 

          Collins is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2018.

 

          “Drugs and guns are a potentially deadly combination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “I commend the law enforcement officers whose work on this case helped to improve the safety of our community.”

 

          This matter was investigated by the Concord Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.

 

          The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes. 

           

 

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             CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Judith Ardolino, 54, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was sentenced on Tuesday to serve 60 months in federal prison for participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.

 

            According to court records and statements in court, Ardolino was one of several individuals who obtained quantities of heroin from a drug trafficking organization operated by Alberto Guerrero Marte.  Ardolino and others operated “trap houses.”  Trap houses are residences where customers of the drug trafficking organization could meet individuals who were delivering heroin to the customers.  Drugs picked up at the trap houses were then sold to customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

 

            Ardolino was one of nine individuals indicted in October of 2016 for their roles in this heroin distribution conspiracy.  All of the defendants, with the exception of one who passed away, have pleaded guilty.  One defendant, Eric Sederquest, 36, was sentenced to serve 92 months in prison.  The remaining defendants are awaiting sentencing.

 

            Ardolino previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin.  Guerrero Marte, who was charged in a separate indictment and pleaded guilty, is serving a 15-year federal prison sentence.     

 

“Stopping the distribution of heroin and other deadly drugs is a high priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement colleagues, a substantial drug trafficking operation has been dismantled.”

 

            This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; the Massachusetts State Police; the Haverhill Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the New Hampshire State Police; the Manchester Police Department; the Lawrence Police Department; the Lowell Police Department, the Methuen Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.

 

            This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Daniel Rogers, 31, of Manchester, New Hampshire was sentenced in federal court to eight years in prison for firearms and narcotics offenses, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, shortly after midnight on October 3, 2016, Manchester Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Rogers at the intersection of Granite Street and Commercial Street in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire. Police determined that there were outstanding warrants for both Rogers and his passenger.  Both of them were arrested. Police subsequently obtained a warrant to search the vehicle, which resulted in the seizure of four firearms, including two rifles that were previously reported stolen, and a variety of controlled substances, including approximately 37 grams of fentanyl, 25 grams of crack cocaine, and 21 grams of powder cocaine. As a previously convicted felon, Rogers was prohibited from possessing firearms.

 

          Rogers pleaded guilty on July 27, 2017, to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  He will serve three years of supervised release following his release from federal prison.      

 

          “Drugs and guns are a deadly combination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Under the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those whose conduct jeopardizes the safety of our community.  The actions of the law enforcement officers here removed deadly drugs from the street and disarmed a convicted felon.  We will continue to work each day to protect the citizens of our state from the dangers of drug trafficking and gun violence.”

 

          “ATF’s mission is to combat violent crime and this investigation resulted in meeting that standard,” said Mickey Leadingham Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division.  “Today’s sentencing is another example of the importance of law enforcement partnerships and their effectiveness in protecting the citizens in our communities.”

 

          This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Bullitt Kelbley.

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Alex “Lex” Hernandez, 27, previously of Manchester, New Hampshire and Lowell, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court to three counts of distributing fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, on three separate occasions in April, May and June 2016, Hernandez sold several “fingers” of fentanyl to a cooperating individual working with law enforcement.  In total, Hernandez distributed approximately 110 grams of fentanyl across the three deals. 

 

          Hernandez still faces pending charges in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, for a cocaine-related offense.

 

Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2018.

 

          “Fentanyl is associated with the vast majority of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “While we recognized that those who suffer from addiction should get access to treatment, we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to target and prosecute those who are selling this deadly drug.  Stopping the distribution of fentanyl is necessary to protect our communities.”

 

              “This case is another example of an individual willing to distribute deadly drugs into our neighborhoods,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “With New Hampshire being at the epicenter of the opioid epidemic killing thousands, it is only by working together that we can make a difference. The FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force will continue to do everything it can to bring to justice those that put these highly addictive drugs on our streets and into the hands of abusers.”

 

          This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which consists of FBI Special Agents and members of the Manchester Police Department, the Hudson Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Nashua Police Department, and the New Hampshire Department of Corrections Probation and Parole.  Investigators also received assistance of the Massachusetts State Police, the Lowell, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Taheem Mungo, 35, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced in federal court to seven years in prison for drug trafficking, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, New Hampshire State Police Troopers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Mungo was a passenger on September 1, 2016. The stop occurred on Interstate 95 around Hampton, New Hampshire.  Police arrested Mungo after learning that he had an active arrest warrant out of New York. Mungo then consented to a search of his luggage, which resulted in the seizure of controlled substances, including approximately 172 grams of crack cocaine and 10 grams of heroin.

 

          Mungo pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute on July 26, 2017.  He will serve three years of supervised release following his release from federal prison.

 

          “Drug trafficking continues to pose a significant danger to the health and welfare of our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “I commend the efforts of the State Police in this matter.  Their investigative work prevented these drugs from being distributed in the Granite State.”

 

          This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Bullitt Kelbley.

 

           

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. – James Diaz, 36, previously of Manchester, NH, was sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison for firearms and narcotics offenses, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

 

            According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Diaz’s residence in Manchester on February 16, 2017, leading to the recovery of a previously stolen CZ 75, 9mm handgun.  Diaz is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm as a result of a prior felony conviction.  Controlled substances, including approximately 18 grams of fentanyl and 100 grams of cocaine, approximately $3,000 in U.S. currency, and unrelated ammunition were also seized from Diaz’s residence.  As part of his plea agreement, Diaz additionally admitted to the possession of five other firearms and assorted ammunition which were not in his apartment during the search warrant, but were later turned over to law enforcement.        

 

            Diaz, who previously pleaded guilty on July 26, 2017, will serve three years of supervised release following his release from federal prison.

 

            This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Manchester Police Department.  The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

 

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             CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that on Thursday a federal jury found Alfredo Gonzalez, 50, of Manchester, New Hampshire, guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. 

 

            Evidence presented at the trial established that Gonzalez was a Manchester-based heroin trafficker who purchased heroin from a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization run by Alberto Guerrero Marte.  The trial evidence proved that Gonzalez negotiated deals to obtain at least 1.4 kilograms of heroin in June and July 2016.  On July 10, 2016, surveillance agents followed Gonzalez from Manchester to a restaurant in Lawrence, where Gonzalez met Marte and others to conduct a deal for 500 grams of heroin.  A law enforcement officer later stopped a vehicle operated by a runner for Gonzalez and seized 504.4 grams of heroin.       

 

            Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2018.

           

The trial of Gonzalez concludes the prosecutions of all but one of those arrested in October 2016 following an investigation into a large heroin trafficking operation.  Alberto Guerrero Marte, 38, pleaded guilty to a heroin trafficking conspiracy charge and was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison.  Michell DeJesus, 34, Luis Rodriguez Lugo, 34, Maria Miguelina Lara, 33, Jonaly Dejesus, 22, Allan Raymond Pimentel, 21, Santo Rodolfo Garcia Mendez, 33, Wilkin Andres Beltre Arias, 39, Edward Garcia, 31, and Luis Colon, 30, all have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing.  Allison DeJesus, age 19, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years of probation.

 

            One remaining defendant, Pedro Carlos Vicente Guerrero, 48 is scheduled for trial in February of 2018.  Two other defendants, Santos Guerrero Morillo, 37, and Heibrahim DelValle Baez, 33, are fugitives.

 

            “The conviction of this significant heroin trafficker is an example of the ongoing efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to stop the distribution of heroin and other drugs in New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Farley.  “While those who are battling addiction need access to treatment, people like this defendant who seek to profit from selling heroin will be prosecuted aggressively.  I salute the hard work of the DEA and our law enforcement partners.  Their quick action in seizing this large quantity of heroin prevented the defendant from selling this deadly substance to the citizens of New Hampshire.”

 

            “Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels across New England and those suffering from Opioid addiction need access to treatment and recovery,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “But those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like heroin and fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions.  DEA is committed to aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations or individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute these poisons in order to profit and destroy people’s lives.  In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice anyone who distributes these drugs.”

 

             This matter was investigated by the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; the Massachusetts State Police; the Haverhill Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the New Hampshire State Police; the Manchester Police Department; the Lawrence Police Department; the Lowell Police Department, the Methuen Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.

 

            This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Peter Morency, 34, of Derry, New Hampshire pleaded guilty today to three counts of producing child pornography.

 

            According to court documents and statements made in court, Morency filmed and photographed himself performing sexual acts on two children. The children, who were known to Morency, appeared to be sleeping at the time. A forensic examination of devices possessed by Morency uncovered over 5,000 still images and over 2,000 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, of which approximately 30 still images and 37 videos were created by the defendant. The defendant admitted to possessing and to producing the images.

 

            Morency will be sentenced on February 22, 2018.  He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison on each count of conviction.

 

            “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the children of the Granite State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Those who exploit children cause untold amounts of harm to their victims and our entire community.  We will continue to be aggressive in our efforts to identify and prosecute those who produce child pornography to ensure that they cannot exploit additional children or cause further harm.”

 

          "The sexual exploitation of children is a heinous crime that causes irreparable harm to its young victims," said Michael Shea, acting special agent in charge of HSI Boston. "To rescue these innocent victims, HSI works closely with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from child predators."

 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Derry Police Department, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes members of several other police departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana Konesky.

 

            In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

 

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Michael Munroe, a/k/a Michael Monroe, 34, previously of Raymond, New Hampshire, was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday to 11 years in prison for his role in two bank robberies and other criminal conduct in 2016, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

 

            According to court documents and statements made in court, Munroe robbed a Northway Bank branch location in Ossipee, New Hampshire on March 28, 2016, and a Granite State Credit Union branch location in Seabrook, New Hampshire on April 1, 2016.  He committed each robbery by passing a demand note to the teller threatening that he had a gun and demanding money.  There was no evidence that Munroe actually was armed at the time.  Following each robbery, Munroe fled the scene. 

 

            The two bank robberies, to which Munroe pleaded guilty in June 2017, were part of a larger well-publicized two-state multi-week crime spree perpetrated by Munroe in March and April 2016.  As part of his federal plea agreement, Munroe also admitted to other criminal conduct, including: (1) the March 19, 2016, assault on an individual in his home in Epping, New Hampshire; (2) the March 27, 2016, taking of a victim’s Honda Pilot from her possession in Manchester, New Hampshire; (3) the March 30, 2016, taking of a victim’s Lexus ES300 from her possession in Tewksbury, Massachusetts; (4) the March 31, 2016, attempted taking of a victim’s Toyota Highlander from her possession in Reading, Massachusetts; and (5) the April 1, 2016, theft of a Honda CRV while it was parked in Derry, New Hampshire.  Munroe has been in custody since his arrest by Hancock Police on April 2, 2016. 

 

            Munroe, who previously pleaded guilty, will serve three years of supervised release following completion of his sentence.  The Court additionally ordered Munroe to pay restitution to the banks and other victims, totaling $14,856.63.

 

            “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to combat violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “The robberies and other violent acts committed by this defendant cannot be tolerated.  I commend the hard work of the law enforcement officers who put a stop to this defendant’s crime spree and prevented him from committing further acts of violence.”

 

 

            “The FBI will do everything in its power to prevent criminals like Mr. Munroe from casting a shadow of violence over our streets,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.  “While his crime spree has come to an end, we’ll continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime and keep our communities safe.”

 

            This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manchester Police Department, the Ossipee Police Department, the Seabrook Police Department, the Hancock Police Department, the Epping Police Department, the Derry Police Department, the Tewksbury, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Reading, Massachusetts Police Department.  Assistance was provided by the County Attorney’s Offices for Hillsborough, Carroll, and Rockingham Counties in New Hampshire and the Middlesex County, Massachusetts District Attorney’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

 

           

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            CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Anthony Swift, 32, formerly of Hartford, Connecticut , pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.

 

            Court documents and statements in court showed that on May 23, 2016, the New Hampshire State Police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle traveling on Interstate 95.  Swift was a passenger in the vehicle.  A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 14.46 grams of fentanyl and 120.4 grams of heroin from a duffel bag in the trunk of the vehicle.  Swift acknowledged that the drugs had been purchased in Hartford, Connecticut for distribution in Presque Isle, Maine area.

 

            The driver of the vehicle, Emily Bragdon, 20, of Presque Isle, Maine, is scheduled for trial on January 23, 2018.

 

            Swift’s sentencing is scheduled for February 20, 2018. 

 

            “I commend the State Police for their work in preventing this substantial amount of drugs from being distributed,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to work closely with all of our law enforcement partners to stop the sales of heroin and fentanyl in New England.”

 

            This investigation was conducted by the New Hampshire State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis is prosecuting the case.

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. -  Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Karl Edward Hahn, 44, of Manchester, Connecticut and formerly of New Castle, New Hampshire was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison for participating in a wire fraud scheme that defrauded a victim of approximately $2 million.

 

          According to court records and statements in court, Hahn lived in New Hampshire and was employed as an investment advisor at investment banks in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Starting as early as March of 2009 and continuing until July of 2010, he invited one of his investment clients to join him in what he referred to as an “off the books” investment. He described that investment as follows: Hahn and the victim would each contribute approximately $2 million, which Hahn would then loan to three individuals who would repay the money within 90 days with interest substantially above market rates. Hahn told the victim the “loan” would be secured by three pieces of residential real estate, one owned by each of the three borrowers, which were all unencumbered and which collectively had a value far in excess of the approximately $4 million loan.

 

           Hahn told the victim that no one could know about the investment, including the defendant’s employer, because he was not allowed to enter into financial dealings with clients other than through his employment. In order to prevent his employer from learning of the “off the books” transaction, Hahn asked the victim to transfer the money into a bank account held by one of Hahn’s relatives and that Hahn would then get the money from his relative.

 

           The victim agreed and transferred to Hahn’s relative’s account, in separate transactions, $300,000, $1,600,000, $100,000, and $35,000, totaling $2,035,000. Hahn later admitted that the entire story of landowners wanting to borrow money was false, that there never were three landowners who wanted to borrow money collateralizing the loans with deeds, and that loans were never made to any landowners using the victim’s money. Hahn simply used the victim’s money to pay personal expenses. In 2011, the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation barred Hahn from being licensed to sell securities.

 

          Hahn also admitted that during the course of executing the scheme, he made additional materially false representations to the victim that lulled him into a false sense of security and caused him to temporarily refrain from reporting his dealings with the defendant to law enforcement authorities. Those false statements included: 1) that the supposed borrowers had defaulted on the loans; 2) that as a result of the alleged defaults, Hahn had possession of the deeds to the supposed borrowers’ properties; and 3) that Hahn had communicated with a hedge fund so the hedge fund could buy the properties, thereby resulting in the return of the victim’s money with interest. Hahn also later falsely represented to the victim that he had been successful in working with the supposed hedge fund and that he was confident that the victim would have his money back by early August of 2010.

 

          Hahn, who previously pleaded guilty, will be required to begin serving his sentence on December 4, 2017.

 

          This case was investigated by the FBI and United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen.

 

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Timothy Raxter, 53, of Laconia, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

 

          Court filings and statements made in court established that on January 23, 2017, Laconia Police executed a search warrant on Raxter’s vehicle, seizing a .40 caliber pistol and approximately 10 grams of “ice” methamphetamine.  As a previously convicted felon, Raxter is prohibited from possessing firearms.

 

          A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for February 15, 2018.

 

          The case was investigated by the Police Departments of Gilford and Laconia in conjunction with the FBI New Hampshire Safe Streets Gang Task Force.  The Task Force is comprised of the FBI, the New Hampshire State Police, New Hampshire Probation and Parole, and the Police Departments of Hudson, Manchester, and Nashua. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane B. Kelbley.

 

          This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Michael Dube, 48, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to three counts of mailing threatening communications, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley of the District of New Hampshire announced today.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, between March 2, 2016, and June 2, 2016, Dube sent three letters to victims located in New Hampshire, which contained threats to break the addressee’s legs, sexually assault his daughter, and to kill his son.  The letters were postmarked in Boston and delivered to a residence in Sandown, New Hampshire.        

 

          Dube is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2018.

 

          This Sandown Police Department investigated the case.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in the investigation.  The Derry Police Department, the Salem Police Department, the Raymond Police Department, and the Tewksbury Police Department also assisted in the investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.

 

           

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Andrew Beezub, 34, of Keene, was sentenced on Thursday to 37 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.  

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, the national Center for Missing and Exploited Children became aware in February 2016 that images and videos of suspected child pornography had been uploaded to a Dropbox account.  Additional investigation by the Keene Police Department determined that the account was associated with the defendant.  A search warrant in April 2016 resulted in the seizure of the defendant’s computer and telephone.  A forensic analysis of the defendant’s telephone established its link to the Dropbox account where videos of child pornography were stored.

 

          Beezub pleaded guilty on May 1, 2017, to one count of possessing child pornography.  After servicing his sentence, he will be on supervised release for five years.

 

          The U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Keene Police Department investigated the case.  Assistance was also provided by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Hinsdale Police Department, and the Hampton Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Feith.

 

          In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

           

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Eric Judkins, 34, formerly of Nashua, pleaded guilty in federal court to an escape charge, announced Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, Judkins received a 210-month federal prison sentence in 2000 for a bank robbery he committed in New Hampshire.  While serving the sentence in a federal prison in Pennsylvania, Judkins pleaded guilty to assaulting an inmate and received an additional 27-month prison sentence.

 

          On June 13, 2017, Judkins was transferred from a federal prison in Kentucky to the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, with an expected release date of April 8, 2018.  With permission from the Hampshire House staff, Judkins left the facility on August 28, 2017, and was required to return before 4:30 p.m.  He failed to return as required.  On August 31, 2017, Judkins was arrested by Deputy United States Marshals and local law enforcement officers in Howard, Pennsylvania.

 

          Judkins will be sentenced on February 13, 2018.

 

          The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Kinsella.

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Alberto Guerrero Marte, 34, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced yesterday to serve 15 years in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, Guerrero Marte ran a heroin trafficking organization that distributed heroin to customers from New Hampshire and Massachusetts through residences owned or occupied by individuals cooperating with the drug trafficking organization.  Day-to-day customer orders for heroin were taken by a member of the conspiracy who would pass that information on to Guerrero Marte.  The information was relayed to a delivery person who would deliver the heroin to a customer and pick up payment for the heroin.     

Guerrero Marte previously pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin.  He is expected to be deported to the Dominican Republic after serving his sentence.

 

           “This defendant was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of heroin to customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and deserves the lengthy sentence that was imposed by the Court,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “While we recognize the importance of providing access to treatment for those suffering from addiction, we will continue to work closely with all of our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who are profiting from the sales of heroin and other deadly drugs.  I commend the hard work of the law enforcement officers whose efforts led to the successful prosecution of this significant drug trafficker.”

 

          “Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire and across the North East,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “Heroin is causing deaths in record numbers and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations who distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives and wreak havoc in our communities.  This investigation would not have been a success without the continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

          The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; the Massachusetts State Police; the Haverhill Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the New Hampshire State Police; the Manchester Police Department; the Lawrence Police Department; the Lowell Police Department, the Methuen Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.

 

          This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Justin M. Brady-Muller, 28, of Manchester, was sentenced to serve 72 months in federal prison for bank robbery, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 14, 2016, Brady-Muller entered a Bank of America branch office on Hooksett Road in Manchester and presented a teller a note stating "This is a robbery."  The note demanded that the teller hand over all of the money in her drawer and stated that no one would get hurt as long as the teller did not include any dye packs or "funny money."   Bank security images showed that the robber was wearing a sweatshirt with distinctive lettering.  The teller complied with the demand note and the robber left the bank with both the money and the note.  Police were able to preliminarily identify the robber as Brady-Muller on the basis of, among other things, tips from the public.   A search warrant later executed on a car driven by Brady-Muller confirmed that preliminary identification when it yielded a hand-written demand note resembling the one described by the bank teller and a sweatshirt with the same distinctive lettering on the sweatshirt worn by the robber in the bank surveillance images.

 

          Brady-Muller pleaded guilty on May 25, 2017. 

 

          In addition to the term of imprisonment, Brady-Muller’s sentence included (i) an order requiring him to pay back to Bank of America the money that he stole and  (ii) a term of supervised release of three years during which he will have to abide by certain rules and conditions set by the court.

 

          This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

 

           

 

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CONCORD, N.H. – Arthur Nunes, III, 41, formerly of Dover, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today in federal court to making a false statement in order to obtain Social Security benefits, announced Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.

 

          According to court documents and statements made at today’s hearing, in February of 2012, Nunes submitted an application for Child’s Insurance Benefits to the Social Security Administration on behalf of his two children based on the earnings record of their mother, who had passed away in January of 2012.  On the application, he indicated that the children resided with him.  The application was approved and Nunes, as the children’s representative payee, began receiving monthly benefits in March of 2012.  As their representative payee, Nunes was responsible for using the benefits he received on behalf of his children for their current needs, such as food, clothing, housing, and medical care.  In a 2014 report filed with the Social Security Administration, Nunes maintained that the children resided with him and that he used the benefits for the children’s care and support. 

 

          An investigation revealed that the children had lived with a relative after their mother passed away and the children had not lived with Nunes at any time after their mother’s death.  The investigation also showed that Nunes had not used any of the benefits to support the children.  The defendant’s concealment of the true residency of the children and his failure to use the benefits for their needs caused him to get $36,526 in Child’s Insurance Benefits payments that he was not entitled to receive.

      

          Nunes is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2018.    

 

          The case was investigated by the by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

              

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Harry Bolton, 63, of Milford, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in federal court today to 11 counts of cocaine distribution. 

 

          According to court filings and statements in court, Bolton sold cocaine to a cooperating individual on 11 separate occasions.  The transactions occurred at locations in Bedford, Goffstown, Milford, Weare, and Wilton, New Hampshire.  Bolton is the president of Milford & Company Motorcycle Club.

 

          A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for February 1, 2018.

 

          “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working each day with our law enforcement partners to combat drug trafficking in New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Those who choose to sell drugs in the Granite State will be held accountable for their conduct.”

 

          “This case is another great example of our continued efforts to disrupt and dismantle the criminal behavior of outlaw motorcycle gangs, which can promote illicit drug trafficking and bring violence into our neighborhoods,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.  “I'm proud of the hard work and long hours the members of the FBI's Safe Streets Gang Task Force put into this case.  We are committed to working as a law enforcement team and maximizing our resources in order to protect the citizens of the Granite State."

 

          The case was investigated by the FBI New Hampshire Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which is comprised of the FBI, the New Hampshire State Police, New Hampshire Probation and Parole, and the Police Departments of Hudson, Manchester, and Nashua.  This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Kaisle J. Raikes, 25, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to drug trafficking and firearms charges, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley of the District of New Hampshire announced today.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning on or about May 16, 2017 through May 31, 2017, on three separate occasions, Raikes sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with the Manchester Police Department. Raikes had firearms displayed during two of the drug transactions.  At the time of his arrest, Raikes had drugs on his person as well as a loaded firearm in his sock.  The Manchester Police Department subsequently executed a search warrant at Raikes’ apartment and seized two loaded firearms, ammunition, and quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and Suboxone.

 

          Raikes pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime,

 

          Raikes is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1, 2018.

 

          “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop drug trafficking and violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.   “Guns and drugs are a potentially lethal combination that can threaten the safety of our communities.  This case is an example of our ongoing effort to target those who commit gun-related crimes.”

           

          This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

 

          The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes. 

           

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Kenneth Bailey, 52, of Weare, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in federal court today to six counts of distributing controlled substances. 

 

          Court filings and statements made in court showed that on five occasions in 2013, and once in 2014, a cooperating individual purchased methamphetamine or a combination of cocaine and methamphetamine from Bailey at his residence. 

 

          A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for February 1, 2018.

 

          “Even as our state faces the serious challenge of the opioid crisis, methamphetamine also continues to pose a threat to our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Using this dangerous drug can cause significant harm or death.  We will continue to work closely with all of our law enforcement partners to stop the distribution illegal drugs in the Granite State.”

 

          “The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Safe Streets Gang Task Force will continue to do everything it can to target individuals like Mr. Bailey who distribute dangerous narcotics and contribute to the opioid epidemic,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

          The case was investigated by the FBI New Hampshire Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which is comprised of the FBI, the New Hampshire State Police, New Hampshire Probation and Parole, and the Police Departments of Hudson, Manchester, and Nashua.  This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  

           The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane B. Kelbley.

 

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Carmen Jose, 40, of Lawrence Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl.

 

            According to court documents and statements made in court, during the summer of 2015, Jose and a co-conspirator sold fentanyl to an undercover police officer on multiple occasions.  The defendant was arrested on September 8, 2016, when she and her co-conspirator arrived at the Rockingham Mall in Salem, New Hampshire in order to sell approximately 500 grams of fentanyl.   After her arrest, law enforcement officers recovered approximately 512 grams of fentanyl from the vehicle Jose had been operating.

 

           A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 30, 2018.  Her alleged co-conspirator, Robert R. Arias, is scheduled to go to trial on January 23, 2018.

 

           “The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to work with our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the Granite State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “While those who suffer from addiction should be able to gain access to treatment, those who seek to profit from selling drugs will be prosecuted.  We continue to work each day with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are distributing these deadly substances.”

 

            The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.

 

 

 

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Robert J. Golden, Jr., 37, of Laconia, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 

 

          According to court documents and statements made during today’s plea hearing, on November 3, 2016, U.S. Postal Inspectors intercepted a mail parcel intended for delivery to Golden.  A state police canine unit altered to the package.  When investigators later opened the package pursuant to a federal search warrant, they found approximately 56 grams of methamphetamine.  Investigators removed most of the drugs, re-wrapped the parcel and notified Golden that the package was available for him to pick up at the post office.  Postal Inspectors arrested Golden at the post office immediately after he took possession of the parcel.  Following his arrest, Golden admitted that he knew that the package contained a quantity of methamphetamine that had been sent from California and that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine in New Hampshire.  Golden further acknowledged that he previously had received four to six similar packages from California. 

 

          Golden will be sentenced on January 31, 2018.

 

          “Even as our state faces the serious challenge of the opioid crisis, methamphetamine also continues to pose a threat to our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Using this dangerous drug can cause significant harm or death.  I commend the law enforcement officers in this case for their quick actions that prevented this substantial quantity of methamphetamine from being distributed in New Hampshire.”

 

         This matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with help from the New Hampshire State Police and the Laconia (N.H.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

 

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. -  David Morris, 57, of Columbia, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.

 

            According to court documents and statements in court, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at two residences associated with the defendant on July 20, 2016.  A review of  various electronic devices found in the residences showed that they contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.

 

            Sentencing is scheduled for February 1, 2018.

 

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force in conjunction Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Manchester, as well as the Lincoln, Littleton, and Columbia police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Aframe and Georgiana Konesky.

 

             In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley encourages the public to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 28, 2017.  This biannual event will be held form 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at thousands of collection sites around the country, including over 100 here in New Hampshire.  This event is an important effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

 

            “I encourage everyone in our state to join in our efforts to combat the opioid crisis by participating in National Prescription Take Back Day,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “As our state and our nation combat the opioid crisis, we have heard far too many stories of individuals whose paths to addiction began with the misuse of prescription drugs.  One way that all citizens in the Granite State can help to fight this drug epidemic is to remove any unneeded prescription drugs from their homes.  Properly disposing of these drugs can prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.  The simple act of disposing of unneeded drugs may help to prevent someone you love from misusing these drugs or dying from an overdose.”

 

            "The abuse of opioid prescription drugs can lead to the path of addiction and overdose death," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  "We are proud to partner with the New Hampshire U.S. Attorney's Office and the residents of the Granite State to provide a method to dispose of unwanted, unused and expired pain killers and addictive medicines.  The abuse of opioids is our nation’s biggest drug problem."

 

            Prior Drug Take Back Day events have been very successful.  Last April, Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) or prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners.  Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.  Please note that the DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches.

 

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that most abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin.  In fact, four out of five new heroin users started their drug use with painkillers.

 

Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

 

For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.

 

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            CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Matthew Riehl, 25, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today to producing child pornography.

 

          According to court documents and statements in court, Riehl coached youth sports teams in Goffstown.  While posing as a teenage girl, he contacted his victims using social media accounts and persuaded his victims to take photographs of themselves and send the photographs to him.  When some of the victims sent pictures that were not sexually explicit, Riehl worked to convince them to take photographs showing more sexually explicit conduct.  In some instances, Riehl was able to coerce the victims to send explicit photographs by threatening to post on social media photographs that the victims previously had sent to him. 

 

          On August 31, 2016, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence in Goffstown and Riehl’s cell phone was seized.  A forensic examination of the phone by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force revealed approximately 500 photographs of minor boys, in various states of dress, including examples of child pornography.  Numerous photographs depicted individuals who were members of teams that Riehl had coached.

 

          Riehl will be sentenced on January 31, 2018.   He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison. 

 

          “This case presents an important reminder that young people need to be cautious in their use of social media,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Unfortunately, some individuals adopt false identities on the Internet in order to manipulate and exploit their young victims.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will work aggressively to investigate and prosecute those who seek to exploit young people.  We also encourage parents to speak to their children about the dangers that lurk on the Internet.” 

 

          “This should serve as yet another warning to child predators who think they can hide behind the anonymity of the Internet,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Etre of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Boston.  “Our message is clear, ‘We can see what you do; and we have the capability to find you, regardless of where you choose to hide.’ HSI, and our local and state partners, remain dedicated to unmasking Internet child predators and bringing them to justice.” 

 

          “This investigation is another fine example of the collaborative efforts of state, local and federal law enforcement agencies working to bring to justice those who prey on society's most innocent victims,” said Detective Sergeant, Thomas A. Grella, Commander, New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. 

 

          The Goffstown Police Department would like to thank everyone involved in this case for coming forward and providing crucial information that has been instrumental in seeing this case come to a successful conclusion.

 

          This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Goffstown Police Department, the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes members of several other police departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arnold Huftalen and Georgiana Konesky.

 

            In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

 

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CONCORD, N.H. – Ernesto L. Reyes, 26, of Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for possessing heroin and fentanyl with intent to distribute, announced Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, Reyes committed a series of traffic violations while driving a motor vehicle on the evening of November 11, 2016, in Plaistow, New Hampshire.  Reyes was stopped by a New Hampshire State Trooper.  When Reyes exited the vehicle, the Trooper observed a package wrapped in green plastic wrap containing a powder that appeared to be heroin.  The package was located on the floor along the left side of the driver’s seat.  Subsequent testing confirmed that the package contained nearly 100 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl.      

     

          Reyes previously pleaded guilty on July 5, 2017. 

 

          “The United States Attorney’s Office works each day with our law enforcement partners to prevent fentanyl and heroin from being distributed in the Granite State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “I thank our partners at the State Police for their work on this matter.  Their actions prevented these deadly drugs from being sold in New Hampshire.”

 

          The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

              

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Andrew McKenzie, 28, of Brookfield, New Hampshire was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.

 

          On  July 5, 2017, McKenzie pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography production.  According to court documents and statements made in court, in October of 2016, McKenzie began an instant messenger conversation through Kik with an undercover agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The defendant agreed to send the undercover agent sexually explicit photographs of a minor child.  The investigation determined that the images sent by the defendant were of a minor child known to the defendant.

 

          “Preventing the production of child pornography is a high priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute these troubling cases.   By aggressively pursuing those who produce child pornography, we hope to deter others from engaging in similar egregious conduct in the future.  This horrific conduct is harmful to young children and their families and does serious damage to our entire community.”    

 

          The case was investigated by the FBI and the Rochester Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Helen White Fitzgibbon and Donald Feith.

 

          In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Robert Senices, 26, of Fair Lawn, New Jersey pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.

 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 14, 2016, Senices cashed a fraudulent $7,270 check at a Citizens Bank in Concord, New Hampshire.  The check was purportedly drawn on a Citizens Bank account owned by a Massachusetts business.  Approximately one hour later, Senices cashed a fraudulent $7,325 check that was purportedly drawn on the same account at a Citizens Bank in Pittsfield, New Hampshire.  On both occasions, Senices presented a New Jersey driver’s license and was photographed by bank surveillance cameras.

 

            Senices will be sentenced on January 22, 2018.

 

            The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella is prosecuting the case. 

 

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          CONCORD, NH – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that a man who has used multiple names and previously resided in Andover, Massachusetts was sentenced to serve 91 months in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute in excess of 40 grams of fentanyl.

 

          According to court documents and statements in court, from approximately October 2015 through July 2016, the defendant conspired to distribute fentanyl on multiple occasions in and around Lawrence, Massachusetts.  In addition to delivering the drugs himself several times while under police surveillance, the defendant also sent a runner on other occasions to make the deliveries after New Hampshire-based customers called the defendant's telephone.  The defendant was known by some of his customers as "Sample Dude" because he frequently provided customers with free samples of fentanyl to entice them to purchase larger quantities.  After the defendant's arrest, law enforcement searched the defendant's apartment in Andover, Massachusetts and found an additional quantity of fentanyl.

 

          Although the defendant has used the names Rolando Sierra-Oyola and William Santiago, his true identity is not clear.

 

          “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to address the significant presence of fentanyl in New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “This defendant distributed substantial quantities of a very deadly substance.  I commend the law enforcement officers who worked together to put this drug dealer out of business.  We will continue to work each day to target drug trafficking organizations that are responsible for distributing fentanyl and other opioids in our community.”

 

          The investigation was conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Tactical Diversion Unit, Portsmouth, New Hampshire; the New Hampshire State Police, the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department, the Exeter, New Hampshire Police Department, the Andover, Massachusetts Police Department, the Wilmington, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Lawrence, Massachusetts Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Seth Aframe prosecuted the case.

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Ana Delarosa, 57, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was sentenced to serve three years of probation, including six months of home confinement, for submitting forged affidavits to the National Visa Center, announced Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley. 

          According to court documents and statements made in court, a limited number of family visas are issued by the U.S. Department of State to citizens of foreign countries.  To obtain a family visa, a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States (a “sponsor”) is required to submit an application for a family visa to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”).  Citizens of foreign countries are not eligible for a family visa if they are likely to become public charges after they enter the United States.  Therefore, under federal law, a sponsor is also required demonstrate his or her ability to provide financial support to the applicant by submitting a financial affidavit, copies of recent federal tax returns, and other personal financial records to the USCIS.  All applications for family visas are processed at the National Visa Center (“NVC”) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 

          On June 26, 2017, Delarosa pled guilty to making false statements to a federal agency.  In particular, she admitted that from August 2010 to April 2013, she knowingly caused ten financial affidavits containing forged signatures of alleged sponsors to be submitted to the NVC in support of applications for family visas for citizens of the Dominican Republic.

 

          Delarosa was sentenced to three years of probation.  As a special condition of  her probation, she must serve six months in home confinement.  She also was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

.

          The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella. 

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Ross Gould, 30, formerly of Winchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute over a kilogram of heroin.

 

          Court documents and statements in court showed that beginning in 2011 and continuing through mid-March 2015, Gould distributed quantities of heroin throughout the Keene, New Hampshire, area.  Investigators determined that Gould initially sold gram quantities of heroin, but later started selling larger quantities of heroin to individuals in Keene and the surrounding towns.  From mid-2014 through Gould’s arrest in March of 2015, Gould’s drug trafficking increased substantially.  He obtained approximately two kilograms of heroin every four or five weeks from a heroin source in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Gould used a drug courier to obtain the heroin from the source and transport the drugs back to the Keene area where the drugs were distributed by Gould and other drug couriers. 

 

         After the lengthy investigation, Gould was arrested in March, 2015.  A search of Gould’s Winchester residence resulted in the seizure of approximately five grams of heroin, $11,000 cash and 14 firearms. A subsequent search of a safe that Gould kept at another residence resulted in the seizure of 1.7 kilograms of heroin, 392 grams of cocaine and a small quantity of miscellaneous pills.

 

         Three of Gould’s drug couriers have been sentenced to federal prison as a result of their participation in this drug trafficking organization. Jamie Hilow, 29, formerly of Winchester, is serving an 11-year prison sentence. Hilow’s wife, Jaclyn Hilow, 31, also formerly of Winchester, is serving a 10-year prison sentence.  Jason Daigle, 40, formerly of Nelson, is serving an eight-year prison sentence.

 

         Two of Gould’s sources from Lawrence also have been convicted on drug trafficking charges.  Jonathan Cruz-Marte, 34, was sentenced to 55 months in prison and Felix Portes, 56, was sentenced to 57 months in prison.

 

         “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to target individuals who are distributing illegal drugs in New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “While those who suffer from addiction need access to treatment, those who seek to profit from the distribution of heroin and other deadly drugs will be prosecuted aggressively.  I commend the work of the law enforcement officers who worked together during this long-term investigation to disrupt and dismantle a major drug trafficking organization that was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of heroin in the Keene area.”

 

          “HSI is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to pursue and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that distribute narcotics on the streets and spread violence in our communities,” said Matthew Etre of HSI Boston. “I commend the outstanding collaborative effort by all of the agencies involved in this investigation.”

 

         Gould’s sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2018. 

 

         This investigation was the product of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  The investigation was conducted by the: (1) Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; (2) New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force; (3) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; (4) New Hampshire State Police; (5) Keene, New Hampshire Police Department; (6) Richmond, New Hampshire Police Department; and (7) Salem, New Hampshire Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis is prosecuting the case.

 

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          Concord, N.H.—Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Jose Serrano Ayuso, 31, and Lilian Zapata, a/k/a Marta Arus, 52, both previously of Manchester, New Hampshire, have pleaded guilty to their respective roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in 2016.

          According to court records and statements in court, on several occasions between August and October of 2016, investigators used a cooperating individual to make purchases of heroin from Ayuso.  On two occasions when Ayuso was unavailable, Zapata delivered the requested drugs.  Laboratory analyses later showed that the defendants actually were distributing fentanyl.

         During the execution of a search warrant at the defendants’ shared residence in Manchester in October 2016, investigators found more than 230 grams of fentanyl, a handgun, drug ledgers, over $5,000 of U.S. currency, and identifying documents in Ayuso’s bedroom.  In the apartment kitchen, investigators found an iced tea container containing over 640 grams of fentanyl.  Investigators also located a scale and a press for forming “fingers” of fentanyl for distribution in other areas of the apartment. In total, this investigation led to the seizure of more than one kilogram of fentanyl.

          Ayuso’s plea agreement includes a binding stipulated sentence of 144 months’ incarceration, and Zapata’s plea agreement includes a binding stipulated sentence of 54 months’ incarceration.  Zapata will be sentenced on January 5, 2018, and Ayuso will be sentenced on January 18, 2018.

          “We work tirelessly each day with our law enforcement partners to combat the threats posed by fentanyl and other opioids,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Fentanyl has been the cause of the vast majority of the overdose deaths in our state.  I commend the work of the law enforcement officers in this case who successfully prevented this large quantity of fentanyl from being distributed.”

           “Fentanyl remains the top cause of drug related deaths in New Hampshire and we will continue to pursue, seize, and disrupt illicit activities associated with the distribution and trafficking of opioids,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.  “The FBI New Hampshire Safe Streets Gang Task Force is aggressively working to track down distributors like Ayuso and Zapata, who are recklessly poisoning our communities with these illegal drugs, bringing nothing but danger—and in far too many cases death—to the streets of our neighborhoods.” 

          The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which consists of FBI Special Agents and members of the Manchester Police Department, the Hudson Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Nashua Police Department, and the New Hampshire Department of Corrections Probation and Parole.  Investigators also received assistance of the New Hampshire HIDTA.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

 

 

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          Concord, N.H.— Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Michael J. Soto-Hernandez, 26, a/k/a “Quajo,” previously of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced on Tuesday to 40 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl in Manchester in 2016. 

          According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, on several occasions throughout 2016, investigators used a cooperating individual to make purchases of heroin from Soto-Hernandez.  Subsequent lab results showed that the substance that Soto-Hernandez sold was actually fentanyl. 

          Soto-Hernandez pleaded previously pleaded guilty to two drug distribution charges in June of 2017. 

          This matter was the product of an investigation of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force.  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  Other state and local authorities involved in the investigation include the Manchester Police Department, the Hudson Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Nashua Police Department, and the New Hampshire Department of Corrections Probation and Parole.   The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

 

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CONCORD, NH– Steven Tucker, 31, of New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in the District of New Hampshire today to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.

 

          According to the plea agreement, from 2013 to 2014, the defendant recruited a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts, provided a location for the commercial sex acts, arranged her transportation to perform commercial sex acts, paid for internet advertisements for the commercial sex acts, and collected a portion of the cash proceeds from the minor’s commercial sex acts.

 

          “Sex trafficking is a heinous crime that often times preys on the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “Combatting sex trafficking is one of the highest priorities of the Department of Justice, and we will continue to hold traffickers accountable and to seek justice on behalf of sex trafficking victims.”

 

          “The United States Attorney’s Office in New Hampshire is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.  “I am proud of the work that the members of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force do each day to combat the scourge of human trafficking using a multidisciplinary approach.  This successful prosecution is an example of the Task Force’s ongoing efforts to seek justice for victims of sex trafficking crimes.”

 

          Tucker was charged in a three-count indictment returned on January 25, 2016 with sex trafficking of a minor, operation of a prostitution enterprise, and maintaining a drug-involved premises.  He faces a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison.  The sentencing is scheduled for January 5, 2018.  As part of the plea agreement, Tucker will also be ordered to pay restitution to the minor victim, in an amount to be determined at the time of sentencing. 

 

          This prosecution is the result of the joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire and the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

 

          The Task Force is funded by a grant from the United States Department of Justice. Its goals are to ensure that comprehensive and specialized services are made available to victims of human trafficking through a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, and that perpetrators of sex trafficking and forced labor are investigated and prosecuted. 

 

          The core team members of the Task Force are the Manchester Police Department, Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

 

          The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold Huftalen and District of New Hampshire and Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Neil Doiron, 37, of Nashua, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in federal court today to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.

 

          Court filings and statements made in court established that a cooperating individual made four controlled buys of fentanyl from Doiron and a co-conspirator. On December 8, 2016, Doiron was arrested while in possession of a backpack containing approximately 79 grams of fentanyl. While searching his residence pursuant to a search warrant, officers found various controlled substances, drug packaging materials, five firearms, and over $25,000 in cash.

 

          A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 4, 2018.

 

         “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are distributing drugs in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “We will continue to do all that we can to prevent the distribution of deadly drugs like fentanyl in the Granite State.”

 

          The case was investigated by the Nashua Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.

 

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          CONCORD – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Jordan Manning, 28, formerly of Laconia, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for possession of heroin with the intent to distribute.

 

          According to court documents and statements in court proceedings, on August 2, 2016, members of the United States Marshals Service and the Tilton, New Hampshire Police Department arrested Manning on an outstanding parole violation warrant while at a motel in Laconia. Once inside the motel room, law enforcement officers seized approximately 193 grams of heroin that Manning had tried to flush down the toilet.

 

          Manning previously pleaded guilty on June 20, 2017.  Manning also agreed to forfeit a BMW motor vehicle that he admitted had been purchased with cash generated by his drug dealing.

 

          “As New Hampshire continues to face an unprecedented number of overdose deaths directly caused by opioid use, we will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute those who are responsible for distributing these dangerous drugs in our state.,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “I commend the quick-thinking law enforcement officers who seized this large quantity of heroin.  Their actions prevented these drugs from being distributed and may have saved several lives.”

 

           This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Tilton Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Cole Davis prosecuted the case.

 

 

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Audie Cruz-De Los Santos, 40, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today to assaulting another inmate with a box cutter. 

 

          According to statements made during the change of plea hearing and documents filed with the court, Cruz-De Los Santos assaulted another inmate from behind and slashed the neck of the inmate using a box cutter.  The video surveillance system at FCI-Berlin captured Cruz-De Los Santos placing an object in a recycling container located within the unit where the assault took place.  Prison staff retrieved a blood stained box cutter from the container immediately after the assault.  The assaulted inmate was treated at Androscoggin Valley Hospital and then transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock for surgery to treat the wound.

 

          Sentencing has been scheduled for is January 18, 2018.

 

          The case was investigated by the staff at the Federal Bureau of Prisons and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.

 

 

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