District of New Hampshire

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced  today that Jose Ever Portillo-Batres, 27, of El Salvador, was sentenced to time already served since his arrest on February 15, 2016, following his  guilty plea  to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.  Portillo-Batres’ plea and sentencing were held the same day under a program used by the United States Attorney’s Office to quickly sentence and deport defendants found in New Hampshire who were previously deported.

            On February 15, 2016, an ICE-ERO Deportation Officer received a duty call from a New Hampshire State Police Trooper who stated that that he had stopped a vehicle for speeding on I-93. The vehicle was occupied by five individuals, three of whom refused to provide identification or answer the Trooper’s questions.  Two ICE-ERO officers provided assistance and were able to identify the defendant through fingerprint comparisons as having been previously deported on two occasions in March and May 2011.  Portillo-Batres was taken into custody by the ICE-ERO officers and, in a search incident to arrest, was found to be in possession of a valid El Salvadoran identification card bearing his true name, date of birth and photograph.

            Portillo-Batres will be deported to El Salvador. 

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:  Brian Powell, 33, of Salem, New Hampshire, pled guilty on Monday in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to producing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            In 2015, an Electronic Service Provider (ESP) alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an individual had uploaded a child pornography file to the ESP’s website.  That file was ultimately traced back to the defendant’s residence in Salem, New Hampshire.  The Salem Police Department obtained a search warrant for the residence and seized the defendant’s personal computer.  A subsequent analysis of that computer by a detective with the Rochester, New Hampshire Police Department – also a member of the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force – revealed a collection of child pornography.  That collection included several videos which the defendant had manufactured himself by initiating contact with minor females through an internet chat service, and persuading them to engage in sexually explicit conduct – which the defendant then captured on video using computer recording software.

            Powell is scheduled to be sentenced in August 2016.  He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

            The investigation in this case was led by the Salem, New Hampshire Police Department with the assistance of the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Police Departments of Rochester and Derry, New Hampshire, and Homeland Security Investigations Manchester (HSI Manchester). 

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.   

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

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          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Seamus Murphy, 34, of Milford, New Hampshire, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire for bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. The Court imposed a term of 51 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and full restitution to the victim bank.

          Murphy walked into a Citizens Bank in Stratham, New Hampshire, on February 24, 2015 and gave the teller a note demanding money. The teller gave Murphy a quantity of United States currency. Surveillance cameras captured images of the robbery which were broadcast on local news outlets. Numerous individuals identified Murphy from the photographs and he was apprehended in Massachusetts the next day.

          “The Stratham Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation did a great job of tracking this suspect to a neighboring state, successfully apprehending him, and bringing this case to justice,” stated United States Attorney Emily Rice.  “Bank robbery, even an unarmed bank robbery, is an inherently dangerous crime that causes great turmoil to its victims.  We will continue to work with our state and local partners to vigorously prosecute these serious offenses.”

             This case was investigated by the Stratham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.

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          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Sergio Yeremi Martinez-Mejia, of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty to falsely claiming that he was assigned a social security number that was in fact assigned to another person. 

          On March 24, 2015, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was notified that the defendant was suspected of being a foreign national illegally in the United States.  On March 23, 2015, the defendant told the Portsmouth Police Department that he was a Puerto Rican U.S. citizen and provided the police a certain social security number that he claimed was his.

          On March 24, 2015, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officer interviewed Martinez-Mejia.  The defendant claimed that he was born in Puerto Rico and provided the officer with a social security number not in fact assigned to Martinez-Mejia.

          The Deportation Officer submitted the defendant’s fingerprints to the Department of Homeland Security and to the FBI.  Each agency returned a match for the defendant, Sergio Yeremi Martinez-Mejia, who had, on July 11, 2011, been ordered deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic.  Records of the U.S. Social Security Administration revealed that neither of the numbers the defendant claimed were assigned to him actually had been assigned to him.

          Martinez-Mejia will be sentenced at 11:30 AM on August 9, 2016, and will be deported after serving his sentence.

          The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Portsmouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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          Concord, N.H.— United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Anthony Pillsbury, 36, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to a federal indictment charging him with the illegal possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).  

          According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, on the morning of July 10, 2015, a Manchester Police officer observed Pillsbury walking on Lowell Street in Manchester.  Mistaking Pillsbury for another individual for whom there was an active warrant, the officer initiated a stop a few moments later to investigate further.  Before the officer could confirm Pillsbury’s true identity, he found in Pillsbury’s back-pocket a Jennings J-22, .22 caliber firearm, with one round in the chamber and one round in the magazine.  Further research revealed that Pillsbury is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law as a result of a prior felony conviction.  A federal indictment charging Pillsbury with illegal possession of the firearm was returned by a grand jury sitting in Concord on October 21, 2015.

          A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 9, 2016, in front of U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro.  At that time, Pillsbury’s sentence will be determined by the court following completion of a presentence investigation report by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office.  The statutory maximum sentence for the offense is ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

          The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

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SATURDAY APRIL 30th

Twice-annual event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Boston, MA – During the last and 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day the New England Field Division over the course of four hours collected 67,107 pounds of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs at 596 collection sites throughout New England.  The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is continuing its efforts to take back unused, unwanted and expired prescription medications.  The DEA invites the public to bring their potentially dangerous, unwanted medicines to one of the hundreds of collection sites all over New England.  Many local Police Departments across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont have drop off receptacles or kiosk that is secured in the lobby of their Police Departments so that the public can drop off unused, unneeded, and expired prescription medications 7 days a week throughout the year with no questions asked in an anonymous manner.  There will also be numerous collection sites all over New England on April 30, 2016 in some Town Halls, Senior Centers, Community Centers and pharmacies.  The public can find a nearby collection site by visiting www.dea.gov clicking on the “Got Drugs” icon, and entering the zip code into the search window, or they can call 800-882-9539. 

All across America and especially here in New England we are experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers.  6.5 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is more than abuse cocaine, heroin, and hallucinogens combined.  

"Many Americans are not aware that medicines which languish in home cabinets are highly vulnerable to diversion, misuse, and abuse," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  "Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming levels, as are the number of accidental poisoning and overdoses due to the illegal use of these drugs.  Please take the time to clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse."

“While medications are necessary to treat illness, we need to be careful that they do not fall into the wrong hands,” said United States Attorney, District of New Hampshire Emily Gray Rice.  “The DEA's Drug Take-back Day is a great opportunity to keep the public safe by properly disposing of unused prescription medication, and I encourage everyone to participate.”

Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes or firearms.  The removal from homes of unwanted prescription pills that can be abused, stolen or resold is an easy way to help fight the epidemic of substance abuse and addiction.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Bonita Kitson, 44, of Boscawen, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to Social Security Fraud, Making False Statements, and Wire Fraud. 

          Kitson received Social Security disability benefits, Food Stamps, and Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled for over two years prior to her marriage in October 2010.  Her husband also received Social Security disability benefits and Food Stamps before they married.  Applicants for each of these benefits programs must have limited income and resources in order to qualify for assistance.  The income of all members of a household is considered when determining an individual’s eligibility for Food Stamps and Aid to the Permanently Disabled.

          Although they each continued to receive disability benefits and Food Stamps after they wed, neither Kitson nor her husband reported their marriage or their shared residence to Social Security or to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.  To the contrary, Kitson advised both agencies that she and her husband were merely friends.  The marriage was not disclosed until October 2014, when Kitson advised Social Security that her husband passed away one month earlier as part of her application for a lump-sum death benefit.   As a result of this concealment, Kitson and her husband fraudulently received an additional $27,654 in disability benefits and Food Stamps, and Kitson received $1,134 in Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled to which she was not entitled.

          Kitson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2016.  The statutory maximum sentence for the charges is 20 years’ imprisonment.  The court will impose a sentence after it has had an opportunity to review a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office and consider the advisory sentencing guidelines.   Kitson was released on conditions pending sentencing.      

          The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Special Investigations Unit, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Kim Wheeler, 46, of Allenstown, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to two counts of Social Security Fraud and two counts of Theft of Public Money, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

          In February 2005, Wheeler began receiving Social Security disability benefits as the representative payee for her minor child.  She also received Food Stamps and Qualified Medicare Beneficiary benefits beginning in May 2010.  In assessing a minor child’s eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, the income of the natural or adoptive parent with whom the child lives is considered.  Similarly, the income of all members of a household is considered when determining eligibility for Food Stamps and Qualified Medicare Beneficiary benefits. 

          Wheeler failed to disclose that her husband and children’s father, who was employed full-time, lived with her and their children.  His income would have rendered their minor child ineligible to receive any Supplemental Security Income benefits, and it would have rendered Wheeler ineligible for Food Stamps and Qualified Medicare Beneficiary benefits.  Wheeler concealed her husband’s true residence from the Social Security Administration and from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, but rather, falsely reported that he did not live with her and their children.  When her husband later moved out of the home and began paying child support and alimony to Wheeler, Wheeler failed to disclose this income to Social Security and to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.  As a result of her concealment, Wheeler received $49,636.44 in disability benefits as her child’s representative payee, $12,372 in Food Stamps, and $5,041 in Qualified Medicare Beneficiary benefits that she would not have received if her husband’s residence and her subsequent receipt of support payments had been properly disclosed.

          Wheeler is scheduled to be sentenced on August 1, 2016.  The statutory maximum sentence for the charges is 10 years’ imprisonment.  The court will sentence Wheeler after it has had an opportunity to review a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office and considers the advisory sentencing guidelines.  She was released on conditions pending sentencing.           

          The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Special Investigations Unit, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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          CONCORD, N.H. – John Wachaga, 22, of Lowell, Massachusetts, has entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of aiding and abetting the making of a material false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

          On May 4, 2014, officers from the Lowell, Massachusetts Police Department stopped a vehicle being driven by Wachaga.  During the stop, officers seized a handgun from underneath Wachaga’s seat.  Upon further investigation, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) learned that Wachaga had used another individual to purchase the firearm for him in New Hampshire, because a prior felony conviction precluded him from doing so on his own.

          The statutory maximum penalty for the charges to which Wachaga pleaded guilty is ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.  Wachaga is scheduled for sentencing in August 2016.  The court will sentence Wachaga after it has had the opportunity to review a presentence investigation report prepared by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office and considers the federal advisory sentencing guideline for the charges.

          This prosecution arose from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (Boston and New Hampshire), in conjunction with the Lowell, Massachusetts Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Michael Smith, 35, of Sanbornton, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to a federal indictment charging him with eight counts of distribution and one count of conspiracy to distribute the Schedule I controlled substance heroin and the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

          During a law enforcement investigation, a cooperating individual purchased heroin and/or fentanyl from the defendant on eight occasions. Lab results have confirmed that over 20 grams of the substance purchase contained fentanyl, over 57 grams contained heroin and over 19 grams contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. Smith obtained controlled substances from multiple sources and distributed to multiple customers, participating in the conspiracy since at least June, 2015.

          Smith’s plea agreement includes a binding stipulated sentence of 96 months’ incarceration. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 27, 2016 in front of United States District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro. At that time, the Court will decide whether to accept the plea agreement and impose the agreed-upon period of incarceration, as well as any other conditions of Smith’s sentence.

          The case was investigated by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The Drug Task Force for this case included law enforcement representatives from the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin Police Department, the Concord Police Department and the New Hampshire Liquor Commission.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky.   

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          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   James Bednarcyk, 28, of Claremont, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire after pleading guilty to one count of possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

          In April 2014, an undercover investigation determined that child pornography images were being shared on the Internet from the Claremont, New Hampshire residence of James Bednarcyk.  A search warrant for the residence was executed in September 2014, during which Bednarcyk’s personal computer was seized.  That computer was later determined to contain approximately 20 videos and 70 still images of child pornography.

          The case was investigated by the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Hampton, New Hampshire Police Department, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Manchester, the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force (NH ICAC), and the police departments of Claremont, Portsmouth, Nashua, and Rochester, New Hampshire.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

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

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Genfry Martinez, 20, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to a federal indictment charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

          On February 11, 2016, after a traffic stop by the New Hampshire State Police, Martinez was found in possession of what lab results confirmed to be 68.67 grams of the Schedule II controlled drug fentanyl. The defendant possessed the drugs with the intention of distributing them.

          “The narcotic drug fentanyl is an incredibly dangerous substance responsible for a large number of overdose deaths in New Hampshire,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “I will continue to prioritize the prosecution of individuals who attempt to profit from the sale of this deadly drug.”

          Martinez will be detained pending sentencing, which is presently scheduled for August 9, 2016 in front of United States District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro. The statutory maximum sentence is twenty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $1,000,000.  Martinez’s actual sentence will be determined by the court at sentencing after a presentence investigation report is completed.

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

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Today, United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice and New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster announced the formation of an inter-office team of experienced, career prosecutors targeting the prosecution of opiate overdose deaths in New Hampshire.

            New Hampshire has the third-highest rate of per capita drug overdose deaths nationwide.  Four hundred and thirty-three individuals died from drug overdoses in New Hampshire in 2015.  Two hundred and eighty-three of these deaths resulted from overdoses of fentanyl, either alone or in combination with other drugs.

            The purpose of the team is to increase and coordinate the prosecutorial resources focused on overdose deaths.  Attorney General Foster explained: “This effort builds on the initiative started by my office at the end of 2015 to treat drug overdose deaths as crime scenes, and to bring to justice those who have sold drugs to overdose victims.”  United States Attorney Rice emphasized: “Our joint team effort to prosecute those who are criminally responsible for overdose deaths is a critical element of the multi-faceted law enforcement approach needed to combat the drug epidemic in our state.”

            Both United States Attorney Rice and Attorney General Foster praised the tremendous work done by law enforcement to fight the current epidemic:  “We are deeply grateful for the incredible work being done by local, state and federal law enforcement and by the County Attorneys, and their tireless commitment to fighting drug crimes on every front.  Our prosecutors are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners and the County Attorneys’ offices to hold accountable those who are engaging in or profiting from the distribution of illegal drugs in our state.”

            The inter-office team includes all of the drug prosecutors in both the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire.

            Concord, N.H.— United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Joseph Ruhland, 42, of Somersworth, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to a federal indictment charging him with the illegal possession of four firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).  

           According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, the government received information in June 2015 that Ruhland was in possession of multiple firearms at his home in Somersworth, New Hampshire.  Ruhland is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law as a result of a prior felony conviction.  Following the issuance of a court-ordered search warrant for Ruhland’s residence, law enforcement recovered:  (1) a Sig Sauer, Model P250, 9 millimeter pistol, loaded with 10 rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition; (2) a High Standard, Model Double-Nine, .22 caliber revolver, loaded with 9 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition; (3) a Cobra Enterprises, Model C22LR, .22 caliber Derringer pistol; (4) a Haskell (Hi-Point), Model JHP, .45 caliber Pistol; and approximately 45 rounds of assorted additional ammunition.  A federal indictment charging Ruhland with illegal possession of the firearms was returned by a grand jury sitting in Concord on October 7, 2015.

           Ruhland’s plea agreement includes a binding stipulated sentence of 30 months’ incarceration.  A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 1, 2016, in front of U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty.  At that time, the Court will decide whether to accept the plea agreement and impose the agreed-upon period of incarceration, as well as any other conditions of Ruhland’s sentence.

          The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives with assistance from the Somersworth Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced  that Kevin Joseph Fields, formerly of Somersworth, was sentenced to thirty months in prison, three years supervised release and restitution of  $22,381.29 to be paid to the U.S. Postal Service after previously pleading guilty to Possessing Stolen Government Property With Intent To Convert.

            From May 18, 2014, to on and about June 17, 2014, Fields engaged in a scheme in to obtain United States postage stamps using insufficient funds checks.  Fields initiated the scheme by opening a bank account in which he deposited funds from counterfeit checks.  Fields then used checks drawn against the bank account to acquire postage stamps at various post offices in New Hampshire and Maine.  Fields sold the stamps to pawn shops for less than face value or in exchange for other items such as a laptop computer and a tablet computer.  Fields used the cash proceeds to purchase a television, a Blu-ray player, for hotel rooms, and to pay other expenses.  Fields’ scheme allowed him to obtain approximately $22,381.29 worth of stamps from U.S. Post Offices. 

            The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service offices in Manchester, New Hampshire and Portland, Maine.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Ricardo Silva-Hernandez, of Mexico, has pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported announced U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            Silva-Hernandez was encountered by the Hooksett Police Department on February 24, 2016, after the police responded to a burglar alarm at Silva-Hernandez’s place of employment. When an officer asked Silva-Hernandez for identification, he produced a Mexican identification card.  Further questioning by the police led to Silva-Hernandez’s admission that he was illegally in the United States and had re-entered the United States after being deported. 

            The Hooksett Police sought the assistance of officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal (ICE-ERO) in positively identifying Silva-Hernandez.  Fingerprints taken from Silva-Hernandez were compared to fingerprints on file with the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  That comparison definitively proved that Silva-Hernandez had been previously deported in 1997 and again in 2009. 

            Silva-Hernandez will be sentenced at 11:00 AM on August 9, 2016, and will be deported after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Hooksett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Robert Orth, 30, of South Ryegate, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on federal charges of possessing with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, possessing a firearm in furtherance of his heroin trafficking, and possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.  The Court imposed a term of ten years’ imprisonment.

            On May 29, 2014, at approximately 9:45 P.M., a Nashua police officer witnessed a Gold Nissan Maxima, bearing New Hampshire plates, drive through a stop sign, travel over a double yellow line, and come to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road with its left turn-signal on.  The officer initiated a vehicle stop, and upon making contact, noted that there were three male occupants in the vehicle.  Occupying the front passenger seat was Robert Orth.  During the traffic stop Orth became argumentative and yelled to one of the other occupants to, “…take the [stuff and]… run and hide it.”  That occupant grabbed a jacket that was inside the vehicle and ran from the scene.  During a foot pursuit, the occupant dropped the jacket and was subsequently captured by the police.  A search of the jacket revealed more than 200 grams of heroin and a loaded handgun.   During a subsequent interview, Orth admitted that both the heroin and the handgun belonged to him.

             The Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department was the lead investigative agency and received assistance from by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in New Hampshire.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Abramson and Seth Aframe.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Israel Garcia, 56, of Lawrence, Massachusetts and Maximo Brito-Tejeda, 36, a citizen of the Dominican Republic most recently residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to five counts of distribution of the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            During a law enforcement investigation, officers received information from a cooperating source indicating that Garcia and an individual later identified as Brito-Tejeda were actively involved in the distribution of drugs in and around the Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire areas. As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers used the cooperating individual and an undercover officer to make controlled purchases of the Schedule II narcotic controlled drug fentanyl from Garcia and Brito-Tejeda on five occasions in August and September, 2015. On each occasion, Garcia and Brito-Tejeda met the cooperating individual and/or the undercover officer in New Hampshire and sold them approximately ten grams of fentanyl.

            On September 25, 2015, officers approached Garcia and Brito-Tejeda in an attempt to arrest them.  Garcia fled but was apprehended within seconds and Brito-Tejeda locked himself in his car, emptied bags containing fentanyl onto the floor mat and poured his drink over the drugs. He also attempted to swallow plastic bags containing additional quantities of fentanyl. That same day, the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at the residence occupied by Brito-Tejeda where Garcia and Brito-Tejeda stored and packaged drugs. A scale, packaging materials, and an additional quantity of fentanyl were recovered at this residence.

             Garcia and Brito-Tejeda will be detained pending sentencing hearings which are both presently scheduled for July 14, 2016.  The statutory maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge is forty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $5,000,000.  Each distribution charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $1,000,000.  The actual sentences will be determined by the court at sentencing after a presentence investigation report is completed.

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

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Euris Daniel Paulino Guerrero, 24, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to two counts of distribution of the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            During the spring and summer of 2015, law enforcement officers investigated a drug trafficking organization operating in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. As part of the investigation, cooperating individuals and an undercover law enforcement officer purchased heroin, fentanyl, and oxycodone from the defendant and his co-conspirators.  Four sales occurred in Massachusetts and two, on July 29, 2015 and August 12, 2015, took place in Salem, New Hampshire. Lab results have confirmed that over 140 grams of the substance sold contained fentanyl and additional quantities remain to be tested. On September 17, 2015, the Drug Enforcement Administration executed search warrants at three residences in Lawrence, Massachusetts associated with the organization. In one residence, officers located over 400 grams of fentanyl, an instrument used to compress drugs into ten-gram quantities for sale, blenders, and other packaging materials.

            Guerrero will be detained pending sentencing, which is presently scheduled for July 14, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.   The statutory maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge is forty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $5,000,000.  Each distribution charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $1,000,000.  Guerrero’s actual sentence will be determined by the court at sentencing after a presentence investigation report is completed.

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

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CONCORD, N.H. – Pedro Julio Alcantar-Bernabel a/k/a Francis Villar de la Santos, a citizen of the Dominican Republic who pleaded guilty to one count of Social Security Number Misuse and one count of Making a False Claim to United States Citizenship on January 7, 2016, was sentenced to time served, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.  Alcantar-Bernabel has been in custody since his arrest on July 1, 2015.                                                              

           Alcantar-Bernabel applied for a driver’s license at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Manchester, New Hampshire on July 1, 2015, using another person’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number.  He also indicated on the application that he was a United States citizen.  When Alcantar-Bernabel produced an altered Social Security card as a means of identification, the New Hampshire State Police were called to investigate.  Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Alcantar-Bernabel was encountered by the United States Coast Guard in August 2000 off the coast of Puerto Rico.  At that time, he admitted that he was a citizen of the Dominican Republic and was given a voluntary return to that country.  Fingerprint analysis confirmed that the individual claiming United States citizenship on the New Hampshire driver’s license application was the same individual who was returned to the Dominican Republic in 2000.     

           Alcantar-Bernabel was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro.  He will face deportation upon his release from custody.

           The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Hector Luis Arias-Ramirez, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to a time-served sentence after pleading guilty to a three-count indictment charging him with illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported, misrepresenting a social security number, and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen.  

            On October 20, 2015, Arias-Ramirez appeared at the Nashua office of the Department of Motor Vehicles and attempted to obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license.  Arias-Ramirez had completed the forms necessary for issuance of a license using a name other than his true name and using a false social security number when he was approached by the New Hampshire State Police.  Arias-Ramirez told the Trooper that Arias-Ramirez was born in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

            A New Hampshire State Trooper contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) for assistance in identifying the defendant.  ICE-ERO Deportation Officers arrived at the DMV and, using a mobile fingerprinting kit, submitted the defendant’s fingerprints for comparison to databases of known fingerprints.  The fingerprint impressions were a match to those previously taken from the defendant.  

            Arias-Ramirez will be deported after serving his sentence. Arias-Ramirez was previously deported to the Dominican Republic in 2012.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Gerpis Pena, of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty to a three-count indictment charging him with illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported, misrepresenting a social security number, and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen.  

            On November 5, 2015, Gerpis Pena appeared at the Manchester office of the Department of Motor Vehicles and attempted to obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license.  Gerpis had in his possession a birth certificate purportedly issued in Puerto Rico, a social security card, and a previously-issued New Hampshire driver’s license.  He had completed the forms necessary for issuance of a license in the name of the individual named in the identifying documents, including the social security number listed on the card he possessed, when he was approached by the New Hampshire State Police. 

            A New Hampshire State Trooper questioned Pena as to his identity.  Pena initially claimed to be a United States Citizen, born in Puerto Rico, and had filled out and signed a renewal application on which he had checked “yes” to the question “Are you a United States citizen?”  The Trooper contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) for assistance in identifying the defendant.     

            ICE-ERO Deportation Officers arrived at the DMV and, using a mobile fingerprinting kit, submitted the defendant’s fingerprints for comparison to databases of known fingerprints.  The fingerprint impressions were a match to those previously taken from the defendant.  

            Pena will be sentenced at 10:00 AM on August 1, 2016, and will be deported after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:  United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice will address crime victims and crime victim advocates at two events being held during the week of April 10 to April 16, 2016 which has been designated as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. The theme of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week this year is “Serving Victims, Building Trust, and Restoring Hope.” 

            The New Hampshire Crime Victims’ Rights Celebration will be held April 11 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Church in Concord, New Hampshire.  The event will feature United States Attorney Rice and New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster.   This event is a co-sponsored by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, AmeriCorps Victims Assistance Program and Victims, Inc. The event is open to the public.

            United States Attorney Rice will also speak at the Tri-State Advanced Victim Assistance Academy, an annual training event jointly sponsored by the United States Attorney’s Offices in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.  The Academy is hosted this year by the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire and will be held on April 12 and 13, 2016 in Concord.  The two day conference will build on the knowledge and skills advocates receive in basic and foundational trainings.  The goal is to educate and support victim advocates and individuals who work closely with victims of crime.  Additional information for victim support can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-nh/programs/victim-witness-assistance-program or by contacting Victim Witness Specialist Jennifer Hunt at the United States Attorney’s Office.

            United States Attorney Rice stated: “Crime victims deserve to be treated with empathy and respect.  During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week we honor the goals of providing assistance and support to crime victims and the advocates who spend countless hours helping victims every day.  As the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire and an advocate for the protection and support of all victims, I look forward to working closely with federal, state and local law enforcement and victim advocates to make sure victims’ voices are heard, their concerns addressed, and their role as victims of crime are recognized. Together we can ensure justice for victims and support their healing.”    

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CONCORD, N.H. – Aaron E. Olson, 41, of Rindge, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for tax evasion in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.    

            From 2007 through 2010, Olson was the sole proprietor of an investment business known as AEO Associates (AEO).  In December of 2010, Olson formed KMO Associates LLC (KMO), an investment business that was registered in Massachusetts.  Olson ran both operations from an office in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Olson used AEO and later KMO to obtain approximately $27.8 million from individuals and organizations ostensibly to invest on their behalf.  Olson was not licensed as an investment broker in New Hampshire or in any other jurisdiction and he did not register AEO and KMO with the State of New Hampshire as investment businesses.

            Olson used approximately $2.6 million of the investors’ money for his personal benefit and used some of the investors’ money to make fraudulent “earnings” payments to other investors. To conceal this conduct, Olson sent investors fictitious earnings statements that falsely showed significant earnings in their accounts. 

            Olson also filed false and fraudulent joint individual tax returns with the IRS in which he attempted to evade or defeat taxes he owed based on his income from the fraudulent investment operation. Among other things, Olson failed to report the gross receipts and expenses associated with the operation of AEO and KMO and he failed to issue Forms 1099 with the Internal Revenue Service summarizing investors’ annual gains and losses. In total, Olson fraudulently understated the income taxes he owed for the four years by more than $664,000.                                                                             

            Olson pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted tax evasion on March 9, 2015. As part of a Plea Agreement, he agreed to pay restitution to the defrauded investors in lieu of paying the taxes he owes to the United States. A restitution hearing is scheduled on May 26, 2016.

            This case is being investigated by the office of Criminal Investigations for the Internal Revenue Service in conjunction with the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman. 

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             CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   John Martin Favor, 49, of Plainfield, New Hampshire, pled guilty in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

             An investigation conducted by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children (NH ICAC), the Hinsdale, New Hampshire Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations Manchester revealed that an individual was uploading images of child pornography to an online bulletin board from the defendant’s Plainfield, New Hampshire residence.  A federal search warrant was issued and executed in September 2015. Law enforcement ultimately discovered hundreds of videos and images of child pornography on Favor’s personal computer.

            Favor is scheduled for sentencing in July 2016.  The charges to which he pleaded guilty carry a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.  The court will determine Favor’s actual sentence after it has had an opportunity to review a presentence investigation report prepared by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office.

            The investigation in this case was a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local authorities, which included Homeland Security Investigations Manchester, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Police Departments of Hinsdale, Hampton, Plainfield, Rochester, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as well as the New Hampshire State Police.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

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

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Onix Abreu, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to twenty four months in federal prison, after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

            On June 15, 2015, the New Hampshire State Police were contacted concerning an individual attempting to obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license at the Salem, New Hampshire office of the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles.  The State Police found that the defendant was presenting a birth certificate purportedly issued in Puerto Rico, a social security card, and a driver’s license issued in Pennsylvania to support his application.  The State Police sought the assistance of   ICE-ERO Deportation Officers.  Upon arrival, the ICE-ERO officers questioned the defendant who admitted he was Onix Abreu and that he had been previously deported.  Abreu was taken into ICE custody and transported to the Manchester ICE office where a full set of fingerprint impressions were taken.  Abreu’s fingerprints matched those contained in the Department of Homeland Security’s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) and to the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) for fingerprints taken from the defendant on the occasion of his previous deportation.  Abreu was deported from Alexandria, Louisiana to the Dominican Republic in 2005.

            Abreu pled guilty to the charge on September 22, 2015.

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the Department of Homeland Security and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

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             CONCORD – United States Attorney, Emily Gray Rice announced today that Geoffrey McIntosh, 36, pleaded guilty today in the United States District Court Judge to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, oxycodone.

            According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements in the plea proceeding, McIntosh and others passed dozens of false prescriptions for OxyContin pills at pharmacies in the Manchester and Nashua areas.  McIntosh arranged for runners to pass these fraudulent prescriptions at pharmacies.  The runners would then provide the pills to McIntosh in exchange for pills or cash.  McIntosh would then sell the pills or have others sell them on his behalf.  During the investigation, law enforcement officers identified over 100 fraudulent prescriptions for OxyContin, which were filled in 2009 and 2010.

             A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 1, 2016.   The statutory maximum prison term for the crime charged is 20 years.  The court will sentence McIntosh after it has had an opportunity to review a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation & Pretrial Services Office.

            The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from other law enforcement agencies, including the Nashua Police Department, Manchester Police Department, Merrimack Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

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             CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced  today that Edwin Orlando Tejeda Aria, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to twenty-four months in federal prison, after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

            On June 16, 2015 two United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers assigned to Enforcement and Removal Operations responded to the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles in Salem, New Hampshire after receiving a call from New Hampshire State Police asking for assistance identifying a male individual, subsequently identified as the defendant, who was presenting fraudulent identification to obtain a New Hampshire Driver's License. The fraudulent document included a Puerto Rican Birth certificate, a Social Security card, a Pennsylvania Driver's License, and a Comcast bill.  Both ICE officers identified themselves to the defendant, and then one of them fingerprinted him and submitted the prints to the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) and the ICE Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).  Both systems produced a match for Edwin Orlando Tejeda-Aria, an alien who had been deported in 2011 from Louisiana to the Dominican Republic.

            Tejeda Aria was taken into ICE custody and transported to the Manchester ICE office where a full set of fingerprint impressions were taken from him and submitted to the Department of Homeland Security's IDENT system and to the FBI’s IAFIS system for comparison to databases of known fingerprints.  Both systems confirmed the match to the submitted fingerprints of the defendant.    

            Tejeda Aria pled guilty to the charge on December 9, 2015.

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the Department of Homeland Security and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:  Lawrence Marks, 35, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, appeared in United States District Court today and was sentenced to 12 ½ years in prison after pleading guilty to transportation of a minor in interstate commerce for illegal sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            In November of 2014, the New Hampshire State Police were conducting an investigation into the possible sexual abuse of several children in Franklin, New Hampshire.  The investigation led to Lawrence Marks of Tewksbury, Massachusetts whom several witnesses identified as a man seen frequently with one of the minor children.  Marks subsequently confessed to taking the child from New Hampshire to Massachusetts on several occasions where he engaged in sexual activity with her. 

            Marks will be supervised by U.S. Probation for 5 years after his release from prison.  He will be required to register as a sex offender in any state in which he lives or works. 

           The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the Franklin Police Department in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Billerica, Massachusetts, Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen Fitzgibbon.

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

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced  today that Angel Rayas-Villasenor, of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty today to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.  Rayas-Villasenor will be deported to Mexico.

            The Nashua Police Department arrested Rayas-Villasenor on November 26, 2015 for driving without a license.  Fingerprints taken by the Nashua Police in connection with the arrest matched fingerprints on file relating to the defendant’s prior deportation.  ICE ERO Deportation Officers arrested Rayas-Villasenor on December 8, 2015, after observing the Rayas-Villasenor exit his residence.  Following his arrest, Rayas-Villasenor was transported to the Manchester ICE Office where he was booked and processed, which included obtaining a full set of his fingerprints.  Those fingerprints were submitted to the Department of Homeland Security’s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) for comparison to a database of known fingerprints.  IDENT matched the fingerprints to those in the database taken from the defendant on the occasion of his previous deportations to Mexico from Nogales, Arizona on August 6, 2014, and again on August 12, 2014.

            The case was investigated by the Nashua Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced  today that Victor Lopez, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.                                        

          On February 15, 2016, a New Hampshire State Police Trooper stopped a vehicle for speeding on I-93 in Windham.  There were five individuals in the vehicle.  Two of the individuals provided the Trooper with foreign ID cards, and the defendant and two others refused to provide identification and refused to answer any questions.  The Trooper requested that the ICE ERO Deportation Officer respond to assist with the identification of those three individuals in the vehicle.  Using a mobile identification unit, one of the Deportation Officers submitted the defendant’s fingerprints to the Department of Homeland Security’s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) for comparison to databases of known fingerprints.  IDENT indicated that the fingerprint impressions submitted were a match to those taken from the defendant, Victor Lopez, on the occasion of his previous deportation from the United States to Guatemala.                                                                                        

          Following the receipt of this information, the Deportation Officer asked the defendant if he had any immigration documents that allowed him to be present in the U.S. to which he replied, “No.”   A full set of digital fingerprint impressions were obtained from the defendant and again submitted to the Department of Homeland Security’s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) which confirmed that the fingerprints were an exact match to prints taken from the defendant on the occasion of his previous deportation to Guatemala in 2012.

          Mr. Lopez’s sentencing has been set for July 7, 2016, and he will again be deported after serving his sentence.

          The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the New Hampshire State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega.

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          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Allen Langlois, 49, of Newport, New Hampshire, pled guilty on Monday in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.                                            

          An investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that an individual was accessing a known child pornography website from the defendant’s Newport, New Hampshire residence, for which a federal search warrant was issued.  When that warrant was executed in September 2015, hundreds of still images of child pornography were discovered on Langlois’s personal computer.

          Langlois is scheduled for sentencing in July 2016.  Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement, he has stipulated to a sentence of 42 months’ imprisonment, followed by an extended period of supervised release.  He also faces a fine of up to $250,000.

          FBI was assisted in this case by the Police Departments of Newport, Manchester, and Nashua, New Hampshire, as well as the New Hampshire State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson. 

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

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matt Etre and Salem Police Department Chief Paul Donovan today announced that Hansel German, 25, of Boston, Massachusetts, and Andy Pena, 21 of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, were sentenced to eight years in federal prison for their involvement in the trafficking of a minor for prostitution.  Enoc Ayuso of Dorchester, Massachusetts was also sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in the trafficking conspiracy.  A fourth individual, Rafael Reyes, will be sentenced next week in the United States District Court.                                               

            United States Attorney Rice stated:  “One of the highest priorities of the Department of Justice is protecting our children from predators.  Today, we are announcing the results arising out of our prosecution of four individuals who were engaged in a particularly heinous form of child exploitation – human trafficking.  It is only through the collaborative work of law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels and the bravery of a minor child to come forward and tell her story that this case was successfully prosecuted.”

             Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matt Etre said:   “The announcement of the sentencing of the four individuals today brings a positive end to the USA’s prosecution and to HSI’s and its partners investigation, but the healing of a child victim is still a work in progress.  HSI’s primary goal in pursuing these types of cases is to end this form of modern-day slavery and bring the victims out of the shadows in collaboration with our law enforcement agencies and non-government organizations.  So let this case be a warning to those who feel that they can sexually exploit children and other vulnerable members of our community in New Hampshire that HSI and its partners will use all of their tools to identify you, bring you to justice and help rescue those victims that are living in the shadows.”

            In February of 2014, Homeland Security Investigations, Manchester, New Hampshire, and the Salem, New Hampshire Police Department, with the assistance of the Boston Police Department, rescued a fifteen-year-old female who was engaging in prostitution from a Salem hotel room.  Upon further investigation, authorities identified multiple individuals who were involved in the scheme to transport the female from Boston, Massachusetts to Salem, New Hampshire for prostitution.  Today’s announcement is the result of the successful prosecution of those cases.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Hansel German, 25, of Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on Monday, March 21, 2016 on one count of aiding and abetting the transportation of an individual in interstate commerce for prostitution, and one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it, announced U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice.  The Court imposed a sentence of 8 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by an extended period of supervised release. 

            In February of 2014, Homeland Security Investigations, Manchester, New Hampshire, and the Salem, New Hampshire Police Department, with the assistance of the Boston Police Department, rescued a fifteen-year-old female who was engaging in prostitution from a Salem hotel room.  Upon further investigation, authorities identified multiple individuals – including German – who were involved in the scheme to transport the female from Boston, Massachusetts to Salem, New Hampshire for prostitution.

            The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (Manchester, NH) and the Salem Police Department, in conjunction with the police departments of Boston, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire, as well as the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NH ICAC).  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Abramson and Helen Fitzgibbon.

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

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Richard Sullivan, 23, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, pled guilty on Tuesday in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            A joint investigation by the police departments of Goffstown, Bedford, and Hampton, New Hampshire, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations Manchester (HSI) and the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force (NH ICAC), led to the seizure of electronic devices from Sullivan’s Goffstown residence, several of which were found to contain images of child pornography.

            Sullivan is scheduled for sentencing in June 2016.  The statutory maximum prison term for the crime charged is 10 years, a term of at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  The court will sentence Sullivan after it has had an opportunity to review a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation & Pretrial Services Office.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

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

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Robert Ervin, 20, of Marlborough, New Hampshire, pled guilty in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to distributing heroin, possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it, and possessing a firearm as a regular user of heroin, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            On October 8, 2015, law enforcement officers from the Keene, New Hampshire Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the New Hampshire State Police, and the Attorney General’s Drug Task Force observed Ervin engaging in what appeared to be a suspicious hand-to-hand transaction in Keene, New Hampshire.  When approached by the officers, Ervin admitted that he had just sold a quantity of heroin.  A search of his person and vehicle revealed the presence of additional heroin and a loaded firearm.

            Ervin is scheduled to be sentenced in June 2016.  The statutory maximum prison term for the crimes charged is 20 years, a term of supervised release of at least 3 years, and a fine of up to $500,000.  The court will sentence Ervin after it has had an opportunity to review a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation & Pretrial Services Office.

            The case was investigated by law enforcement from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Keene, New Hampshire Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Attorney General’s Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.   The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

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          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Jamie Hilow, age 28, of Winchester, New Hampshire was sentenced by United States District Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 135 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841. The Grand Jury for the District of New Hampshire indicted Hilow for the crime September 23, 2015. Hilow pleaded guilty to the charge on October 27, 2015.

          After a lengthy investigation, law enforcement determined that Hilow was employed as a runner for a drug trafficking organization headed, authorities allege, by Ross Gould, age 28, of Richmond, New Hampshire.  Hilow distributed heroin for Gould to numerous individuals in and around Keene. On March 16, 2015, Gould was charged federally with possession with the intent to distribute heroin after search warrants executed at his Richmond, New Hampshire residence and another residence utilized by Gould to store narcotics on March 10, 2015 resulted in the seizure of over a kilogram of heroin, a large quantity of cocaine, prescription pills, currency, and 14 firearms. 

          “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 heroin in New Hampshire by continuing to target drug trafficking organizations who are responsible for the importation of large quantities of heroin into New Hampshire from source cities such as Lawrence, Massachusetts” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

          Upon release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Hilow will be on supervised release under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for five years and as much as life. Should Hilow violate the terms of his supervised release, he could be sentenced to an additional prison term.

            The investigation was conducted by the: (1) Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 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. –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Panos Eliopoulos, age 37, of Richmond, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone to causing misbranded drugs to be introduced into interstate commerce.

          Eliopoulos and his wife, Katie Eliopoulos, have operated the retail establishment, “Phat Stuff”, located at 84 Main Street, Keene, New Hampshire since 2011.  In July, 2013, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received information that drug paraphernalia and smokeable synthetic cannabinoid products, commonly known as “spice”, were being sold from Phat Stuff.  In August 2013 a DEA agent visited the store and observed a glass display case which contained numerous foil packages marked with various names which the DEA SA believed, based his training and experience, contained synthetic cannabinoids.

         As a result of the DEA SA’s observations, on August 9, 2013 a DEA cooperating source (CS), acting at the direction of DEA, entered Phat Stuff and purchased four packets of a substance labeled “Griffon” from an employee of the defendant.  Agents examined a packet of “Griffon” and concluded that it was misbranded in that: (1) the product was sold as potpourri when in fact the product was intended for use as a drug for human consumption; (2) its label, in package form, failed to include the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor; (3) its labeling did not bear adequate directions for use; and (4) its labeling did not bear such adequate warnings against use in those pathological conditions and by children, where its use may be dangerous to health, and against unsafe dosages and methods and duration of administration and application, in such manner or form, as are necessary for the protection of users. The DEA laboratory subsequently identified the substances as PB- 22, which at the time was an analogue of JWH-018, a Schedule I controlled substance.

          As part of the plea agreement, Eliopoulos agreed to civilly forfeit to the United States the amount of $10,729.59 as well as a quantity of drug paraphernalia that was seized as part of the search. Eliopoulos is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, 2016.  The plea agreement contains a binding stipulation that the United States will recommend a sentence of one year probation.  Eliopoulos was released pending sentencing.

          The investigation was conducted by the: United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Keene, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis is prosecuting the case.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Daniel E. Musso, Sr., 54, of East Kingston, New Hampshire, was indicted in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire for receiving and possessing grenades, reports United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            The indictment charges Musso with four counts of receiving and possessing an unregistered firearm, specifically, grenades.

            The charges resulted from an undercover investigation by the FBI. In January, Musso allegedly met with and told an undercover FBI agent posing as an arms dealer that he wanted to acquire grenades. He and the undercover agent allegedly agreed on a price for the grenades and agreed to another meeting to complete the transaction. On January 27, the undercover agent delivered four grenades to Musso at a location in Seabrook, New Hampshire. Musso was arrested by other FBI agents as he approached his vehicle carrying a bag containing the grenades.

            Musso has been in custody since he was arrested. Today, after he was arraigned on the indictment, the court ordered that Musso be detained pending trial.

            A trial has been scheduled for May 3, 2016. The statutory maximum for each of the charges in the indictment is 10 years in prison.  If convicted, Musso’s sentence will be determined by the court after a presentence investigation report is prepared.

            This case was investigated by the FBI New Hampshire Joint Terrorism Task Force. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.

An indictment is merely an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Okello Odongo, 36, of Snellville, Georgia, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 19 counts of filing false tax returns and fraudulently obtaining tax refunds reports United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            Odongo is a former resident of Manchester, New Hampshire, where he operated a tax return preparation business called Tax Smart Solutions Co. As a tax preparer, Odongo was authorized by the IRS to file tax returns electronically for his customers. One of the forms he filed electronically was an Allocation of Refund Form that instructed the IRS to directly deposit refunds into specified bank accounts. The form allowed a refund to be allocated to two or more bank accounts.

            In 2011 and 2012 Odongo filed false tax returns on behalf of some of his customers that fraudulently overstated the amounts of the tax refunds they were entitled to claim. Odongo also filed Allocation of Refund Forms that directed the IRS to electronically deposit the fraudulent portions of the refunds to bank accounts Odongo held or had access to. None of Odongo’s customers knew that he used their doctored tax returns as a vehicle to defraud the IRS. 

            The statutory maximum for each of the 19 charges Odongo pleaded guilty to is five years in prison. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 22, 2016.  The court will sentence Odongo after it has reviewed and considered a presentence investigation report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

            This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Juan A. Pichardo Mendez, 35, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to attempted possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, reports United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            On August 1, 2014, Pichardo Mendez attempted to take possession of a package shipped from the Dominican Republic that had crack cocaine concealed in the flaps of the box. The box had been intercepted by Customs and Border Protection Agents in Puerto Rico when it passed through a Federal Express terminal at an airport. It was addressed to a fictitious person at a residential address in Manchester.

            The Customs and Border Protection Agents sent the box on to Homeland Security Investigation agents in Manchester. On August 1, 2014, a Homeland Security Special Agent posing as a Federal Express employee delivered the box to the Manchester address, where it was accepted by a third party who lived at the premises. At that point, other Homeland Security agents interviewed the person who accepted the box. He admitted accepting the box for Pichardo Mendez, who was waiting to hear when the box arrived. In the agents’ presence, he sent a message to Pichardo Mendez that the box had arrived. Pichardo Mendez arrived at the premises shortly after he received the message, but before he retrieved the package he learned investigators were there and he left the area. Further investigation revealed evidence indicating that Pichardo Mendez had tracked the package from the time it was shipped from the Dominican Republic.   

            The statutory maximum sentence for the charges in this case is 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.  The court will sentence Pichardo Mendez after it has had the opportunity to review a presentence investigation report prepared by the United States Probation & Pretrial Services Office.  The court ordered that Pichardo Mendez be detained pending a sentencing hearing on June 29, 2016.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Debra M. Walsh and Mark S. Zuckerman.

CONCORD, N.H. – A 55-year-old resident of Farmington, New Hampshire, Susan Durrance, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for a mail fraud offense that involved the theft of more than $396,000 from her former employer and three counts of filing false tax returns for failing to report the embezzled funds on her federal tax returns, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            Durrance stole $396,212.93 while employed as a bookkeeper for a privately owned appliance store in Wolfeboro and (later) Ossipee, New Hampshire from 2005 to June 2011. Durrance stole the money by issuing checks from the store’s operating account to make payments on her personal credit accounts.  For example, in May 2010, Durrance paid for a tractor she purchased for her personal use by causing a $2,999 check drawn on the operating account to be mailed to the tractor’s manufacturer.  Durrance also issued checks from the operating account to “Cash” or to herself in amounts that were inconsistent with her salary, which were cashed or deposited to her personal bank account.

            In addition, Durrance failed to report the proceeds of her embezzlement scheme on her federal income tax returns for tax years 2005 through 2010.  Through this conduct, she evaded paying additional taxes totaling $94,270 to the Internal Revenue Service.

            Durrance was ordered to pay restitution to the victim of her crime.

            The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and Carroll County New Hampshire Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Robert M. Kinsella.

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CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Alberto Martinez, of the Dominican Republic, has pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment alleging that he misrepresented a social security number and falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen while attempting to get a New Hampshire driver’s license.

            On November 5, 2015, a New Hampshire State Trooper requested assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) in identifying an individual who was attempting to renew a New Hampshire driver’s license.

            The individual initially claimed to be a United States Citizen born in Puerto Rico.  He had filled out and signed a renewal application on which he had entered a social security number which had not been assigned to him and had answered “yes” to the question “Are you a United States citizen?”

            ICE-ERO agents informed the defendant that they intended to submit his fingerprints to the Department of Homeland Security’s Integrated Automated Biometric Identification System (IAFIS) and the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) for comparison to FBI and ICE databases.  Before being fingerprinted, the defendant admitted that his true name was Alberto Martinez, that he was born in the Dominican Republic and is a citizen of the country, and that he illegally entered the United States about six years earlier by walking across the United States border with Mexico. 

            Martinez will be sentenced at 10:00 AM on June 20, 2016, and will be deported after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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          CONCORD, N.H. – Crystal Watson, 35, of Barrington, New Hampshire, plead guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and to five charges relating to distribution of heroin, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

          In the winter of 2014-2015, law enforcement officers received information that Watson was distributing heroin in the Rochester and Barrington, New Hampshire areas. In March, 2015, three controlled purchases of heroin were made from Watson at her residence in Barrington, New Hampshire. On April 7, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Watson’s residence and seized $244,028.00 in cash, over 500 grams of heroin, and three firearms. Watson admitted upon her arrest that she sold heroin in New Hampshire since at least March, 2014. She stated that she purchased approximately two kilograms of heroin at a time in Massachusetts and sold it in New Hampshire for a profit of approximately $20,000.00 per kilogram.

          Watson has agreed to forfeit the cash recovered during the search warrant, her interest in land located at the Baxter Lake Recreation Area, two log cabin style park trailers, and one Chevrolet Silverado 1500 truck, proceeds of her drug trafficking activities. Watson also forfeited the three firearms recovered in her residence.

          The statutory maximum sentence for the heroin distribution charges is twenty years.  The firearms charge requires a mandatory minimum sentence of five years to be served on and after any other sentence imposed.  The actual sentence to be imposed will be determined by the court at sentencing after a presentence investigation report is completed.  Watson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2016.

          The case was investigated by the Strafford County Drug Trask Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced  today that Samuel Olmas-Arredando, of Mexico, was sentenced to thirty months in federal prison, after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

          On September 19, 2015, officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations received information from the Bedford, New Hampshire H Police Department that the defendant, known to be a Mexican citizen illegally in the United States, was living at a motel in Bedford, and working at a construction site.  The officers went to the motel, where they encountered the defendant speaking to the desk clerk as they arrived.  One of the officers identified himself as a U.S. Immigration Officer and asked the defendant what his name was.  The defendant responded that his name was Samuel Olmas-Arredando.  The officer then asked the defendant if he was from Mexico, and the defendant replied “Si”.  The defendant was then asked if he had any immigration documents that allowed him to be in the U.S. legally, to which he replied “No”.   The defendant was taken into ICE custody and transported to the Manchester, New Hampshire ICE Office.   Mr. Olmas-Arredando’s identity was confirmed through fingerprint comparisons and records that established he had been deported to Mexico from Oklahoma in 2009.

          Olmas-Arredando pled guilty to the charge on November 23, 2015.

          The case was investigated by the Bedford Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

          CONCORD, N.H. – Bicky Zapata-Nivar, 29, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, plead guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to conspiring to distribute the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

          During the spring and summer of 2015, law enforcement officers investigated a drug trafficking organization operating in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.  As part of the investigation, cooperating individuals and an undercover law enforcement officer purchased approximately 290 grams of fentanyl from members of the organization.  On September 17, 2015, the Drug Enforcement Administration executed search warrants at three residences in Lawrence, Massachusetts associated with the organization. In one residence, officers located the defendant and her minor child in a bedroom. When the defendant heard law enforcement enter, she attempted to hide a suitcase containing drugs and packaging materials under a bed. The suitcase contained approximately 246 grams of a mixture containing the controlled substance fentanyl, an instrument used to compress drugs into ten-gram quantities for sale, blenders, and other packaging materials. Earlier that day, in the same bedroom, the defendant had packaged loose fentanyl for her co-conspirators to sell. The defendant admitted that she packaged drugs for members of this drug trafficking organization on prior occasions and was paid for doing so. A search warrant was also executed at the defendant’s residence where an additional quantity of suspected fentanyl was found, though lab results have not yet confirmed the nature of that substance.

          Zapata-Nivar will be detained pending sentencing, which is presently scheduled for June 8, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.   The statutory maximum sentence for this offense is forty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $5,000,000.  Zapata-Nivar’s actual sentence will be determined by the court at sentencing after a presentence investigation report is completed.    

          “Prosecuting those individuals who illegally introduce controlled substances into our communities is a priority of my office,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “Fentanyl, in particular, is an incredibly dangerous substance responsible for many overdose deaths in New Hampshire. We will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute those who seek to profit from the sale of this dangerous drug.”

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

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Andy Pena, 21, of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on one count of transporting an individual in interstate commerce for prostitution, announced U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice.  The Court imposed a sentence of 8 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by a period of supervised release. 

          In February of 2014, Homeland Security Investigations, Manchester, New Hampshire, and the Salem, New Hampshire Police Department, with the assistance of the Boston Police Department, rescued a fifteen-year-old female who was engaging in prostitution from a Salem hotel room.  Upon further investigation, authorities identified multiple individuals – including Pena – who were involved in the scheme to transport the female from Boston, Massachusetts to Salem, New Hampshire for prostitution.

          The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (Manchester, NH) and the Salem Police Department, in conjunction with the police departments of Boston, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire, as well as the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NH ICAC).  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Abramson and Helen Fitzgibbon.

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

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Shawn Gagne, 30, of Dover, New Hampshire, pled guilty on Monday in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

          A joint investigation by the Dover, New Hampshire Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Manchester, and the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force resulted in the seizure of Gagne’s personal computer from his residence in Dover, New Hampshire.  A subsequent analysis of that computer revealed several dozen videos of child pornography.

          Gagne is scheduled for sentencing in June 2016.  He faces a maximum prison term of 10 years, to be followed by a term of at least 5 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

          The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

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

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Thomas Hegarty, 21, of Rochester, New Hampshire, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire for bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. The Court imposed a term of 39 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and full restitution to the victim bank.   

Hegarty walked into a Bank of America in Rochester, New Hampshire, on January 20, 2015, held an object under his sweatshirt to simulate a weapon, and handed the teller a note demanding money. He then made off with $400 in stolen funds. Surveillance cameras captured images of the robbery and law enforcement quickly identified Hegarty. He was apprehended later that day.

This case was investigated by the Rochester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana Konesky.