District of New Hampshire

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced  today that Jose Rodriguez, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to forty two months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally reentered the United States after having been previously deported and to misrepresentation of a social security number.

          Rodriguez was located at the New Hampshire State Prison in December 2012 under the name Pedro Luis Martinez-Ortiz.  He was interviewed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the prison and he insisted that his name was Pedro Luis Martinez-Ortiz and that he was born in Puerto Rico.  The defendant provided a social security number under the Martinez-Ortiz name.  When examining the defendant’s hands, the agents notice that an attempt had been made to mutilate the finger tips.  Nevertheless, the agents took fingerprint impressions from Rodriguez and submitted scanned images of the prints to the Department of Homeland Security’s fingerprint database and to the database used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The databases indicated that the defendant’s prints matched those of Jose Rodriguez, an individual from the Dominican Republic who had been deported from New York in 2002 and Miami in 2006.  Interviews of the Martinez-Ortiz family in Puerto Rico revealed that Mr. Martinez-Ortiz had died in Puerto Rico in 2011.

          Rodriguez pled guilty to the charges on April 9, 2015.

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

          Concord, New Hampshire - Donald Feith, Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, today announced that a federal grand jury in Concord returned a one-count indictment charging JEREMY ROBINSON, 26, of Hyannis, Massachusetts, with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).   The indictment was returned on July 1, 2015, and ROBINSON was arraigned yesterday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea Johnstone, where he entered a plea of not guilty.

          According to the indictment and other statements made in court, ROBINSON travelled to New Hampshire in November 2014 and possessed an H&K 9mm pistol and ammunition manufactured by Fiocchi.  At the time, ROBINSON was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of a prior felony conviction.

          Trial has been scheduled to take place between September 1-15, 2015, in front of Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante.  If convicted, ROBINSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

          Acting U.S. Attorney Feith stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

          This matter is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Barnstable Police Department, and the Barnstable Sheriff's Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:  Todd Elliott, 22, of Somersworth, New Hampshire, appeared in United States District Court today and entered a guilty plea to one count of bank robbery announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Elliott walked into a Citizens Bank in Somersworth, New Hampshire, on November 10, 2014 and gave the teller a note demanding money.  The teller gave Elliott a quantity of United States currency as well as a dye pack resembling a stack of bills.  As Elliott ran from the bank, the dye pack exploded which led to his apprehension shortly thereafter.  Elliott – who faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $250,000 – will be detained pending sentencing, which is presently scheduled for November 13, 2015.

          “The successful resolution of this bank robbery is due to the great investigative work of the Somersworth Police and the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” stated Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  “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 dangerous crimes.”

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

CONCORD, N.H. – Nicholas Rogers, 25, of Hooksett, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to being a felon in possession of firearms, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          On November 14, 2014, Rogers pleaded guilty to in the United States District Court to one count of unlicensed firearms dealing and one count of making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm.  The court’s acceptance of Rogers’ guilty plea rendered Rogers a felon who was prohibited from possessing a firearm.  He was scheduled to be sentenced in May 2015.  However, prior to his sentencing and despite his felony status, in April 2015 Rogers used an online classified website to trade and purchase firearms.  During one of these exchanges, Rogers attempted to sell a firearm to an undercover ATF agent.

          A subsequent investigation revealed that from March 19, 2015 through April 11, 2015, Rogers traded or purchased five firearms from four different individuals through the online website.  In addition, on April 17, 2015, ATF executed a search warrant at Roger’s residence and recovered a Norinco, SKS Model, 7.62 caliber rifle.

          “The United States Attorney’s Office will work with law enforcement to identify, investigate and prosecute those who would violate the nation’s gun laws,” said Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  “This case serves as an example of how the private trading of firearms can thwart the systems put in place to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals.  We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who illegally possess firearms.”

          "ATF is committed to combating illegal firearms trafficking whether it’s online or on the street.  Illegal firearms trafficking puts public safety at risk and our goal is to keep guns out of the hands of criminals," stated ATF Boston Field Division Special Agent in Charge, Daniel J. Kumor.

          Rogers faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment.  Rogers is scheduled to be sentenced on September 11, 2015.  Rogers was detained pending sentencing.

          The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

WASHINGTON – A New Hampshire man was charged with remotely hacking into the social media, email and online shopping accounts of almost a dozen minor females and threatening that he would delete, deface, and make purchases from the accounts unless the victims sent him sexually explicit photographs of themselves.

          Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith of the District of New Hampshire and Special Agent in Charge Lisa A. Quinn of the U.S. Secret Service’s Boston Field Office made the announcement.

          “Predators troll the Internet in search of vulnerable children to extort for their own sexual gratification,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting our youth from sextortion and to finding and prosecuting wrongdoers lurking in the shadows of the Internet.”

          “Individuals who would take advantage of today’s modern technologies to entice and then threaten minors deserve special investigative and prosecutorial attention,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Feith.  “We will continue to work with law enforcement, technology specialists and education professionals to teach minors about the dangers of placing personal information in social media and the need to report threats of this nature so that we may bring these predators to justice.”

          “Child sexual exploitation is an alarming problem in our society,” said Special Agent in Charge Quinn.  “The Secret Service is committed to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute these predators.”

          Ryan J. Vallee, 21, of Franklin, New Hampshire, was charged by indictment with 10 counts of making interstate threats, two counts of computer hacking to steal information, seven counts of computer hacking to extort and seven counts of aggravated identity theft.  Vallee is scheduled to make his initial appearance at 4:30 p.m. EDT in the District of New Hampshire.

          According to the indictment, from 2012 through November 2013, Vallee, using various aliases that included “Seth Williams” and “James McRow,” engaged in a computer hacking and “sextortion” campaign designed to coerce numerous minor females to provide him with sexually explicit photographs of themselves.  He allegedly hacked into and took control of the girls’ online accounts – including their e-mail, Facebook and Instagram accounts – and threatened to delete the accounts, and defaced the contents of some of the accounts.  Vallee also allegedly hacked into the girls’ Amazon.com accounts and, using their stored payment card information and shipping addresses, ordered items of a sexual nature and had them shipped to the girls’ homes.  Vallee also allegedly obtained sexually explicit photographs of the girls and their friends and distributed them to others.

          The indictment alleges that, in conjunction with his harassment campaign, Vallee sent communications to his victims, usually using a text message spoofing or anonymizing service, threatening to continue his attacks unless the victims provided sexually explicit photographs of themselves.  The indictment alleges that, when victims refused to comply with Vallee’s demands and begged him to leave them alone, Vallee responded with threats to inflict additional harm.

          The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations.  A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

          The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, with substantial assistance from the Belmont, New Hampshire, Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky and Trial Attorney Sumon Dantiki of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen of the District of New Hampshire.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – William M. Richmond, 59, formerly of Atkinson, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to three counts of tax evasion for failing to report substantial illicit income he received from a wire fraud scheme from 2006 through 2008, reports Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          From on or about May 18, 2005, through in and around April 2009, Richmond held a durable power of attorney to act for the benefit of Richard Piller.  It gave him plenary power to manage Piller’s personal and business financial interests and obligations while Piller and his then wife, Joan Ettelson Piller (Ettelson), were out of the country for extended periods.  Richmond used the Power of Attorney to perpetrate a wire fraud scheme through which he used Piller’s and Ettelson’s funds to pay his personal and business expenses.  Richmond failed to disclose that criminally derived income on his tax returns for 2006, 2007, and 2008, and he failed to list the substantial additional taxes he owed for each year based on that income.  Instead, Richmond falsely claimed that his only income was taxable interest and that he owed no taxes for each of the three years.

          Richmond is facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.  Under the terms of a plea agreement, Richmond will also be ordered to pay restitution of an amount to be determined by the court to Richard Piller and Joan Ettelson.  A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 3, 2015.

          This case was investigated by special agents of the FBI and the IRS – Criminal Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced today that a federal Grand Jury has returned a five-count indictment against Tony Aoude, 44, of Derry, New Hampshire that charges him with various offenses related to the sales of synthetic cannabinoid products.

          The indictment charges Aoude with Distributing a Controlled Substance (AB-FUBINACA), Conspiracy to Violate the Travel Act, and Conspiracy to Receive Misbranded Products, as well as separate violations the federal Travel Act and the federal misbranding statute.

          According to the indictment, in 2013 and 2014 Aoude sold synthetic cannabinoid products at stores in Londonderry and Hooksett, New Hampshire.  The indictment alleges that the products contained XLR11 and AB-FUBINACA, which are illegal controlled substances.  The indictment alleges that these products were sold in packages with false and misleading labels that stated that the products were “not for human consumption” or were “legal in 50 states.”  Additionally, the indictment alleges that Aoude was advised by a co-conspirator that the products were unlawful in Florida.  According to the indictment, Aoude and a co-conspirator arranged to sell quantities of synthetic cannabinoids to individuals who planned to sell the products in Florida.

          Synthetic cannabinoids are green leafy materials that have been sprayed with chemicals.  These products (commonly referred to as “spice” or “K2”) are often marketed as incense or potpourri.  As in this case, the packaging materials often contain attractive logos that are designed to appeal to young people.  Although the products are often identified as “not for human consumption,” the products are smoked in order to obtain a high.  The chemicals that are sprayed on the products to produce the high are often illegal controlled substances or analogues of illegal controlled substances.  The ingestion of these types of illegal products has caused some users to experience a variety of medical side effects and has led to numerous hospitalizations.

          An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled.

          The charge of distributing controlled substances is subject to a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.  The misbranding charge is subject to a maximum penalty of three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  The remaining three charges each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

          The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations.  A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

          This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad led the investigation in collaboration with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations.  The investigators also received the invaluable assistance of DEA-NH/HIDTA and DEA’s Air Wing, the New Hampshire and Massachusetts State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, Portsmouth Police Department, Somersworth Police Department, Kingston Police Department, the Dover Police Department, the Londonderry Police Department, and the York and Kittery, Maine Police Departments.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

WASHINGTON – A Vietnamese national was sentenced to 13 years in prison for hacking into U.S. businesses’ computers, stealing personally identifiably information (PII), and selling to other cybercriminals his fraudulently-obtained access to PII belonging to approximately 200 million U.S. citizens.

          Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith of the District of New Hampshire and Director Joseph P. Clancy of the U.S. Secret Service made the announcement.

          Hieu Minh Ngo, 25, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro of the District of New Hampshire.  Ngo previously pleaded guilty to federal charges brought in the District of New Hampshire and the District of New Jersey, including wire fraud, identity fraud, access device fraud and four counts of computer fraud and abuse.

          “From his home in Vietnam, Ngo used Internet marketplaces to offer for sale millions of stolen identities of U.S. citizens to more than a thousand cyber criminals scattered throughout the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “Criminals buy and sell stolen identity information because they see it as a low-risk, high-reward proposition.  Identifying and prosecuting cybercriminals like Ngo is one of the ways we're working to change that cost-benefit analysis.”

          “This case demonstrates that identity theft is a worldwide threat that has the potential to touch every one of us,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Feith.  “I want to acknowledge the excellent work of the United States Secret Service in identifying and capturing Mr. Ngo.  This case proves that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire will work with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute identity thieves, even if they are halfway around the world.”

          “The sentencing of this transnational cybercriminal illustrates another example of Secret Service success in the disruption and dismantling of global criminal networks,” said Director Clancy.  “This investigation and the resulting prosecution and sentencing should serve as a warning to criminals that we will relentlessly investigate, detect, and defend the Nation’s financial infrastructure.  This sentencing joins a long list of successes in combating financial crimes over our 150 year history.”

          According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, from 2007 to 2013, Ngo operated online marketplaces from his home in Vietnam, including “superget.info” and “findget.me,” to sell packages of stolen PII.  These packages, known as “fullz,” typically included a person’s name, date of birth, social security number, bank account number and bank routing number.  Ngo also admitted to acquiring and offering for sale stolen payment card data, which typically included the victim’s payment card number, expiration date, CVV number, name, address and phone number.  Ngo admitted that he obtained some of the stolen PII by hacking into a New Jersey-based business and stealing customer information.

          In addition to selling the “fullz,” Ngo admitted to offering buyers the ability to query online databases for the stolen PII of specific individuals.  Specifically, Ngo admitted that he offered access to PII for 200 million U.S. citizens, and that more than 1,300 customers from around the world conducted more than three million “queries” through the third-party databases maintained on his websites.

          Ngo made nearly $2 million from his scheme.  The Internal Revenue Service has confirmed that 13,673 U.S. citizens, whose stolen PII was sold on Ngo’s websites, have been victimized through the filing of $65 million in fraudulent individual income tax returns.

          The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service’s Manchester Resident Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen of the District of New Hampshire.

          The case out of the District of New Jersey was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of New Jersey.

CONCORD, N.H. – Jae Won Lee, 38, of Rockville, Maryland, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing others to make false statements on visa applications filed with the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, reports Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Lee worked with an emigration company in Seoul, South Korea, that helped South Koreans obtain employment-based visas to immigrate to the United States.  From in and around March 2008, through in and around December 2014, Lee recruited various U.S. employers, including Wallace Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a The Cleaning Authority, a company in Falls Church, Virginia, to file various documents falsely representing to the United States government that they would hire certain visa applicants if the applicants received employment-based visas, when, in actuality, no positions were available for the applicants.  Lee told some employers they were not required to hire the applicants and he paid or offered to pay some employers for filing false documents.

          Lee also falsely informed visa applicants that Wallace or other employers would hire them if they were granted visas.  That caused the applicants to unwittingly file Applications for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration with the National Visa Center that contained materially false information identifying Wallace and other companies as the U.S. employers who would hire them if they were issued visas.  Lee’s actions resulted in applicants receiving employment-based visas when there was no job waiting for them in the United States.

          Lee is facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.  A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 3, 2015.

          This case was investigated by the offices of the Inspectors General for the Department of State and the Department of Labor.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Jeffrey Leblanc, 28, of North Hampton, New Hampshire, pled guilty on Friday in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          On August 26, 2014, a search warrant was executed at Leblanc’s residence in North Hampton, New Hampshire.  A computer was seized, which was later found to contain approximately 30 videos of child pornography.  During an on-scene interview, Leblanc admitted that he had downloaded child pornography to his personal computer.

          Leblanc is scheduled for sentencing in October 2015, and faces a maximum prison term of 20 years, to be followed by no less than 5 years of supervised release, lifetime sex offender registration, and a fine of up to $250,000.

          The case was investigated by the North Hampton Police Department, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security (Homeland Security Investigations), the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NH ICAC), and the Salem Police Department.  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 combines 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.

CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced today that Todd Burke, 52, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 28 months in prison by the United States District Court.  The court’s sentence was less than the otherwise applicable guideline of 46 months based on the court’s findings that Burke did not profit from his criminal activity, that he was unlikely to recidivate, and that he lacked a criminal history.

          Burke pleaded guilty on March 28, 2015, to attempted possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

          According to documents filed in federal court, federal agents located a pallet of boxes that contained approximately 263 kilograms (approximately 579 pounds) of marijuana in Vermont in September of 2014.  Agents learned that the marijuana was scheduled to be delivered to a business in Peterborough, New Hampshire.  Burke was arrested on September 24, 2014, after he traveled to Peterborough and attempted to take possession of the marijuana.  Agents later recovered additional quantities of marijuana and hashish at Burke’s residence in Fitchburg.

          In addition to the 28 months of incarceration, Burke was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence.  During the period of supervised release, Burke’s behavior will be monitored by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office.  Burke also agreed to forfeit his interest in a piece of real estate in Fitchburg to the United States.

          This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fitchburg Police Department and the Peterborough Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

CONCORD, N.H. – Nickolas Oliva, 27, of Dover, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to being an unlawful user in possession of a firearm and possession of stolen firearms, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          On December 20, 2013, the Dover Police Department learned that several of Oliva’s grandfather’s firearms were missing.  A subsequent investigation revealed that the defendant had taken several firearms, without the permission of his grandfather and sold the firearms to third parties. Upon speaking with law enforcement, the defendant subsequently admitted that he took the guns from his grandfather's safe, without his permission, and sold them.   The defendant further admitted that he had an addiction to narcotics and that he sold the guns to get money for drugs.  Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) were able to recover many of the firearms.

          "The federal firearms laws are designed to ensure that firearms do not fall into the hands of those prohibited from having them," stated Acting United States Attorney Don Feith.  "We will continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who violate the firearms laws by delivering weapons to prohibited persons.  I want to congratulate the ATF for its excellent work in this case.”

          Oliva faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment.  Oliva is scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2015.  Oliva was released pending sentencing.

          The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dover Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

CONCORD, N.H. – Jason Martinez, 20, of Methuen, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 48 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to make a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  Upon his release, Martinez will be placed on three years of supervised release which is monitored by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office.

          Beginning in August 2014, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Boston were involved in an investigation of the illegal purchase and sale of firearms.  During the investigation, ATF agents utilized an informant (CI-1) to purchase firearms from Martinez.

          Martinez and others solicited a co-conspirator to purchase firearms because the co-conspirator possessed a New Hampshire identification and could provide that identification to the federal firearms licensee making the sale.  Using money provided by Martinez, the co-conspirator purchased, on four separate occasions between October 31, 2014 through November 8, 2014, nine firearms for Martinez and others.  On November 26, 2014, the co-conspirator attempted to purchase, with money provided by Martinez, three additional firearms but was denied because ATF was alerted to the purchase.  During each of the firearm purchases, the co-conspirator falsely claimed that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms when in reality he was purchasing the firearms for Martinez and others. 

          “This case is a classic example of the results that can be obtained when good investigative work is coupled with aggressive prosecution,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.  “By refusing to be satisfied with investigating only the purchaser of these firearms, the ATFE was able to identify and arrest the defendant, who was the money man selling on the street the guns he illegally obtained.  Our office is committed to pursuing these “lie and buy” cases to identify and prosecute those who would trade in the illegal transfer of firearms.”

          The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced that Robert Codjoe, 54, of Piscataway, New Jersey, was sentenced today to one year of probation, six months of home confinement, and a $2,000 fine for committing passport fraud.

          In November 1998, Codjoe applied for and was issued a U.S. passport in the name “Robert Codjoe.”  In November 2000, he applied for and was issued a U.S. passport in the name “Robert Codjoe Nii.”  Consequently, for many years, Codjoe maintained two United States passports each bearing his photograph, but issued under different names, different social security numbers, and different dates of birth.  In July 2009, Codjoe renewed the passport issued in the name “Robert Codjoe” by filing a passport renewal application with the National Passport Center located in Portsmouth, N.H.  In June 2011, he attempted to renew the passport issued in the name “Robert Codjoe Nii” by filing a passport renewal application with the National Passport Center.  That application contained several false statements, including Codjoe’s name and date of birth.

          The National Passport Center referred Codjoe’s renewal application for investigation.  The investigation uncovered Condjoe’s fraud and resulted in a federal grand jury indicting him for passport fraud in March 2014.  Codjoe pleaded guilty on February 25, 2015.

          This case was investigated by Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. State Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Donald Feith, Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, announced that James Whinnem, 34, formerly of Manchester, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Landya B. McCafferty in Concord to a three count information charging him with one count of robbery affecting interstate commerce in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951, and two counts of bank robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).

          According to court documents and statements made in court, Whinnem robbed a gas station convenience store at knife point in Manchester, New Hampshire on November 16, 2014.  Two days later, while apparently unarmed, Whinnem robbed a bank in Manchester by passing a demand note to the teller.  Two days after that, he robbed another bank, this time in Dover, also while unarmed and by passing a demand note to the teller.  Following the wide-spread publication of bank video surveillance footage on local New Hampshire news, authorities identified Whinnem from multiple sources.  New Hampshire State Police located and arrested Whinnem on November 30, 2014 in the area of Claremont, NH.  He has remained in custody on a New Hampshire state parole violation since that date.

          Whinnem is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge McCafferty on October 6, 2015 at 2:00 p.m., at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years on each count of conviction, up to three years’ supervised release, and an order of restitution.

          This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manchester Police Department, and the Dover Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Matthew Ireland, 36, of Manchester, New Hampshire, appeared in United States District Court today and entered a guilty plea to one count of bank robbery announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Ireland walked into a TD Bank in Manchester, New Hampshire, on January 31, 2015 wearing a black ski mask, a hood, sunglasses, and dark clothing. He demanded money from two tellers and made off with a quantity of stolen funds.

          The defendant was apprehended the same day near the Manchester/Bedford town line. When Manchester and Bedford Police attempted to initiate a traffic stop of Ireland’s vehicle, he led them on a brief chase. After crashing his car into a median, he fled on foot but surrendered shortly thereafter, dropping to his knees, reaching into his pockets, and throwing a large sum of cash into the road. Manchester Police recovered most of the stolen money and found clothing consistent with that worn during the robbery in Ireland’s vehicle. Ireland – who faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $250,000 – will be detained pending sentencing, which is presently scheduled for October 7, 2015.

          “The successful resolution of this bank robbery is due to the great investigative work of the Manchester Police and the Bedford Police and the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” stated Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  “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 dangerous crimes.”

          This case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, the Bedford Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana Konesky.

          CONCORD, N.H. –Walter Morton, 49, of Laconia, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to three counts of Social Security Fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          In June 2009, Morton began receiving Social Security disability benefits.  He also began receiving Child’s Insurance Benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) on behalf of two minor children, his biological daughter and his former stepson, serving as their representative payee.  In this role, Morton was responsible for using the benefits he received on behalf of the children for their current needs, such as food, clothing, housing, and medical care.

          On three separate occasions between August 2010 and December 2012, Morton advised SSA that the children resided with him and that he used the benefit payments he received as their representative payee for the children’s care and support.  An investigation conducted by SSA’s Office of the Inspector General, however, revealed that the children had not lived with Morton since 2003 and he had not used their benefits for their current needs.  Morton’s concealment of the true residency of the children and his failure to use the benefits for their care and support caused him to fraudulently receive $58,459.70 in Child’s Insurance Benefits payments.

          “My office will continue to work closely with the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration to identify and prosecute those individuals who steal from the Social Security Fund by making false claims for benefits,” stated Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  “Benefit programs exist so that those in need may receive the financial assistance necessary to survive.  Those who engage in fraud to obtain benefits threaten the financial security of those citizens legitimately entitled to benefits.  I thank the OIG for its excellent investigative work in this case.”

          Morton is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2015.  He is facing a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment on each of the three counts.  He was released on conditions pending sentencing.  

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

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced that James Oberfeldt, 31, of Claremont, New Hampshire, appeared in United States District Court today and pled guilty to robbing three banks in October and November of 2013 in violation of federal law.

          Oberfeldt pled guilty to robbing the One Credit Union in Claremont, New Hampshire on October 11, 2013, The Lake Sunapee Bank in Lebanon, New Hampshire on November 20, 2013 and the Claremont Savings Bank in Claremont, New Hampshire on November 26, 2013.  In each of the bank robberies, Oberfeldt wore a dark face mask and carried an air pistol which appeared to be an automatic handgun.

          The defendant was identified after being arrested in Massachusetts on December 7, 2013 on other charges after a traffic stop.  At the time of his arrest, Massachusetts State Police recovered an air pistol, dark ski mask and several items of clothing in the car driven by Oberfeldt.  The clothes and gun were consistent with those of the bank robber, as seen on a surveillance video from the Claremont Savings Bank.  Finger prints taken from the door of that bank were tested by the FBI’s Forensic Laboratory and found to match Oberfeldt’s.

          The defendant faces a maximum prison term of twenty years on each count and will be sentenced on October 5, 2015.

          This case was investigated by the Claremont Police Department, the Lebanon Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police and the Holyoke, Massachusetts Police.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation aided in the investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Brian Sorrentino, 36, of Newmarket, was sentenced on Thursday, June 25, 2015 in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on one count of possessing child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  The Court imposed a term of 30 month’s imprisonment and five years of supervised release.

          The investigation into Sorrentino began in 2008, when the Portsmouth Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security traced internet activity involving child pornography back to Sorrentino’s residence.  When Portsmouth detectives approached Sorrentino at his home, he admitted to possessing images of child pornography, hundreds of which were subsequently found during a forensic analysis of Sorrentino’s computer.

          The case was investigated by the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department in conjunction with the the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force (NH ICAC), and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.  This 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

CONCORD, N.H. – A former private in the New Hampshire National Guard and a current resident of Plaistow, New Hampshire, Eric L. Evers, was sentenced to two years’ probation for stealing a firearm from the New Hampshire National Guard Armory in Manchester, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          According to documents filed in United States District Court, Evers, 34, joined the National Guard in December 2009.  While participating in a quarterly inspection and maintenance of firearms at the National Guard Armory in Manchester on March 9, 2014, Evers concealed a 9mm Berretta pistol in his pants pocket, left the armory, and hid the pistol in his truck.  When Evers returned to the armory, a thorough search for the pistol was being conducted by other guardsmen.  This caused Evers to leave the armory, remove the pistol from his truck and bury it in a snowbank near an entrance to the armory’s parking lot, where it was found by another guardsman three days later.

          The case was investigated by the U.S. Army, Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Manchester Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Kinsella.

CONCORD, N.H. – Leonardo Almonte-Ramirez, 31, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 33 months in prison for distributing cocaine, and possessing cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin with the intent to distribute it, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          In May 2013, detectives from the Nashua Police Department conducted a controlled purchase of cocaine from the defendant.  During a subsequent search of the vehicle from which that transaction occurred, officers located a sophisticated electronic hidden compartment concealing quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin; $2,008 in cash; and the social security card and permanent resident card of Leonardo Almonte-Ramirez.

          This prosecution arose from an investigation by the police departments of Nashua and Hudson, New Hampshire, in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

WASHINGTON – A Hill, New Hampshire, man pleaded guilty today to three counts of tax evasion in the U.S. District Court in the District of New Hampshire, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith of the District of New Hampshire.

          Ronald Martin formerly owned and operated Martin Construction in Northfield, New Hampshire, and employed between three to eight individuals at various times.  In 2008, 2009 and 2010, Martin’s business earned a total of approximately $1.2 million in gross revenue, but Martin did not file any federal corporate or individual income tax returns for Martin Construction or for himself and did not pay any federal income tax in any of those years.  Martin took steps to conceal the business revenue by directing that payments and invoices for selling scrap metal be made in the name of his nephew.  He also only deposited a small fraction of the income earned from Martin Construction into the business’ bank account.  Instead, he diverted a significant portion of the business income for personal expenditures.  In addition to failing to file tax returns and to pay individual and business income taxes, Martin also failed to file any federal employment tax returns or pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) any federal employment taxes for any of his employees.

          A federal grand jury in the District of New Hampshire indicted Martin on three counts of tax evasion in July 2014.  Martin faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on each tax evasion count.  Martin’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20.  Martin currently is detained on unrelated pending state criminal charges.

          Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and Acting U.S. Attorney Feith commended the special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman of the District of New Hampshire and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Luis Ruiz-Aguillon, of Mexico, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to eight months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.   

          Court documents establish that the Londonderry Police stopped a vehicle containing four occupants for speeding at 2:45 a.m. on December 7, 2014.  The driver of the vehicle presented the police with a driver’s license issued in Mexico.  Two of the passengers provided Mexican voter identification cards and the fourth passenger did not have any identification.  The Londonderry Police called the Department of Homeland Security for assistance in identifying the occupants of the vehicle.  Agents of the Department’s Enforcement and Removal section of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement responded to the scene and obtained admissions from the occupants that each was illegally present in the United States.

          Fingerprint comparisons identified Ruiz-Aguillon as having been previously deported from Texas in 2003, 2006 and 2009.  On December 19, 2014, Ruiz-Aguillon was charged with illegal reentry after having been previously deported.  Ruiz-Aguillon pled guilty to the charges on March 12, 2015.

          “Our office will continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who repeatedly violate our immigration laws by reentering the United States after having been deported,” said Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  “The path to citizenship does not include an avenue for those who flout the legal procedures for entering the country after having been deported.”

          The case was investigated by the Londonderry Police and agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega.

CONCORD, N.H. – Tiffany Ramos, 26, of Manchester, was arrested on a complaint charging her with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  The complaint affidavit alleges that Ms. Ramos met with a confidential source on three separate occasions and sold the confidential source a total of 50 grams of a substance which field tested positive for heroin.  On the day Ms. Ramos was arrested, she had concealed in her bra approximately 125 grams of a controlled substance which field tested positive for opiates. Ms. Ramos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.  Ms. Ramos was detained pending a show cause hearing scheduled for July 13, 2015.

          Hector Bienvenido Mateo-Beltre was also arrested on a complaint charging him with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  At the time of his arrest, Mr. Beltre was in possession of approximately 200 grams of a controlled substance which field tested positive for opiates. Mr. Beltre faces a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment.  He was detained pending a preliminary hearing.

          Acting United States Attorney Feith reminds the public that a complaint merely alleges that a crime has been committed and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

          The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

CONCORD, N.H. – Jerry Marino, 71 of Odessa, Florida was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 46 months in prison for a fraud scheme that involved the submission of fraudulent information to insurance companies, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          The death benefit from a high value life insurance policy is usually between $5 million and $10 million.  To purchase a policy, a person must be at least 70 years old and have a personal financial net worth that is at least equal to the policy’s death benefit.  The premiums for a policy cost several hundred thousand dollars per year.  For each high value policy he sold, an insurance agent in Manchester, Colin Lindsey, received a commission that was approximately equal to the policy’s annual premium.

          While managing a real estate trust in Florida in 2006, Marino agreed to refer applicants for high value policies to Lindsey.  In exchange, Lindsey agreed to pay Marino for each policy he sold to a person who was referred to him by Marino.

          In 2006 and 2007, Marino provided documents to Lindsey that fraudulently stated that residential and commercial properties in the real estate trust had a collective value of more than $500 million, and that 41 different people owned approximately 4 percent of the trust.  Marino knew the properties were worth substantially less than $500 million.  He also knew that all 41 owners of the trust were people of modest financial means who were not financially eligible to buy high value policies.

          As a result, fourteen high value policies were issued, Lindsey received commissions totaling more than $6.5 million, and Marino received referral fees totaling approximately $2.4 million.  The fees were paid by checks that were mailed to Florida and through the electronic transfers of funds from a bank account in New Hampshire to bank accounts in Florida.

          The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Kinsella.

          CONCORD –Roberto Gracia, 41, of Manchester, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to conspiracy to distribute heroin and conspiracy to unlawfully possess cocaine with the intent to distribute, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Between May 5, 2014 and June 11, 2014, the FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force, utilizing a cooperating source, made a series of six heroin purchases from the defendant or a co-conspirator at Gracia’s former residence located at 173 Belmont Street, Manchester. The total amount of heroin sold was in excess of 100 grams.

          Gracia also pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. During the investigation, Gracia conspired with another individual to purchase approximately ten kilograms of cocaine for $37,000 per kilogram from undercover FBI agents who posed as large scale cocaine traffickers from Miami, Florida. Gracia was arrested in Manchester on July 2, 2014 after he and his co-conspirator met with the undercover agents in a hotel parking lot in Manchester to take possession of the cocaine from the rear of an undercover FBI vehicle. Subsequently, approximately $115,000 in cash was located in a vehicle utilized by Gracia and his co-conspirator during the transaction.          

          A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 29, 2015.  Gracia faces a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison on the heroin conspiracy and a maximum sentence of life in prison on the cocaine conspiracy.

          The FBI’s New Hampshire Safe Streets Gangs Task Force is comprised of members of the FBI, Manchester Police Department, Hudson Police Department, Nashua Police Department, New Hampshire State Police, and the New Hampshire Department of Corrections Probation and Parole. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis is prosecuting this case.

          CONCORD, N.H. –Craig Luksza, 34, of Chichester, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to Social Security Fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          In July 2010, Luksza began receiving Social Security disability benefits.  Shortly after he applied for benefits in December 2009, however, Luksza returned to work full-time for a construction company.  Luksza’s income from this job would have rendered him ineligible to receive disability benefits.  Luksza did not report this work activity to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, in fact, in December 2013, he falsely told SSA that he had not worked since December 2008.  In July 2014, Luksza admitted to investigators that he concealed his work activity and income from SSA.  As a result of his concealment, Luksza received disability benefits that he would not have received if Social Security had been aware of his actual work activity and income.  The government alleges that Luksza fraudulently received $71,180.50 in disability benefits.

          “Program benefits fraud is a high enforcement priority for this office and one we are uniquely positioned to prosecute,” Acting U.S. Attorney Feith said.  “Many citizens rely on the assistance provided by benefit programs such as Social Security disability benefits to meet their daily needs.  Those who cheat the system jeopardize the financial security of their fellow citizens who are legitimately receiving such benefits, and threaten the fiscal stability of the entire program.  We will work hard to identify the cheaters, prosecute them, and make sure that they are ordered to repay the benefits they received through fraud.”

          Luksza is facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 2015.  He was released on conditions pending sentencing.       

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

CONCORD, N.H. – Jose M. Camara, Jr., 29, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to conspiracy to make a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm and making false statements during the acquisition of firearms, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Beginning in August 2014, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Boston were involved in an investigation of the illegal purchase and sale of firearms.  During the investigation, ATF agents utilized an informant (CI-1) to purchase firearms from Jason Martinez.  Martinez has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm and is awaiting sentencing.

          Martinez and others solicited Camara to purchase firearms because Camara possessed a New Hampshire identification and could provide that identification to the federal firearms licensee making the sale.  Camara agreed to purchase the firearms for Martinez and others.  From October 31, 2014 through November 8, 2014, on three separate occasions, Camara purchased eight firearms in New Hampshire.  On November 26, 2014, Camara attempted to purchase three additional firearms but was denied because ATF was alerted to the purchase.  During each of the firearm purchases, Camara falsely claimed that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms when in reality he was purchasing the firearms for Martinez and others.

          “The illegal purchase of firearms thwarts the regulatory system that was put in place to ensure that firearms do not end up in the hands of those individuals prohibited from possessing firearms” stated Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  “This case demonstrates this office’s commitment to work with law enforcement to investigate and to prosecute those who facilitate the illegal possession of firearms.  If you lie and buy, you will be prosecuted.”

          Camara faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment.  Camara is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22, 2015.  Camara was detained pending sentencing.

          The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

CONCORD, N.H. – Misty Maciejewski, 35, of Northfield, has pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to health care fraud, that involved the theft of more than $29,000 from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          The Veterans Health Administration pays for more than 8.7 million honorably discharged to receive medical treatment and other benefits for their service related injuries and illnesses at VA and non-VA medical facilities.  To obtain these benefits, a veteran submits an application to the VHA.  In this document, the veteran is required to state the dates of her military service and combat duty, and a description of her service related illness or injury.

          In an application for health benefits Maciejewski submitted to the VHA on October 3, 2012, she falsely claimed to be a veteran of the U.S. Army and that she was honorably discharged after serving in combat.  The application was mistakenly approved by the VHA due to an administrative error.

          While living in Massachusetts after the application was approved, Maciejewski fraudulently received VHA benefits totaling $8,154.58 which were paid to a half-way house in Boston and applied to medical services she received from the VA hospital in Boston.

          After Maciejewski moved to Northfield in July 2013, she fraudulently received VHA benefits totaling $21,287.55 which were paid to non-VA medical services providers and applied to medical services she received from the VA hospital in Manchester.

          “Veteran benefits programs exist to provide services needed by those who have put on the uniform in defense of our country,” Acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith stated.“Our office will continue to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who seek to defraud these programs and thus deprive true veterans of the funds they need.”

          Maciejewski is schedule to be sentenced on September 28, 2015. She is facing up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

          The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Vicki Trudell, of Lebanon, Maine, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to twelve months in prison and two years of supervised release for bank and credit card fraud. Trudell was also ordered to pay restitution of $183,963.75, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

            Based on documents on file with the court, Trudell admitted that between December 2010 and December 2011 she served as a bookkeeper for a small New Hampshire business of six to eight employees.  During that period, Trudell issued unauthorized checks to herself and engaged in unauthorized use of the business’ debit card to convert company funds to her personal use.  Trudell’s thefts were discovered when the business hired a financial controller to oversee the business finances, at which time Trudell’s thefts were discovered and the matter was referred to state authorities and ultimately to federal authorities.  Trudell pled guilty to the charges on February 20, 2015.

            The case was investigated by the Hampton Police Department,  the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Secret Service.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced that Carlos Peres-Ovando, of Honduras, pled guilty today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported. Peres-Ovando was sentenced to time served and will once again face deportation.

          Documents filed with the United States District Court established that Peres-Ovando was working at the El Tapatia restaurant in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Agents with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement located Peres-Ovando at the restaurant on March 25, 2015.   Peres-Ovando initially denied that he was Carlos Peres-Ovando, but subsequently admitted his true identity and citizenship to the agents. A fingerprint comparison identified Peres-Ovando as having previously been deported in 2006 from Texas, in 2013 from Louisiana, and in 2014 from Texas.

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

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Raul Fernando Lora, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to fifty-four months in prison and three years of supervised for illegally reentered the United States after having been previously deported, false representation of a social security number, and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  Lora pled guilty to the charges on January 29, 2015.

          Documents filed with the United States District Court established that Lora was deported from the United States on July 2, 2013.  On May 9, 2014, Lora was stopped by a New Hampshire State Trooper for motor vehicle violations.  Lora produced a Massachusetts driver’s license in the name of Junior Currasco.  A records check revealed that the driver’s license was suspended and Lora was placed under arrest.  A fingerprint comparison revealed that the fingerprints matched the 2012 deportation records for Lora.  A criminal records check revealed that Lora had been convicted in previously convicted in federal court in Massachusetts for stealing the Currasco identity.        

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

          CONCORD – Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced today that Santiago Marino Reyes-Lara, a/k/a Jean Carlos Sotomayor-Venerio, 27, of Lawrence, Massachusetts pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and heroin.  Reyes-Lara appeared before United States District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to enter his guilty plea.

          According to documents that were filed in United States District Court, Reyes-Lara was arrested in Nashua on April 22, 2014 after a vehicle he was operating was found to contain 22 grams of cocaine base (“crack”) and 6.5 grams of heroin. The drugs were hidden in a tire jack.

          Reyes-Lara’s arrest was part of a long term investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Nashua and Hudson, New Hampshire Police Departments into the trafficking of cocaine base (“crack”), cocaine and heroin in and around Nashua and Hudson, New Hampshire areas by Lawrence, Massachusetts-based narcotics traffickers.  As a result of the four year investigation, sixteen individuals, including Reyes-Lara, were arrested, and approximately $60,000 and multiple vehicles were seized, many of which contained electronic hidden compartments to transport the narcotics into New Hampshire. Narcotics seizures included approximately 1,000 grams of cocaine, 300 grams of heroin, and 200 grams of cocaine base (“crack”).

          "Our office will continue to work with local, state and federal law enforcement to identify, investigate and prosecute drug traffickers," stated  Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  "This case demonstrates the excellent results that can be achieved when we combine our resources to take those individuals who would profit from the sale of drugs off the streets."

          A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 8, 2015.  Reyes-Lara faces a maximum sentence of twenty years.  He is subject to the advisory sentencing guidelines which will likely generate a sentencing range that is less than twenty years.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Ruberky Antonio Romero-Mejia, 37, of the Dominican Republic, pled guilty on May 29, 2015 to a one-count indictment charging him with illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  As part of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire’s fast track program, Romero-Mejia was sentenced to time served and immediately turned over to immigration officials for deportation.   Romero-Mejia had been incarcerated since his arrest by immigration officials.

          On February 11, 2015, the New Hampshire State Police contacted agents of the Department of Homeland Security concerning an individual who was trying to obtain a New Hampshire identification card under the name Joel Salome-Ortiz.  Salome-Ortiz presented altered and inconsistent documents at the Salem office of the Department of Motor Vehicles in support of his attempt to obtain the identification card.  Salome-Ortiz was interviewed by immigration officials and agreed to provide a set of digital fingerprints.  The digital fingerprints did not match any individual in the DHS’s database and DHS agents noticed that Salome-Ortiz’s fingers appeared to have been scarred and the skin re-sewn.   Salome-Ortiz was arrested by state officials on unsworn falsification and tampering with public records charges.  The following day, DHS agents obtained a set of inked fingerprints from Salome-Ortiz and they were matched to Ruberky Antonio Romero-Mejia after analysis by DHS lab personnel who specialize in analyzing altered fingertips.  Romero-Mejia had been previously deported in March 2010.

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

          CONCORD – Two New York City men, who previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain high value life insurance policies for the purpose of selling those policies to third party investors, have been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.  The scheme, which related to Stranger Originated Life Insurance (“STOLI”) policies, allowed the defendants to earn substantial commissions from the insurance companies issuing the policies based on the false information provided by the defendants.

          According to documents filed in the United States District Court and other documents in the public record, Robert Wertheim and Abraham Kirschenbaum, both of New York, admitted that they conspired with others to identify elderly individuals interested in purchasing high value life insurance policies at no cost.  Wertheim and Kirschenbaum conspired with others to provide false information on multi-million dollar life insurance policies to induce insurance companies to issue the policies, including but not limited to materially false information as to the assets held by and net worth of the insureds, whether or not the insureds intended to finance the cost of the substantial premiums associated with such policies, and whether the insureds intended to assign the beneficial interest in the policy to third parties.  Some of the policies issued based upon the false representations were issued by a New Hampshire insurance company, Lincoln National Life Insurance Company.

          Kirschenbaum and Wertheim, who faced a maximum prison sentence of 5 years in federal prison, were both sentenced to 18 months based on their substantial assistance to the government in its ongoing investigation of others. Additionally, Kirschenbaum was ordered to forfeit $1,000,000. 

          “Fraudulent life insurance procurement schemes pervert the market for life insurance policies,” said Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  “By conspiring with others to infect the life insurance market with these fraudulently obtained policies, the defendant skewed the normal operation of life insurance and put insurers at substantial risk from the losses that could be incurred relating to such policies.  Our office’s investigation of this practice is ongoing.”

          The United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation of this case.

          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Carlos Gomez-Lopez, of Mexico, pled guilty to a one-count indictment alleging that he illegally reentered the United States after having been previously deported, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  He was sentenced immediately and will be deported.

          The Nashua Police Department arrested Gomez-Lopez in January 2015 for operating without a license.  At the time of his arrest, Gomez-Lopez identified himself as Esau Gomez-Lopez.  The Nashua Police submitted Gomez-Lopez’s fingerprints for analysis and the fingerprint matched Department of Homeland Security records for Carlos Gomez-Lopez.  The records maintained by DHS established that Gomez-Lopez had been deported from the United States to Mexico on five previous occasions – June 2004, September 2004, November 2012, and twice in December 2012. 

          Gomez-Lopez was arrested in Nashua by DHS agents on March 11, 2015.  He was indicted in by a grand jury for the District of New Hampshire on March 25, 2015.  Gomez-Lopez pled guilty to knowingly reentering the United States after having previously having been deported to his native Mexico and was sentenced to time served since his arrest on March 30, 2015.   He is in the custody of immigration officials and will be deported.

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

CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced today that Nana Baffoe, 62, was arrested on Tuesday for making false statements in an attempt to buy firearms.

          According to an affidavit supporting a criminal complaint filed in federal court, Baffoe entered the United States from Canada at a border crossing on May 18, 2015.  A few days later, he met with a firearms dealer in Nashua, New Hampshire and sought to purchase 100 handguns.  Under federal law, a firearms dealer can only sell handguns to a resident of the state where the dealer is located.  According to the affidavit, Baffoe filled out paperwork that falsely stated that he was a resident of Manchester, New Hampshire.  Baffoe also provided the dealer with a cashier’s check in the amount of $30,500 to purchase the guns.  Information obtained by investigators showed that Baffoe did not live at the Manchester address that he provided and that he had been residing in Canada.

          Baffoe appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone on Wednesday and was ordered detained temporarily pending a hearing that has been scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on June 1, 2015.

          The charges contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  The crime with which Baffoe is charged carries a sentence of up to ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

          The investigation is continuing.

          This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Manchester Police Department, Nashua Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

CONCORD, N.H. – Joshua Starr, 29, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on federal weapon possession charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  The Court imposed a term of fifteen months’ imprisonment, to be served consecutive to Starr’s current prison sentence.

          During a routine search in August 2014, correctional officers discovered on Starr’s person a six-inch piece of wood sharpened into a stabbing weapon.  Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith stated, “The safety of federal correctional officers and inmates is threatened whenever an inmate possesses a weapon in the facility.  Our office will continue to work with the Bureau of Prisons by prosecuting those inmates who fashion or possess a weapon within the prison walls.  Prosecuting these cases helps make New Hampshire’s only federal correctional facility a safer place for both staff and inmates.”

          This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

CONCORD, N.H. – Mohamed Alam,  62, of North Andover, Massachusetts,  and Murshed Salam, 47, of Salem, New Hampshire, each plead guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to selling synthetic cannabinoids announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  Alam and Salam were selling synthetic cannabinoids under the brand names “Crazy Monkey,” “Sexy Monkey,” “Family Monkey” and “Mad Monkey.”  Synthetic cannabinoids are a mixture of a leafy substance that has been sprayed with chemical compounds similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana.  Users smoke the product.  The chemical compounds used in the manufacture of these products are ever changing and pose a significant threat to public health.

          On June 26, 2013, a federal search warrant was executed at a convenience store located at 4 Main Street, North Andover, Massachusetts owned by Alam. The agents seized approximately 100 packages of “Monkey” products.  Alam told law enforcement that he knew his customers were smoking the product even though the product packaging included a warning that the product was not for human consumption.  Alam identified Murshed Salam of Salem, New Hampshire as his supplier.  Agents then went to the Global Gas Station located at 52 Lowell Road, Salem, New Hampshire owned by Salam and seized several hundred more packages of the Monkey products.  Salam was also selling the products as well as supplying Alam with the products.

          The products Alam and Salam sold were misbranded because they were sold as potpourri when in fact the product was intended for use as a drug for human consumption and the product labeling, in package form, failed to include the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor, did not bear adequate directions for use, and did not bear such adequate warnings against use.

          “Synthetic cannabinoids present a significant threat to public health,” Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith stated.  “This office has notified merchants and businesses about the illegality of selling these products and the dangers they pose to the public.  We will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to investigate and prosecute those businesses who continue to introduce these dangerous products into the stream of commerce.”

          “Our school resource officers are educating students of these illicit drugs and their unknown ingredients that can cause traumatic overdose and other medical issues.  We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement and community partners in combating substances that harm our citizens,” stated Paul J. Gallagher, Chief of North Andover Police.

          Alam and Salam each face a maximum sentence of one year imprisonment.  Alam agreed to a money forfeiture of $18,737.00 and Salam agreed to a money forfeiture of $18,245.00.   Alam is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30, 2015.  Salam’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for            . Both were released pending sentencing.

          The case was investigated by the North Andover Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

Concord, NH – Florentino Vasquez-Rodriguez of Honduras, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Vasquez-Rodriguez was arrested in Texas in 2004 by border patrol authorities and deported to Honduras.  In March 2015, agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement received information that Vasquez-Rodriguez was residing in Nashua, New Hampshire.  After a brief investigation, Vasquez-Rodriguez was traced to a residence on Bridge Street in Nashua.  When approached by immigration officials, Vasquez-Rodriguez initially claimed to be from Puerto Rico.  Shortly thereafter he admitted he was from Honduras and did not possess documents that would have permitted him to legally reside in the United States.  Fingerprint analysis confirmed that Vasquez-Rodriguez was the same individual who had been previously deported in 2004.

          A sentencing hearing is scheduled on August 20, 2015. Vasquez-Rodriguez will be deported after serving his sentence.

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

Concord, NH – Jose Luis Diaz-Pena, 34, of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Diaz-Pena was arrested on January 13, 2015 by agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  A New Hampshire State Trooper serving on the New Hampshire State Police’s Department of Motor Vehicles Task Force contacted federal authorities after Diaz-Pena appeared at a DMV office in Nashua and attempted to obtain a New Hampshire identification card.  Fingerprints taken by federal authorities determined that Diaz-Pena had been deported from the United States on three prior occasions.

          Diaz-Pena was indicted in U.S. District Court on March 11, 2015. His sentencing was scheduled for August 19, 2015, at 10:00.  Diaz-Pena will again be deported after serving his sentence.

          This case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega.

          CONCORD, N.H. – Roger Hicks, 51, of Manchester, appeared in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire and was sentenced to 37 months in prison for robbing the Members First Credit Union in Manchester on October 3, 2014, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith. 

          The defendant, who was identified by bank personnel and through surveillance video, entered the Members First Credit Union on Bridge Street and made several attempts to withdraw funds using cash-advance debit/credit cards.  After being informed there were insufficient funds to satisfy the withdrawal, Hicks passed a demand note to the teller which stated he had a gun.  The defendant was subsequently arrested in Manchester and indicted by a Federal Grand in January of this year.

          This case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

          CONCORD, N.H. –Richard Lariviere, 45, of Nashua, plead guilty today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to a felon in possession of a firearm charge, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          On May 20, 2014, members of the Nashua Police Department obtained a search warrant for a Mercedes operated by Lariviere.  The officers stopped the Mercedes in the parking lot of the Country Barn Motel as Lariviere was driving out of the parking lot.  The detectives executed the search warrant and located a loaded, 7.65mm Walther semiautomatic handgun with serial number 20384 within a black bag on the vehicle's front passenger seat.  The police subsequently applied for and received permission to execute a search warrant for Lariviere’s hotel room where the police found one box of .22 caliber ammunition in addition to Lariviere's license and a check stub for Lariviere. Lariviere was arrested and agreed to waive his Miranda rights and speak with the detectives.  Lariviere admitted that he knew that he could not possess a firearm because he was a convicted felon. On August 11, 2009, Lariviere was convicted of Felonious Assault on a Peace Officer in the State of Ohio, County of Belmont, Court of Common Pleas, Docket Number 09-CR-119, a crime punishable by more than one (1) year imprisonment.

          “Enforcement of the federal firearms laws is a priority for this office,” Acting U.S. Attorney Feith stated.  “This office will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure that the possession of firearms is limited to those legally entitled to own and possess these weapons.  Individuals who are legally prohibited from possessing or dealing in firearms, and those who aid or abet illegal possession by others, should expect that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

          Lariviere is facing a maximum of ten years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 17, 2015.  He was detained pending sentencing.          

          The case was investigated by the Nashua Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

          CONCORD, N.H. –Mustafa H. Arif, an individual with dual citizenship in Pakistan and the United Kingdom, has been indicted for his alleged role in a large-scale international scheme to defraud individuals of over $12 million.  Arif is alleged to have operated a series of websites promoting a variety of drugs and claiming these products would cure many serious diseases.   These websites targeted individuals from New Hampshire as well as throughout the world, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Arif has been charged in a three count indictment, including one count of wire fraud and two counts of shipping misbranded drugs in Interstate Commerce.  The charges relate to hundreds of websites controlled by Arif while operating in Pakistan.  The websites promoted the sale of drugs claiming to cure, mitigate, and treat numerous diseases and included materially false and misleading information about the efficacy of these drugs.

          The websites, many of which included allegedly falsified clinical research, promoted drugs for a numbers of serious and sometimes incurable illnesses including anemia, mental retardation, ADHD, Bell’s palsy, and bulimia.

          Arif, who appeared in United States District Court today for arraignment, was previously arrested in February 2014 in New York City pursuant to a criminal complaint.  He was thereafter transported to New Hampshire to answer those charges and he has remained in custody since then.

          This case is scheduled for trial on June 16, 2015. If convicted on the pending charges, Arif faces up to twenty (20) years in prison for the wire fraud count and up to three (3) years in prison for each count of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.

          This investigation was led by the FDA/Office of Criminal Investigations, Cybercrime Investigations Unit along with Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistance during the investigation was provided by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, Portsmouth New Hampshire Police Department, the United States Consulate, Diplomatic Security Service Lagos, Nigeria office, New Zealand Ministry of Health, United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, and the Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs.  The investigation is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold Huftalen and SAUSA Sarah Hawkins of the FDA/Office of Chief Counsel.

          An indictment is a method for alleging criminal charges against an individual.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

          CONCORD, N.H. –Ryan Howe, 52, of Hanover, plead guilty today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          On September 15, 2011, members of ATF New Hampshire and Vermont field offices and the Hanover Police Department executed a search warrant at Howe’s residence.  During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement seized eight firearms and a quantity of ammunition from Howe’s bedroom, including a Winchester Model 120 20-gauge short-barreled shotgun.  The shotgun had a barrel length of 16 inches, less than the required 18 inches.  In order to legally possess such a short-barreled shotgun, Howe was required to register the firearm and his ownership with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.   Howe never registered the short-barreled shotgun.

          Howe is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2015.  He is facing a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.  He was released on conditions pending sentencing.

          The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

CONCORD, N.H. – Laura A. Minot, 52, of Mattapan, Massachusetts pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit access device fraud in connection with her participation in a fraudulent credit card scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          Minot admitted that on April 16, 2014, she conspired with others to purchase gift cards and high value merchandise at retail box stores in New Hampshire and Massachusetts using retail credit card accounts and lines of credit that she and/or her co-conspirators opened in the names of other actual persons without their authorization or knowledge.  Minot and her co-conspirators opened the credit card accounts and lines of credit using misappropriated personal identifying information and false identification cards.  Minot is facing up to 25 months in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2015.

          This investigation was lead by the Boston office of the U.S. Secret Service and the Medway and Cambridge, Massachusetts Police Departments, the Massachusetts State Police and local police departments in Acton, Ayer, Bedford, Boston, Brookline, Cohasset, Dover, Groton, Lincoln, Littleton, Medfield, Medford, Norton, Plymouth, Reading, Sudbury, Sutton, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston and Westwood. The Hollis, New Hampshire police Department also assisted in the investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Two men who were responsible for distributing large quantities of unlawful synthetic cannabinoid products have entered guilty pleas in federal court, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            On March 31, 2015, Kyle Hurley (32) pleaded guilty to participation in a conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2015.   He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

            On February 12, 2015, Robert Costello (71) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a drug trafficking crime and to traveling in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a drug trafficking crime.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2015.  He faces up to five years in prison on each charge.

            Hurley and Costello were arrested on March 28, 2014, after they arranged to deliver more than one ton of synthetic cannabinoid products to undercover law enforcement officers.  The synthetic cannabinoid products contained AB-FUBINACA, an illegal controlled substance.  Hurley and Costello manufactured and distributed synthetic cannabinoids that were sold in packages bearing a variety of brand names, including “Scooby Snax,” “Bizarro,” “Toxic Blue Magic,” and “Caution Platinum.”  These products, which were then sold in convenience stores and at other locations, contained chemicals that are unlawful controlled substances.

            Undercover law enforcement officers first began purchasing the unlawful products at convenience stores in Hooksett and Londonderry.  Thereafter, they were introduced to Costello, who had been providing the products to the convenience stores.  The undercover officers then arranged to acquire quantities of synthetic cannabinoids directly from Costello.  When the undercover officers expressed an interest in purchasing larger quantities, Costello introduced them to his source of supply, Hurley, who agreed to supply the undercover officers with large quantities of synthetic cannabinoids.  After arranging a purchase of approximately 15 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids from Hurley and Costello on March 18, 2014, the undercover officers then arranged the one-ton transaction, which led to the arrest of Hurley and Costello on March 28, 2014.

            Following the arrests, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Costello’s residence in Lawrence, Massachusetts.  A shed at the residence was being used to package synthetic cannabinoids.     Among the items seized were approximately 46 kilograms of packaged synthetic cannabinoids, as well as approximately 24 kilograms of bulk synthetic cannabinoids, empty packages, shipping documents, scales, heat sealers, and flavorings.

            A search warrant was executed at a garage on a property in Seabrook, New Hampshire that belonged to a relative of Hurley.  Among the items seized were 16 trash bags each containing 15-kilograms of synthetic cannabinoid products, two trash bags containing approximately 100 packages of synthetic cannabinoids, 28 boxes containing empty packages, scales, empty acetone containers, and shipping materials.  In total approximately 225 kilograms of bulk synthetic cannabinoids were seized.

            A search warrant was also executed at a location in Epping, New Hampshire, where the synthetic cannabinoids were being manufactured.  Among the items located were a cement mixer that was used to manufacture the products, approximately 48 empty 5-gallon drums of acetone, empty chemical containers with AB-FUBINACA residue, three garbage bags containing approximately six kilograms of bulk synthetic cannabinoids, thousands of empty synthetic cannabinoid packages, and approximately 27 kilograms of packaged synthetic cannabinoids.

            The investigation is ongoing.

            The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad led the investigation in collaboration with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations.  The investigators also received the invaluable assistance of DEA-NH/HIDTA and DEA’s Air Wing, the New Hampshire and Massachusetts State Police, the U.S. Marshal Service, Portsmouth Police Department, Somersworth Police Department, Kingston, Police Department, the Dover Police Department, and the York and Kittery, Maine Police Departments.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Christopher Jordan Bailey, 28, of Brentwood pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to charges of bank fraud, false statements on a loan application and stolen valor, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            The bank fraud and false loan application charges arose from Bailey’s submissions of false information to a series of nine banks and government agencies to induce them to grant, extend or modify agricultural-related loans.  The stolen valor charge arose from false claims Bailey made to the effect that he had served in the U.S. Marine Corps and been awarded a Purple Heart, Silver Star and combat action ribbon, for the purpose of inducing the financial institutions to approve his loan applications.

            Bailey faces a maximum term 30 years in prison on each of the bank fraud and false statement charge and 1 year on the stolen valor charge.  Sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2015.

            This case was investigated by the Manchester, N.H., Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Portsmouth (N.H.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Courtney Stone, 38, of Newport, Rhode Island, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to five counts of wire fraud and one count of corruptly impeding the due administration of tax laws, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            The wire fraud counts arose from Stone’s scheme to defraud approximately twenty-seven largely vacation condominium associations in the Waterville Valley area to whom her employer provided property management services.  The tax charge related to Stone’s counterfeiting Internal Revenue Service documents in an effort to convince third parties to release to her funds that the third parties were holding on behalf of Stone’s employer, which the IRS had levied to satisfy her employer’s tax debt.

            Stone faces a maximum of 3 years on the tax related charge and 20 years on each of the five fraud counts.  Each of the six total counts carries with it a maximum fine amount of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2015.

            This case was investigated by the Bedford Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Waterville Valley (N.H.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

Plead Guilty To Federal Drug Trafficking Charges

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Five members of a Manchester-based oxycodone distribution ring plead guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            Samuel Garcia (35), Jennifer Nunez (24), Johanna Nunez (28), Jose Nunez (59), and Raul Hernandez (27), each admitted to their participation in a conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, oxycodone, as well as other federal criminal charges.

            The defendants were arrested after a law enforcement investigation that lasted from 2013 to August of 2014.  The investigation included the use of cooperating individuals to purchase oxycodone pills, as well as the use of wiretaps and search warrants.  Most of the defendants were arrested on August 27, 2014.  Hernandez was arrested as he attempted to deliver over 600 oxycodone pills to the residence of Samuel Garcia and Jennifer Nunez on Eastern Avenue in Manchester, New Hampshire.  A search warrant was executed at that residence and hundreds of additional pills, as well as over $30,000 in cash, and three firearms were recovered from that location.  Garcia, Jennifer Nunez, and Johanna Nunez were arrested that day.  Jose Nunez was arrested in October of 2014, after returning to the United States from the Dominican Republic.

            Garcia pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015, to:  (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; (2) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute; (3) Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; and (4) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2015.

            Jennifer Nunez pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015, to:(1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; (2) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute; (3) Distribution of a Controlled Substance; and (4) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.  She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2015.

            Johanna Nunez pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; and (2) four counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance.  She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2015.

Jose Nunez pleaded guilty on March 6, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; (2) four counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance; (3) Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; and (4) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).  He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 19, 2015.

            Raul Hernandez pleaded guilty on March 17, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance and (2) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2015.

            An additional defendant, Edward Anthony Hiciano Beltre, is a fugitive.

            The defendants each face a maximum sentence of twenty years on each of the drug and money laundering charges.  The firearms charges carry a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison, which must be served consecutive to the sentences on the remaining charges.

            In addition to these defendants, separate federal drug conspiracy charges remain pending against other Manchester residents who were arrested as part of this investigation, including Ryan Demers (31), William Alba (24), Bonnie Labrie (50), Krystal Mailhot (27), and Yonajaira Galarza Ramos (30).

            This investigation was the product of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  This particular investigation involved cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Farley and Debra M. Walsh.