District of New Hampshire
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Ten Taken into Custody for Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Ten individuals were arrested by federal, state and local authorities, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The arrests are the result of a year-long investigation conducted by state and federal authorities into allegations of marijuana, cocaine, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) distribution in New Hampshire.
Based on intelligence gathered by law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Hampshire State Police conducted surveillance, undercover purchases of drugs, consensual monitoring of controlled purchases, and judicially approved wiretaps to identify and arrest the following individuals in connection with the distribution network.
(1) Alkis Nakos, age 35, of 366 Arah Street, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);
(2) Kosmas Koustas, age 35, of 1465 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);
(3) Charles Fowle, age 35, of 267 Waverly Street, Hooksett, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);
(4) Frank Fowle, age 36, of 330 Milford Street, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);
(5) Christopher Ranfos, age 36, of 241 Boutwell Road, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);
(6) Kristopher Venturini, age 35, of 374 Thornton Street, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);
(7) Marc Guillemette, age 37, of 255 Waverly Street, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);
(8) John Horne, Jr., age 32, of 301 Prescott Road, Epping, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b); and
(9) Jonathan Venturini, age 32, of 516 Notre Dame Avenue, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and aiding and abetting the distribution of marijuana, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.
(10) Jonathan Handschumaker, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and aiding and abetting the distribution of marijuana, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.
Search warrants and seizures were executed in connection with the investigation that resulted in the seizure of approximately 30 pounds of marijuana, $85,000 in United States currency, paraphernalia associated with drug distribution such as digital scales and money counting machines, and firearms including a machine gun with a silencer, numerous handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department. The arrests consisted of a joint federal, state and local effort. Members of the arrest teams included the: (1) Drug Enforcement Administration; (2) Federal Bureau of Investigation; (3) Immigration and Customs Enforcement; (4) United States Marshals Service; (5) New Hampshire State Police; (6) the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department; and (7) New Hampshire Liquor Enforcement.
Hinsdale Man Sentenced to 25 YearsRead the Press Release
For Child Exploitation Offense
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Benjamin Maes, 32, of Hinsdale, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on one count of sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The investigation began in November, 2012, when an FBI/Metropolitan D.C. Police Department task force received images of child pornography from an individual from Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Benjamin Maes had been communicating with an undercover agent on-line and had sent the agent sexually explicit images of children. He was arrested in December of 2012, pursuant to a federal arrest warrant issued in the District of Columbia.
Various electronic items belonging to Maes were seized pursuant to a search warrant and forensic examination of his cellular phones revealed numerous images of child pornography, including images of Maes engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.
The charge was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Washington D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, the Hinsdale Police Department and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to False StatementsRead the Press Release
In Connection With The Purchase Of FirearmsCONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – David Reiter, 57, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty to one count of making false material statements in connection with the purchase of eight firearms, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
On June 1, 2006, Reiter purchased eight firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer located in New Hampshire. At the time of the purchase, Reiter completed a Form 4473 with respect to the firearms on which he claimed to be a New Hampshire resident and also claimed that he was the actual buyer of the firearms. On the date of the purchase, Reiter was not a New Hampshire resident and he was not the actual buyer of the firearms. Reiter purchased the firearms and delivered them to a third party.
United States Attorney John P. Kacavas praised the efforts of federal law enforcement in this case and said, “ensuring that persons who violate the prohibition against possessing firearms are brought to justice is a central mission of my office. We will continue to work closely with our state and federal partners to enforce federal gun laws.”
Reiter faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Don Feith.
Colorado Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to DistributeRead the Press Release
And Distribution Of Methamphetamine In New HampshireCONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Daniel Preston, 36, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 60 months in prison for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
In January 2012, members of the New Hampshire State Police and United States Postal Inspection Service seized a package containing approximately one ounce of methamphetamine, a schedule II controlled substance, which was destined for a resident of Milton, New Hampshire. The package was shipped by Daniel Preston, a resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado. During an ensuing investigation, law enforcement determined that from January 2011 through January 2012, Preston engaged in the weekly shipment of ounce quantities of methamphetamine from Colorado to New Hampshire. Once the methamphetamine arrived in New Hampshire, it would be repackaged and distributed.
The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry L. Ollila.
Milford Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Richard Ouellette, 28, of Milford, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 33 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Ouellette was previously convicted of accomplice to armed robbery as a result of his participation in a 2004 armed robbery at Hans Market in Manchester, New Hampshire. As a result of that state felony conviction, Ouellette was sentenced to three years imprisonment at the New Hampshire State Prison. Federal law prohibits persons convicted of felony crimes from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
During an undercover operation in January, 2011, Ouellette sold a German, Model Makarov, 9mm pistol and ammunition to agents of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives subsequently determined that the firearm had been reported stolen from a residence during a home burglary in Deering, New Hampshire.
United States Attorney John P. Kacavas praised the efforts of federal law enforcement in this case and said, “ensuring that persons who violate the prohibition against possessing firearms are brought to justice is a central mission of my office. We will continue to work closely with our state and federal partners to enforce federal gun laws.”
The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.
Raymond Man Pleads Guilty to Diverting Fentanyl at Exeter HospitalRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Peter McGlynn, 45, of Raymond, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
McGlynn admitted that on or about January 16, 2013, while working as an Emergency Medical Technician at Exeter Hospital, McGlynn volunteered to administer fentanyl (a powerful opiate) to a patient who was being treated at the Emergency Department of the hospital. Although he obtained 100 micrograms of fentanyl and claimed to administer the drug to a patient, the patient did not obtain any pain relief. A nurse suspected that the drug had not been provided to the patient. A drug test was performed on McGlynn. The test detected the presence of fentanyl in his system.
McGlynn is facing of up to 4 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 28, 2014.
This investigation involved the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Exeter Police Department, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.
Hampton Woman Sentenced on Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Danielle Reader, 31, of Hampton, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 46 months in prison for two counts of aiding and abetting bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
On April 3, and April 20, 2013, an individual walked into the victim banks in Hampton, New Hampshire, where he presented a handwritten note demanding money. After departing with the stolen funds, the individual escaped the scene in a getaway vehicle driven by Reader. In total, Reader and her accomplice stole more than $9,000. The Court also imposed three years of supervised release and full restitution to the victims.
Special Agents Laura Hanlon and John Ennis led the investigation for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in collaboration with the Police Departments of Hampton and Seabrook, New Hampshire. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.
Newfields Woman Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day ForRead the Press Release
Stealing Veteran’s Benefits
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Amy Greeley, 43, of Newfields, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 12 months and one day in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of misappropriating a veteran’s benefits and using them for her personal benefit, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Greeley served as the fiduciary for benefits paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of her father during the period from September 2002 through June 2011. As her father’s fiduciary, Greeley was obligated to use the funds solely for her father’s benefit. Beginning in May 2005 through June 2011, Greeley transferred the funds from the fiduciary account to accounts she controlled and spent the funds for her personal benefit. Greeley filed false annual reports with the VA indicating that the funds were in the fiduciary account. Those reports included the forged signatures of bank officials purportedly certifying the accuracy of the reports. Greeley was removed as the fiduciary in June 2011, after having stolen approximately $251,534 in benefits. The VA was reimbursed in its entirety before Greeley was sentenced.
The government requested a sentence of 24 months based on the advisory federal sentencing guideline. The court imposed the 12 months and a day sentence to be followed by a two year period of supervised release after she completes her prison sentence. During the term of supervised release Greeley’s behavior will be monitored by the United States Probation & Pretrial Services Office.
The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division and prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Donald Feith.
Rindge Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
In Connection With Fraudulent Investment OperationCONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Aaron E. Olson, 39, of Rindge, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to four counts of tax evasion, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Beginning in 2007 through 2010, Olson was the sole proprietor of an investment business that did business as AEO Associates (AEO). In December of 2010, he formed KMO Associates LLC (KMO), an investment business that was registered in Massachusetts. Olson ran both operations from an office in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Olson used AEO and later KMO to obtain approximately $27.8 million from individuals and organizations ostensibly to invest on their behalf. Olson was not licensed as an investment broker in New Hampshire or in any other jurisdiction and he did not register AEO and KMO with the State of New Hampshire as investment businesses.
Olson used approximately $2.6 million of the investors’ money for his personal benefit and used some of the investors’ money to make fraudulent “earnings” payments to other investors. To conceal this conduct, Olson sent investors fictitious earnings statements that falsely showed significant earnings in their accounts.
Olson also filed false and fraudulent joint individual tax returns with the IRS in which he attempted to evade or defeat taxes he owed based on his income from the fraudulent investment operation. Among other things, Olson failed to report the gross receipts and expenses associated with the operation of AEO and KMO and he failed to issue Forms 1099 with the Internal Revenue Service summarizing investors’ annual gains and losses. In total, Olson fraudulently understated the income taxes he owed for the four years by more than $664,000.
Olson is facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on each charge. Additionally, Olson may be ordered to pay restitution to the defrauded investors in lieu of paying the taxes he owes to the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September 2014.This case is being investigated by the office of Criminal Investigations for the Internal Revenue Service in conjunction with the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.
Manchester Woman Sentenced to 15 YearsRead the Press Release
On Child Exploitation Charge
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Erin Upham, 21, of Manchester, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to the sexual exploitation of a child, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The investigation began in 2013 when the Manchester Police received information from the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations that the defendant, a resident of Manchester, was communicating with a member of the armed services who was currently stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. Specifically, the Air Force Special Agents informed the Manchester Police that they had information that the defendant’s communication was of a sexual nature and involved a minor child.
Federal search warrants were obtained for various electronic items belonging to Morrison and Upham. A forensic examination revealed digital images of a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The charge was the result of an investigation by the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manchester and Derry Police Departments and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.Manchester Man Sentenced for Cocaine and Crack DistributionRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Juan Parrilla, 39, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 42 months in prison, for engaging in the distribution of cocaine and possessing crack cocaine with the intention of distributing it, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
An undercover law enforcement officer of the Manchester Police Department engaged in numerous hand-to-hand purchases of cocaine from Parrilla beginning in October 2011. A search warrant was executed at Parilla’s residence in Manchester and law enforcement seized 117 grams of crack cocaine.
The investigation of Parrilla was conducted by members of the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department Special Investigations Unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry Ollila.Beford Man Sentenced for Conducting Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Jonathan Talbot, 27, of Bedford, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire 41 months in prison, for engaging in a bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
On May 30, 2013, the Manchester Police Department responded to Citizens Bank at 2035 Brown Avenue for a report of a robbery. Upon arrival, a bank teller indicated that she was working at her station when a caucasian male, who appeared to be in his mid-30s and approximately 5’5”, 140 pounds, wearing a short-sleeved white button-down shirt, gray beret and eyeglasses, entered the bank and walked over to a table, which contained blank deposit slips while speaking on a cellular telephone. He wrote on a slip, walked to her station and handed her a deposit slip which stated, “All unmarked bills. I have a gun give back note! Be calm!” The teller gave Talbot all of the currency from her register.
Talbot left the bank in a grey Audi. Following the robbery, law enforcement determined that the 2003 silver Audi A4, was registered to Jonathan Talbot of Bedford, New Hampshire. At 3:50 p.m. on May 30, 2013, approximately one hour after the robbery, law enforcement traveled to Talbot’s residence
A search warrant was obtained for the 2003 Gray Audi A4, and law enforcement recovered a black plastic framed pair of eyeglasses. A search warrant was also obtained for the residence and seized from Jonathan Talbot’s bedroom closet was a backpack which was found to contain the white shirt, hat, shorts and shoes worn during the robbery. Also recovered from within the backpack was $4,268.00 in $50.00, $20.00, $10.00, $5.00 and $1.00 denominations.
The case was investigated by the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department, the Bedford, New Hampshire, Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry L. Ollila.
Berlin Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Robbing Guardian Angel Credit Union in Berlin, New HampshireRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –Daniel Hufstetler, 34, formerly of 36 High Street in Berlin, New Hampshire was sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbing the Guardian Angel Credit Union, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Hufstetler was convicted of robbing the Credit Union following a three-day trial in December of 2013. Evidence presented at trial showed that on November 14, 2011, Hufstetler robbed the Guardian Angel Credit Union, which is located at 200 Coos Street in Berlin, New Hampshire.
Upon his release from custody, Hufstetler will be on supervised release for three years. He was also ordered to pay restitution.
This investigation involved the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Berlin Police Department, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Hampshire Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.Nashua Man Sentenced on Bank Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Bradford Mullane, 32, of Nashua, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 30 months in prison for unarmed bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Mullane walked into a TD Bank in Nashua, New Hampshire, on July 15, 2013, where he presented a handwritten note demanding money, and made off with more than $1,200 in stolen funds.
This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – James Murphy, 30, of Massachusetts, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 5years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute in excess of 28 grams of crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
On February 3, 2013, Murphy was pulled over on Interstate 95 near Spaulding, New Hampshire, for driving erratically and disobeying a police officer. A subsequent search of Murphy’s person resulted in the discovery of a substantial amount of crack cocaine, bagged for distribution.
This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.
Milton Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Wayne Willey, 54, of Milton, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 20 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Members of the New Hampshire State Police and United States Postal Inspection Service seized a package containing approximately one ounce of methamphetamine which was destined for Willey. The package was shipped to Willey from Daniel Preston, a resident of Monument, Colorado. During an ensuing investigation, law enforcement agents determined that from January 2011 through January 2012, Preston shipped quantities of methamphetamine from Colorado to Willey in New Hampshire. Once the methamphetamine arrived in New Hampshire, Willey would repackage it in gram quantities and distribute it.
Preston pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced in May 2014.
The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry L. Ollila.
Maine Resident Sentenced for Engaging in Cyber "Sextortion" of New Hampshire VictimRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Bryan Villegas, 23, of Kittery, Maine, was sentenced today in federal court in New Hampshire to serve 33 months in prison for engaging in a type of cyber stalking known as “sextortion,” announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas of the District of New Hampshire.
On Sep. 18, 2013, Villegas pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of engaging in cyber stalking. The information charges that Villegas attempted to extort a New Hampshire female into providing him with sexually explicit photographs and videos of her. He sent her e-mail messages in which he threatened to publish on the internet – and distribute to the victim’s neighbors and work and social acquaintances – other sexually explicit photographs of the victim that were stored on her laptop computer, which had been recently stolen during a burglary of her residence. On Jan. 9, 2014, Villegas pleaded guilty in New Hampshire State Court to charges that he committed that burglary.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen of the District of New Hampshire.
The department would like to thank the cooperation of the Dover, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine, police departments and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Hinsdale Man Pleads Guilty to Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Benjamin Maes, 32, of Hinsdale, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The investigation began in November, 2012, when an FBI/Metropolitan D.C. Police Department task force received images of child pornography from an individual from Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Benjamin Maes had been communicating with an undercover agent on-line and had sent the agent sexually explicit images of children. He was arrested in December of 2012, pursuant to a federal arrest warrant issued in the District of Columbia.
Various electronic items belonging to Maes were seized pursuant to a search warrant and forensic examination of his cellular phones revealed numerous images of child pornography, including images of Maes engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor.
The defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 27, 2014.
The charge was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Washington D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, the Hinsdale Police Department and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.
Hampton Man Sentenced on Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Jason Pratt, 30, of Hampton, New Hampshire, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 41 months in prison for unarmed bank robbery and conspiracy to commit unarmed bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
On March 22, April 3, and April 20, 2013, Pratt walked into three banks in Hampton and Seabrook, New Hampshire, where he presented a handwritten note demanding money, and made off with a grand total of $11,740 in stolen funds.Special Agents Laura Hanlon and John Ennis led the investigation for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in collaboration with the Police Departments of Hampton and Seabrook, New Hampshire. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.
California Man Sentenced to 14 Years on RobberiesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Delano Nelson, 50, of Compton, California, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery charges, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
In October and November of 2011, the defendant committed the armed robbery of Hannoush Jewelers in Manchester and Kay Jewelers in Tilton. In July of 2012 he was apprehended in Compton, California, and indicted by a federal grand jury in August, 2012. Walter Williams, also of Compton, California and Shyloe Johnson of Sanbornton, New Hampshire previously pled guilty and were sentenced for their participation in the robberies.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manchester Police Department and the Tilton Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White FitzgibbonBarrington Man Sentenced on Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N H: Justin Madigan, 31, of Barrington, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas.
In November of 2008 the Portsmouth Police received information that an individual was using America On Line (AOL) to send numerous emails containing images and videos depicting the sexual assault of children.
A further investigation was conducted by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children and a search warrant for Madigan’s residence was executed. Computer evidence seized was examined and found to contain hundreds of images depicting the sexual assault of young children.
This case was brought in furtherance of 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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –Christian Gonzalez, 35, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 21 months in prison for aiding and abetting the making of false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Gonzalez admitted that he was not able to legally purchase a firearm so he solicited another individual, or “straw purchaser,” to purchase firearms for him. On seven different occasions, Gonzalez drove the “straw purchaser” to a federally licensed firearms dealer in New Hampshire and provided him the money to purchase eleven firearms. Gonzalez took possession of the firearms immediately after the purchases were made. Two of the firearms were later recovered in Malden, Massachusetts.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.Bartlett Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Jonathan Tanguay, 42, of Bartlett, New Hampshire, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 84 months in prison, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
In February of 2010, a search warrant executed at Tanguay’s home revealed a laptop computer, external hard drive and compact disc containing child pornography images. Tanguay was convicted of knowingly possessing those images in October 2013 after a three-day jury trial.
Special Agent Phil Bleezarde led the investigation for the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customers Enforcement Division, and Concord Police Detective Mark Dumas, a member of the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, was the lead computer forensic examiner on the case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth R. Aframe and Nick Abramson.
This case was being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Methamphetamine in New HampshireRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Daniel Preston, 36, of Monument, Colorado, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and the distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
In January 2011, Preston shipped ounce quantities of methamphetamine from Colorado to Milton, New Hampshire. After the methamphetamine arrived in New Hampshire, it would be repackaged and distributed in gram quantities. Preston shipped over 500 grams of methamphetamine to New Hampshire from Colorado during a one (1) year time-frame.
Preston is facing up to 20 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced in May, 2014. The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry L. Ollila.
New Hampshire Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
Concord, NH –Nutveena Sirirojnananont plead guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to federal gun trafficking/export violations that include conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), making a false statement in connection with a firearm purchase, and unlicensed firearms dealing, announced United States Attorney, John P. Kacavas.
The investigation revealed that from August 2010 through September 2011, Sirirojnananont was involved in the illegal trafficking/export of approximately eight (8) firearms from the United States to Thailand. These export-controlled articles are on the U.S. Munitions List (USML) items, as defined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). These charges carry a maximum sentence of twenty years and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00."The federal regulations involving the sale and export of firearms are specifically designed to prevent guns and other weapons from falling into the wrong hands," said Bruce Foucart, special agent in charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. "This case clearly demonstrates that we are allied with our federal and local law enforcement partners, including the men and women of the ATF and Portsmouth Police Department. Together, we will continue to target those who attempt to profit by circumventing these laws."
The investigation involved by the cooperative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Manchester Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Resident Agent in Charge Manchester Office, and U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Hampshire (USAO-NH). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.
Man Pleads Guilty to Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Eric Morrison, 22, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The investigation began in 2013 when the Manchester Police received information from the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, that the defendant, a member of the United States Air Force stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, was communicating with Erin Upham, a resident of Manchester. Specifically, the Air Force Special Agents informed the Manchester Police that the defendant’s communication was of a sexual nature and involved a minor child.
Search warrants were obtained for various electronic items belonging to Morrison and Upham and a forensic examination of the items revealed digital images of a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On June 19, 2013, a federal grand jury indicted both Morrison and Upham for conspiracy to produce child pornography. Morrison faces a minimum term of fifteen years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2014.
The charge was the result of an investigation by the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Manchester and Derry Police Departments and is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon who is the U.S. Attorney’s coordinator for Project Safe Childhood.
Resident of Wolfeboro Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Federal Employee Disability Benefit ProgramRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Mark McLaughlin, 49, of Wolfeboro, has pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to making false statements to obtain federal employee disability benefits, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
McLaughlin admitted in annual reports he submitted to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (“OWCP”) that from June 2007 to July 2013, he failed to disclose income he received while working for a landscaping business. Consequently, he fraudulently received disability payments totaling $119,649.79 from the OWCP.
The United States Department of Labor, (“OWCP”) provides benefits to employees of the United States Postal Service who are totally or partially disabled due to injuries sustained during the course of their employment. While receiving the benefits, a disabled employee is required to report all employment for which he received a salary, wage or payment of any kind. This information is important to the OWCP because the amount of the disability benefit paid to the employee depends on the employee’s ability to earn money from other types of work.
McLaughlin is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2104. He is facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Kinsella.Project Safe Childhood Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Erin Upham, 21, of Manchester, pled guilty In United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The investigation began in 2013 when the Manchester Police received information from the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations that the defendant, a resident of Manchester, was communicating with a member of the armed services who was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. Specifically, the Air Force Special Agents informed the Manchester Police that they had information that the defendant’s communication was of a sexual nature and involved a minor child. A federal search warrant was obtained for the search and seizure of various electronic items belonging to the defendant, including a lap top and cell phones. A forensic examination of the items revealed digital images of the defendant and a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The defendant is facing a minimum term of fifteen years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2014 at 10:30.
The charge was the result of an investigation by the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Manchester and Derry Police Departments and is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon who is the U.S. Attorney’s coordinator for Project Safe Childhood.Man Deported Five Times Pleads Guilty to Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Jose Armando Juarez-Garcia, 28, pleaded guilty in United States District Court in for the District of New Hampshire to reentering the United States after having been deported to his home country of Mexico, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Juarez-Garcia was found in Manchester in December of 2013 by Immigration Enforcement Officers of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite having been deported to Mexico five times since September 2006.
Juarez-Garcia faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. He will also be subject to further deportation proceedings after he serves his sentence. After accepting his guilty plea, the court ordered that Juarez-Garcia held in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which was scheduled for April 23, 2014.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.
Nashua Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Selling "Crack" CocaineRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Sean Brown, 40, of Nashua, New Hampshire was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to ten years in prison after a jury found him guilty of three counts of unlawful distribution of cocaine base (“crack”), announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
During February, 2010, Brown made three sales of cocaine base (“crack”) to an individual assisting the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department in their investigation into the illegal sale of drugs within the city. The three sales took place in the vicinity of 73 Elm Street, which was Brown’s residence at the time. Brown was arrested outside of the residence on February 24, 2010 as police executed a search warrant on his residence.
In sentencing Brown to a ten year sentence, Judge McAuliffe noted that while Brown dealt small quantities of drugs, he was a “persistent” drug dealer, having been previously convicted in federal court in 1997 with unlawful possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), heroin and methamphetamine, for which he received a 46 month term of imprisonment in federal prison, and again in Hillsborough County Superior Court in 2005 for four counts of unlawful sale of heroin, for which he received a 3 ½ to 7 year sentence in the New Hampshire State Prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis and Seth Aframe.Project Safe Childhood New Boston Man Sentenced on Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Dana Moody, 57, of New Boston, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 72 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The investigation into Moody began in November of 2011 when the FBI was notified by the New Haven, Connecticut, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that an undercover officer had intercepted images of child pornography being transmitted by a computer user located in New Boston, New Hampshire.
Upon receiving the information, the FBI conducted a further investigation and secured a search warrant for Moody’s residence in New Boston. Computer evidence seized from Moody’s home was examined and found to contain several thousand images depicting the sexual assault of young children.
This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.
Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Owner and Manager of Rental Housing in New Hampshire for Discrimination Against Families with ChildrenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the owner and manager of rental apartments in Jaffrey, N.H., for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, alleges that Bruce R. Edwards, as Trustee of the Bruce R. Edwards Revocable Trust of 2004 and in his personal capacity, engaged in a pattern or practice of violating the Fair Housing Act or denied rights protected by the Act. According to the complaint, the defendant allegedly established and implemented a discriminatory “no children” policy for prospective tenants in a boarding house that he owned and managed. The suit also alleges that the defendant violated the Fair Housing Act by enforcing the “no children” provision of the lease against a tenant and requiring the tenant to immediately find other housing arrangements for his daughter, who visited the boarding house on weekends.
“This lawsuit demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to ensuring fair and equal access to housing for all New Hampshire citizens and attempts to erect discriminatory barriers to this fundamental civil right will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas for the District of New Hampshire.
“The Fair Housing Act protects tenants with children from facing unfair terms and conditions of rental that do not apply to tenants without children,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue its vigorous enforcement of fair housing laws that ensure that tenants can secure rental housing for their families without fear of discrimination.”
This lawsuit arose as a result of a complaint filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by a tenant who lived in the defendant’s boarding house and had joint custody of his minor daughter. The defendant’s lease stated that no children were allowed in the building, and the defendant made additional oral statements to the tenant that children were not permitted. After receiving noise complaints about the tenant’s child, the defendant notified the tenant in a letter marked “Eviction Notice” that he was enforcing the “no children” provision of the lease and that the tenant had to immediately find other arrangements for his daughter on the weekends. As a result, the tenant began taking his daughter to stay with family members, which resulted in both economic and emotional costs. After HUD investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination and the matter was referred to the Justice Department.
“It’s surprising that 25 years after Congress outlawed housing discrimination against families with children, many landlords don’t know it’s illegal or don’t take the law seriously,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Bryan Greene for HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD will continue work alongside the Department of Justice in educating people on the law and obtaining housing relief for families denied housing."
The lawsuit seeks a court order prohibiting future discrimination by the defendant, monetary damages for those harmed by the defendant’s actions and a civil penalty. Any individuals who have information relevant to this case are urged to contact the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Civil Rights Division at 1-800-896-7743, ext. 3.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected] or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.
The complaint is an allegation of unlawful conduct. The allegations must still be proven in federal court.
Berlin Man Convicted of Robbing Guardian Angel Credit Union in Berlin, New HampshireRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –Daniel Hufstetler, 34, formerly of 36 High Street in Berlin, New Hampshire was convicted in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire of robbing the Guardian Angel Credit Union, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
On November 14, 2011, Hufstetler robbed the Guardian Angel Credit Union, which is located at 200 Coos Street in Berlin, New Hampshire. Hufstetler was arrested on state armed robbery charges two days after the crime, but those charges were later dismissed and the defendant was prosecuted in federal court.
Hufstetler is in custody pending sentencing which is scheduled for April 1, 2014.
This investigation involved the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Hampshire State Police, the Berlin Police Department, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Hampshire Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.
Nashua Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Bradford Mullane, 32, of Nashua, New Hampshire, has entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Mullane walked into a TD Bank in Nashua, New Hampshire, on July 15, 2013, where he presented a handwritten note demanding money, and made off with more than $1,200 in stolen funds. Mullane, 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 March 12, 2014.
This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.
Maine Man Sentenced for Newington Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Derek Kucinski, 27, formerly of Cape Neddick, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to serve a minimum mandatory 22 years in federal prison following his conviction for armed bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
On Saturday, January 12, 2012, Kucinski entered the TD Bank on Woodbury Avenue in Newington, New Hampshire wearing a black ski mask, gloves and armed with a loaded .32 caliber revolver. He ordered several customers to the ground as he repeatedly pointed the handgun at tellers and demanded money. After spending several minutes in the bank, Kucinski fled with approximately $5000.00 and was apprehended by Newington and Portsmouth police following a brief car and foot chase.
At the time of his arrest, Kucinski was on supervised release after having served five years in federal prison for nine prior bank robberies committed in 2006. He was not armed in the commission of those robberies.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Newington and Portsmouth Police Departments, with invaluable assistance provided by the Somersworth Police Department. The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.Former Employee of Exeter Hospital Sentenced in Connection with Widespread Hepatitis C OutbreakRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – David M. Kwiatkowski, 34, a former employee of Exeter Hospital, was sentenced today to 39 years in prison for his conduct in causing a widespread Hepatitis C outbreak in numerous states, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas and Barry R. Grissom, United States Attorney for the District of Kansas.
After working as a health care technician at several medical facilities in Michigan between 2003 and 2007, the defendant became a “traveling” radiologic technician, using various placement agencies to find employment at medical facilities in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Arizona, Kansas, Georgia, and New Hampshire. While employed as a “traveler,” he stole syringes of Fentanyl – a powerful anesthetic to which he did not have authorized access – intended for patients undergoing certain medical procedures. He replaced the stolen syringes with syringes that he had stolen from previous procedures and refilled with saline, after having injected himself with the Fentanyl intended for his patients.
The defendant engaged in this diversion and tampering despite knowing that he was infected with Hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that can cause serious damage to the liver as well as other complications. Precisely when he contracted the virus remains an open question. However, the defendant learned no later than June of 2010, while employed at Hays Medical Center in Kansas, that he was infected with Hepatitis C. Despite that knowledge, he continued to inject himself using stolen Fentanyl syringes, in the process causing those syringes to become tainted with his infected blood. He refilled those tainted syringes with saline and replaced them for use on unsuspecting patients undergoing subsequent procedures. Consequently, instead of receiving their prescribed dose of Fentanyl with its intended anesthetic effect, those patients actually received saline tainted with the defendant’s strain of the Hepatitis C virus.
As a “traveler,” the defendant worked in no fewer than eight different states and he engaged in this diversion and/or tampering in each of them. His criminal conduct only came to light when several unexplained cases of Hepatitis C were detected at Exeter Hospital in New Hampshire in May of 2012. That discovery triggered a massive public health investigation in which authorities in New Hampshire, other states in which the defendant had been employed, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sought to identify the scope of the defendant’s criminal conduct. All told, the CDC recommended that more than 12,000 patients seek testing to determine whether the defendant infected them. Testing to date has revealed that 32 patients who were treated at Exeter Hospital, six patients who were treated at Hays Medical Center in Kansas, six patients who were treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, and one patient who was treated at the VA Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland carry a strain of Hepatitis C that has been genetically linked to the viral strain with which the defendant is infected.
An individual who has a personal relationship with one of the Exeter Hospital victims also has become infected with the same strain of the virus. Additionally, Hepatitis C contracted from the defendant has been identified as a contributing factor in the death of an elderly Kansas patient.
The defendant’s 40-year sentence was imposed on his pleas of guilty to eight counts of obtaining controlled substances by fraud and eight counts of tampering with a consumer product. Fourteen of those charges were initiated in New Hampshire and two charges were transferred from the District of Kansas. This sentence is believed to be the highest sentence ever received for a crime of this nature.
United States Attorney John P. Kacavas said, “The 40-year sentence imposed today ensures that this serial infector will no longer be in position to harm innocent and vulnerable people, extinguishing once and for all the pernicious threat he posed to public health and safety. This prosecution surely heightened public awareness of the problem of drug diversion in medical settings, and the defendant’s convictions and sentence represent a major step forward in redressing the catastrophic consequences of his selfish and reckless behavior. While no sentence of incarceration can restore his victims to their former state of health, I hope that bringing this defendant to swift and certain justice will give them some peace of mind as they confront the uncertainty of living with the Hepatitis C virus.”
United States Attorney Barry R. Grissom said, “The defendant learned he had Hepatitis C while he was working at Hays Medical Center in Kansas. A patient in Kansas died and a medical examiner found that Hepatitis C contributed to the death. Many patients and their families still are living with the harm inflicted by the defendant’s reckless choices.”
Special Agent in Charge Vincent Lisi, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division said ,“This was a heinous crime that touched so many of us in New Hampshire and in several states throughout the country. When you go into a hospital for treatment, you should be able to trust that someone like DAVID KWIATKOWSKI will not steal pain medication intended for you and infect you with a deadly disease. We are pleased to see justice served today, and we hope this lengthy sentence will deter others who might be tempted to prey on vulnerable patients. We are grateful to all the Federal, State, and local investigating agencies that took part in this unprecedented investigation and to the leadership of both United States Attorney John Kacavas and Assistant United States Attorney John Farley who worked tirelessly to bring justice to the many victims in this case. Most of all, we are deeply thankful to the numerous victims who selflessly shared their time and extremely personal information with investigators under such difficult circumstances. They are the true heroes in this investigation. Though faced with difficult circumstances themselves, their extraordinary cooperation and information was the backbone for the investigation.”
“Patients put their trust in the safety of this country’s health care system,” said Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General region including New Hampshire. “When the reckless actions of Mr. Kwiatkowski compromised the safety of some patients in federally funded health care programs, we joined with our law enforcement partners to protect people from the defendant.”
In addition to his term of incarceration, the defendant will be placed on supervised release for three years following his release from prison. He also must pay a $1,600.00 special assessment and restitution in the amount of nearly $25,000.00.
This investigation involved the cooperative efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Exeter, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistance also was provided by the New Hampshire Drug Task Force, the Marlborough, Massachusetts Police Department, the Boxborough, Massachusetts Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Offices in the District of Massachusetts, the District of Kansas, the District of Maryland, and the Middle District of Georgia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley. The Kansas aspects of the case were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Crack Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – James Murphy, 30, of Massachusetts, entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire for possessing crack cocaine with intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
On February 3, 2013, Murphy was pulled over on Interstate 95 near Spaulding, New Hampshire, for driving erratically and disobeying a police officer. A subsequent search of Murphy’s person resulted in the discovery of a substantial amount of crack cocaine, bagged for distribution.
Murphy faces a maximum sentence of forty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $250,000. Murphy will be detained pending sentencing, which is presently scheduled for February 12, 2014.
Murphy’s prosecution arose from a vehicle stop and investigation by the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.
Manchester Man Found Guilty on Federal Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Robert Joubert, 60, of Manchester, was found guilty on three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of possession of child pornography following a three-day jury trial in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The investigation began in March of 2012 when the York, Maine, Police Department received an e-mail from a New Hampshire resident warning them that Joubert, a youth baseball coach, had a history of inappropriate contacts with children. At the time, Joubert was instructing at the Seacoast Baseball Academy in York, Maine, after having been previously employed at a baseball academy in Newington, New Hampshire. The ensuing investigation led to interviews with numerous young men who told authorities that Joubert had sexually assaulted them. One man reported being sexually assaulted by Joubert in the 1980s.
A search of Joubert’s property in June of 2012 revealed numerous photographs and videotapes of adolescent boys. One videotape contained film of Joubert sexually molesting a young boy. Evidence at trial revealed that Joubert had been the child’s baseball coach and developed a close friendship with the family of the victim. The victim, now 21, testified that Joubert sexually assaulted him over a two year period. He was unaware that Joubert had filmed the abuse.
United States Attorney John P. Kacavas praised the jury’s verdicts and said, “This defendant is a quintessential predator. He deliberately sought out and insinuated himself into the lives of the most vulnerable young boys, gaining their trust by portraying himself as a coach and father figure. He then betrayed that trust by sexually exploiting those boys to produce child pornography. Identifying, finding, and prosecuting predators like the defendant has been, and will continue to be, among the highest priorities of my office.”
Joubert is scheduled to be sentenced on February 18, 2014 at 10:00 am.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Concord Police Department, The Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office, Manchester Police Department, York, Maine Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen Fitzgibbon.
Criminal charges related to this investigation are pending against Joubert in Hillsborough and Merrimack Counties.
Former Bartlett Selectman Convicted of Child Pornography PossessionRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Jonathan Tanguay, 42, a former selectman of Bartlett, New Hampshire, was convicted in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
A search warrant executed at Tanguay's home revealed a laptop computer, external hard drive and compact disc containing child pornography images. Tanguay is facing a maximum term of ten years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 30, 2014.
Special Agent Phil Bleezarde led the investigation for Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and Concord Police Detective Mark Dumas, a member of the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, was the lead computer forensic examiner on the case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth R. Aframe and Nick E. Abramson.
This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –Timothy LaFond, 35, formerly of 3 Pleasant Street in Rochester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing stolen firearms, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
During the plea hearing, Lafond admitted that on February 25, 2012, he met with an undercover law enforcement officer in Rochester, New Hampshire and sold him two stolen firearms: (1) a Stag Arms, Model STAG-15, 5.56 caliber rifle and (2) a Bushmaster, Model XM15-E2S, .223 caliber rifle for $1,300. Both of these weapons had been reported stolen from Seacoast Gun and Pawn in Rochester on February 23, 2013. LaFond faces up to ten (10) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2014.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Rochester, New Hampshire Police Department, and the New Hampshire Drug Task Force, with assistance from the York County, Maine Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.
Manchester Man Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Raymond Negron, 32, of Manchester, New Hampshire was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to twelve years in prison for unlawful distribution of oxycodone and cocaine, unlawful possession with the intent to distribute oxycodone and cocaine, sale of a firearm to a prohibited person, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and possession of an unregistered firearm, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
The investigation began in 2011, when Negron was suspected of trafficking drugs within the city of Manchester. During the course of the investigation, Negron sold quantities of oxycodone tablets and cocaine on four separate occasions. During one of the drug sales, Negron also sold an SKS 7.62 caliber rifle to an individual he knew to have a prior felony conviction. The investigation further revealed that the firearm had been stolen from a pawn shop in Miami, Florida.
On March 20, 2012, a search warrant was executed at Negron’s Hanover Street residence, where investigators discovered quantities of oxycodone tablets and cocaine as well as items used for packaging and distributing narcotics and a “sawed off” Mossberg 20 gauge bolt action shotgun which had an obliterated serial number.
The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Manchester, New Hampshire Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.Concord Resident Pleads Guilty to Multiple Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Betty Dugan, 54, of Concord, New Hampshire has pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to charges that she knowingly used false information to obtain benefits from government programs that are solely intended to provide financial assistance to impoverished individuals and families, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
From January 2003 to April 2012, Dugan received benefits totaling more than $250,000 from the Social Security Administration’s Supplemental Income program, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 8 Housing program, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Stamp program, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Financial Assistance to Needy Families and Aid to Permanently Disabled Persons programs.
Dugan admitted that she obtained the benefits by falsely reporting to the affected government agencies that her husband was not a member of her household and that he did not contribute any income to the household when, in fact, her husband was a member of the household and his annual salary ranged from $69,500 to $89,000.
Dugan is facing a up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. She is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2014.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; the New Hampshire Housing and Finance Authority and; the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella.
Massachusetts Resident Sentenced for Using Counterfeit Traveler's ChecksRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. James Jones, 49, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to uttering and possessing counterfeit securities, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
On June 25, 2009, Jones attempted to use a counterfeit $100 American Express Traveler’s Check to buy a sandwich at a grocery store in Salem, New Hampshire. The cashier who received the check reported the matter to his supervisor. As the supervisor examined the check, Jones left the store and was arrested in the store’s parking lot by a Salem police officer.
After Jones was transported to the Salem Police Department, he admitted to a police officer and a Special Agent for the United States Secret Service that the check was counterfeit.
Jones was sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Salem Police Department and the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella.
Claremont Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Bonnie Johnson, 45, of Claremont, New Hampshire, entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire for fraudulently procuring more than $600,000 in funds from her employer, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
For more than two decades, Johnson was employed by the North Country Smokehouse in Claremont, New Hampshire, as an administrative assistant. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, Johnson had access to the company’s bank account and American Express corporate credit card, and was authorized to use those accounts and credit lines for business purposes in cases of financial exigency. Between July 1, 2005, and April 30, 2013, Johnson engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain money from North Country Smokehouse. To accomplish and carry out the scheme, Johnson fraudulently endorsed company checks made payable to herself, which she then deposited directly into her personal bank account. The funds, totaling $606,011.77 over the course of approximately eight years, were subsequently used by Johnson for various personal expenditures.
Johnson faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and criminal fines of up to $250,000. Johnson will be released pending sentencing, which is presently scheduled for January 16, 2013.
Johnson’s prosecution arose from an investigation by the Claremont Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation office in Manchester, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.
James Bender Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud International Customers of New Hampshire BusinessRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – James Bender, 49, of Sharon, Massachusetts, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 24 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Bender, a former Senior Vice President of Trade Finance for Sovereign Bank, was convicted in May of conspiring to defraud foreign customers of more than $200,000.00. He conspired with Paul Wilson, the former Manager of International Trade Finance for Goss International Americas Corporation, to defraud several Latin American customers. Goss manufactures commercial printing presses. One component of Wilson’s job was to facilitate international sales by arranging financing for foreign purchasers of Goss’s products and working with the Export-Import Bank of the United States to obtain credit insurance for loans extended to Goss’s foreign customers. Bender arranged for Sovereign Bank to purchase most of the loans Goss extended to its foreign customers.
Bender and Wilson formed two shell companies called Zephyr Capital LLC and Zephyr Financial LLC, through which they defrauded two Brazilian and two Mexican businesses that purchased presses from Goss. Bender and Wilson used the shell companies to send fraudulent invoices to these businesses charging them for loan underwriting services that were either never rendered or that Wilson performed as part of his job at Goss. The invoices totaled over $200,000 in bogus charges. Most of the victim companies wired payments for the fraudulent invoices to Zephyr bank accounts in the United States, which Bender and Wilson divided between themselves over a four year period.
Bender was also fined $7,500.00, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $195,457.67 and sentenced to serve three years of supervised release.
Wilson pleaded guilty last year to three counts of wire fraud in connection with this scheme and was later sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the Export-Import Bank of the United States was prosecuted by Assistant United Sates Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.Two Romanian Nationals Sentenced to Prison for Scheme to Steal Payment Card DataRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Adrian-Tiberiu Oprea, 29, of Constanta, Romania, and Iulian Dolan, 28, of Craiova, Romania, were sentenced today to serve 15 years and seven years in prison, respectively, for participating in an international, multimillion-dollar scheme to remotely hack into and steal payment card data from hundreds of U.S. merchants’ computers, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas of the District of New Hampshire; and Holly Fraumeni, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Manchester, N.H., Resident Office.
On May 7, 2013, Oprea, who was extradited to the United States from Romania, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. On Sept. 17, 2012, Dolan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
Court documents state that, from approximately 2009 to 2011, Oprea conspired with Dolan and Cezar Butu, 27, of Ploiesti, Romania, to hack into hundreds of computers located in the United States to steal credit, debit and payment account numbers and associated data (collectively “payment card data”) that belonged to U.S. cardholders.
According to court documents, Oprea and Dolan remotely hacked into hundreds of U.S. merchants’ point-of-sale (POS) or “check out” computer systems, where customers’ payment card data was electronically stored. Specifically, Oprea, who was the leader of the scheme, and Dolan, who was his trusted aide, first used the Internet to identify U.S.-based vulnerable POS systems. After identifying a vulnerable system, Oprea and Dolan would gain access and install software programs called “keystroke loggers” (or “sniffers”) onto the POS systems. These programs would record, and then store, all of the data that was keyed into or swiped through the merchants’ POS systems, including customers’ payment card data.
Oprea and Dolan retrieved the card data and then electronically transferred it to various electronic storage locations (“dump sites”) that Oprea had set up. Oprea later attempted to use the stolen payment card data to make unauthorized charges on, or transfers of funds from, the accounts. He also attempted to transfer the stolen payment card data to other co-conspirators for them to use in a similar manner. During the course of the conspiracies, the co-conspirators hacked into several hundred U.S. merchants’ POS systems, including 250 Subway restaurant franchises, and stole payment card data belonging to more than 100,000 U.S. cardholders. Their criminal conduct caused losses of at least $17.5 million in unauthorized charges and remediation expenses.The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police and Romanian authorities.
The case is being prosecuted by 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. Significant assistance was provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.
Former Employee of Exeter Hospital Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Multi-State Hepatitis C OutbreakRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –David M. Kwiatkowski, 34, a former employee of Exeter Hospital, pleaded guilty today to eight counts of obtaining controlled substances by fraud and eight counts of tampering with a consumer product, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
During the plea hearing, Kwiatkowski admitted that he had been employed as a health care technician in Michigan between 2003 and 2007. Beginning in November 2007, he became a “traveling technician,” working through various placement agencies at medical facilities in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Arizona, Kansas, Georgia and New Hampshire.
Kwiatkowski also admitted that, in June of 2010, he became aware that he was infected with the Hepatitis C virus. It is unknown when Kwiatkowski contracted the infection. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that can cause serious damage to the liver. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hepatitis C causes more deaths annually in the United States than HIV.
Kwiatkowski admitted that while employed as a health care technician at Exeter Hospital in 2011 and 2012, he devised a scheme to divert and steal the controlled substance Fentanyl for personal use and abuse. Fentanyl is a powerful anesthetic intended for patients undergoing medical procedures, among other uses. Kwiatkowski admitted that he would surreptitiously take syringes of Fentanyl prepared for patients, inject himself with the drug and refill the syringes with saline, causing the syringes to become tainted with his infected blood. He then replaced the tainted syringes for use on unsuspecting patients. Consequently, instead of receiving the prescribed dose of Fentanyl together with its intended anesthetic effect, patients actually received saline that was tainted with the same strain of Hepatitis C carried by Kwiatkowski.
Kwiatkowski also admitted that he engaged in this conduct at several other hospitals, including Hays Medical Center in Kansas and Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland.
Kwiatkowski’s conduct initially came to light after several unexplained cases of Hepatitis C were detected at Exeter Hospital in May of 2012. As part of the public health investigation of this Hepatitis C outbreak, at least 32 patients who were treated at Exeter Hospital, six patients from Hays Medical Center, six patients from Johns Hopkins, and one who was treated at the VA Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland have been found to have a strain of Hepatitis C that has been genetically linked to the strain carried by Kwiatkowski. Kwiatkowski was arrested on July 19, 2012, and he has remained in custody since that date.
Kwiatkowski pled guilty to all 14 charges in the indictment pending against him in New Hampshire. At the same time, he agreed to have two charges recently filed against him in Kansas transferred to New Hampshire and he pled guilty to them as well. Kwiatkowski is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3, 2013 at 9:30 a.m.
United States Attorney John P. Kacavas commented on the defendant’s guilty pleas, saying, “This development marks another step on the road to justice for this defendant and for his many victims. Tragically, for his victims the defendant’s admissions of guilt are too little, too late. I am grateful to New Hampshire’s public health authorities, who finally put a stop to the defendant’s serial conduct by reporting it to law enforcement. And his guilty pleas today are a direct reflection of the strength of a case built by the dedicated investigative efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, to whom I am also deeply grateful.”
Kwiatkowski faces up to ten (10) years in prison for each count of tampering with a consumer product and up to four (4) years in prison for each count of obtaining controlled substances by fraud. Each offense also is punishable by a fine of $250,000.00 and a term of supervised release following any sentence of imprisonment.
This investigation, which remains active and ongoing, has involved the cooperative efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Exeter, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistance also was provided by the New Hampshire Drug Task Force, the Marlborough, Massachusetts Police Department, the Boxborough, Massachusetts Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Offices in the District of Massachusetts, the District of Kansas, the District of Maryland, and the Middle District of Georgia.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Nationwide Counterfeit Identification and Check RingRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. –Omar K. Patterson, 43, of Cleveland Ohio has been sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 36 months in prison for wire fraud, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Between December 2009 and August 2011, Patterson travelled across the country with others cashing payroll checks at the customer service desks of Wal-Mart stores knowing the payroll checks were counterfeit. The counterfeit checks were payable to actual persons whose identities Patterson and his co-conspirators had misappropriated. Patterson facilitated the transactions by presenting counterfeit driver’s licenses with his photograph but listing the names of the payees of the checks on them. The scheme involved the negotiation of hundreds of counterfeit checks and resulted in actual losses of several hundred thousand dollars.
Patterson was arrested on August 23, 2011, when the Tilton, New Hampshire, police stopped his rental vehicle for investigation as it was leaving a local retail mall. The vehicle was found to contain counterfeiting equipment, hundreds of counterfeit checks and fake identifications.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Tilton, New Hampshire Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.
Seven Sentenced in Federal Court for Conspiracy to Traffic in Marijuana, Hashish and Ecstacy, Using the U.S. Mails to Faciliate Drug Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Seven defendants have been sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire following their guilty pleas to charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to unlawfully distribute marijuana, hashish and MDMA, commonly known as “ecstasy”, conspiracy to use the U.S. Mail to facilitate drug trafficking offenses, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, all of which occurred in the Districts of New Hampshire, Vermont, Nevada, and the Eastern District of California, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Braedon Bellavance, 25, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 37 months in prison; his brother Shane Bellavance, 28, also of Mansfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 33 months in prison; Elton Bonneville, 24, of Beckett, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 24 months in prison; Lucas Mohr, 22, of Keene, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 21 months in prison; and James Mayer, 23, of Lyndonville, Vermont, was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Taylor Canaday, 21, of Chesterfield, New Hampshire, was sentenced to two years’ probation and Steven Lauder, 24, of Breckinridge, Colorado, was sentenced to three years’ probation. James Murray, 25, of Lyndonville, Vermont, and Brian Sawyer, 25, of Marlboro, Massachusetts are awaiting sentencing. Murray will be sentenced upon completion of the United States District Court’s LASER Docket, an intensive drug court program.
During the plea hearings, the defendants admitted that, in 2009, Braedon Bellavance and Bonneville, both students at Lyndon State College in Vermont, received high grade marijuana from sources in California via U.S. Postal Service “express mail” packages. They, in turn, sold the marijuana to buyers, including Murray and Mayer. Bonneville later moved to California and began shipping marijuana and hashish to the Bellavance brothers via USPS express mail packages. The Bellavance brothers, in turn, distributed the drugs to buyers in the Lyndonville, Vermont area and in New Hampshire, including to Mohr, Lauder-a Keene State College student-and Sawyer-a Plymouth State College student.
The Bellavance brothers moved to California in 2010, joining Bonneville in shipping marijuana and hashish, as well as ecstasy to Murray for distribution in the Lyndonville area. They also shipped marijuana to Mohr in New Hampshire. Mohr eventually joined his co-conspirators in California and shipped quantities of marijuana to Lauder and Canaday for distribution in the Keene area. Proceeds from the drug sales in New Hampshire and Vermont were returned to Bonneville and the Bellavance brothers in California via the USPS express mail service. In October, 2010, an express mail package containing $27,300 in cash intended for Braedon Bellavance was intercepted at the Ashland, New Hampshire Post Office.
In November, 2010, the DEA and USPIS intercepted two suspicious express mail packages shipped by Braedon Bellavance in California intended for Mayer in Lyndonville. The packages, containing marijuana, hashish and MDMA, were delivered to Mayer by an undercover law enforcement agent acting as a postal employee, after which a search warrant was executed at the residence.
In addition to hashish and MDMA, the investigation revealed that, from 2009 through 2011, the conspirators shipped approximately 80 kilograms of marijuana with an approximate street value over $500,000 from California to Vermont and New Hampshire.
The investigation into this conspiracy was conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the South Lake Tahoe, California Task Force, the Somersworth, New Hampshire Police Department, the University of New Hampshire Police Department, and the State of New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.Portsmouth Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sixty Four Months for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Christian Jennings, 27, of Portsmouth was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 64 months in prison for possession of methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA or “Ecstasy”) and marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
During a routine traffic stop in Portsmouth on January 2, 2011, Portsmouth police officers found distribution quantities of both MDMA and marijuana and other controlled substances in Jennings’ car, more than $42,000 in cash, and drug distribution paraphernalia. At the time of the traffic stop, Jennings was carrying a fully loaded Smith & Wesson, .38 caliber revolver in the waistband of his pants. A search of Jennings’ Portsmouth home yielded three additional firearms and additional quantities of controlled substances.
This case was investigated by the Portsmouth Police Department and was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal program to reduce gun violence in New Hampshire by aggressive investigation and prosecution of firearm offenders, education of the public, and training of law enforcement officers about federal firearm laws. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.