District of New Jersey
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Two Members of Marion Gardens Jersey City Gang Sentenced for Racketeering, Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two members of a Jersey City gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex were sentenced for their roles in two different shootings and other gang-related crimes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jakeem Gibson-Madison, aka “Beanz,” 30; and Terick Rogers, aka“Moot,” 32, both of Jersey City, New Jersey, were sentenced before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court. Judge Cecchi sentenced Gibson-Madison to 15 years in prison and sentenced Rogers to 16 years in prison. Both defendants were ordered to serve five-year terms of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Gibson-Madison, Terick Rogers, and others were all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. They routinely distributed cocaine and heroin, among other controlled substances, in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. They also engaged in acts of violence, including numerous assaults, shootings, and murders, which targeted rival gang members and others.
Gibson-Madison and another member of the enterprise participated in a shooting on Jan. 9, 2019. Gibson-Madison drove his fellow gang member to the area of Grant Avenue and Ocean Avenue to target a rival gang member, at which time his fellow gang member shot two victims and attempted to shoot a third.
On June 30, 2018, Rogers, with two other members of the enterprise, collectively shot five people while celebrating “Meech Day” in honor of a deceased fellow gang member;
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; investigators of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez: and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, for the investigation leading to the charges.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey in Newark.
Connecticut Man Admits Role in $7.8 Million Health Care Fraud and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Connecticut man admitted his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) health care fraud and kickback scheme, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Jesse Foote, 58, of Fairfield, Connecticut, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a two-count information charging him with conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute and conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From December 2017 to March 2021, Foote conspired with overseas telemarking call centers, DME suppliers, telemedicine companies, and doctors to submit fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and TRICARE, through a circular scheme of kickbacks and bribes. Foote controlled a marketing company though which he purchased patient “leads” from overseas telemarking companies, which consisted of information about Medicare and other beneficiaries and pre-written doctors’ orders for DME. The telemarketing call centers targeted Medicare beneficiaries and others with health insurance to persuade them to accept DME, including orthotic braces, without regard to medical necessity. Foote paid bribes and kickbacks to telemedicine companies, which in turn paid bribes and kickbacks to doctors, to obtain doctors’ orders for DME based on the leads. The doctors often approved the DME orders without having had any contact with the beneficiary and without making a bona fide assessment that the DME was medically necessary. Foote then sold the signed doctors’ orders to others with whom he had kickback arrangements. The doctors’ orders were ultimately submitted to DME suppliers, including DME suppliers controlled by Foote, which submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement to health care benefit programs including Medicare, TRICARE, and private insurance companies.
In total, Foote and his conspirators caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs totaling more than $7.8 million for DME.
The kickback conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison, and the health care fraud conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. Both charges are punishable by a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2025.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Solecki, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.
foote.information.pdfMiddlesex County Man Charged with Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was charged with producing and possessing photos depicting child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Anthony Lagotta Jr., 54, of Plainsboro, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count each of production and possession of child pornography. He had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Approximately 15 years ago, Lagotta sexually assaulted two minor victims and took photos depicting that abuse. In July 2022, Lagotta uploaded approximately 30 of those images to a child pornography website hosted on the darknet. During a search of Lagotta’s residence on Aug. 19, 2024, authorities discovered on Lagotta’s computer approximately 700 images depicting sexual abuse of one of those two minor victims, including some of the same images that Lagotta had previously posted on the darknet forum.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Plainsboro Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Douek of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
lagotta.complaint.pdfLos Angeles Man Admits Conspiring to Launder MoneyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A California man today admitted conspiring to launder money obtained from internet-related fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Charles Singleton, 64, of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering (Count One).
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From September 2018 to August 2020, Singleton worked with conspirators to launder money obtained through business email compromises, a method of wire fraud often targeting businesses or individuals working on business transactions involving high-dollar wire transactions. The fraud is carried out by compromising, hacking, or “spoofing” legitimate email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques to cause employees of a target company, or other individuals involved in legitimate business transactions, to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds, most often to accounts controlled by the fraud perpetrators.
Singleton opened several business bank accounts in the names of companies he controlled and received proceeds of wire fraud in those accounts. Singleton and his conspirators then withdrew and transferred money from various bank accounts and shared among themselves the account information of bank accounts. Singleton also executed at least one fraudulent contract with a conspirator for a wire of $70,000. As part of the plea, Singleton agreed to forfeit over $1.1 million constituting proceeds derived from the conspiracy.
The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the funds involved in the transfer, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Woodland Park Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
singleton.indictment.pdfFormer Mail Carrier Convicted of Receiving Bribes, Fraud Conspiracy and Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier has been convicted of bribery, fraud, and conspiracy charges, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Emerson Pavilus, 49, of Union, New Jersey, was convicted on Aug. 15, 2024, on all three counts of an indictment charging him with receiving bribes as a public official, conspiring to defraud the United States, and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The jury returned the verdict following a trial before U.S. Circuit Court Judge Stephanos Bibas, sitting by designation in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
Pavilus was a mail carrier at the post office in Flanders, New Jersey. From at least 2015 to 2020, Pavilus received cash payments in exchange for helping individuals intercept packages containing illegal narcotics and other illicit materials. Pavilus provided his conspirators with addresses for vacant houses along his mail route to which they could ship illegal packages. Pavilus then intercepted those packages from the mail stream and personally delivered them to his conspirators in exchange for bribe payments at places other than the addresses listed on the packages.
The bribery charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain from the offense, or three times the monetary equivalent of the bribe amount, whichever is greatest. The conspiracy to defraud the United States charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain from the offense, whichever is greater. The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; the USPS Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict. He also thanked the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordann R. Conaboy and Mark J. McCarren.
Couple Admits COVID-19 Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON N.J. – A New Jersey couple admitted fraudulently obtaining approximately $790,000 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) payments, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Diana Valteri, 42, and Edmond Haxhillari, 43, of Sparta, New Jersey, and Cypress, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court on Aug. 19, 2024, to informations charging them with wire fraud and money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Valteri and Haxhillari are a married couple who from June 2020 through August 2020 participated in a fraudulent scheme to receive $790,000 in COVID-19 emergency relief loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program. Valteri and Haxhillari submitted fraudulent loan applications on behalf of several businesses that purported to have employees and revenue, but were actually shell companies with no business operations. After receiving the EIDL funds based on their fraud, Valteri and Haxhillari diverted the proceeds for their own personal gain.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and the money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendants or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker, and special agents from the Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Regional Office, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano and Aja Espinosa of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
haxhillari.information.pdf valteri.information.pdfAtlantic County Man Admits Possessing Unregistered Machineguns and Other ItemsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing unregistered machineguns and other items, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Michael John James, 30, of Somers Point, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Keil to an information charging him with possessing unregistered machineguns and other firearms, as defined under the National Firearms Act.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In February 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at James’ residence, where they recovered dozens of firearms and ballistics items. Among the recovered items were three operable machine guns, an operable weapon modified to be shorter than a standard rifle, an operable weapon modified to be shorter than a standard shotgun, and three silencers. James admitted that he possessed all of the items recovered from his residence. James also admitted that these machine guns and other firearms were operable when he possessed them.
The charge to which James pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 30, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; personnel from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds; and officers of the Somers Point Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert C. Somers, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Waegener and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
james.information.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Agreement with Hackensack Meridian Health to Ensure it Permits Service Animals at Medical AppointmentsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached an agreement with Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) to resolve allegations that HMH violated the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) by prohibiting individuals with disabilities from bringing service animals to medical appointments, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
During its investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office determined that HMH violated the ADA by refusing to allow a service animal into a medical office. The matter stems from a complaint alleging that Dr. Abigail Whetstone’s office, part of HMH, did not permit an individual with a disability using a service animal to bring the service animal into the office for an appointment.
Under the ADA, places of public accommodation must make reasonable modifications to policies and practices to permit persons with disabilities who require service animals to use service animals while participating in its services. Places of public accommodation also cannot require individuals using service animals to produce documents or tags verifying that the animal is a service animal.
HMH has agreed to make reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, and procedures to permit the use of service animals by persons with disabilities, to ensure that all employees working at Whetstone’s office have a hard copy of HMH’s service animal policy, and to ensure that all employees working at Whetstone’s office receive training on Title III’s service animal compliance. HMH will also pay damages to the complainant.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may call the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339 and/or file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office at http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Horan Florio, Senior Civil Rights Counsel in the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division.
Mercer County Accounting Professor Found Guilty of Tax Evasion and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was convicted of evading federal income taxes and filing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Gordian A. Ndubizu, 69, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, was convicted on Aug. 15, 2024, of all eight counts of an indictment charging him with four counts of tax evasion and four counts of filing false tax returns in tax years 2014 through 2017. The jury deliberated for two hours before returning the guilty verdict following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
During tax years 2014 through 2017, Ndubizu was a professor of accounting at a university in Pennsylvania as well as the co-owner of Healthcare Pharmacy in Trenton, New Jersey. Healthcare Pharmacy was organized as an S corporation, the income of which flowed through to Ndubizu and his wife and was to be reported on their personal income tax returns. Ndubizu prepared fraudulent books and records for Healthcare Pharmacy inflating the pharmacy’s costs of goods sold to reduce and underreport the pharmacy’s actual profits flowing through to Ndubizu and his wife. In the fraudulent books and records, among other things, Ndubizu identified certain wire transfers as payments to purchase goods sold by the pharmacy when these wire transfers were in fact made to personal bank accounts under Ndubizu’s control and to bank accounts in Nigeria associated with an automotive company under Ndubizu’s control. Each of Ndubizu’s tax returns for tax years 2014 through 2017 falsely underreported his income and falsely reported that he had no financial interest in or signature authority over any foreign bank accounts. Ndubizu failed to report approximately $3.28 million in income from the pharmacy, resulting in the evasion of approximately $1.25 million in tax due and owing.
Each count of tax evasion carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Each count of filing a false tax return carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict. He also thanked special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and officers of the Trenton Police Department and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Ashley Super Pitts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
법무부가 언어 접근 및 보복 수사를 해결하기 위해 뉴저지 사법부와 합의에 도달하다Read the Press Release
법무부는 오늘 제한된 언어 능력을 가진(LEP) 사람들을 위한 법원 서비스로의 접근을 개선하기 위해 뉴저지 사법부와 합의에 도달했다고 발표했습니다.
본 합의는 법무부의 민권국과 뉴저지 지방 검찰청이 뉴저지 사법부의 일부인 몬머스(Monmouth) 주변 법원(MVC)이 1964년 민권법(제6편) 위반인 제한된 영어 능력을 가진 법원 이용자들에 대해 그들의 출신 국가에 기반한 차별을 했다는 혐의들과 법무부에 본 차별 혐의에 관해 고발한 법원 직원에 대해 보복한 것에 대한 수사를 해결합니다.
“제한된 영어 능력을 가진 사람들은 우리 법원 제도에서 언어 장벽에 직면할 경우, 그들의 자녀, 가정 및 기본권을 잃을 수도 있습니다”라고 법무부 민권국의 크리스틴 클라크(Kristen Clarke) 국장은 말했습니다. “민권국은 법원이 반드시 대중을 위한 언어 장벽을 제거하도록 하기 위해 계속 싸울 것입니다.”
“법을 공정하고 공평하게 시행하는 건 우리 민주주의 제도의 초석”이라고 뉴저지 지방 검찰청의 검사장 필립 R. 셀린저(Philip R. Sellinger)는 말했습니다. “우리는 뉴저지에 있는 모든 소송 당사자가 언어 장벽과 상관없이 뉴저지 법원 제도에 평등한 접근성을 갖도록 보장하기 위해 전념할 것입니다. 본 합의는 제한된 영어를 구사하는 법원 이용자들이 몬머스 카운티에 있는 뉴저지주 법원에서 평등한 접근성을 갖도록 보장합니다.”
제6편은 뉴저지 사법부와 같은 연방 재정 지원의 수혜자에 의한 인종, 피부색 또는 출신 국가에 기반한 차별을 금지합니다. 법무부의 수사는 언어 장벽이 제한된 영어 능력을 가진 사람들에게 법원 제도에 대한 접근성을 저해했다는 것을 밝혀냈습니다. 이러한 장벽은 서류 양식 작성을 돕기 위한 통역 제공 거부, 제한된 영어 능력을 가진 법원 이용자에게 중요한 문서를 번역하거나 설명하지 못한 것과 언어 접근 정책 및 절차를 직원에게 충분히 알리지 않은 것을 포함합니다.
본 합의문에 따라, 뉴저지 사법부는 중요한 법원 서류 양식 및 자료를 번역하고 사용할 수 있도록 법원에 배포할 것입니다. 뉴저지 사법부는 또한 향후 1년간 자체적으로 언어 접근 계획 검토, 법원을 위한 의무적인 언어 접근 교육 개발, 제6편의 보복 교육 제공, 제6편의 보복 금지 정책 및 영어 이외의 언어로 제6편의 신고 절차를 설명하는 공지를 발행할 것입니다. 법무부는 이러한 사항들과 기타 요건을 2년간 주시할 것입니다. 뉴저지 사법부는 또한 보복 혐의를 제기한 개인에게 $89,718의 금액에 해당하는 손해배상금을 지급하기로 합의했습니다.
제6편의 집행은 민권국과 뉴저지 지방 검찰청의 최우선 과제이고, 양측은 개인이 보복으로부터 자유롭게 수사에 항의하거나 협조할 수 있도록 보장하기 위해 전념합니다. 민권국에 관한 추가 정보는 www.justice.gov/crt 웹사이트에 있고, 제한된 영어 능력자 및 제6편에 관한 정보는 www.lep.gov에 있습니다. 민권국은 법원 언어 사용에 관한 정보를 www.lep.gov/state-courts에서 제공합니다.
일반인은 civilrights.justice.gov/report/에 잠재적인 민권 위반 사항을 신고할 수 있습니다.
뉴저지 지방 검찰청에서의 민권국을 포함한 민권 집행에 관한 추가 정보는 www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement에 있습니다.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division Reach Agreement with New Jersey Judiciary to Resolve Language Access and Retaliation InvestigationRead the Press Release
NEWARK – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, together with the New Jersey Judiciary, have reached agreement to improve access to court services for people with limited English proficiency (LEP).
This agreement resolves an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and into allegations that Monmouth Vicinage Courts (MVC), part of the New Jersey Judiciary, discriminated against court users with LEP based on their national origin and retaliated against a court employee who complained to the department about this alleged discrimination, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI).
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“Dispensing justice fairly and equitably is a cornerstone of our democratic system. We remain committed to ensuring that all litigants in New Jersey have equal access to New Jersey’s court system regardless of language barriers. This agreement will ensure that limited English court users will have equal access to the New Jersey state courts in Monmouth County.”
“People with limited English proficiency can lose their children, homes and fundamental rights when they face language barriers in our court systems,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue fighting to ensure that courts remove language barriers for the public.”
Title VI prohibits race, color or national origin discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance, such as the New Jersey Judiciary. This investigation uncovered language barriers that impeded access to the court system for people with LEP. These barriers included refusing to provide an interpreter for assistance with forms, failing to translate or explain vital documents to court users with LEP and failing to adequately inform staff of language access policies and procedures.
Under the agreement, the New Jersey Judiciary will translate vital court forms and materials and make them available for distribution at courthouses. The New Jersey Judiciary will also review its language access plan over the next year, develop mandatory language access training for its courts, provide Title VI retaliation training and issue public notices that explain the Title VI nonretaliation policy and Title VI complaint process in non-English languages. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will monitor these and other requirements for two years. The New Jersey Judiciary also agreed to pay damages in the amount of $89,718 to the individual who alleged retaliation.
The enforcement of Title VI is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and both are committed to ensuring that individuals can complain or cooperate with investigations free from retaliation. Additional information about civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, including the Office’s Civil Rights Division, is available at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
Additional information about the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division provides information about courts language access at www.lep.gov/state-courts. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Horan Florio, Senior Civil Rights Counsel in the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division, and Attorney Advisor Linda Quash, U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Federal Coordination and Compliance Section.
nj_courts_final_moa_508.pdfSpanish translation:
https://www.justice.gov/es/opa/pr/el-departamento-de-justicia-llega-un-acuerdo-con-la-judicatura-de-nueva-jersey-para-resolver
Two New York Men Admit Committing Three Gunpoint Robberies and Conspiring to Commit Additional RobberiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Brooklyn, New York, men admitted their roles in three gunpoint robberies of check cashing locations in different parts of New Jersey in 2021 and 2022, as well as conspiring to commit robberies in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Ramel Harris, 42, of Brooklyn, and Neville Brown, 40, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty on Aug. 14, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to three counts of an indictment charging them with Hobbs Act conspiracy, Hobbs Act robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely the Hobbs Act robbery.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between January 2021 and January 2022, Harris and Brown attempted to rob a check cashing location in Nanuet, New York, and thereafter successfully robbed three check cashing locations in different parts of New Jersey while brandishing a firearm and using zip ties to restrain employees at each location. During those robberies, Harris and Brown stole over $578,00.
Law enforcement learned that the conspirators surveilled check cashing locations in the following locations: Mount Kisco, New York, Allentown, Pennsylvania and West Chester, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement obtained video surveillance footage that ultimately linked Harris and Brown to the robberies. Cell phone records indicate that Harris’s and Brown’s cellular telephones were around the locations of the various robberies around the times that they were committed.
The Hobbs Act conspiracy and Hobbs Act robbery counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence count carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offenses, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for Dec. 17, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited members of the FBI’s New Jersey field office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; members of the FBI’s New York field office, under the leadership of Assistant Director In Charge James Smith; members of the FBI’s Philadelphia field office, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; members of the Hackettstown Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Aaron Perkins; members of the Old Bridge Police Department, under the leadership of Chief of Police Thomas J. Montagna; members of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department, under the leadership of Police Chief Richard Pantina; members of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, under the leadership of Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll; members of the Clarkstown Police Department, under the leadership of Police Chief Jeffrey Wanamaker; members of the Westchester County (New York) Department of Public Safety; and members of the Borough of West Chester (Pennsylvania) Police Department, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
harrisbrown.indictment.pdfSaudi Arabian National Admits Interstate Transportation of Stolen School BusRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Saudi Arabian man admitted transporting a stolen school bus across state lines, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Bader Alzahrani, 24, of Saudi Arabia, pleaded guilty on Aug. 14, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to one count of an indictment charging him with interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
According to documents filed in this case:
On Jan. 15, 2023, a break-in was reported in an unoccupied residential home in Livingston, New Jersey. During a search of a backpack in that home, law enforcement saw a Saudi Arabian passport with the name Bader Alzahrani, along with other items that appeared to belong to Alzahrani. On Jan. 17, 2023, the Livingston, New Jersey Board of Education reported that a school bus was stolen from a parking lot across the street from the unoccupied residential home where the break-in was reported. During the ensuing investigation, law enforcement located Alzahrani in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. After Alzahrani was taken into custody, law enforcement searched Alzahrani and recovered the keys to the stolen school bus.
The count of possession of a stolen vehicle is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and carries a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked special agents of the FBI Field Office in Washington, D.C., under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge David Sunberg; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; members of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; members of the Monroe County, Pennsylvania Office of the District Attorney, under the direction of District Attorney Mike Mancuso; members of the Livingston Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Gary Marshuetz; and members of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
alzahrani.indictment.pdfO Departamento de Justiça Chega a um Acordo com o Judiciário de Nova Jérsei para Resolver a Investigação sobre Acesso Linguístico e RetaliaçãoRead the Press Release
O Departamento de Justiça anunciou hoje que chegou a um acordo com o Judiciário de Nova Jérsei para aprimorar o acesso aos serviços do tribunal para pessoas com proficiência limitada em inglês (sigla em inglês LEP).
Este acordo encerra uma investigação da Divisão de Direitos Civis do Departamento de Justiça e da Procuradoria-Geral dos Estados Unidos para o Distrito de Nova Jérsei sobre alegações de que os Tribunais da Vicinagem de Monmouth (MVC), parte do Judiciário de Nova Jérsei, discriminaram usuários com LEP do tribunal, com base em sua origem nacional e retaliaram um funcionário do tribunal que fez uma reclamação ao departamento sobre a alegada discriminação, em violação ao Título VI da Lei de Direitos Civis de 1964 (Título VI).
“As pessoas com proficiência limitada em inglês podem perder seus filhos, suas casas e seus direitos fundamentais, ao se depararem com barreiras linguísticas no nosso sistema judiciário”, disse a procuradora-geral adjunta, Kristen Clarke, da Divisão de Direitos Civis do Departamento de Justiça. “A Divisão de Direitos Civis do Departamento de Justiça continuará lutando para garantir que os tribunais removam as barreiras linguísticas para o público.”
“A distribuição da justiça de forma justa e equitativa é uma pedra angular do nosso sistema democrático”, disse o procurador-geral dos EUA para Distrito de Nova Jérsei, Philip R. Sellinger. “Continuaremos empenhados para garantir que todos os litigantes de Nova Jérsei tenham acesso igualitário ao sistema judicial de Nova Jérsei, independentemente das barreiras linguísticas. Este acordo garantirá que os usuários do tribunal, com inglês limitado, tenham acesso igualitário aos tribunais estaduais de Nova Jérsei no Condado de Monmouth.”
O título VI proíbe discriminação por raça, cor ou origem nacional pelos recipientes de assistência financeira federal, tal como o Judiciário de Nova Jérsei. A investigação do departamento revelou barreiras linguísticas que impediam o acesso ao sistema judicial pelas pessoas com LEP. Tais barreiras incluíam a recusa em fornecer um intérprete para auxiliar com formulários; deixar de tradução ou explicar documentos vitais para os usuários dos tribunais com LEP; e a falta de informação adequada aos funcionários sobre as normas e os procedimentos referentes ao acesso linguístico.
Nos termos do acordo, o Judiciário de Nova Jérsei traduzirá formulários e materiais vitais dos tribunais e os disponibilizará para distribuição nos fóruns. O Judiciário de Nova Jérsei também revisará o seu plano de acesso linguístico durante o próximo ano, desenvolverá treinamento mandatório de acesso linguísticos para os seus tribunais, fornecerá treinamento contra retaliação do Título VI e emitirá avisos públicos para explicar a norma de não retaliação do Título VI e o processo de reclamação do Título VI em outras línguas que não o inglês. O departamento irá monitorar estes e outros requisitos por dois anos. O Judiciário de Nova Jérsei também concordou em pagar uma indenização no valor de US$89.718 para a pessoa que alegou retaliação.
A implementação do Título VI é uma das principais prioridades da Divisão de Direitos Civis e do gabinete do procurador-geral dos EUA para o Distrito de Nova Jérsei, ambos empenhados em garantir que as pessoas possam reclamar ou cooperar com investigações sem sofrer retaliação. Informações adicionais sobre a Divisão de Direitos Civis estão disponíveis no site: www.justice.gov/crt, e informações sobre proficiência limitada em inglês e o Título VI estão disponíveis em www.lep.gov. A divisão oferece informação sobre o acesso linguístico dos tribunais em www.lep.gov/state-courts.
O público poderá denunciar possíveis violações aos direitos civis através do site civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Informações adicionais sobre a aplicação dos direitos civis no gabinete do procurador-geral dos EUA para o Distrito de Nova Jérsei, incluindo a Divisão de Direitos Civis do gabinete estão disponíveis no site www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
Mercer County Man, Former Pilot, Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison and Lifetime Supervised Release for Travelling to Philippines for Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man formerly of Ocean County, New Jersey – a cargo pilot who traveled abroad frequently – was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for illicit sexual conduct abroad, including production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Frank Maile, 68, of Hamilton, New Jersey, and formerly of New Egypt, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Sept. 6, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to Count Four of a five-count indictment, charging him with illicit sexual conduct abroad, that is, a sexual act with a person under 18 years of age, a commercial sex act, and production of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From as early as 2013, Maile traveled to the Philippines and had sexual contact with two minor sisters. Maile had extensive, explicit chats with the minors’ pimp to arrange these meetings. Maile created images and videos of the two minor females engaging in multiple sex acts, in which Maile also participated. These sex acts constituted commercial sex acts because they were performed for compensation. Maile also possessed additional images of child sexual abuse when he was searched upon entering the United States in Alabama on April 6, 2018, and at the time of his arrest in New Jersey on May 1, 2018. Maile also admitted that he had distributed some of the child pornography to his then-roommate/tenant Dennis Nerolich. Nerolich pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography before Judge Martinotti on June 20, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 6, 2024.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Maile to lifetime supervised release, registration as a sex offender, a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and a $50,000 fine. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the Criminal Division in Camden.
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with the New Jersey Judiciary to Resolve Language Access and Retaliation InvestigationRead the Press Release
Note: View the release in Polish here.
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with the New Jersey Judiciary to improve access to court services for people with limited English proficiency (LEP).
This agreement resolves an investigation by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey into allegations that Monmouth Vicinage Courts (MVC), part of the New Jersey Judiciary, discriminated against court users with LEP based on their national origin and retaliated against a court employee who complained to the department about this alleged discrimination, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI).
“People with limited English proficiency can lose their children, homes and fundamental rights when they face language barriers in our court systems,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue fighting to ensure that courts remove language barriers for the public.”
“Dispensing justice fairly and equitably is a cornerstone of our democratic system,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “We remain committed to ensuring that all litigants in New Jersey have equal access to New Jersey’s court system regardless of language barriers. This agreement will ensure that limited English court users will have equal access to the New Jersey state courts in Monmouth County.”
Title VI prohibits race, color or national origin discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance, such as the New Jersey Judiciary. The department’s investigation uncovered language barriers that impeded access to the court system for people with LEP. These barriers included refusing to provide an interpreter for assistance with forms, failing to translate or explain vital documents to court users with LEP and failing to adequately inform staff of language access policies and procedures.
Under the agreement, the New Jersey Judiciary will translate vital court forms and materials and make them available for distribution at courthouses. The New Jersey Judiciary will also review its language access plan over the next year, develop mandatory language access training for its courts, provide Title VI retaliation training and issue public notices that explain the Title VI nonretaliation policy and Title VI complaint process in non-English languages. The department will monitor these and other requirements for two years. The New Jersey Judiciary also agreed to pay damages in the amount of $89,718 to the individual who alleged retaliation.
The enforcement of Title VI is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division and of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and both are committed to ensuring that individuals can complain or cooperate with investigations free from retaliation. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. The division provides information about courts language access at www.lep.gov/state-courts. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Additional information about civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, including the Office’s Civil Rights Division, is available at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
final_nj_courts_pr_8.13.24_4pm-poli.pdfGang Member Admits Racketeering ChargeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang admitted to his role in a racketeering conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Kareem Green, aka “Try Me,”, 32, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to a superseding indictment that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and a separate indictment charging him with distribution of cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, Green was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere. On April 5, 2021, Green worked with other members of the gang to shoot a victim. On April 11, 2021, Green worked with other members of the gang to shoot another victim. On March 5, 2021, Green worked with another member of the gang to distribute cocaine.
The racketeering conspiracy count is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 and the controlled substance offense is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti, as well as investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé; the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi; the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves; the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel; the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero; and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, for the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit of the Criminal Division.
green.indictment.pdfEl Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con la Judicatura de Nueva Jersey para resolver una investigación de acceso lingüístico y represaliasRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con la Judicatura de Nueva Jersey para mejorar el acceso a los servicios jurídicos para personas con dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés).
Este acuerdo resuelve una investigación de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia y la Oficina del Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Nueva Jersey sobre las alegaciones de que los tribunales del Distrito Judicial de Monmouth (MVC, por sus siglas en inglés), pertenecientes a la Judicatura de Nueva Jersey, discriminaron a los usuarios de los tribunales con LEP debido a su origen nacional y tomaron represalias contra un empleado de los tribunales que se quejó ante el departamento sobre esta alegada discriminación, en contra del Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI).
«Las personas con un dominio limitado del inglés pueden perder a sus hijos, sus hogares y sus derechos fundamentales cuando enfrentan barreras lingüísticas en nuestros sistemas judiciales», comentó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles seguirá luchando para garantizar que los tribunales eliminen las barreras lingüísticas para el público».
«Impartir justicia de manera justa y equitativa es una piedra angular de nuestro sistema democrático», afirmó Philip R. Sellinger, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Nueva Jersey. «Seguimos comprometidos a garantizar que todos los litigantes en Nueva Jersey tengan igualdad de acceso al sistema judicial de Nueva Jersey, independientemente de las barreras lingüísticas. Este acuerdo garantizará que los usuarios de los tribunales con inglés limitado tengan igualdad de acceso a los tribunales estatales de Nueva Jersey en el condado de Monmouth».
El Título VI prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel u origen nacional por parte de los beneficiarios de ayuda financiera federal, como la Judicatura de Nueva Jersey. La investigación del departamento reveló la existencia de barreras lingüísticas que les impedían el acceso al sistema judicial a las personas con LEP. Estas barreras incluían negarse a proporcionar un intérprete para ayudar con los formularios, no traducir ni explicarles documentos importantes a los usuarios de los tribunales con LEP y no informar adecuadamente al personal de las políticas y los procedimientos de acceso lingüístico.
En virtud del acuerdo, la Judicatura de Nueva Jersey traducirá formularios y materiales judiciales importantes y los pondrá a disposición para su distribución en los juzgados. La Judicatura de Nueva Jersey también revisará su plan de acceso lingüístico durante el próximo año, desarrollará una capacitación de acceso lingüístico obligatoria para sus tribunales, proporcionará capacitación sobre el Título VI en materia de represalias y publicará avisos públicos que expliquen la política de no tomar represalias en contra del Título VI y el proceso de denuncia del Título VI en idiomas distintos del inglés. El departamento supervisará estos y otros requisitos durante dos años. La Judicatura de Nueva Jersey también acordó pagarle una indemnización por daños y perjuicios por un monto de $89,718 a la persona que alegó represalias.
Una de las principales prioridades de la División de Derechos Civiles y la Oficina del Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Nueva Jersey es hacer cumplir el Título VI, y ambas se comprometen a garantizar que las personas puedan presentar quejas o cooperar con las investigaciones sin sufrir represalias. Hay información adicional disponible sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt, y hay información disponible sobre el dominio limitado del inglés y el Título VI en www.lep.gov. La división ofrece información sobre el acceso lingüístico de los tribunales en www.lep.gov/state-courts. Los miembros del público pueden denunciar posibles violaciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Hay información adicional disponible sobre los esfuerzos por hacer cumplir los derechos civiles en la Oficina del Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Nueva Jersey, incluida la División de Derechos Civiles de la Oficina, en www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
Depatman Jistis Jwenn yon Akò ak Jidisyè New Jersey pou rezoud Aksè Lang ak Envestigasyon ReprezayRead the Press Release
Depatman Lajistis te anonse jodi a ke li te rive jwenn yon akò ak sistèm Jidisyè New Jersey a pou amelyore aksè a sèvis tribinal pou moun ki gen yon konpetans limite nan Angle (LEP).
Akò sa a rezoud yon envestigasyon Divizyon Dwa Sivil Depatman Jistis la ak Biwo Avoka Ameriken pou Distri New Jersey a anba akizasyon ke Monmouth Vicinity Courts (MVC), yon pati nan sistèm jidisyè New Jersey a, te fè diskriminasyon kont itilizatè tribinal LEP yo akòz. orijin nasyonal yo ak reprezay kont yon anplwaye tribinal la ki te pote plent bay depatman an konsènan swadizan diskriminasyon sa a, an vyolasyon Tit VI Lwa sou Dwa Sivil 1964 (Tit VI).
“Moun ki gen konpetans limite nan anglè ka pèdi pitit yo, kay yo ak dwa fondamantal yo lè yo fè fas ak baryè lang nan sistèm tribinal nou yo,” Asistan Pwokirè Jeneral Kristen Clarke nan Divizyon Dwa Sivil Depatman Jistis la te di. “Divizyon Dwa Sivil la pral kontinye goumen pou asire ke tribinal yo retire baryè lang pou piblik la.”
Avoka Ameriken Philip R. Sellinger pou Distri New Jersey te di: “Distribisyon jistis san patipri ak ekitab se yon baz sistèm demokratik nou an. “Nou rete angaje pou asire ke tout pleyan nan New Jersey yo gen aksè egal a sistèm tribinal New Jersey kèlkeswa baryè lang yo. Akò sa a pral asire ke itilizatè nan tribinal la ki limite nan anglè pral gen aksè egal nan tribinal eta New Jersey nan Konte Monmouth.”
Tit VI entèdi diskriminasyon ras, koulè oswa orijin nasyonal pa moun k ap resevwa asistans finansye federal, tankou sistèm Jidisyè New Jersey a. Ankèt depatman an te dekouvwi baryè langaj ki te anpeche moun LEP ki gen aksè a sistèm tribinal la. Obstak sa yo enkli refize bay yon entèprèt pou asistans nan ranpli fòm yo, pa tradwi oswa eksplike dokiman enpòtan yo bay itilizatè tribinal yo ki LEP epi pa enfòme anplwaye yo nan yon fason adekwat sou règleman ak pwosedi aksè a lang.
Dapre akò a, sistèm Jidisyè New Jersey a pral tradwi fòm ak materyèl tribinal ki enpòtan anpil yo epi rann yo disponib pou distribisyon nan tribinal yo. Sistèm Jidisyè New Jersey a pral revize tou plan aksè a lang li pandan ane kap vini an, devlope fòmasyon obligatwa pou aksè a lang pou tribinal li yo, bay fòmasyon sou reprezay Tit VI, epi pibliye avi piblik ki esplike règleman Tit VI sou non reprezay ak pwosesis plent Tit VI pou lang ki pa anglè yo. Depatman an pral kontwole kondisyon sa yo ak lòt pou dezan. Lajistis New Jersey te dakò tou pou peye $89,718 nan domaj bay moun ki te swadizan soufri reprezay.
Ranfòsman Tit VI se pi gwo priyorite Divizyon Dwa Sivil la ak Biwo Avoka Ameriken an pou Distri New Jersey, epi tou de angaje yo pou asire moun yo ka pote plent oswa kolabore ak envestigasyon san reprezay. Gen plis enfòmasyon sou Divizyon Dwa Sivil la disponib sou sitwèb li a nan www.justice.gov/crt, epi enfòmasyon sou konpetans limite nan anglè ak Tit VI disponib nan www.lep.gov. Divizyon an bay enfòmasyon sou aksè a lang nan tribinal yo nan www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Manm piblik la ka rapòte vyolasyon dwa sivil posib yo nan civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Gen plis enfòmasyon sou aplikasyon dwa sivil yo nan Biwo Avoka Ameriken pou Distri New Jersey a, ki gen ladan Biwo Divizyon Dwa Sivil la, disponib nan www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
Atlantic County Health System Settles Matter Alleging it Received Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County health system entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the non-profit company violated the False Claims Act by taking a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to which the company was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses.
Shore Memorial Physicians’ Group (SPG), an affiliate of the Shore Memorial Health System Inc., applied for and received a PPP loan for $2.78 million, even though it was ineligible for such a loan because it was affiliated with Shore Memorial Health System and was therefore not a small business within the meaning of the PPP program. Shore Memorial Physicians’ Group thereafter sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loan.
Shore Memorial Health System fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement, Shore Memorial Health System agrees to pay the United States $3.15 million. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator is receiving $315,000 as his share in the recovery.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credits special agents of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Supervisory Criminal Investigator Angelo Palmeri in New York, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Kaufman of the Healthcare Fraud Unit.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The qui tam case is captioned US ex rel. Zachary Holtzman v. Dr. David P. May; Shore Memorial Hospital d/b/a Shore Medical Center, 23-cv-3680 (JHR).
shore.settlement.pdfLeader of International Malvertising and Ransomware Schemes Extradited from Poland to Face Cybercrime ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Belarussian and Ukrainian national charged in the District of New Jersey and Eastern District of Virginia with leading international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes made his initial appearance in Newark today after being extradited from Poland.
As alleged in court documents unsealed today, Maksim Silnikau, also known as Maksym Silnikov, 38, led two multi-year cybercrime schemes. At different points, Silnikau has been associated with the online monikers “J.P. Morgan,” “xxx,” and “lansky,” among others. Silnikau appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court and was detained.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, along with alleged co-conspirators Volodymyr Kadariya, a Belarussian and Ukrainian national, 38, and Andrei Tarasov, a Russian national, 33, are charged with cybercrime offenses associated with a scheme to transmit the Angler Exploit Kit, other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of unsuspecting victim Internet users through online advertisements – so-called “malvertising” – and other means from October 2013 through March 2022. In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged for his role as the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain and associated ransomware operations beginning in May 2021.
“These conspirators are alleged to have operated a multiyear scheme to distribute malware onto the computers of millions of unsuspecting internet users around the globe. To carry out the scheme, they used malicious advertising, or ‘malvertising,’ to trick victims into clicking on legitimate-seeming internet ads. Instead, the victims would be redirected to malicious internet sites that delivered malware to their devices, giving the conspirators access to the victims’ personal information. The conspirators then sold that access and information to other cybercriminals on the dark net. Throughout the scheme, the conspirators attempted to hide their identities from law enforcement, including by using fraudulent aliases and online personas.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
“Today, the Justice Department takes another step forward in disrupting ransomware actors and malicious cybercriminals who prey on victims in the U.S. and around the world,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged, for over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam U.S. businesses and consumers. Now, thanks to the hard work of federal agents and prosecutors, along with Polish law enforcement colleagues, Maksim Silnikau must answer these grave charges in an American courtroom.”
“As alleged in the indictment, Silnikau and his co-conspirators distributed online advertisements to millions of internet users for the purpose of delivering malicious content,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These ads appeared legitimate but were actually designed to deliver malware that would compromise users’ devices or to deliver ‘scareware’ designed to trick users into providing their sensitive personal information. Silnikau’s arrest and extradition demonstrate that, working with its domestic and international partners, the Criminal Division is committed to bringing cyber criminals who target U.S. victims to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“This arrest underscores a long-term investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with foreign, domestic and private partners, of cybercrime organizations that allegedly distributed the notorious Angler Exploit Kit, conducted malvertising, and operated the Ransom Cartel ransomware organization,” said Assistant Director of Investigations Brian Lambert of the U.S. Secret Service. “Cybercriminals should know that even if they attempt to hide their criminal conduct behind the anonymity of the internet that eventually, through the dedication of international law enforcement professionals, they will be apprehended and held accountable for their actions.”
“Silnikau and his co-conspirators allegedly used malware and various online scams to target millions of unsuspecting internet users in the United States and around the world,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “They hid behind online aliases and engaged in complex, far-reaching cyber fraud schemes to compromise victim devices and steal sensitive personal information. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively impose costs on cybercriminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“The FBI will continue to work alongside our partners both overseas and in the states to identify and dismantle cyber threats, and to pursue those criminals who attempt to target and defraud victims in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.
District of New Jersey Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the District of New Jersey, from October 2013 through March 2022, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and others in Ukraine and elsewhere used malvertising and other means to deliver malware, scareware, and online scams to millions of unsuspecting Internet users in the United States and elsewhere. The malvertising campaigns were designed to appear legitimate, but often redirected victim Internet users who viewed or accessed the advertisements to malicious sites and servers that sought to defraud the users or delivered malware to the users’ devices. The conspirators’ scheme caused unsuspecting Internet users to be forcibly redirected to malicious content on millions of occasions, and defrauded and attempted to defraud various U.S.-based companies involved in the sale and distribution of legitimate online advertisements.
One strain of malware that Silnikau and others allegedly took a leading role in disseminating was the Angler Exploit Kit, which targeted web-based vulnerabilities in Internet browsers and associated plug-ins. At times during the scheme, the Angler Exploit Kit was a leading vehicle through which cybercriminals delivered malware onto compromised electronic devices. The conspirators also allegedly enabled the delivery of “scareware” ads that displayed false messages claiming to have identified a virus or other issue with a victim Internet user’s device. The messages then attempted to deceive the victim into buying or downloading dangerous software, providing remote access to the device, or disclosing personal identifying or financial information.
For years, the conspirators tricked advertising companies into delivering their malvertising campaigns by using dozens of online personas and fictitious entities to pose as legitimate advertising companies. They also developed and used sophisticated technologies and computer code to refine their malvertisements, malware, and computer infrastructure so as to conceal the malicious nature of their advertising.
As alleged, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and conspirators used multiple strategies to profit from their widespread hacking and wire fraud scheme, including by using accounts on predominantly Russian cybercrime forums to sell to cybercriminals access to the compromised devices of victim Internet users (so-called “loads” or “bots”), as well as information stolen from victims and recorded in “logs,” such as banking information and login credentials, to enable further efforts to defraud the victim Internet users or deliver additional malware to their devices.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and two counts of substantive wire fraud. If convicted, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov face maximum penalties of 27 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, 10 years in prison for computer fraud conspiracy, counts, and 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count.
The U.S. Secret Service and FBI Kansas City Field Office are investigating the charges in the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Secret Service is investigating the charges in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Department also appreciates the extensive cooperation and coordination by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service over the course of several years, as well as significant support provided by the Security Service of Ukraine Cyber Department and Prosecutor General’s Office; Guardia Civil of Spain, Spanish Ministry of Justice, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Audiencia Nacional; Policia Judiciaria of Portugal; Germany—Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Berlin; and Polish authorities, in particular assistance provided by Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau, Border Guard, Ministry of Justice, and National Prosecutors Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Fasanello, Chief of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit, for the District of New Jersey, Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat, Cyber Operations International Liaison Louisa K. Becker, and Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), are prosecuting Silnikau and his co-defendants in the District of New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly of New Jersey and Christopher Oakley of Kansas City, Kansas also provided substantial assistance to the New Jersey case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the extradition of Silnikau and collection of evidence.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
silnikau.indictment.pdfLeader of International Malvertising and Ransomware Schemes Extradited from Poland to Face Cybercrime ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Belarussian and Ukrainian dual-national charged in both the District of New Jersey and Eastern District of Virginia with leading international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes made his initial appearance in Newark, New Jersey, today after being extradited from Poland.
As alleged in court documents unsealed today, Maksim Silnikau, also known as Maksym Silnikov, 38, led two multiyear cybercrime schemes. At different points, Silnikau has been associated with the online monikers “J.P. Morgan,” “xxx,” and “lansky,” among others.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, along with alleged co-conspirators Volodymyr Kadariya, a Belarussian and Ukrainian national, 38, and Andrei Tarasov, a Russian national, 33, are charged with cybercrime offenses associated with a scheme to transmit the Angler Exploit Kit, other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of unsuspecting victim internet users through online advertisements — so-called “malvertising” — and other means from October 2013 through March 2022. In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged for his role as the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain and associated ransomware operations beginning in May 2021.
“Today, the Justice Department takes another step forward in disrupting ransomware actors and malicious cybercriminals who prey on victims in the U.S. and around the world,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged, for over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam U.S. businesses and consumers. Now, thanks to the hard work of federal agents and prosecutors, along with Polish law enforcement colleagues, Maksim Silnikau must answer these grave charges in an American courtroom.”
“This arrest underscores a long-term investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with foreign, domestic and private partners, of cybercrime organizations that allegedly distributed the notorious Angler Exploit Kit, conducted malvertising, and operated the Ransom Cartel ransomware organization,” said Assistant Director of Investigations Brian Lambert of the U.S. Secret Service. “Cybercriminals should know that even if they attempt to hide their criminal conduct behind the anonymity of the internet that eventually, through the dedication of international law enforcement professionals, they will be apprehended and held accountable for their actions.”
“Silnikau and his co-conspirators allegedly used malware and various online scams to target millions of unsuspecting internet users in the United States and around the world,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “They hid behind online aliases and engaged in complex, far-reaching cyber fraud schemes to compromise victim devices and steal sensitive personal information. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively impose costs on cybercriminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“As alleged in the indictment, Silnikau and his co-conspirators distributed online advertisements to millions of internet users for the purpose of delivering malicious content,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These ads appeared legitimate but were actually designed to deliver malware that would compromise users’ devices or to deliver ‘scareware’ designed to trick users into providing their sensitive personal information. Silnikau’s arrest and extradition demonstrate that, working with its domestic and international partners, the Criminal Division is committed to bringing cybercriminals who target U.S. victims to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“These conspirators are alleged to have operated a multiyear scheme to distribute malware onto the computers of millions of unsuspecting internet users around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “To carry out the scheme, they used malicious advertising, or ‘malvertising’, to trick victims into clicking on legitimate-seeming internet ads. Instead, the victims would be redirected to malicious internet sites that delivered malware to their devices, giving the conspirators access to the victims’ personal information. The conspirators then sold that access and information to other cybercriminals on the dark net. Throughout the scheme, the conspirators attempted to hide their identities from law enforcement, including by using fraudulent aliases and online personas.”
“This case reemphasizes the importance of both cybersecurity and our crucial law enforcement partnerships worldwide,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Online threats emerge within the digital ecosystem among those who exploit the very tools that help us connect and collaborate. In turn, we must maximize our investigative collaborations globally to address those threats. This investigation demonstrates the positive results of leveraging international partnerships to combat international crimes.”
“The FBI will continue to work alongside our partners both overseas and in the states to identify and dismantle cyber threats, and to pursue those criminals who attempt to target and defraud victims in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.
District of New Jersey Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the District of New Jersey, from October 2013 through March 2022, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and others in Ukraine and elsewhere used malvertising and other means to deliver malware, scareware, and online scams to millions of unsuspecting Internet users in the United States and elsewhere. The malvertising campaigns were designed to appear legitimate, but often redirected victim Internet users who viewed or accessed the advertisements to malicious sites and servers that sought to defraud the users or delivered malware to the users’ devices. The conspirators’ scheme caused unsuspecting Internet users to be forcibly redirected to malicious content on millions of occasions, and defrauded and attempted to defraud various U.S.-based companies involved in the sale and distribution of legitimate online advertisements.
One strain of malware that Silnikau and others allegedly took a leading role in disseminating was the Angler Exploit Kit, which targeted web-based vulnerabilities in Internet browsers and associated plug-ins. At times during the scheme, the Angler Exploit Kit was a leading vehicle through which cybercriminals delivered malware onto compromised electronic devices. The conspirators also allegedly enabled the delivery of “scareware” ads that displayed false messages claiming to have identified a virus or other issue with a victim Internet user’s device. The messages then attempted to deceive the victim into buying or downloading dangerous software, providing remote access to the device, or disclosing personal identifying or financial information.
For years, the conspirators tricked advertising companies into delivering their malvertising campaigns by using dozens of online personas and fictitious entities to pose as legitimate advertising companies. They also developed and used sophisticated technologies and computer code to refine their malvertisements, malware, and computer infrastructure so as to conceal the malicious nature of their advertising.
As alleged, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and conspirators used multiple strategies to profit from their widespread hacking and wire fraud scheme, including by using accounts on predominantly Russian cybercrime forums to sell to cybercriminals access to the compromised devices of victim Internet users (so-called “loads” or “bots”), as well as information stolen from victims and recorded in “logs,” such as banking information and login credentials, to enable further efforts to defraud the victim Internet users or deliver additional malware to their devices.
Eastern District of Virginia Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau was the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain, created in 2021. Silnikau allegedly had been a member of Russian-speaking cybercrime forums since at least 2005 and was a member of the notorious cybercrime website Direct Connection from 2011 to 2016, when the site was shuttered after the arrest of its administrator.
Beginning in May 2021, Silnikau allegedly developed a ransomware operation and began recruiting participants from cybercrime forums. On various occasions, Silnikau allegedly distributed information and tools to Ransom Cartel participants, including information about compromised computers, such as stolen credentials, and tools such as those designed to encrypt or “lock” compromised computers. Silnikau also allegedly established and maintained a hidden website where he and his co-conspirators could monitor and control ransomware attacks; communicate with each other; communicate with victims, including sending and negotiating payment demands; and manage distribution of funds between co-conspirators.
On Nov. 16, 2021, Silnikau allegedly executed a ransomware attack on a company based in New York, and on March 5, 2022, Ransom Cartel ransomware was deployed against a company based in California. The hackers removed confidential data without authorization and demanded a monetary payment to refrain from releasing the victim’s data.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and two counts of substantive wire fraud. If convicted, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov face maximum penalties of 27 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, 10 years in prison for computer fraud conspiracy, counts, and 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count.
In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and two counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Department of State has also announced a reward of up to $2.5 million through its Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of Kadariya. Information that may be eligible for the reward can be submitted by email at [email protected].
The U.S. Secret Service and FBI Kansas City Field Office are investigating the case in the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Department also appreciates the extensive cooperation and coordination by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service over the course of several years, as well as significant support provided by the Security Service of Ukraine Cyber Department and Prosecutor General’s Office; Guardia Civil of Spain, Spanish Ministry of Justice, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Audiencia Nacional; Policia Judiciaria of Portugal; Germany—Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Berlin; and Polish authorities, in particular assistance provided by Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau, Border Guard, Ministry of Justice, and National Prosecutors Office.
Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat, Cyber Operations International Liaison Louisa K. Becker, and Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Fasanello, Chief of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit, for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting Silnikau and his co-defendants in the District of New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, for New Jersey, and Christopher Oakley for the District of Kansas also provided substantial assistance to the New Jersey case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Keim and Zoe Bedell are prosecuting the case in the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the extradition of Silnikau and collection of evidence.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
View the District of New Jersey indictment here.
View the Eastern District of Virginia indictment here.
Four Individuals Charged with Operating Illicit Massage Parlors in New Jersey and New YorkRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Four individuals have been charged with operating a series of illicit massage parlors in New Jersey and New York, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Zhejun Piao, 37, a Chinese national, Miyeon Choi, 37, a South Korean national, Shangxian Cui, 36, Chinese national, and Meixiang Jin, 34, of Palisades Park, New Jersey, are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise. All four defendants were arrested on Aug. 8, 2024 and made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court. They were all released.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From at least May 2017, the defendants owned, operated, and derived money from illicit massage parlors or spas in New Jersey and New York that, as the defendants knew, had been offering sexual services in exchange for money. The New Jersey spas include Coco Spa in Paterson, Gold Spa in Passaic, 785 Spa in Passaic, Bergen Acupressure in Fairview, Queen Spa in Edgewater, Hawaii Spa in Edgewater, Good Day Spa in East Brunswick, and Spa Wellness in Toms River. The New York spa includes New Soothing Day Spa in New Rochelle.
Each of the spas allegedly advertised sexual services on various online platforms by posting images of the female sex workers and describing the sexual services offered. Law enforcement obtained evidence demonstrating each of the defendants’ personal knowledge of, and involvement in, the illegal operation. For example, emails obtained by law enforcement show that Choi received what appear to be draft advertisements for the spas, and other emails and records show Choi and Piao transferred cryptocurrency to an online advertisement company. Law enforcement also observed Cui transport supplies, including mouthwash and paper towels, to the spas, make suspected cash pickups, and deposit over $50,000 of cash with Jin to a bank account.
The charge of conspiracy to commit interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; the U.S. State Department, Diplomatic Security Service; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation. He also thanked HSI New York, Hudson Valley Office; Customs and Border Protection; the Passaic County Prosecutors Office; Passaic County Sheriff; Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; Bergen County Sheriff; Edgewater Police Department; Fairview Police Department; Paterson Police Department; East Brunswick Police Department; New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice; South Toms River Police Department; Edison Police Department; South Toms River Police Department; Morris County Prosecutor’s Office; Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office; New Rochelle Police Department; Westchester District Attorney’s Office; Federal Air Marshals; New York State Police; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; and the Palisades Park Police Department
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith and Javon Henry of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
piao.complaint.pdfNew York Man Admits Laundering Proceeds of Elder Fraud and Computer Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Queens, New York, man today admitted that he illegally laundered the proceeds of elder fraud and computer fraud schemes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Hector Claveria, 51, of Elmhurst, New York pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to Count Two of the indictment charging him with international money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In early 2020, Claveria acted as a money mule for a fraudulent scheme by picking up numerous packages that contained cash that he knew were proceeds of illegal activity. He then laundered some of this money in June 2020 by wiring $20,000 from his U.S. bank account to a foreign bank account. These funds were the proceeds of two fraudulent schemes: The first was an elder-fraud scheme in which the perpetrators tricked elder victims into believing that they owed money to various government agencies and companies, and then into sending payments to locations identified by the perpetrators. The second was a computer-fraud scheme in which perpetrators tricked victims into believing that they owed money to a computer services company, and then into sending payments to locations identified by the perpetrators, purportedly at the direction of the computer company. At the time Claveria wired the funds to a foreign account, he knew that the transfer was designed to conceal and disguise the nature of the funds.
The charge of international money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved in the transportation, transmission, or transfer. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Social Security Administration Office, of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chana Zuckier of the OCDETF Unit and Jennifer Kozar of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
claveria.indictment.pdfFour Individuals Charged in Connection with Armed Robbery of U.S. Postal Service EmployeeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Four Essex County, New Jersey, men have been charged in connection with an armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Troy D. Corbett Jr., 28, Dyshawn Williams, 28, and Antwuan Brown, 24, all of Newark, are charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. Corbett and Williams are also charged with assaulting or impeding a federal officer using a deadly weapon. Brown and Karieem Stamps, 25, also of Newark, are charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Corbett is also charged with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Stamps is also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Corbett, Williams, and Stamps were arrested in Newark on Aug. 1, 2024, and made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court. Corbett, Williams, and Stamps were detained. Brown was arrested on Aug. 1, 2024, in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler in North Carolina federal court. Brown was detained.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
In November 2023, three individuals – including Corbett and Williams – robbed a U.S. Postal Service employee at gunpoint in Newark. The assailants stole the victim’s cell phone, keys, and wallet – including a credit card and debit card. The robbery impeded the victim from delivering mail, which interfered with interstate commerce. Shortly after the robbery, Stamps and Brown used the stolen debit card to make separate purchases. Both transactions passed through servers located outside of New Jersey.
On Jan. 18, 2024, Corbett – who was convicted of felony offenses in 2018 – possessed a distribution quantity of suspected methamphetamine and a pistol loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition that was manufactured outside of New Jersey. On Aug. 1, 2024, Stamps – who was convicted of a felony offense in 2020 – possessed a Glock 29 Gen5 handgun with an extended magazine and approximately 25 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition.
The counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and assaulting or impeding a federal employee carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The counts of wire fraud carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The counts of aggravated identity theft carry a mandatory two-year prison sentence. The counts of possession of ammunition or a firearm by a convicted felon carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory five-year prison sentence – which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed – and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation. He also thanked special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé; officers of the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri Jr.; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
corbettetal.complaint.pdfOwner of Newark Contruction Business Admits Tax Evasion and Failure to Collect and Pay over TaxesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man admitted evading taxes through a check cashing scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Alain Rodrigues, 49, of Old Bridge, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court on Aug. 1, 2024, to an information charging him with one count each of tax evasion and failure to collect and pay over taxes.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Rodrigues owned and operated a construction company in Old Bridge and Newark. Beginning around 2017, Rodrigues deposited a portion of the payments from customers into a business bank account and converted the balance to cash and money orders, which he deposited in a personal bank account or used to pay cash wages to employees. Rodrigues only reported the portion of the company’s revenue that was deposited in the business bank account on his business’s taxes. Rodrigues did not report the business revenue deposited directly into his personal bank account as income on his personal income taxes. The company, under Rodrigues’s direction, did not report to the IRS the cash wages it paid to employees and did not collect or pay over employment taxes on these wages. In total, Rodrigues and his company paid $554,873 less than they owed in income taxes and failed to collect and pay over $793,139 in employment taxes, for a total of approximately $1.35 million.
Each count of tax evasion and failure to collect and pay over taxes carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of his plea agreement, Rodrigues has agreed to pay the government restitution of $1.35 million and to file amended tax returns. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
rodrigues.information.pdfFour South Jersey Men Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Four men from southern New Jersey were charged with negotiating fraudulent checks that had been stolen from the mail, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Tracy Felder-Carter, 23, of Blackwood, New Jersey; Dante Ford, 28, of Pennsauken and Sewell, New Jersey; and Quamell Keyes-Griffin, 21, and Donovan Bunch, 22, both of Sicklerville, New Jersey, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. They are scheduled to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Felder-Carter, Ford, Keyes-Griffin, and Bunch conspired to commit bank fraud by first obtaining checks that had been stolen from the U.S. mail. Members of the conspiracy then would alter the stolen checks by increasing the value of the check and changing the name of the payee to either a member of the conspiracy or somebody else recruited by the conspiracy. Members of the conspiracy or others would negotiate each altered check and attempt to the withdraw the funds before the bank learned that the checks were illegitimate. The conspiracy involved the negotiation of hundreds of checks at banks across southern New Jersey and elsewhere, with each check written for amounts upwards of several thousand dollars.
The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Pennsylvania State Police – Media Station, Pennsauken Police Department, and the Springfield Township (Pennsylvania) Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
feldercarter.complaint.pdfThree Additional Dominican Nationals Extradited to Face “Grandparent Scam” Charges in New JerseyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three residents of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, were extradited to the United States last week and made their initial appearance in Newark federal court yesterday on charges relating to their participation in a sprawling “grandparent scam” that defrauded elderly Americans out of millions of dollars.
Juan Rafael Parra Arias, aka “Yofre,” 41; Miguel Angel Vasquez, aka “Miguel Disla,” 24; and Jose Ismael Dilone Rodriguez, 34, are among 11 Dominican Nationals charged in a 19-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and unsealed on April 29. Following their initial appearance today, the court ordered the three men detained pending trial. The extradition of Parra Arias, Vasquez, and Dilone Rodriguez follows that of their co-conspirators Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman, aka “Max Morgan,” 59, and Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, aka “Fili” and “Filly the Kid,” 37, who appeared in Newark federal court on July 22 to answer the indictment.
According to the indictment, Parra Arias, Vasquez, Dilone Rodriguez, and their conspirators engaged in a long-running “grandparent” or “family in need of bail” scam against hundreds of seniors across the United States, including in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Parra Arias is alleged to have led a network of call centers in Santiago, Dominican Republic, while Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez worked in these centers to recruit co-conspirators in the United States.
As detailed in court filings, members of the conspiracy referred to as “openers” called elderly victims in the United States and impersonated the victims’ children, grandchildren or other close relatives. The call centers used technology to make it appear that the calls were coming from inside the United States. Typically, the victim was told that their grandchild had been in a car accident, was arrested in connection with an accident and needed help.
Once openers tricked victims into believing their loved ones were in dire trouble, others working at the call centers, known as “closers,” allegedly impersonated defense attorneys, police officers or court personnel and convinced victims to provide thousands of dollars in cash to help their loved ones. The cash was typically retrieved by couriers – including those recruited and dispatched by Parra Arias, Vasquez, and Dilone Rodriguez – from the victims’ homes, or mailed by victims at the direction of the closers.
Parra Arias, Vasquez, and Dilone Rodriguez each face multiple charges, including mail and wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count, a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count of mail and wire fraud and a maximum fine of $500,000 for money laundering conspiracy and money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“As alleged, these three defendants played a role in a scheme that relied on the love and devotion of elderly victims in order to cheat them out of millions of dollars. In this ‘grandparents’ scam,’ some of the defendants allegedly impersonated grandchildren in distress, claiming, for example, they had been arrested after a car accident involving a pregnant woman who later miscarried, and they needed immediate cash for bail or a lawyer. Conspirators like Parra Arias, Vasquez, and Dilone Rodriguez allegedly operated the call centers or dispatched couriers to pick up money from the victims. My office is committed to protecting the rights of all victims, and we will relentlessly prosecute those who allegedly target vulnerable seniors to steal their hard-earned savings.”
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and its law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue criminals who defraud victims through so-called ‘grandparent scams,’” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to identify perpetrators of these schemes and prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable Americans from abroad. We thank the government of the Dominican Republic for extraditing these defendants to the United States to face charges.”
“These defendants and their co-conspirators are accused of heartlessly robbing countless elderly victims of their precious time and often their life savings – all from more than 1,500 miles away,” said Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “Parra Arias, Vasquez, and Dilone Rodriguez were among the 16 individuals charged in this appalling scheme, which spanned at least four U.S. states and allegedly threatened hundreds of innocent Americans’ livelihoods. The merciless greed of perpetrators is boundless, but is no match for HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force, its Cyber Intrusion Group and the greater law enforcement community. I am proud to stand alongside our global partners in our relentless commitment to the safety and overall wellbeing of the vulnerable public.”
“The grandparent scam is a cruel fraud scheme that deliberately preys on elderly and vulnerable persons within society. Perpetrators, often cowardly operating off-shore, cause extreme emotional and financial harm to the innocent people they target in commission of this crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) Boston New York Field Division. “SSA OIG proudly joined HSI, the FBI, the Justice Department and the NYPD in investigating these complex, international scams aimed at defrauding SSA beneficiaries and we appreciate the diligence of the U.S. Marshals Service in facilitating the extradition of these defendants from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey to hold them accountable for their actions.”
“We are now one step closer to holding accountable the alleged fraudsters who financially exploited hundreds of elderly Americans,” said Commissioner Edward A. Caban of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). “This should serve as a reminder to other criminals about the extensive reach of New York law enforcement and our unwavering commitment to delivering justice to all victims. I applaud our NYPD investigators and all of our federal partners for their dedication to this important case.”
HSI, SSA-OIG, NYPD and the FBI are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from the Dominican Republic of the defendants with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Justice Department officials also recognized the critical cooperation of the Dominican government in effecting the extradition of Parra Arias, Vasquez, and Dilone Rodriguez pursuant to the treaty between the two countries.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane for the District of Jersey and Trial Attorneys Jason Feldman, Joshua Ferrentino and Emily Powers of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Additional Dominican Nationals Extradited to Face “Grandparent Scam” ChargesRead the Press Release
Three residents of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, were extradited to the United States last week and made their initial appearance in Newark federal court yesterday on charges relating to their participation in a sprawling “grandparent scam” that defrauded elderly Americans out of millions of dollars.
Juan Rafael Parra Arias, also known as Yofre, 41; Miguel Angel Vasquez, also known as Miguel Disla, 24; and Jose Ismael Dilone Rodriguez, 34, are among 11 Dominican Nationals charged in a 19-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and unsealed on April 29. Following their initial appearance yesterday, the court ordered the three men detained pending trial. The extradition of Parra Arias, Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez follows that of their co-conspirators Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman, also known as Max Morgan, 59, and Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, also known as Fili and Filly the Kid, 37, who appeared in Newark federal court on July 22 to answer the indictment.
According to the indictment, Parra Arias, Vasquez, Dilone Rodriguez and their co-conspirators engaged in a long-running “grandparent” or “family in need of bail” scam against hundreds of seniors across the United States, including in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Parra Arias is alleged to have led a network of call centers in Santiago, Dominican Republic, while Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez worked in these centers to recruit co-conspirators in the United States.
As detailed in court filings, members of the conspiracy referred to as “openers” called elderly victims in the United States and impersonated the victims’ children, grandchildren or other close relatives. The call centers used technology to make it appear that the calls were coming from inside the United States. Typically, the victim was told that their grandchild had been in a car accident, was arrested in connection with an accident, and needed help.
Once openers tricked victims into believing their loved ones were in dire trouble, others working at the call centers, known as “closers,” allegedly impersonated defense attorneys, police officers or court personnel and convinced victims to provide thousands of dollars in cash to help their loved ones. The cash was typically retrieved by couriers — including those recruited and dispatched by Parra Arias, Vasquez, and Dilone Rodriguez — from the victims’ homes, or mailed by victims at the direction of the closers.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and its law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue criminals who defraud victims through so-called ‘grandparent scams,’” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to identify perpetrators of these schemes and prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable Americans from abroad. We thank the government of the Dominican Republic for extraditing these defendants to the United States to face charges.”
“As alleged, these three defendants played a role in a scheme that relied on the love and devotion of elderly victims in order to cheat them out of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “In this ‘grandparents’ scam,’ some of the defendants allegedly impersonated grandchildren in distress, claiming, for example, they had been arrested after a car accident involving a pregnant woman who later miscarried, and they needed immediate cash for bail or a lawyer. Conspirators like Parra Arias, Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez allegedly operated the call centers or dispatched couriers to pick up money from the victims. My office is committed to protecting the rights of all victims, and we will relentlessly prosecute those who allegedly target vulnerable seniors to steal their hard-earned savings.”
“These defendants and their co-conspirators are accused of heartlessly robbing countless elderly victims of their precious time and often their life savings – all from more than 1,500 miles away,” said Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “Parra Arias, Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez were among the 16 individuals charged in this appalling scheme, which spanned at least four U.S. states and allegedly threatened hundreds of innocent Americans’ livelihoods. The merciless greed of perpetrators is boundless, but is no match for HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force, its Cyber Intrusion Group and the greater law enforcement community. I am proud to stand alongside our global partners in our relentless commitment to the safety and overall wellbeing of the vulnerable public."
“The grandparent scam is a cruel fraud scheme that deliberately preys on elderly and vulnerable persons within society. Perpetrators, often cowardly operating off-shore, cause extreme emotional and financial harm to the innocent people they target in commission of this crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) Boston New York Field Division. “SSA-OIG proudly joined HSI, the FBI, the Justice Department and the NYPD in investigating these complex, international scams aimed at defrauding SSA beneficiaries and we appreciate the diligence of the U.S. Marshals Service in facilitating the extradition of these defendants from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey to hold them accountable for their actions.”
“We are now one step closer to holding accountable the alleged fraudsters who financially exploited hundreds of elderly Americans,” said Commissioner Edward A. Caban of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). “This should serve as a reminder to other criminals about the extensive reach of New York law enforcement and our unwavering commitment to delivering justice to all victims. I applaud our NYPD investigators and all of our federal partners for their dedication to this important case.”
Parra Arias, Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez each face multiple charges, including mail and wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count, a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count of mail and wire fraud and a maximum fine of $500,000 for money laundering conspiracy and money laundering.
HSI, SSA-OIG, NYPD and the FBI are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from the Dominican Republic of the defendants with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Justice Department officials also recognized the critical cooperation of the Dominican government in effecting the extradition of Parra Arias, Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez pursuant to the treaty between the two countries.
Trial Attorneys Jason Feldman, Joshua Ferrentino and Emily Powers of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane for the District of Jersey are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Essex County Man Sentenced to 440 Months in Prison for His Role in Three Murders in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was sentenced to 440 months in prison for his role in three murders in furtherance of a large-scale narcotics enterprise, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Leevander Wade, 44, of East Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz on Feb. 22, 2024, to racketeering conspiracy. Judge Farbiarz imposed the sentence on Aug. 1, 2024, in Newark federal court.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court:
In February 2018, the drug enterprise’s leader, Michael Healy, found out that one of his conspirators in the drug trafficking enterprise was providing information about the DTE to law enforcement. Healy ordered members of the Bloods in East Orange to kill the informant, referenced in the indictment as “A.S.” At the time, Wade was a manager in the enterprise and ran a series of “stash” houses in Essex County used to package heroin and fentanyl for street-level distribution.
Wade – who shared a close relationship with one of the leaders of the East Orange Bloods – assisted Healy in contracting the East Orange Bloods to carry out the murder of the informant. On Feb. 3, 2018, members of the East Orange Bloods, acting on Healy and Wade’s behalf, shot and killed a bystander, believing the bystander was the informant. At the time of his death, the bystander was parked outside of the informant’s residence in Bloomfield, New Jersey, in a vehicle that appeared similar to the one that the informant drove. Realizing they killed the wrong person, Healy ordered the Bloods to finish the job. On March 12, 2018, in Bloomfield, the conspirators killed the informant while he was walking his dog in the area of his residence. On April 6, 2018, believing that another member of the enterprise – identified in the indictment as “J.C.” – might also pose a risk to the enterprise, Healy shot and killed “J.C.” in Newark. Wade drove Healy to and from the murder scene, and then helped to destroy evidence by hiring someone to burn the vehicle.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Wade to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $6,223.
Thomas Zimmerman, Tyquan Daniels, and Ali Hill – all members of the Brick City Brims subset of the Bloods street gang in East Orange – previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy for their respective roles in the murders of the bystander and A.S. Zimmerman was sentenced on July 6, 2023, to 37 years in prison; Daniels was sentenced on July 6, 2023, to 35 years in prison; and Hill was sentenced on July 6, 2023, to 25 years in prison.
On April 3, 2024, Healy was convicted after a jury trial of multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, and various gun and drug offenses. Healy is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1, 2024. He faces multiple mandatory life sentences.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of special agent in charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, the East Orange Police Department; and the Montclair Police Department.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Robert L. Frazer and Samantha C. Fasanello, Chief of the OCDETF Unit.
Trenton Man Admits Assaulting Federal Agent with Deadly Weapon, Armed Robbery, and Discharging FirearmRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Trenton man today admitted assaulting a federal agent with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jabree Johnson, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court on July 31, 2024, to an indictment charging him with one count each of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, robbery with a dangerous weapon of an individual with custody of federal property, and using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence, in which the firearm was discharged.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 22, 2021, federal law enforcement officers were investigating firearms trafficking and other illegal activities in and around Trenton and Hamilton, New Jersey. A federal law enforcement agent, working in an undercover capacity, arranged to purchase multiple firearms from an individual later identified as Johnson.
After arriving at an agreed-upon location for the firearms transaction, Johnson entered the undercover federal agent’s vehicle, and handed the agent a black, semi-automatic firearm. The undercover federal agent inspected the firearm and then returned it to Johnson and requested to see the other firearms that Johnson had agreed to sell. Instead, Johnson pointed the loaded firearm directly at the undercover federal agent and demanded money from the agent. The undercover federal agent provided Johnson with an amount of U.S. currency that the agent had on him to purchase the guns. Johnson then ordered the undercover federal agent out of the vehicle at gunpoint. The agent exited the vehicle as ordered and immediately drew a service-issued firearm and fired at Johnson, striking Johnson in the shoulder. Johnson also fired his handgun multiple times at the undercover federal agent. Johnson fled the area with the money. Johnson was later identified at a local hospital as the individual who had assaulted and robbed the undercover federal agent at gunpoint and placed under arrest.
The charge of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of robbery of federal property with a dangerous weapon carries a maximum potential penalty of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which was discharged, carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum of life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Trenton Satellite Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve E. Wilson; officers of the Hamilton Township Police Division, under the direction of Police Chief Kenneth DeBoskey; troopers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, and detectives and prosecutors of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
johnson.indictment.pdfThree Real Estate Investors Plead Guilty to $119M Mortgage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Three real estate investors have pleaded guilty to engaging in an extensive, multi-year conspiracy to fraudulently obtain a $74 million loan and a $45 million loan and fraudulently acquire multifamily properties.
Fredrick Schulman, 72, of New York, and Chaim “Eli” Puretz, 29, of New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. Moshe “Mark” Silber, 34, of New York, pleaded guilty on July 9 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution.
According to court documents, between 2018 and 2020, Silber, Schulman, and Puretz conspired with others to deceive lenders into issuing a mortgage loan for a multifamily property and Fannie Mae into funding or purchasing the mortgage loan. Silber and Schulman were managing members of Rhodium Capital Advisors, an entity that was involved in the acquisition and management of Williamsburg of Cincinnati, an apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio. Puretz was one of the owners of commercial property Troy Technology Park in Troy, Michigan. Silber, Schulman, Puretz, and their co-conspirators provided the lenders and Fannie Mae with falsified documents, including a purchase contract with an inflated purchase price and other fraudulent documents.
In March 2019, Williamsburg of Cincinnati was acquired for $70 million. However, Silber, Schulman, and other co-conspirators utilized a stolen identity to present a lender and Fannie Mae with a purchase and sale contract for $95.85 million and other fraudulent documents. On March 8, 2019, two closings were performed, one for the true $70 million sales price and another for the fraudulent $95.85 million sales price presented to the lenders. Based on the co-conspirators’ false statements, the lender and Fannie Mae funded a loan in the amount of $74.25 million for the purchase of Williamsburg of Cincinnati.
In September 2020, Troy Technology Park was acquired by Puretz and co-conspirators for $42.7 million. However, to support an inflated purchase price of $70 million, Puretz and his co-conspirators submitted to the lender and appraiser a fraudulent letter of intent to purchase the property from another party for $68.8 million and other fraudulent documents. Based on the fraudulent documents, the lender funded a loan for $45 million. To conceal the fraudulent nature of the transaction, Puretz and his co-conspirators arranged for a short-term $30 million loan, which was used to make it appear that they had the funds needed to close on the sale. On Sept. 25, 2020, a title company based in Lakewood, New Jersey, performed two closings, one for the true $42.7 million sales price and another for the fraudulent $70 million sales price presented to the lender.
Silber, Schulman, and Puretz are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 3 and each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey; Inspector General Brian M. Tomney of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG); and Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.
The FHFA-OIG and USPIS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Siji Moore of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha Nye for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information concerning similar multifamily or commercial mortgage fraud can report it by contacting the FHFA-OIG Hotline at 800-793-7724 or via the web at www.fhfaoig.gov/ReportFraud#hotlineform.
Passaic County Man Admits Illegally Possessing CocaineRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man today admitted illegally possessing cocaine for distribution, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Luis Cepeda-Capellan, 27, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Feb. 26, 2021, law enforcement officers recovered a total of over five kilograms of cocaine from a vehicle he was driving. Cepeda-Capellan admitted possessing the controlled substances with the intent to distribute.
The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, which comprises special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York City Police Department, and New York State Police, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea D. Coleman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
cepedacapellan.information.pdfMiddlesex County Man Found Guilty of Fentanyl and Heroin Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey man was convicted for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Kenneth Strickland, 57, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was convicted on July 29, 2024, of all six counts of a superseding indictment: one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin, and five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning the guilty verdict following an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
From Nov. 12, 2019, through June 30, 2020, Strickland was a member of a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing bulk quantities of fentanyl in Paterson, New Brunswick, and other areas of New Jersey. Strickland engaged in 16 drug sales to an undercover police officer, during which he sold brick quantities of fentanyl containing hundreds of doses of the deadly drug stamped with labels such as “MY SHADOW,” “DEATH ROW,” and “VENOM.” Law enforcement learned that Strickland was sourcing his drug supply from the drug trafficking organization and selling to multiple other customers in New Jersey as part of his membership in the organization. On June 30, 2020, law enforcement lawfully searched locations in Paterson and Passaic associated with the drug trafficking organization, where they recovered more than 350 additional grams of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, such as stamping tools that corresponded to those found on fentanyl that Strickland sold to the undercover detective.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of life in prison, as well as a $10 million fine. The charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolando Ciccone, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Graham and Garrett Schuman of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Gloucester County Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for defrauding his employer’s health insurance plan out of more than $4 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary compounded medications, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Christopher Gualtieri, 51, of Franklinville, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to one count of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit health care and mail fraud and one count charging him with obtaining oxycodone through fraud. U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Compounded drugs can be properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient.
Gualtieri and others learned that certain compound medication prescriptions were reimbursed by their health insurance plan for up to thousands of dollars for a one-month supply. Gualtieri recruited co-workers who were covered by their employer’s self-funded health insurance plan to agree to receive medically unnecessary compounded medications for themselves and their family members. Gualtieri and others caused the submission of fraudulent prescriptions to compounding pharmacies, which filled the prescriptions and billed the health insurance plan’s pharmacy benefits administrator. The pharmacy benefits administrator paid the compounding pharmacies more than $4 million for compounded medications arranged by Gualtieri and two conspirators for themselves, their dependents, and other family members. Gualtieri received a portion of the amount paid by the pharmacy benefits administrator to the compounding pharmacies. Gualtieri admitted to paying cash to his conspirators for their participation in the scheme. When questioned by special agents of the FBI, Gualtieri falsely denied recruiting others to receive compounded medications and falsely denied paying cash to others for their participation in the scheme.
During the same time period as the conspiracy involving compounded medications, Gualtieri also prepared and caused the filling of fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone for himself and a family member.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Gualtieri to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $5.4 million in restitution.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the FBI, Philadelphia Field Office, Health Care Fraud Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; task force members from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General; the Philadelphia Police Department; and diversion investigators of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, Camden District Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. Attorney for the United States Khanna also thanked U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Dominican Republic Resident Admits Role in Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A resident of the Dominican Republic today admitted participating in a conspiracy to distribute and transport bulk quantities of fentanyl into northern New Jersey communities from a drug mill located in the Philadelphia area, as well as possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Hector Luis de la Cruz Nunez, 32, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Two other individuals, Emmanuel F. Almonte Mejia, 39, and Loanny F. Duran Hiciano, 43, were also charged in March 2022 for the same offense. Their cases are pending.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In February 2022, law enforcement officers learned that a drug-trafficking organization was utilizing a private residence in the Philadelphia area to operate a large-scale fentanyl production and distribution mill from which they were regularly transporting bulk quantities of fentanyl into northern New Jersey communities. On March 8, 2022, law enforcement officers observed Nunez exit the mill carrying a large, weighted bag which he placed in a clandestine compartment hidden inside of his private vehicle. Nunez then departed in the vehicle and left the Philadelphia area before proceeding onward into New Jersey.
Law enforcement agents stopped Nunez’s vehicle in Union, New Jersey and discovered four large, wrapped bricks each of which contained approximately 100 individual packages of fentanyl, for a total of 400 individual packages, which Nunez stated were destined to be distributed to individuals located in northern New Jersey.
The two charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl each come with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing for Nunez is scheduled for Dec. 5, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, HSI Philadelphia, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Katie Bay, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges against Almonte Mejia and Duran Hiciano are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
nunez.information.pdfFugitive Trinidadian Man Arrested for 2009 Armed Robbery of RestaurantRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Trinidadian and Tobagonian man who has been a fugitive for over 10 years has been arrested and will face charges in connection with the armed robbery of a steakhouse in 2009, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Kofi Edwards, 51, of Trinidad and Tobago, was charged by indictment in 2014 with one count of conspiracy to commit armed Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Edwards appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court today, entered a plea of not guilty and was detained. He was arrested in California and had an initial appearance on July 10, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chi Soo Kim in Sacramento, and was detained and transported to the District of New Jersey.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In March 2009, Edwards conspired with other individuals to rob a steakhouse restaurant in Woodbridge, New Jersey, at gunpoint. A conspirator, who was an employee of the restaurant at the time, called the restaurant to determine if any managers were present, because he knew that only managers would be able to open the restaurant’s safe. After confirming that a manager was present, Edwards and another individual entered the restaurant – Edwards carrying a fake gun and the other individual armed with a firearm – and brandished the weapons while demanding that employees open the safe. After the employees complied, Edwards and the other individual bound the employees with plastic zip ties and fled with approximately $150,000 in cash.
Edwards later left New Jersey and began living under a false identity. He was added to the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list and the FBI offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading directly to his arrest. Three other defendants have been convicted and sentenced in connection with the Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy.
Edwards faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery. On the count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, Edwards faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of seven years – which must run consecutively to any other sentence Edwards receives – and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offenses, whichever is greatest.
These charges are the result of an investigation by the Newark Central Jersey Safe Streets Task Force. Led by the FBI, the Task Force focuses on violent crime and gang violence, and is made up of agents and task force officers from the New Brunswick Police Department, Middlesex County Prosecutors Office, Raritan Township Police Department, Woodbridge Police Department, Hackettstown Police Department, Clinton Township Police Department, and Hunterdon County Prosecutors Office.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the special agents and task force officers of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the FBI’s Sacramento, California, Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha Patel; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor A. Chenoweth of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
edwards.indictment.pdfFour Individuals Charged in Connection with Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Four New Jersey men were charged with conspiring to illegally traffic in firearms, including privately manufactured handguns, in Ocean County, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.
James Hyres, 38, of Toms River, New Jersey, Dennis McMickle, 35, of Brick, New Jersey, James Opalenik, 51, of Ocean Gate, New Jersey, and Edward Trost, III, 36, of Toms River, are each charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to traffic in firearms and trafficking in firearms. Hyres and McMickle are also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. McMickle and Opalenik are also charged with one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Hyres and Opalenik were arrested this morning in Ocean County. Opalenik is scheduled to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court. Hyres is scheduled to have his initial appearance on July 30, 2024, before Judge Bongiovanni. McMickle and Trost were already in custody in Monmouth County and Ocean County, respectively, on unrelated state criminal charges.
According to the complaint:
From April 2024 through May 2024, Hyres, McMickle, Opalenik, and Trost were members of a gun trafficking conspiracy that operated in and around Ocean County. During that time, Hyres manufactured privately made firearms, also known as PMFs or “ghost guns,” for resale using various component parts, including firearm frames manufactured by Hyres using a 3D printer. Hyres, assisted by McMickle and Trost, then sold PMFs and other traditional firearms for profit to others, including a confidential source working at the direction and supervision of the FBI. Opalenik, assisted by McMickle, sold a semi-automatic rifle to the confidential source in furtherance of the firearms trafficking conspiracy. McMickle also sold the confidential source a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun in January 2024. Law enforcement’s investigation revealed that none of these defendants held a federal license to deal or manufacture firearms. Hyres, McMickle, and Trost each have prior felony convictions and are prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
The counts of conspiracy to traffic in firearms, trafficking in firearms, and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon each carry a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of unlawfully possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited agents with the FBI Newark Red Bank Jersey Shore Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrests. He also thanked the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, the Lakewood, New Jersey, Police Department, and the Toms River, New Jersey, Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
hyresetal.complaint.pdfFormer Assistant Dean and Two Other Former Employees of Essex County Graduate School Admit Million-Dollar EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former assistant dean and two other former employees of an Essex County graduate school pleaded guilty to defrauding their former employer of more than $1.3 million, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Teresina DeAlmeida, 59, of Warren, New Jersey and Rose Martins, 44, of East Hanover, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud conspiracy, before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals in Newark federal court. Silvia Cardoso, 61, of Warren, pleaded guilty to the same charge on July 25, 2024, before Judge Neals.
“Through an elaborate, years-long embezzlement scheme, these defendants violated their obligation to the students and exploited their role at this institution of higher learning to line their own pockets. Through forgery, fraudulent invoices, unauthorized transactions and phony shell companies, they stole money intended to benefit the school and its student body and abused their positions. These arrests are yet another example of this office’s commitment to holding accountable those who commit financial fraud.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
“As employees of a higher learning institution, the defendants in this investigation had an obligation to act in the best interest of the students they served, but instead they prioritized enriching themselves,” Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “IRS Criminal Investigation is dedicated to investigating individuals who commit financial crimes and fostering confidence in the legal system.”
“The genesis of most fraud schemes happens when people have access to money, they believe they are entitled to, and no one will notice it’s gone,” FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “However, these three subjects fell into the same trap other criminals do - the money wasn’t theirs, and the Essex County graduate school went in search of the missing $1.3 million. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners who worked on this investigation excel at following the paper trail and evidence left behind by almost every fraudster.”
“Today’s action shows that these individuals knowingly and willfully abused their positions for personal gain and will now be held accountable for their criminal actions,” Andrew Balceniuk, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Eastern Regional Office, said. “The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate Federal education funds for their own selfish purposes.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between 2009 and July 2022, DeAlmeida, Martins, and Cardoso conspired to fraudulently misappropriate more than $1.3 million from their former employer, a graduate school of a university in Essex County, New Jersey. DeAlmeida was an assistant dean responsible for financial functions, and Martins served as her assistant. Cardoso, DeAlmeida’s sister, was also employed by the graduate school in a support staff role.
The defendants used a variety of methods to defraud the university:
- Beginning in 2009, DeAlmeida directed a graduate school vendor to pay Martins and Cardoso as though they worked for the vendor, even though they did not perform any services. DeAlmeida and Martins then caused the vendor to submit false invoices to the graduate school over the course of approximately four years in order to reimburse the vendor for the amounts fraudulently paid to Martins and Cardoso.
- From 2010 through 2022, DeAlmeida and Martins directed graduate school vendors to order hundreds of thousands of dollars of gift cards and prepaid debit cards the conspirators used for their personal benefit, and then to submit fraudulent invoices to the school purporting to be for goods and services that were never provided. The conspirators also misused DeAlmeida’s school-issued credit card to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars of gift cards and prepaid debit cards from the school’s bookstore. DeAlmeida routinely fraudulently approved these charges and Martins forged the signatures of other employees on internal approvals.
- In 2015, Martins opened a shell entity called CMS Content Management Specialist LLC. Although CMS never rendered any services to the graduate school, Martins submitted, and DeAlmeida approved, fraudulent invoices totaling more than $208,000.
- The conspirators also used DeAlmeida’s school-issued credit card to make tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized personal purchases. DeAlmeida and Martins used the card to make over $70,000 in purchases at an online retailer shipped directly to their homes, including woman’s shoes, smart watches, and bed linens. DeAlmeida and Martins fraudulently altered certain receipts before submitting them to the school for payment.
The wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine equal to the greater of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for Cardoso is scheduled for Nov. 26, 2024; for DeAlmeida, Dec. 2, 2024; and for Martins, Dec. 3, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and special agents of the Department of Education Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Balceniuk, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
martins.information.pdf dealmeida.information.pdf cardoso.information.pdfEssex County Man Convicted for Sex Trafficking Minor, Transportation to Engage in Prostitution, and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was convicted on charges of sex trafficking and prostitution-related offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Amin Sharif, 49, of Newark, was convicted on July 25, 2024, of one count of attempted transportation of a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of use of an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity, one count of transporting a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, and one count of persuading a victim to travel to engage in prostitution. Sharif was convicted following a seven-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In January 2021, the FBI began investigating Sharif for transporting and attempting to transport women and minors from various states to New Jersey and elsewhere for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts. Sharif recruited four females from New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Utah. Sharif used five social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook to recruit and entice victims, creating personas, and calling himself different names: Dallas Love, Chance, Razzile Dazzile, Truman Peterman, and “Daddy.” He promised certain victims housing, payment of bills and expenses, and the potential to earn up to thousands of dollars a day. Sharif advertised the minor victim online offering her for 32 sexual services.
When Sharif committed these offenses, he was on supervised release for a prior conviction for conspiracy to transport a minor to engage in prostitution, for which he was sentenced to a 10-year prison term.
The sex trafficking of a minor charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The transportation of a victim with intent to engage in prostitution charges each carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and the persuading a victim to travel to engage in prostitution charge carries a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison. The use of an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Each count also carries a potential fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to the conviction. He also thanked the FBI’s Offices in Rochester, New York; Houston, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah; and the Dansville Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo and Chelsea D. Coleman of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Florida Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $2.4 Million in CARES Act LoansRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Florida man was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $2.4 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) payments, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Mohamed A. Awad, 61, of Ocala, Florida, pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2023, before Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with wire fraud and money laundering. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Awad engaged in a scheme to illegally obtain over $2.4 million in PPP and EIDL loans through numerous misrepresentations to lenders. He submitted fraudulent loan applications that fabricated numbers of employees and misrepresented company information, to induce PPP and EIDL lenders to approve the loan applications that they otherwise would not have approved. Awad submitted falsified tax documents in support of PPP applications. According to IRS records, none of the purported tax documents that Awad submitted in support of the loan applications were ever in fact filed with the IRS. Awad thereafter transferred the loan proceeds among various bank accounts he controlled, withdrawing significant amounts in cash and transferring loan proceeds out of the country via wire transfers to banks based in Egypt.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Awad to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $2.41 million and forfeiture of $1.49 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer I. Piovesan; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker special agents of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker; special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Indiana Man Sentenced to 288 Months in Prison for Multiple Sex OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Lebanon, Indiana, man was sentenced today to 288 months in prison for his conviction on four counts of sex offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Randal Wise, 45, was previously convicted of attempted online enticement of a minor, transportation of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and attempted transfer of obscenity to a minor following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp, who imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents in this case, and the evidence at trial:
On Oct. 24, 2019, Wise traveled into New Jersey, approached an individual he believed was a 14-year-old boy on an internet dating application, and started a sexual dialogue. The individual was actually an undercover officer posing as a minor. Wise sent the undercover officer multiple photographs of his genitalia and requested similar photographs from him. The following day, Wise approached another individual that he believed was a minor boy on the same application. Unbeknownst to Wise, this individual was a second undercover officer posing as a minor. Wise engaged the second undercover officer in a highly sexual dialogue over the ensuing 24-hour period, sending sexually explicit photographs, questioning the second undercover officer about his sexual preferences and interests, and inviting the individual to his hotel for sex. On Oct. 26, 2019, Wise traveled to the second undercover officer’s location to engage in sexual activity with a minor, at which time he was arrested.
Law enforcement seized Wise’s phone and subsequently discovered multiple items of child pornography embedded in a sexually graphic conversation.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Wise to 10 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task force special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Thomas J. Chirichella, detectives with the Bayonne Police Department, and detectives with the Indianapolis Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Mateo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Criminal Division in Newark.
Burlington County Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute more than two kilograms of cocaine in Burlington and Camden counties in New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Orlando Ayala, 30, of Westampton, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on March 21, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams to a two-count information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine. Judge Williams imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court. Ayala’s conspirator, Angel Correa, pleaded guilty before Judge Williams and is awaiting sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From February 2022 to January 10, 2023, Ayala conspired with Correa and others to distribute substantial quantities of cocaine. Ayala and Correa together sold more than one kilogram of cocaine during drug deals in 2022. On Jan. 10, 2023, they together picked up a package containing cocaine that had been mailed to a house in Philadelphia and drove the package to Correa’s residence in Camden. Law enforcement agents then searched Correa’s residence and recovered one kilogram of cocaine and two firearms located within several feet of the cocaine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Ayala to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the FBI - Philadelphia Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service -Philadelphia Division, Willingboro Police Department, Burlington Township Police Department, Atlantic City Police Department, and Philadelphia Police Department.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
British Man Admits Possessing Child Pornography and Traveling with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A British citizen today admitted possessing multiple images of child sexual abuse and traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Stephen Hudson, 53, of Ealing, England, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to an information charging him with possession of child pornography and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 14, 2022, to May 6, 2022, Hudson used an encrypted email account to communicate with federal law enforcement, acting in an undercover capacity, to facilitate his access to and sexual abuse of two minor female children. Hudson agreed to travel from Massachusetts to New Jersey and pay approximately $1,200 in cash in exchange for, among other things: engaging in sexual acts with 11- and 12-year-old girls; supplying Hudson with illicit drugs; and administering the illicit drugs and alcohol to the 11- and 12-year-old girls. On May 6, 2022, Hudson traveled to an agreed-upon location in New Jersey for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the two minors and provided approximately $1,200 in cash to the undercover law enforcement agents as previously agreed. After providing the cash to law enforcement, Hudson was arrested.
A subsequent search of a laptop computer belonging to Hudson revealed 1,751 images depicting child sexual abuse, including material portraying prepubescent minor or minors who had not attained the age of 12 years and material portraying the sexual abuse and exploitation of infants and toddlers.
The charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
The charge of interstate travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct carries a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
hudson.information.pdfUnion County Woman Charged with Embezzling Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from SynagogueRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, woman was charged in connection with her role in embezzling more than $350,000 from a Union County synagogue, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Stacy Margaritondo, 51, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud. She appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2010, Margaritondo began working at a synagogue in Union County, New Jersey. She was promoted to office manager and bookkeeper in July 2020. Margaritondo’s duties included accounting/bookkeeping, payroll, preparing checks for accounts payable, and reporting to the synagogue’s board of directors regarding the synagogue’s financial condition. From December 2019 through May 2023, Margaritondo abused this position of trust by engaging in a fraudulent scheme to misappropriate approximately $350,000 from the synagogue’s accounts. Margaritondo routinely issued unauthorized checks made payable to herself drawn on the synagogue’s bank accounts; obtained unauthorized additional funds to conceal the embezzlement scheme by fraudulently using the synagogue’s name, bank statements, and balance sheet to obtain short-term financing from cash advance companies; and intentionally kept inaccurate accounting records and altered bank statements that she provided to the board of directors to conceal her scheme.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Scotch Plains Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jeffrey J. Briel.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
margaritondo.complaint.pdfTwo Dominican Nationals Extradited in Connection with Grandparent ScamRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two residents of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, were extradited to the United States and made their initial appearance in Newark federal court on charges relating to their participation in a sprawling “grandparent scam” that defrauded elderly Americans out of millions of dollars, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department announced today.
Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman, also known as “Max Morgan,” age 59, and Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, also known as “Fili” and “Filly The Kid,” age 37, are among eleven Dominican Nationals charged in a 19-count indictment filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey that was unsealed on April 29, 2024. Following their initial appearance on July 22, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa both defendants were detained pending trial.
According to the indictment:
Rodriguez Guzman, Reynoso Ventura, and their co-conspirators engaged in a long-running “grandparent” or “family in need of bail” scam against hundreds of seniors across the United States, including in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Both Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura are alleged to have worked in the call centers in the Dominican Republic from which the scam operated, where they phoned elderly Americans and sought to steal their money.
As detailed in court filings, members of the conspiracy referred to as “openers” called elderly victims in the United States and impersonated the victims’ children, grandchildren, or other close relatives. The call centers used technology to make it appear that the calls were coming from inside the United States. Typically, the victim was told that their grandchild had been in a car accident, was arrested in connection with an accident, and needed help.
Once openers tricked victims into believing their loved ones were in dire trouble, others working at the call centers, known as “closers”—including Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura—allegedly impersonated defense attorneys, police officers, or court personnel and convinced victims to provide thousands of dollars in cash to help their loved ones. The cash was typically retrieved by couriers sent to the victims’ homes or mailed by victims at the direction of the closers.
Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura each face multiple felony charges, including mail and wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty 20 years in prison for each count, a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count of the mail and wire fraud charges and a maximum fine of $500,000 for money laundering conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“As alleged, these two defendants played a role in a scheme that relied on the love and devotion of elderly victims in order to cheat them out of millions of dollars. In this ‘grandparents’ scam,’ some of the defendants allegedly impersonated grandchildren in distress, claiming, for example, they had been arrested after a car accident involving a pregnant woman who later miscarried, and they needed immediate cash for bail or a lawyer. Conspirators like Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura allegedly impersonated a variety of people – police officers, lawyers and others – to convince the victims to pay up, which the panic-stricken grandparents often did. My office is committed to protecting the rights of all victims, and we will relentlessly prosecute those who allegedly target vulnerable seniors to steal their hard-earned savings.”
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and its law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue criminals who defraud victims through so-called ‘grandparent scams,’” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to identify perpetrators of these schemes and prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable Americans from abroad. We thank the government of the Dominican Republic for extraditing these defendants to the United States to face charges.”
“These defendants and their co-conspirators are accused of heartlessly robbing countless elderly victims of their precious time and often their life savings – all from more than 1,500 miles away, said Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of HSI New York. “Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman and Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura were among the 16 individuals charged in this appalling scheme, which spanned at least four U.S. states and allegedly threatened hundreds of innocent Americans’ livelihoods. The merciless greed of perpetrators is boundless, but is no match for HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force, its Cyber Intrusion Group, and the greater law enforcement community. I am proud to stand alongside our global partners in our relentless commitment to the safety and overall wellbeing of the vulnerable public."
“The grandparent scam is a cruel fraud scheme that deliberately preys on elderly and vulnerable persons within society. Perpetrators, often cowardly operating off-shore, cause extreme emotional and financial harm to the innocent people they target in commission of this crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Boston New York Field Division. “SSA OIG proudly joined HSI, the FBI, the Justice Department, and the NYPD in investigating these complex, international scams aimed at defrauding SSA beneficiaries and we appreciate the diligence of the U.S. Marshals Service in facilitating the extradition of these defendants from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey to hold them accountable for their actions.”
“We are now one step closer to holding accountable the alleged fraudsters who financially exploited hundreds of elderly Americans,” said Commissioner Edward A. Caban of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). “This should serve as a reminder to other criminals about the extensive reach of New York law enforcement and our unwavering commitment to delivering justice to all victims. I applaud our NYPD investigators and all of our federal partners for their dedication to this important case.”
HSI, SSA-OIG, NYPD, and the FBI are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from the Dominican Republic of the defendants with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Justice Department officials also recognized the critical cooperation of the Dominican government in effecting the extradition of Rodriguez Guzman and Reynoso Ventura pursuant to the treaty between the two countries.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane for the District of Jersey and Trial Attorneys Jason Feldman, Joshua Ferrentino, and Emily Powers of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
South Carolina Individuals Sentenced for Roles in Gun Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Six South Carolina individuals have been sentenced for conspiring to illegally sell firearms, including nine handguns, in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Kendell McFadden, 31, of Florence, South Carolina, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to 48 months in prison for his role in the scheme after previously pleading guilty to the conspiracy.
His conspirators – Laronmir McFadden, Savon Harrison, Dontavian Jones, Michael Gamble, and Donjanea McClary – were previously sentenced after each of them had also previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy. Laronmir McFadden, 30, had also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, and was sentenced to 49 months in prison. Harrison, 27, was sentenced to 30 months in prison; Jones, 26, was sentenced to 22 months in prison; Gamble, 33, was sentenced to 14 months in prison; and McClary was sentenced to 2 years of probation.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2019 through September 2021, the defendants conspired to traffic firearms from South Carolina to New Jersey. Although Kendell McFadden was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a prior convicted felon, he and his conspirators utilized straw purchasers to purchase firearms in South Carolina and then transport the firearms to Paterson, New Jersey, and elsewhere for resale. On Sept. 26, 2021, law enforcement intercepted a vehicle containing Kendell McFadden, Laronmir McFadden, Harrison, and Jones travelling from South Carolina to New Jersey and recovered nine firearms.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Kendell McFadden to three years of supervised release and fined $1,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti in the Newark Field Division and Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims in the Charlotte Field Division; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the sentencings.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Ocean County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Series of Violent Assaults on Members of Orthodox Jewish CommunityRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 480 months in prison for a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today.
Dion Marsh, 29, of Manchester, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U,S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to a six-count information charging him with five counts of violating the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking. With respect to the hate crimes violations, Marsh admitted to willfully causing bodily injury to five victims, and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of them, all because they were Jewish.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“The threat from hate-fueled violence is a sad reality that impacts far too many people across our state and our nation. This defendant previously admitted to violently attacking five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest, and attempting to kill them simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews. The sentence imposed today holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate-filled rampage. We have no higher priority than protecting the civil rights of our New Jersey residents.”
“Enough is enough – hate-fueled attacks on the Orthodox Jewish community are abhorrent, unlawful and contrary to our values as Americans” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we aggressively work to confront and eradicate antisemitic violence, we recognize the unique vulnerabilities faced by Orthodox Jews who are often targeted because of religious clothing and yarmulkes. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute senseless hate crimes and we will protect people exercising their constitutional right to practice their religion.”
“These victims were targeted by Marsh because of the way they were dressed, which is in accordance with their religious beliefs,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “They have that right in this country. Marsh, however, did not have the right and broke federal law, when he attacked, stabbed and carjacked innocent people. The rise of hate crimes in our communities has become a noxious disease. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue anyone who violates someone’s constitutionally protected civil rights to simply be who they are. We ask anyone who thinks they've been a victim, or knows someone who is, to contact us so we can help them.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
At 1:18 p.m. on April 8, 2022, Marsh forced a visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man out of his car in Lakewood, assaulting and injuring him in the process. Marsh took control of the man’s car and drove away. A surveillance video in the area captured Marsh arriving in the area prior to the carjacking and assault.
At 5:20 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man with the vehicle, attempting to kill the victim.
At 6:06 p.m., Marsh then used that second vehicle to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man, attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones.
At 6:55 p.m., Marsh, once again driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, attempted to kill another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man. Marsh used the stolen vehicle to deliberately strike the man, who was walking in Lakewood. Marsh got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer a stab wound and other injuries.
At 8:23 p.m., Marsh, still driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, used it to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, New Jersey, attempting to kill the man and causing him to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Marsh to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; officers of the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer; officers of the Jackson Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Matthew Kunz; officers of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy; prosecutors and detectives of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, and officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Joseph Gribko, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Series of Violent Assaults on Members of the Orthodox Jewish CommunityRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man was sentenced today to 40 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for committing a series of bias-motivated violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey.
Dion Marsh, 29, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with five counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking. With respect to the Shepard Byrd Act violations, Marsh admitted to willfully causing bodily injury to five victims and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of the victims because they are Jewish.
“Enough is enough – hate-fueled attacks on the Orthodox Jewish community are abhorrent, unlawful and contrary to our values as Americans” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we aggressively work to confront and eradicate antisemitic violence, we recognize the unique vulnerabilities faced by Orthodox Jews who are often targeted because of religious clothing and yarmulkes. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute senseless hate crimes and we will protect people exercising their constitutional right to practice their religion.”
“The threat from hate-fueled violence is a sad reality that impacts far too many people across our state and our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “This defendant previously admitted to violently attacking five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest, and attempting to kill them simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews. The sentence imposed today holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate-filled rampage. We have no higher priority than protecting the civil rights of our New Jersey residents.”
“These victims were targeted by Marsh because of the way they were dressed, which is in accordance with their religious beliefs,” said Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI Newark Field Office. “They have that right in this country. Marsh, however, did not have the right and broke federal law, when he attacked, stabbed and carjacked innocent people. The rise of hate crimes in our communities has become a noxious disease. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue anyone who violates someone’s constitutionally protected civil rights to simply be who they are. We ask anyone who thinks they've been a victim, or knows someone who is, to contact us so we can help them.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2022, Marsh carried out a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish Community in and around Lakewood. Each of Marsh’s victims were attired in traditional garments worn by members of the Orthodox Jewish community and were assaulted because they were visibly identifiable Orthodox Jews.
Specifically, at 1:18 p.m. on April 8, 2022, Marsh forced a visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man out of his car in Lakewood, assaulting and injuring him. Marsh took control of the man’s car and drove away.
At 5:20 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man with the vehicle, attempting to kill the victim.
At 6:06 p.m., Marsh used that second vehicle to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man, attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones.
At 6:55 p.m., Marsh, once again driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, attempted to kill another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in Lakewood by deliberately striking him with the vehicle. Marsh got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer a stab wound and other injuries.
At 8:23 p.m., Marsh, still driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, used it to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, New Jersey, attempting to kill the man and causing him to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries.
The FBI Newark Field Office, Red Bank Resident Agency, Lakewood Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division R. Joseph Gribko for the District of New Jersey prosecuted the case with assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Employees of Monmouth County Marine Equipment and Servicing Company Admit Roles in Scheme to Defraud U.S. Department of DefenseRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, woman and her son from Mercer County, New Jersey, have admitted their roles in a years-long scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) by providing military equipment parts that were not authorized under the governing contracts, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Linda Mika, 73, of Jackson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court to count one of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Kenneth Mika, 53, of Ewing, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on June 25, 2024, to the same count of the indictment.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2016 through April 2020, Linda and Kenneth Mika conspired with each other and others to defraud the DoD and one of its combat logistic support arms, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), by engaging in a pattern of unlawful product substitution. The Mikas were employees of Monmouth Marine Monmouth Marine Engines Inc. (Monmouth Marine), a maritime equipment and servicing facility, which, as an approved federal contractor, also entered into contracts with DLA to supply DoD contracting entities with replacement hardware for DoD’s military branches.
The Mikas, on behalf of Monmouth Marine, obtained contracts with the DoD by falsely claiming that the military parts they contracted to provide would be exact products furnished by authorized manufacturers or suppliers. Once awarded the contracts, however, the Mikas sourced non-conforming substitute parts at a significantly reduced cost to fill the contracts. They did this to maximize their profit margin while also suppressing fair competition in the bidding of federal contracts. Upon receipt by Monmouth Marine, the non-conforming parts were then shipped to DLA or various military purchasers in packaging disguising the parts’ identities in an effort by the Mikas to deceive DLA and its unwitting downstream purchasers.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense, D.C.I.S. Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Solecki; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney=s Office.
mika.indictment.pdf