District of New Jersey
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Essex County Man Charged with Identity Fraud and Laundering over $20 Million in Illegal Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was charged today for his role in a multi-million dollar money laundering conspiracy and for using a stolen identity in furtherance of the scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Edwin Deleon-Batista, 36, of Newark, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to launder drug proceeds and one count of identity fraud. Deleon-Batista is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Over an extended period, Deleon-Batista conspired with other individuals with close ties to drug trafficking organizations to pick up millions of dollars in cash drug proceeds in New Jersey and New York and launder the money by using it to purchase cashier’s checks at local bank branches. The checks were made payable to individuals and companies specified by conspirators with close ties to the drug trafficking organizations. Converting the drug proceeds to cashier’s checks was Deleon-Batista’s way to hide the nature and source of the illegal funds and avoid scrutiny by law enforcement and banks. Between March 2018 and March 2019, Deleon-Batista converted over $13 million in United States currency into cashier’s checks at banks in New Jersey, New York, and elsewhere. Deleon-Batista received a fee of approximately 1 percent of the amount he laundered.
Deleon-Batista was previously arrested on federal money laundering charges in New York in April 2019. Soon after his arrest, Deleon-Batista began using a stolen identity in order to continue his money laundering activities. Specifically, Deleon-Batista illegally acquired a Florida driver’s license with his own photograph but with someone else’s name and address. He then used this fraudulent license to open several bank accounts, which he then used as a means to convert over $10 million in additional cash drug proceeds into cashier’s checks at bank branches in New Jersey, New York, and Florida over a five-month period.
The charge of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of identity fraud carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson and the New York Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan; special agents and task force officers of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur; and the Morristown, New Jersey, police department, under the direction of Acting Police Chief Darnell Richardson with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Peck of the Criminal Division in Newark.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bergen County Woman Admits to Illegally Using Individuals’ Identities to Obtain More Than $300,000Read the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, woman today admitted engaging in a fraudulent scheme through which over $300,000 in purchases were charged or attempted to be charged to victims’ financial accounts without authorization, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Briana Burford, 25, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging her with wire fraud.According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From October 2018 through December 2018, Burford made four Bitcoin transactions. The Bitcoin were sent to accounts associated with carding websites, which are websites that engage in the trafficking of stolen or otherwise illegally obtained credit card, bank account and other personal identification information, as well as services and tools that one can use to engage in fraudulent activity.
The two telephone numbers used to make the four Bitcoin transactions, along with other telephone numbers, were used to inquire about bank accounts that were later compromised and subject to fraud. On Aug. 31, 2018, one of the telephone numbers was used to contact a bank and inquire about a specific bank account. Later that day, Burford, without authorization, charged a purchase of approximately $9,000 to that bank account.
The wire fraud count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Albert Y. Dayan Esq., Kew Gardens, New York
Two People Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Roles in Conspiracy to Distribute OxycodoneRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man and a Philadelphia man were each sentenced today to 30 months in prison for their respective roles in conspiring to distribute oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Prussia Hing, 36, of Philadelphia, and Anthony Pepe, 42, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Jerome B. Simandle to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler, who was assigned the case following the subsequent passing of Judge Simandle, imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
The defendants were charged in connection with one of the largest national healthcare fraud and opioid enforcement actions ever taken by the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:From December 2017 through June 26, 2018, the defendants and others engaged in a conspiracy which resulted in the trafficking of 1,180 oxycodone pills – 680 of which were unadulterated oxycodone and 500 of which were pressed pills mixed with hydrocodone, codeine, and methylphenidate. Hing was a source of the supply. As part of the investigation, law enforcement observed eight controlled purchases, three of which were carried out by the defendants, including Pepe, dressed in his hospital scrubs in front of the major Philadelphia hospital where he was employed as the chief surgical technologist.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced each defendant to three years of supervised release.U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, South Jersey Resident Agency, both under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster in Philadelphia; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert, and the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph D. Wysocki, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina O. Hud and Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel:
Pepe: Rocco Cipparone Esq., Haddon Heights, New Jersey
Hing: Gregory Pagano Esq., PhiladelphiaOcean County Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Minor, Online Enticement of Minor, and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was arrested this morning on charges that he induced a minor to send him sexually explicit pictures and to engage in sexually explicit conduct over an online messaging service, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
David Frew, 41, of Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct, and one count of receipt of child pornography. Frew appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois H. Goodman in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and prior state court records:
In June 2017 Frew used an online messaging service to communicate with a minor victim. At Frew’s request, the minor victim sent Frew sexually explicit images, including images of the victim’s genitalia.
In 2008, Frew was convicted of three counts of unlawful contact with a minor and one count of criminal use of a computer in Pennsylvania after sending sexually explicit photos or videos to investigators in the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit, who were posing online as underage girls. Also in 2008, Frew was convicted in New Jersey of endangering the welfare of children. As a result of his prior convictions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Frew was a registered sex offender at the time of his conduct charged in the complaint.
Because Frew is a previously convicted sex offender, the sexual exploitation charge is punishable by a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years in prison and a statutory maximum potential penalty of 50 years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine, counting one of Frew’s prior convictions; or a mandatory minimum penalty of 35 years in prison and a statutory maximum potential penalty of life in prison, along with a $250,000 fine, counting two or more of Frew’s prior convictions. The charge of online enticement carries a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Because Frew is a previously convicted sex offender, the charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a statutory maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Atlantic City, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Technical Crime Unit; the RCMP National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre; the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, and the Little Egg Harbor Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard Buzby Jr., with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Benjamin West Esq., Trenton, New Jersey
Newark Parking Authority Employee Charged with Narcotics Offenses and Being a Felon in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. - A Newark Parking Authority employee was charged today with selling heroin and crack cocaine and with possessing a weapon as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Aughkay L. Green, a/k/a “K-Boogie,” 48, of Newark, was charged by indictment with one count each of possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment:
On Jan. 12, 2017, Green sold 25 bricks of heroin, with a net weight of 38 grams, to Individual 1 for $1,200. On March 22, 2017, he sold the same person 48.9 grams of crack cocaine for $2,250. Green was under law enforcement surveillance and observed to be dressed in his Newark Parking Authority uniform at the time of that sale.
On April 1, 2017, Green, accompanied by an unidentified male, met Individual 1 in Irvington, New Jersey, where Green’s associate provided Individual 1 with: a Smith and Wesson Model 21 .44 caliber handgun; a Smith and Wesson Model 15 .38 handgun, and 50 rounds of hollow-point .44 caliber ammunition marked “44 REM MAG FC.” Green’s associate received $1,360 from Individual 1, and subsequently provided Green with proceeds from the sale and discussed using these proceeds for the purchase of narcotics.
The count of possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute is punishable by a statutory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison. The count of heroin with intent to distribute count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The count of possession of firearms by a previously convicted felon count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment. He also thanked the New Jersey State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness for their work on the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean C. Sovolos of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Essex County Man Charged with Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was indicted today on a charge of distributing and possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Keith Voolgaris, 62, of Newark, is charged by indictment with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Voolgaris was initially charged by complaint in September 2019.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between July 21, 2017, and Sept. 8, 2017, Voolgaris distributed and possessed at least 50 videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors, including prepubescent children. He used a “chat” website to send numerous messages to another child pornography distributor in Minnesota. Many of those messages contained links to Dropbox files that were found to contain images of child sexual abuse. A subsequent search of Voolgaris’ email accounts revealed numerous additional videos and images of child sexual abuse.
Voolgaris has prior convictions for receiving or distributing child pornography and for possession of child pornography. Accordingly, the charge of distribution of child pornography by a repeat offender carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent children by a repeat offender carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah A. Sulkowski of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Chester Keller Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
U.S. Atorney’s Office Reaches ADA Settlement with Owner of Historic Paramount Theater to Ensure Physical Access for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) settlement with Madison Asbury Convention Hall LLC, the owner of the historic Paramount Theater in Asbury Park, New Jersey, to ensure physical accessibility for people with disabilities, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
“This agreement begins a new era for the historic Paramount Theater, which will enable all audiences, with or without disabilities, to enjoy the venue and its performances,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “We commend the Paramount Theater for making the changes necessary to come into compliance with the ADA.”
The agreement requires, among other things, the installation of wheelchair spaces and companion seats, tactile signs with raised characters and Braille identifying all exits and restrooms, accessible ticket and concession stands, and at least 47 assistive listening receivers.
This agreement was reached under Title III of the ADA, which prohibits places of public accommodation from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will actively monitor compliance with the agreement, which will remain in effect for three years.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may 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. Michael Campion, Chief of the of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Pascal, Deputy Chief, Civil Division.
Two New Jersey Men Admit Roles in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. –Two New Jersey men today admitted their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed significant quantities of heroin and cocaine in the Bayshore area of Monmouth and Middlesex counties, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Gregory Gillens, 47, of Hillside, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. Gillens also admitted to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
Tyler Scarangello, 34, of Hazlet, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before Judge Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
In November 2018, Gillens, Scarangello, and 13 others were charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. Gillens and Scarangello are the sixth and seventh defendants to plead guilty.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2017 to November 2018, the defendants and others engaged in a narcotics conspiracy that operated in the Raritan Bayshore region of Middlesex and northern Monmouth counties.
Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin and cocaine, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that Gillens regularly supplied large quantities of heroin and cocaine for further distribution to codefendants Guy Jackson, Richard Gethers, and Deberal Rogers. Law enforcement also learned that Jackson distributed the narcotics to others, including Scarangello.
Members of the conspiracy sold the narcotics to other conspirators, distributors, sub-dealers, and end-users in the Bayshore area. Some of the heroin distributed by the conspiracy contained fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid.
The heroin conspiracy count to which Gillens pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $10 million. The cocaine conspiracy to which Scarangello pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 19, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, Jersey Shore Gang and Criminal Organization Task Force (including representatives from the Bradley Beach Police Department, Brick Police Department, Howell Police Department, Marlboro Police Department, Monmouth County Sheriff's Office, Toms River Police Department, and Union Beach Police Department) under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; Special Agents of the FBI, Philadelphia Division, Scranton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent; the Matawan Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas J. Falco, Jr.; the Holmdel Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Mioduszewski; the Highlands Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Burton; the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni; the Old Bridge Police Department, under the direction of Chief William A. Volkert; the Keansburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief James K. Pigott; the Hazlet Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Meehan; and the Aberdeen Police Department, under the direction of Chief John T. Powers, with the investigation leading to today’s pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations against the remaining eight defendants are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Men Charged for Conspiracy to Distribute 30 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three men have been charged with conspiring to distribute 30 kilograms of cocaine in Newark, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Yohan E. De Jesus Osornio, 29, of Los Angeles, California; Raul A. Figueroa Santana, 47, of the Bronx, New York, and Ronal Luiyi Hernandez Sepulveda, 29, of the Bronx, New York, are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. They appeared Nov. 18, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.
According documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
De Jesus Osornio, Figueroa Santana, and Hernandez Sepulveda were arrested on Nov. 15, 2019, in Newark after conducting a transaction involving 10 kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement officers observed De Jesus Osornio, who had parked his tractor trailer on Passaic Street in Newark, enter a white Mazda before returning to the tractor trailer with a weighted-down bag. Around the same time, law enforcement officers observed Hernandez Sepulveda and Figueroa Santana arrive in a black Mitsubishi. Law enforcement officers observed Hernandez Sepulveda approach the tractor trailer and walk back to the Mitsubishi with a bag, which Hernandez Sepulveda placed in the back of the Mitsubishi. After approaching and apprehending the defendants, law enforcement officers searched the bag and found 10 kilograms of cocaine, and found an additional 20 kilograms of cocaine and a large sum of cash in the tractor trailer.
The count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a $10 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, with investigation leading to the arrests.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Repole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Warren County Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Receiving and Possessing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former Warren County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 168 months of prison for receiving and possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Derrick Baer, 36, formerly of Pohatcong, New Jersey, was convicted April 9, 2019, of one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In May 2010, in connection with an investigation into a suspicious death at Baer’s residence, law enforcement obtained Baer’s consent to seize computer equipment from the residence. That equipment contained at least 348 images and 33 video files of child sexual abuse.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Baer to lifetime supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; the Pohatcong Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Robb; the N.J. Regional Computer Forensics Lab; and the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Richard T. Burke, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Feder, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit in Newark.
Atlantic County Man Admits Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted to receiving and possessing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jack Underwood, 31, of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Underwood used a social networking site that allows users to interact and engage in both conversations and the exchanging of images and videos. From September 2017 through March 2018, the site reported several caches of child pornography found within accounts linked to Underwood. After executing a search warrant at Underwood’s home in December 2018, agents located more images of child sexual abuse on Underwood’s mobile telephone. Underwood has a previous conviction for the same charge, where he served 54 months of incarceration and was placed on a lifetime of supervised release. This new conviction constitutes a violation of his supervised release.
The possession of child pornography charge to which Underwood pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. He also faces an additional mandatory minimum of five years in prison for violating his supervised release by committing another child pornography offense. Underwood will be required to continue registering as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisa Shver of the Camden office.
Two Trenton Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Two Trenton men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a violent drug trafficking conspiracy that allegedly distributed more than one kilogram of heroin in Trenton and the surrounding area, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Kahlil Hampton, a/k/a “Ruger,” 29, was sentenced today to 176 months in prison and five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
Donte Ellis, a/k/a “Shalant,” 42, was sentenced Nov. 15, 2019, to 181 months in prison and five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty before Judge Wolfson to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Ellis also admitted to possessing a firearm during the offense.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:In October 2018, Ellis, Hampton, and 24 other members of a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Trenton were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin. On Aug. 8, 2019, a grand jury returned a 15-count second superseding indictment charging nine of those defendants – Omar Council, a/k/a “Stacks,” a/k/a “O,” a/k/a “Y-O,” a/k/a “Snow,” Jerome Roberts, a/k/a “Righteous,” a/k/a “Lee;” David Antonio, a/k/a “Papi,” a/k/a “Pop,” a/k/a “Victor Arias,” a/k/a “Santiago Ramirez;” Brian Phelps, a/k/a “B-Money,” a/k/a “B;” Timothy Wimbush, a/k/a “Young Money;” Taquan Williams, a/k/a “Trip;” Jubri West; Dennis Cheston Jr., a/k/a “Beans;” and Wayne K. Bush – with various crimes relating to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, including firearms charges against Phelps, Wimbush, Williams, West, and Cheston. To date, 20 defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with their participation in the conspiracy.
From as early as October 2017 to October 2018, the defendants and others engaged in a narcotics conspiracy that operated in the areas of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Sanford Street, Middle Rose Street, Southard Street, Hoffman Avenue, and Coolidge Avenue in Trenton, and which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin and numerous other controlled substances. Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that in September and October 2018, Ellis—who had been released from state prison in August 2018 for two prior convictions for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder—obtained large quantities of heroin on multiple occasions from codefendant Jakir Taylor, which he redistributed to others in and around Trenton. The investigation also revealed that, on several occasions when Ellis obtained supplies of heroin from Taylor, he also obtained a firearm from Taylor for protection in redistributing the narcotics. Hampton was a close associate of Taylor, and he regularly obtained and redistributed large quantities of heroin in furtherance of the conspiracy. The investigation also revealed that Hampton had access to one or more firearms.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson, ATF Trenton Field Office; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Nicholas Sutter; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John P. Stemler III; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Bruce Painter; and detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. He also thanked officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri; officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John A. Kemler; and members of the New Jersey State Board of Parole for their assistance in the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Brendan Day and Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
This case was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The charges and allegations against the remaining defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel:
Hampton: Stanley O. King Esq., Woodbury, New Jersey
Ellis: Jose Luis Ongay Esq., Camden, New JerseyHusband and Wife Admit Ponzi Scheme Relating to Hedge Fund Investments in Foreign CurrenciesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, couple have admitted to operating a Ponzi scheme in which they defrauded approximately two dozen investors by making extraordinary guarantees about investment returns and then used the money for extravagant purchases and to pay off other victims, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Alcibiades Cifuentes, 36, and his wife, Jennifer Wee Cifuentes, 38, formerly of West New York, New Jersey, each pleaded guilty to all six counts with which they were charged by indictment in May 2017: four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, and one count of theft by a commodity pool operator. Jennifer Wee Cifuentes pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court. Alcibiades Cifuentes pleaded guilty on Nov. 8, 2019.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Alcibiades and Jennifer Wee Cifuentes engaged in an investment fraud scheme from 2012 through March 2015. They fraudulently induced victims to invest in the foreign currency and commodity markets through Cifuentes Fund Management (CFM), their hedge fund that purportedly invested in foreign currencies. Instead, they almost immediately spent those investment funds on personal items, such as an Audi R8 and jewelry. The couple would then pay back a portion of the victims’ money with money received from newly duped victims. The couple defrauded approximately 25 victims of more than $500,000.
Each count of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy to which the defendants pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the scheme. The count of commodities theft to which the defendants pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million, or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentencing for Alcibiades Cifuentes is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2020, and for Jennifer Wee Cifuentes, Feb. 28, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James V. Buthorn in Newark, and Special Agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. He also thanked the N.J. Bureau of Securities in the State Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs, under the direction of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Bureau Chief Christopher Gerold, as well as the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Enforcement, under the direction of Director James M. McDonald, for their respective roles in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony P. Torntore and Courtney A. Howard.
Defense counsel:
Alcibiades Cifuentes: Patrick McMahon Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Jennifer Wee Cifuentes: Aidan P. O’Connor Esq., Hackensack, New JerseyUnion County Registered Sex Offender Admits Distribution of Child Pornography and Online EnticementRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man today admitted distributing multiple images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, as well as soliciting two children to engage in sexually explicit conduct online, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Christopher Gardiner, 36, of Cranford, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of distributing child pornography and two counts of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:Between March 2018 and June 2018, Gardiner engaged an undercover agent in an ongoing sexually graphic conversation on a web-based social media application. During the course of the conversation, Gardiner publicly posted in a chatroom multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of children and sent similar videos to the undercover agent directly. Law enforcement subsequently discovered numerous images and videos of child pornography on Gardiner’s electronic devices when he was arrested at his home in August 2018.
During a forensic examination of Gardiner’s electronic devices, law enforcement discovered multiple conversations in which Gardiner engaged children in sexually explicit conversations and encouraged them to record themselves engaging in criminal sexual conduct. Law enforcement subsequently identified the children and confirmed that they were under the age of 18 at the time of their conversations with Gardiner.
Gardiner was previously convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and distribution of child pornography in Union County in 2007. For a repeat offender, the charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charges of online enticement carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Michael B. Campagna Esq., Elizabeth, New Jersey
Georgia Woman Admits Using NBA Player’s Stolen Identity in Scheme to Obtain $2.5 Million LoanRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Georgia woman today admitted using a National Basketball Association (NBA) player’s stolen identity to attempt to obtain a $2.5 million loan, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Annie M. Ford, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an indictment charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From October 2013 through November 2013, Ford tried to fraudulently obtain a $2.5 million loan from a New York-based lending company using the stolen identity of another individual, who at the time was a NBA player and resident of New Jersey.
Ford created fraudulent documents using the victim’s name. She also forged or caused to be forged the victim’s signature on multiple documents, including a Merchant Agreement between the victim and the lender, an escrow document providing that the $2.5 million loan would be deposited into a bank account controlled by Ford, and a power of attorney document appointing another individual involved in the scheme to serve as the victim’s “attorney-in-fact” for banking and financial matters. Those fraudulent and forged documents were submitted in support of the $2.5 million loan application.
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. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a maximum potential penalty of two years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2020.U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; and inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine R. Murphy of the Economic Crimes Unit.
Defense counsel: Bruno C. Bier, Esq., New York
Atlantic City Woman Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic City woman was sentenced to 78 months in prison for her role in a drug trafficking and money laundering operation in the Atlantic County area, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Jazmin Vega, 45, previously pleaded guilty to one count of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb imposed the sentence Nov. 14, 2019, in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2010 through December 2014, Vega’s long-time paramour, Toye Tutis, 47, operated a large-scale drug trafficking ring out of the Ta’Ja Laundromat in Atlantic City, purchasing and distributing between 150 to 450 kilograms of cocaine and approximately 26 kilograms of heroin, and laundering between $1.5 and $3 million in drug proceeds. Tutis was aided by Vega, who admitted to laundering his drug trafficking proceeds in several ways, including through the couple’s various businesses – Ta’Ja Construction I LLC; Ta’Ja Real Estate Investors LLC; and Integrity Heating and Cooling LLC; and by purchasing more than 30 properties with tainted funds.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Vega to three years of supervised release and fined her $1,000. As part of their plea agreements, Vega and Tutis must forfeit 20 properties, cash and other assets.
Tutis also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 264 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Division, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; the DEA’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner; and the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Henry White, with the investigation leading to sentencing.
He also thanked the New Jersey State Police; the Pennsylvania State Police, the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-Homeland Security Investigation (HSI); U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and the Ventnor, Northfield, and Millville police departments for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Camden Office.
Queens, New York, Man Admits to Impersonating Federal Bureau of Investigation AgentRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Queens, New York, man today admitted impersonating a federal agent, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Tornike Lubyk, 28, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of falsely impersonating an agent of the FBI.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Lubyk admitted that on July 8, 2019, during a traffic stop by the Paramus Police Department, he falsely advised Paramus officers that he was with the FBI’s C-22 organized crime squad based in the Manhattan field office, and presented an apparent FBI badge, apparent FBI credentials, and an apparent FBI security access card.
The charge of impersonating a federal officer carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited FBI task force officers and special agents, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, Newark Field Division; and special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian A. Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Paramus Police Department for their work on the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassye Cole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Warren S. Sutnick Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Trying to Smuggle Cocaine Sewn into His VestRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A resident of the Dominican Republic was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for allegedly trying to smuggle into the United States approximately three kilograms of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jose Manuel Jimenez Jimenez, 47, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to one count of illegal importation of more than 500 grams of cocaine. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court;
Jimenez arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport on a flight from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. During a screening, law enforcement officers discovered the cocaine sewn into the vest Jimenez was wearing.
In addition to the prison term, Jimenez is subject to deportation following his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael; and officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Troy Miller, director of Field Operations, New York Field Office, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassye Cole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Candace Hom Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Gloucester County Man Arrested on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was charged today with allegedly distributing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Matthew Alongi, 30, of Thorofare, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In November 2018, an undercover law enforcement officer participated in an online chat group on a social networking application that allows internet users to trade digital files. During multiple sessions, a user shared multiple files featuring images of child sexual abuse from an internet address traced to Alongi’s residence.
On May 8, 2019, law enforcement lawfully obtained from Alongi’s residence multiple devices that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.
The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill Office, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Jeff Kocher; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore; the West Deptford Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sean McKenna; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Harberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fort Dix Correctional Officer Admits Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Delivering Contraband to InmatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man who worked as a corrections officer at a federal facility admitted today that he accepted cash bribes in exchange for delivering contraband to inmates, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Paul Anton Wright, 34, of Berlin, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to Count 1 of a five-count indictment charging him with accepting thousands of dollars in cash bribes in exchange for delivering contraband to federal inmates at Fort Dix.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From 2014 through April of 2018, Wright worked as a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix (FCI Fort Dix), a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in Burlington County. In 2015, Wright agreed to accept cash bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband, including tobacco, K2 (synthetic marijuana) and suboxone (a narcotic used to treat opioid addiction), to inmates.
Wright received cash bribes from two individuals outside of FCI Fort Dix. Between February and September 2015, Wright traveled to Philadelphia on multiple occasions to meet with a relative of an FCI Fort Dix inmate and subsequently delivered contraband, including K2, to the inmate. Wright would conceal the contraband in order to smuggle it into FCI Fort Dix. Between October and December of 2015, Wright traveled to New York City on multiple occasions to pick up contraband from a different inmate’s associate, from whom he also received corrupt cash payments in return for smuggling contraband into FCI Fort Dix.
The bribery charge to which Wright plead guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential fine of $250,000. In addition, Wright agreed to the entry of a forfeiture money judgment against him in the amount of $50,000, reflecting monies he accepted as bribes during the course of his criminal scheme. Sentencing is currently scheduled for Feb. 27, 2020.U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Guido Modano, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, for their assistance in the prosecution.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren and Tazneen Shahabuddin of the U.S. Attorney’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Angelo R. Bianchi Esq. and Peter C. LaGreca Esq., West Caldwell, New Jersey
Former Financial Advisor Admits to Engaging in Ponzi Scheme Targeting Elderly InvestorsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey man, today admitted to engaging in a Ponzi scheme targeting elderly investors and to subscribing to a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Daniel Rivera, 60, of Hillsborough, New Jersey, a former financial advisor, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson in Trenton federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of wire fraud and one count of aiding and abetting in the false subscribing to a tax return.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2008 through 2017, Rivera solicited primarily elderly investors to invest their money in a company called Robbins Lane Properties Inc. Rivera represented to investors that Robbins Lane was a company staffed by experienced real estate professionals that invested in real estate ventures. Rivera told investors that by investing in Robbins Lane, senior investors would share in the company’s investment portfolio by lending it money to invest in real estate. Rivera further promised investors that they would receive a guaranteed monthly income, and that the company’s rate of return was based on secure real estate investments in the company’s portfolio. In reality, Robbins Lane had no employees, no real estate portfolio, and the monies used to pay investors as a purported return on their investments was from funds he received from other investors. Rivera also used funds sourced from investors to pay his personal and unrelated business expenses, including paying his child’s college tuition and sorority fees.
During the course of the fraudulent scheme, on March 5, 2014, Rivera filed with the IRS a federal income tax return that underreported his taxable income by $33,276.
The wire fraud count to which Rivera pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential punishment of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss or gain caused by the offense. The aiding and abetting in the subscribing to a false tax return count with which Rivera is charged carries a maximum potential punishment of three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark and special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dara Aquila Govan, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Protection Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Andrea Dechenne Bergman Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender (Trenton)
Father and Son Sentenced in Fraudulent Short Sale Scheme to Defraud Mortgage Lenders and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A father and son from Bergen County, New Jersey, were sentenced today to 27 months in prison and eight months of home detention, respectively, for their roles in a scheme to use straw buyers and short sales on properties to defraud mortgage lenders out of hundreds of thousands of dollars and to avoid paying taxes on the proceeds of the scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
George Bussanich Sr., 60, of Park Ridge, New Jersey, was sentenced to 27 months in prison. He previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to a superseding information charging him with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of tax evasion. His son, George Bussanich Jr., 39, of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, was sentenced to eight months of home detention. He previously pleaded guilty to tax evasion. Judge Cecchi imposed both sentences today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between 2009 and 2012, Bussanich Sr. and Bussanich Jr. conspired to defraud mortgage lenders through the sham short sales of two properties, located on Jefferson Avenue in Emerson, New Jersey, and Lillian Street in Park Ridge.
Bussanich Sr. controlled various purported medical clinics and surgical centers in New Jersey. He recruited his business partner and an employee from a sleep clinic in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, to pose as legitimate, unrelated buyers of the properties. In order to conceal his involvement, Bussanich Sr. used a business entity he controlled to fund each short sale transaction and the subsequent repurchase of those properties. Bussanich Jr., the owner of record of both properties, negotiated the short sales with the lenders using materially false information that misrepresented the circumstances of the short sales, the relationships of the parties, and the source of funding for the transactions.
Approximately two years after the fraudulent short sales, Bussanich Sr. bought the properties back from the straw purchasers using money that he owed his business partner from an earlier venture.
Bussanich Sr. and Bussanich Jr. also failed to disclose on their tax returns income that they received from the purported medical clinics and surgical centers. Bussanich Sr. and Bussanich Jr. used those funds to purchase high-end luxury vehicles and to purchase official bank checks to fund the fraudulent short sales.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Cecchi sentenced Bussanich Sr. to five years of supervised release and Bussanich Jr. to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari B. Fontecchio of the Office’s Economic Crimes Unit, and Nicholas P. Grippo, Attorney in Charge of the Trenton Office.
Defense counsel: Stacy Biancamano Esq., Jersey City, New Jersey
Camden County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Supplying Crack Cocaine to Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. - A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for his role in a Camden drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of crack cocaine, furanyl fentanyl and heroin, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Mark Campbell, 39, a/k/a “D” and Diz,” of Sicklerville, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Campbell admitted that he supplied large quantities of cocaine base (crack cocaine) to members of a drug trafficking organization operating around the 1700 block of Filmore Street in Camden. The organization also distributed heroin and furanyl fentanyl, which it obtained from other suppliers. Ten members of the drug ring were arrested in June 2017 following a long-term investigation by the FBI, which utilized multiple telephone wiretaps, surveillance, confidential informants, cooperating witnesses, more than 20 controlled drug purchases, a GPS vehicle tracker and four court-authorized search warrants, among other investigative techniques. Members of the drug trafficking organization distributed crack cocaine, furanyl fentanyl, and heroin to users and resellers in and around Camden and to people cooperating with the FBI.
The investigation ultimately led to the seizure of more than 300 grams of crack cocaine, quantities of furanyl fentanyl and heroin, a firearm, and drug paraphernalia. An 11th defendant was later charged in March 2018.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Campbell to three years of supervised release, 300 hours of community service and fined him $10,000.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation. He also thanked the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, the Cherry Hill Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabriel J. Vidoni and Alisa Shver of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Troy A. Archie Esq., Cinnaminson, New Jersey
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Bank Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEWARK – A Brooklyn, New York, man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for conspiring to rob a home improvement stores with stolen credit card information, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Omar Doolittle, 38, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Judge Chesler imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2017 through August 2018, Doolittle and his conspirators placed online orders with a home improvement store using stolen credit card information and arranged to pick up those goods in person at various store locations throughout New Jersey and New York. Doolittle and his conspirators would pick up the goods using dozens of false or stolen identities and would then return the goods at different store locations or sell the goods at a discount to third parties for cash.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chesler sentenced Doolittle to five years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan L. O’Neill of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: John Yauch Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Bergen County Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Exchanging over $750,000 in ‘Snap’/Food Stamp Benefits for Cash and Fleeing to Avoid ProsecutionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his role in a food stamps fraud and his subsequent flight to avoid prosecution, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jamil Bader, 60, of Teaneck, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an indictment charging him with one count of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits fraud. Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Every food stamp/SNAP recipient receives an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a debit card, with which to make purchases. Every retailer authorized to accept SNAP benefits has an EBT terminal. Food purchases are made by swiping the card at the terminal. After the customer enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN), the EBT terminal verifies the PIN, determines whether the customer’s account balance is sufficient to cover the transaction and informs the retailer whether the transaction should be authorized or declined. If the transaction is authorized, the amount of the purchase is then deducted from the SNAP benefits reserved for the customer, and the amount is credited to the retailer’s designated bank account.
Bader admitted that he controlled a small grocery store that was located on Clinton Avenue in Newark between September 2013 and September 2016. Bader acknowledged placing this store in another person’s name because he had previously been banned from participation in SNAP for similar conduct. Bader admitted that he repeatedly exchanged SNAP benefits for cash and kept a portion of that transaction for himself. Bader acknowledged that this scheme caused at least $754,424 in losses to the federal government. Bader also admitted fleeing from the United States and obtaining a foreign passport in an effort to avoid these criminal charges.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Bader to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $754,424.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bethanne Dinkins, with the investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service and Department of Homeland Security with Bader’s apprehension and return to New Jersey.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Frederick “Chip” Dunne III Esq., Kearny, New Jersey
Atlantic City Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison for Insurance Fraud, Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic City, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for selling over 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine and for staging a fake robbery of a Union County, New Jersey, pawnshop for the purpose of perpetrating an insurance fraud, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Salvatore “Sam” Piccolo, 68, of Atlantic City, a member of the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra organized crime family, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with distribution more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of wire fraud. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Piccolo distributed quantities of crystal methamphetamine to FBI undercover agents on three separate occasions between June 2017 and September 2017. On one occasion, he sold the undercover agent approximately four ounces of crystal methamphetamine in a restaurant parking lot in Sicklerville, New Jersey, in exchange for a $5,660 cash payment. On two other occasions in September 2017, FBI undercover agents purchased two ounce quantities of crystal methamphetamine from Piccolo in Atlantic City for cash payments of $2,800 for each transaction.
Piccolo also admitted that on April 19, 2014, he and an accomplice conspired to commit an insurance fraud. They entered a pawn shop in Union County, purportedly to sell some silver items. Once inside the shop, the accomplice displayed a hand gun while Piccolo, wearing a nylon mask, chained the front doors closed to prevent anyone from entering. The owner was bound, as a pretense, while Piccolo and his accomplice looted the safe of what the owner told police was approximately $60,000 in cash, several pieces of jewelry, and a hand gun. The owner later submitted to his insurance company a fraudulent loss claim that was paid for approximately $174,000.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Piccolo to five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $174,025 in restitution to Northland Insurance of Minnesota.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Askin of the Criminal Division, Camden Office, and Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O’Malley of the U.S. Attorney's Office Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Louis Barbone Esq., Atlantic City
U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Agreement with Nationwide Daycare Provider to Ensure Equal Rights for Children with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The United States has entered into an agreement with a national daycare provider to resolve an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuit filed by the government, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
The government alleged that Spring Education Inc. (SEI), formerly known as Nobel Learning Communities Inc., discriminated against a 3-year-old girl (M.M.) and her parents in violation of the ADA by refusing to make reasonable modifications to its toileting policy and then expelling the child on the basis of her disability. The girl had toileting delays resulting from her disability.
“Equal opportunity is the core American value that is protected by the ADA and advanced by today’s agreement,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “With this agreement, we ensure that children with disabilities attending SEI’s daycare facilities in New Jersey and across the United States receive the protection to which they are entitled under the law. We are proud to continue our vigorous enforcement of the ADA in New Jersey and will continue to root out discrimination to the fullest extent of the law.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from the parents of M.M. – who was diagnosed with Down syndrome – that SEI’s facility in Moorestown, New Jersey, set an arbitrary deadline for the child to become toilet-trained. According to the complaint, SEI then expelled M.M., with only five days’ notice, when she failed to meet that deadline, despite M.M.’s parents providing medical documentation explaining that toileting delays are common in children with Down syndrome. To justify expelling M.M., SEI pointed to its “corporate policy” on toileting, which SEI said required 3-year-olds in certain classrooms to be fully toilet trained.
After conducting the investigation, the United States filed a complaint in federal district court against SEI, alleging that the company violated the ADA by discriminating against both M.M. and her parents when it refused to modify its standard toileting policy and then expelling the child on the basis of her disability.
In 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice brought an action against SEI in Pennsylvania (when it was still operating as Nobel Learning Communities), alleging that the company had a pattern or practice of discriminating against children with disabilities. The parties settled that lawsuit in 2011.
The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in child care centers, which must make reasonable modifications to their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to provide equal access to a child with a disability, unless a modification would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods and services. Reasonable modifications in a child care setting can include personal services, such as diapering or toileting assistance for children who need it due to a disability, regardless of age, when such personal services are provided to other children.
Under the terms of the agreement, SEI is required to adopt a policy consistent with the ADA that requires it to provide reasonable modifications for children with disabilities that impact their ability to be toilet-trained. That policy change will protect children attending SEI’s seven facilities in New Jersey and more than 150 schools in 16 other states and Washington, D.C. SEI must also comply with rigorous reporting requirements, inform current and prospective families about the policy change, and train current and future employees on the policy. SEI must also pay a civil penalty of $30,000 to the United States and $18,000 as damages to M.M.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at: Civil Rights Enforcement or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Complaint Hotline at (855) 281-3339.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at ADA.gov or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at 800-514-0301 and 800-514-0383.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan M. Anger, Ben Kuruvilla, and David V. Simunovich of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor Williamson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Unit; and Trial Attorney Charlotte Lanvers of the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section.
Six Passaic County Residents Charged in $27 Million Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Six Passaic County, New Jersey, residents were charged today for their roles in a large-scale money laundering and illegal money transmitting scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
The defendants are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to launder drug proceeds and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business:
• Felicia Almonte, 54, Passaic, New Jersey
• Erickson Checo-Almonte, 29, Passaic
• Julio De La Cruz-Acosta, 40, Paterson, New Jersey
• Willy Cruz-Bonilla, 22, Paterson
• Jordano Abreu-Diaz, 24, Paterson
• Enmanuel Nunez-Reyes, 26, PatersonAll defendants except Abreu-Diaz are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark in Newark federal court. Abreu-Diaz is expected to appear before Judge Clark later this week.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendants were part of a large-scale money laundering conspiracy that used the U.S. banking system to convert over $27 million in cash from illegal drug sales in New Jersey and New York into cashier’s checks.
Between July 2016 and January 2019, the defendants and other conspirators purchased over 1,000 cashier’s checks, which were used as a mechanism to transfer drug proceeds out of the United States. The checks were made payable to individuals and companies specified by money brokers working on behalf of drug trafficking organizations with ties to the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and elsewhere.
The cashier’s check scheme was designed to conceal the nature, source, ownership, and control of the illegal drug proceeds in order to avoid scrutiny by law enforcement and banking institutions. The defendants were typically paid a fee of $150 to $200 for each check they purchased.
The charge of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business carries a maximum prison sentence of five years and a $250,000 fine.U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; special agents and task force officers of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur; and the Morristown, New Jersey, police department, under the direction of Acting Police Chief Darnell Richardson with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Peck of the Criminal Division in Newark.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 235 Months in Prison for Online Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A man from Dracut, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 235 months in prison for using the internet to solicit sex with a minor, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Richard Bly, 69, was convicted in July 2019 of online enticement of a minor after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
On Feb. 7, 2017, Bly posted an advertisement on an internet website seeking to meet parents willing to allow Bly to engage in sexual activity with their young children. Over the course of several weeks, Bly had numerous e-mail and text message exchanges with an undercover law enforcement agent posing as the mother of an 8-year-old girl. In graphic and explicit terms, Bly repeatedly expressed his interest in engaging in sexual activity with the purported child, and made plans to meet the child and her mother at a hotel in Ramsey, New Jersey. Law enforcement officers arrested Bly at the hotel on the same morning that Bly had planned to sexually assault the purported child. At the time of his arrest, Bly was on bail after having been arrested and charged in August 2016 in Massachusetts state court for engaging in similar conduct.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Bly to 10 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael; and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mark Musella, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua L. Haber and Heather Suchorsky of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division.
Defense counsel: Thomas Ambrosio Esq., Lyndhurst, New Jersey
Attorney General Announces Launch of Project Guardian – A Nationwide Strategic Plan to Reduce Gun ViolenceRead the Press Release
Initiative emphasizes enforcing gun prohibitions based on domestic violence convictions and mental health denials
NEWARK, N.J. – Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Project Guardian, a new initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country. Specifically, Project Guardian focuses on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes.
Reducing gun violence and enforcing federal firearms laws have always been among the Department’s highest priorities. In order to develop a new and robust effort to promote and ensure public safety, the Department reviewed and adapted some of the successes of past strategies to curb gun violence. Project Guardian draws on the Department’s earlier achievements, such as the “Triggerlock” program, and it serves as a complementary effort to the success of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In addition, the initiative emphasizes the importance of using all modern technologies available to law enforcement to promote gun crime intelligence.
“Gun crime remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across America. Today, the Department of Justice is redoubling its commitment to tackling this issue through the launch of Project Guardian,” Attorney General William P. Barr said. “Building on the success of past programs like Triggerlock, Project Guardian will strengthen our efforts to reduce gun violence by allowing the federal government and our state and local partners to better target offenders who use guns in crimes and those who try to buy guns illegally.”
“In the past two years, we’ve taken nearly 500 guns off the streets in New Jersey,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, District of New Jersey, said. “In the past year in Jersey City, incidents of murder by shooting are down 60 percent and shooting incidents overall are down 29 percent. In Newark, shooting murder incidents and shooting murder victims are down 20 percent. Newark Department of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose recently noted that 150 fewer people shot, and there were 30 fewer funerals in the city compared to last year. We look forward to working with our law enforcement partners in putting to use the additional tools Project Guardian gives us will help us make the streets of New Jersey even safer.”
“I am very proud to say that here in New Jersey, the five principles listed in the Project Guardian Nationwide Strategic Plan announced by Attorney General Barr today have been well established through the leadership of United States Attorney Craig Carpenito, and with the help of tremendous local, state, and federal partnerships,” ATF Special Agent In Charge Charlie J. Patterson said. “Project Guardian’s principals are central to ATF’s strategic priority mission, including strong collaboration with our partners, vigorous enforcement of federal firearm laws, and the use of shared Crime Gun Intelligence to focus on violent offenders. ATF, with the assistance of our partners, have recently had great success in identifying and disrupting armed violent individuals, which include criminal groups and gangs, from terrorizing our communities.”
“ATF has a long history of strong partnerships in the law enforcement community,” said Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Make no mistake, the women and men of ATF remain steadfast to our core mission of getting crime guns off of our streets. ATF and U.S. Attorneys nationwide will leverage these partnerships even further through enhanced community outreach initiatives and coordination with local, state, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to cut the pipeline of crime guns from those violent individuals who seek to terrorize our communities. Project Guardian will enhance ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, to include identifying, investigating and prosecuting those involved in the straw purchases of firearms, lying on federal firearms transaction forms, and those subject to the mental health prohibition of possessing firearms.”
Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles:
1) Coordinated Prosecution. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who: a) was arrested in possession of a firearm; b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court; or c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the community on behalf of a criminal organization.
2) Enforcing the Background Check System. United States Attorneys, in consultation with the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in their district, will create new, or review existing, guidelines for intake and prosecution of federal cases involving false statements (including lie-and-try, lie-and-buy, and straw purchasers) made during the acquisition or attempted acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees.
Particular emphasis is placed on individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are fugitives where the underlying offense is a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; individuals suspected of involvement in criminal organizations or of providing firearms to criminal organizations; and individuals involved in repeat denials.
3) Improved Information Sharing. On a regular basis, and as often as practicable given current technical limitations, ATF will provide to state law enforcement fusion centers a report listing individuals for whom the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has issued denials, including the basis for the denial, so that state and local law enforcement can take appropriate steps under their laws.
4) Coordinated Response to Mental Health Denials. Each United States Attorney will ensure that whenever there is federal case information regarding individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm under the mental health prohibition, such information continues to be entered timely and accurately into the United States Attorneys’ Offices’ case-management system for prompt submission to NICS. ATF should engage in additional outreach to state and local law enforcement on how to use this denial information to better assure public safety.
Additionally, United States Attorneys will consult with relevant district stakeholders to assess feasibility of adopting disruption of early engagement programs to address mental-health-prohibited individuals who attempt to acquire a firearm. United States Attorneys should consider, when appropriate, recommending court-ordered mental health treatment for any sentences issued to individuals prohibited based on mental health.
5) Crime Gun Intelligence Coordination. Federal, state, local, and tribal prosecutors and law enforcement will work together to ensure effective use of the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs), and all related resources, to maximize the use of modern intelligence tools and technology. These tools can greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness in identifying trigger-pullers and finding their guns, but the success depends in large part on state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners sharing ballistic evidence and firearm recovery data with the ATF.
Federal law enforcement represents only about 15 percent of all law enforcement resources nationwide. Therefore, partnerships with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the communities they serve are critical to addressing gun crime. The Department recognizes that sharing information with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners at every level will enhance public safety, and provide a greater depth of resources available to address gun crime on a national level.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Mobile Communications Company Retail StoreRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Ohio man was sentenced today to 300 months in prison for robbing a mobile communications company retail store in Orange, New Jersey, at gunpoint in June 2016, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Frederick A. White, 47, previously pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On the afternoon of June 11, 2016, White entered a mobile communications company retail store in Orange wearing a wig and brandishing a handgun. White stole cash from an employee of the store and fled. He was arrested a short while later after a foot pursuit by the Orange Police Department.
White previously was convicted of multiple counts of armed and attempted carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in federal court in Newark in 1993.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced White to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and the Orange Police Department, under the direction of Director Todd Warren and Chief Law Enforcement Officer Vincent Vitiello, for their assistance with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens 2nd, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine K. Lou and Desiree Grace Latzer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Michael N. Pedicini Esq., Chatham, New Jersey
Monmouth County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for narcotics trafficking, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jeramie Harris, 34, of Asbury Park, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Harris was arrested as part of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation into a drug trafficking organization known to traffic heroin and fentanyl, as well as cocaine, in Monmouth and Ocean counties and elsewhere.
On May 1, 2019, law enforcement officers arrested Harris at his residence, which was an identified drug mill/stash house used to store and package narcotics, including fentanyl and heroin. Harris was found with a large kilogram press and narcotics packaging materials in his vehicle. Law enforcement officers found a bag containing a Röhm Gesellschaft .22 caliber six-shot revolver containing six rounds of ammunition, a metal spoon, and clear zip-lock baggies, as well as a second kilogram press, rubber bands, a digital scale, and a bundle of heroin. In a drawer in the kitchen area, law enforcement also found a clear bag containing approximately 25 grams of cocaine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Harris to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program out of Monmouth and Ocean counties, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Repole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Brandon D. Minde Esq., Cranford, New Jersey
Camden County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography and Obscenity OffensesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man has been sentenced to 240 months in prison for child pornography and obscenity offenses, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Joseph Fini, 35, of Clementon, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Jan. 29, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. Fini, who was previously convicted of possession of child pornography, also pleaded guilty to violating the terms of the supervised release imposed in that case. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence Nov. 6, 2019, in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case:
From November 2015 to Feb. 22, 2017, Fini received 745 images of child sexual abuse and 252 videos containing child sexual abuse over the Internet. These videos and images included children under the age of 12 and sadistic and masochistic conduct. Fini also used the Internet to transfer and distribute obscene material to a minor.
At the time Fini committed these offenses, he was a serving a term of federal supervised for a previous child pornography offense. Fini received a 230 month sentence for the receipt of child pornography, a concurrent 120 month sentence for the distribution of obscene material, and a 10 month consecutive sentence for violating the terms of his supervision, for a total of 240 months in prison.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler also sentenced Fini to lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay $40,000 in restitution to victims of his offenses. Fini also must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian A. Michael, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Jason Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
Newark Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for possession of a loaded firearm and possession with intent to distribute heroin in Newark U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Aljaneer Waller, 41, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On May 11, 2018, at approximately 8:00 p.m., officers from the Newark Police Criminal Intelligence Unit were patrolling the area of Maple and Hansbury avenues in Newark when they observed an Audi automobile parked in the driveway of what appeared to be an uninhabited house. The vehicle had dark tinting on all of its windows, including on the front windows and windshield, which is a violation of New Jersey motor vehicle traffic laws. It was also partially blocking the sidewalk, which is also a violation of New Jersey motor vehicle laws.
As the officers approached the Audi, they observed Waller sitting in the reclined driver’s seat with the window rolled down. They also smelled a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. When Waller observed the officers approaching the Audi, he became startled and abruptly turned towards the back seat, and then turned back towards the front again.
One of the officers then shined his flashlight into the Audi and observed what appeared to be a silver handgun on the back seat of the Audi. Waller opened the driver’s door and began to quickly exit the Audi. However, the officers detained him and then conducted a search of the back seat area of the Audi, which revealed a loaded .357 Magnum Ruger SP101 revolver and 114 envelopes of heroin. Waller was also found to have $1,067 in cash in his pocket. In the trunk of the Audi, officers found more than $13,000 and 40.6 grams of marijuana.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Waller to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and officers of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan W. Romankow of the Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Brooke M. Barnett Esq. Newark
Bronx Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Theft of Government Property and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his role in a scheme to obtain and ultimately cash more than $1 million in fraudulent income tax refund checks issued by the United States, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Wellington Feliz, 36, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to two counts of an indictment charging him with theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) schemes generally share a number of hallmarks. Perpetrators obtain personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, from unwitting individuals, who often reside in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. They complete IRS-1040 tax return forms using the fraudulently obtained information and falsifying wages earned, taxes withheld and other data, always ensuring that fraudulent tax return generates a refund. The perpetrators then direct the U.S. Treasury Department to mail the refund checks to locations they control or can access. In some cases, they bribe mail carriers to remove the refund checks from their mail routes. With the fraudulently obtained refund checks in hand, the perpetrators generate cash proceeds by depositing the checks into bank accounts they control.
At his plea hearing, Feliz admitted that he knew that the approximately 180 tax refund checks that he and others deposited into bank accounts under his direct control did not belong to him or the company named on the bank account. He admitted to personally withdrawing funds from these accounts and profiting from his role in the scheme. He also admitted that he knew that the checks were issued by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury, and that it was illegal to deposit the tax refund checks and use the proceeds for his own benefit. Feliz admitted that he and his conspirators deposited over $1 million in fraudulently obtained income tax refund checks into bank accounts controlled by him.
Feliz was initially charged with six co-defendants (Luis Pena, Lourdes Ortiz, Raymundo Hernandez, Isaias Hernandez, and Gloria Rivera of the Bronx, New York; and Fausto Bernard of Newark) in a criminal complaint alleging conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, relating to a SIRF scheme that caused more than $2.6 million in losses to the United States government. Feliz and Isaias Hernandez were later charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. After being charged by complaint, Feliz violated the terms of his pretrial release conditions and fled to the Dominican Republic. In April 2019, Feliz was extradited to the District of New Jersey.
All six co-defendants have pleaded guilty to and have been sentenced for their roles in the scheme. One additional conspirator, Angel Fernandez of Newark, has also pleaded guilty to charges regarding his participation in the conspiracy. All have been ordered to pay restitution to victims and forfeiture to the United States.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Feliz to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur; special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt; special agents of the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francesca Liquori and Sara F. Merin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Laurie M. Fierro Esq., Kinnelon, New Jersey
Somerset County Man Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute over 16 Kilograms of Heroin and Obstructing Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man is expected to appear in court today on an outstanding warrant charging him with narcotics offenses and fleeing from law enforcement, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
William T. Bouza, 45, of Watchung, New Jersey, was arrested on Nov. 5, 2019, on a complaint charging him with conspiracy to distribute over one kilogram of heroin and obstructing and impeding federal law enforcement officers. Bouza is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In February 2019, Bouza arranged for a vehicle that was equipped with a secret compartment, or “trap,” containing over 16 kilograms of heroin, to be shipped from California to Union County, New Jersey. Law enforcement officers intercepted the vehicle, seized the narcotics, and arranged for a controlled delivery. Law enforcement officers observed Bouza enter the area, but he departed prior to taking possession of the vehicle. Bouza’s narcotics-related activities continued over the following months.
In October 2019, law enforcement officers determined that Bouza was storing and processing narcotics for street-level distribution at multiple locations in Essex County, New Jersey. Officers approached Bouza, who fled in a motor vehicle and attempted to ram a law enforcement vehicle in an effort to elude law enforcement. Law enforcement officers subsequently discovered over 1,000 packages, or “bricks,” of heroin, each containing approximately 50 individual doses, in one of Bouza’s stash houses. They also seized over $400,000 in cash from one of Bouza’s other stash houses.
The conspiracy to distribute heroin count carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine. The obstructing and impeding federal law enforcement officers charge carries a maximum penalty of eight years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited law enforcement officers with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, and other law enforcement agencies of the Opioids Task Force with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Narcotics/OCDETF 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.
Somerset County Man Arrested on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man was charged today with allegedly distributing and possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
John Schulenburg, 65, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In July 2019, an undercover law enforcement officer conducted an online session using a publicly available peer-to-peer (P2P) program, which allows internet users to trade digital files. During this session, a user shared multiple files of featuring images of child sexual abuse from an internet address traced to Schulenburg’s residence.
On Nov. 6, 2019, law enforcement lawfully obtained a computer from Schulenburg’s residence that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.
The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and fine of $250,000. The count of possession of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vijay Dewan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Iowa Man Charged with Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Iowa man is scheduled to appear in court today on charges of producing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Donavon Oliphant, 37, of Independence, Iowa, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of producing visual depictions of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of distribution of child pornography. Oliphant is expected to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case:
In August 2019, Oliphant produced 11 images and four videos of child pornography. The videos depicted sexual acts involving a pre-pubescent child and an adult male. Oliphant then used a peer-to-peer file-sharing program to share these images and videos with an individual located in Gloucester County, New Jersey.
Oliphant was arrested on Oct. 15, 2019, in Iowa and was detained without bail following an appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Cedar Rapids.
The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The distribution of child pornography offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman and Deputy U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Skahill of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Camden Woman Admits Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A member of a drug-trafficking organization today admitted conspiring to distribute illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jasmin Velez, 26, of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the inner workings of the Camden drug-trafficking organization.
The count to which Velez pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2020.
Eight other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, William Carrillo, Elisa Rivera, Ramon Velez, and Naeem Sadler – previously have pleaded guilty in this case. The charges against 10 other defendants in this case remain pending, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Michael Huff Esq., Camden
Monmouth County Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Evading More Than $2 Million in TaxesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading more than $2.3 million in personal and corporate income taxes between 2002 and 2011, and in 2015, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Tito Viteri, 41, of Cream Ridge, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of tax evasion. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Since 2002, Viteri was the owner and operator of numerous commercial trucking companies that performed delivery services. Between 2002 and 2011, and in 2015, Viteri evaded the payment of more than $2 million in personal and business-related taxes by:
• “pyramiding” companies and using nominees as the purported owners of several of the companies in order to shield business assets while incurring employment tax liabilities;
• failing to file timely and accurate quarterly federal tax returns by falsely categorizing employees as independent contractors, for whom employment taxes did not have to be paid;
• receiving unreported kickback income from an employee;
• concealing personal income and assets by using nominees, and depositing substantial amounts of income into nominee bank accounts and failing to report that income on his personal tax returns.In 2008, an IRS audit determined that Viteri owed approximately $785,000 in unpaid taxes for one of his companies, and that he himself owed approximately $315,000 in unpaid personal income taxes. Although Viteri began making payments to the IRS in August 2011, he stopped making those payments in December 2013, claiming he was not “bringing enough money home.” Despite his claims, from February 2013 to February 2016 Viteri made approximately $111,000 in rental payments (approximately $3,000 per month) for a property in Chesterfield. In 2016, although he still had substantial outstanding tax liabilities, Viteri purchased a home in Cream Ridge for more than $920,000. To conceal from the IRS the source of the funds used to purchase the home, Viteri arranged for the home to be purchased in his mother’s name.
In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Wolfson sentenced Viteri to two years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark: and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Mikulka in New York, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Brendan Day of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
Defense counsel: Darren Gelber Esq., Woodbridge, New Jersey
California Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Transporting 14 Kilograms of Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Riverside, California, man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for transporting heroin and fentanyl from California to New Jersey for distribution in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito; Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division; New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill; Keith M. Corlett, Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police; and Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York Field Office, announced.
Joselito Colindres, 42, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martini to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over one kilogram of heroin and over 400 grams of fentanyl. Judge Martini imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 21, 2018, law enforcement officers learned that Colindres and Nester Estuardo Ruano Gutierrez were driving a tractor-trailer containing narcotics from California to New Jersey and elsewhere. After a lawful search of the tractor trailer, law enforcement officers found boxes of narcotics, including approximately 10 kilograms of heroin and four kilograms of fentanyl. Colindres admitted in court that these narcotics were intended for sale in and around New Jersey.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Colindres to two years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited the New York Strike Force, a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The Strike Force is housed at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA; the New York City Police Department; the New York State Police; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; IRS-Criminal Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Secret Service; the U.S. Marshals Service; New York National Guard; the Clarkstown Police Department; U.S. Coast Guard; Port Washington Police Department; and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Repole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Unit in Newark. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.Defense counsel: Candace Hom Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Money Laundering Conspirators Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A McKinney, Texas, man was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for conspiring to launder $200,000, which he believed was derived from the sale of narcotics, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
John Eckerd, 55, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Renee Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to launder money. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
Eckerd’s conspirator, Anthony Romano, 53, of Springfield, New Jersey, was sentenced by Judge Bumb on Sept. 26, 2019, to 54 months in prison for his role in conspiring to launder over $590,000 in United States currency.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between September 2017 and December 2017, Romano engaged in 10 separate money laundering transactions with an undercover agent. The agent and Romano met at various locations in Atlantic County, New Jersey, to discuss ways to conceal the origin of the money and to exchange the cash. Romano received bags of cash ranging in amounts of $10,000 to $60,000. The undercover agent represented to both Romano and Eckerd that the cash was derived from selling drugs on behalf of a South American drug cartel.
In exchange for the cash, Romano provided the agent with various business checks, less a fee that Romano charged for performing the illegal transaction. Several business checks were from shell companies that Romano formed in order to conceal and disguise the nature of the transaction.
Twenty days after Romano’s initial meeting with the undercover agent, Romano spoke to the agent about laundering larger sums of cash through an associate – Eckerd – in Texas. At the time, Eckerd was allegedly building a high-end underground residential bunker development outside of Dallas. The development project was marketed as a five-star doomsday escape for the wealthy with DEFCON 1 preparedness and allegedly capable of withstanding catastrophic events ranging from viral epidemics to nuclear war. Through this development project, it was represented to the undercover agent that Eckerd could launder larger amounts of cash without risking the scrutiny of law enforcement.
By January 2018, Romano and Eckerd were prepared to escalate the monetary amounts involved in the laundering activity. The first transaction of 2018 involving Romano, Eckerd and the undercover agent served as a test case to show the supposed members of the South American drug cartel that Romano and Eckerd could expeditiously launder larger sums of cash. In January 2018, the undercover agent handed Romano $100,000 in cash at a location in New Jersey. Instead of receiving a business check in return, the undercover agent agreed to receive the money, less the standard fee, in the form of a wire transaction originating from Eckerd.
The following month, the undercover agent met with Romano and Eckerd in Texas to engage in a second test case. The day after driving out to the site of the development project, the undercover agent turned over a backpack containing $100,000 in cash to Romano and Eckerd. In exchange, Eckerd handed the undercover agent a check, less their standard fee for laundering the alleged narcotics proceeds.
In addition to pleading guilty to the conspiracy to launder money charge, Romano also admitted his participation in planning a robbery of The Pawn Shop in Union, New Jersey on April 19, 2014. Romano acknowledged knowing that his conspirators in that case had access to a firearm when they committed the robbery.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Eckerd and Romano each to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and detectives from the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo, with the investigation leading to the sentencings.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Toscano, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Former Senior VP of Sales of Hudson County, New Jersey, Scrap Metal Company Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for 17-Year Conspiracy to Defraud CustomersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The former senior vice president of sales at Cinelli Iron & Metal Co. (CIMCO) was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for participating in a 17-year conspiracy that defrauded customers out of millions of dollars, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Michael A. Valenti III, 45, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
CIMCO, which was headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey, purchased scrap metal for resale and operated three scrap metal recycling facilities in New Jersey. CIMCO trucks would deliver scrap metal containers to customer jobsites and remove them after they were filled. CIMCO then purportedly paid customers based on the type and net weight of the scrap material.
From 1999 through March of 2016, Valenti, Craig Cinelli, Joseph Cinelli Sr., David Barteck and others allegedly used a variety of fraudulent business practices to buy scrap metal from CIMCO’s customers for less than CIMCO should have paid. The company then resold the scrap metal at a profit.
Instead of paying the proper, agreed-upon amounts for the actual weight, members of the conspiracy used a variety of techniques to misrepresent the true weight and type of the scrap metal, including altering documents to reflect a lower weight, removing scrap metal from a haul before it was weighed and misrepresenting the types of scrap metal contained in a haul.In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Valenti to three years of supervised release. During his plea hearing, Valenti admitted that the loss caused by the conspiracy that was reasonably foreseeable to him was more than $9.5 million, but less than $25 million. Restitution will be determined at a hearing scheduled for Dec. 4, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Mikulka in New York; special agents with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Douglas Shoemaker in New York; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Shapiro, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Linda George Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Monmouth County Man Charged with Making Threatening Communications and Calling in False Bomb ThreatsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A former resident of Monmouth County, New Jersey, was indicted today on charges that he made threatening telephone and email communications to elected state officials, judges, law enforcement officers, and attorneys, and phoned in false bomb threats to local and state government offices, a police department, two law firms and a commercial establishment, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Eric G. Hafner, 28, formerly of Monmouth County, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with nine counts of making threating communications in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to extort, each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. He was also charged with 18 counts of making threatening communications in interstate or foreign commerce, each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Hafner was also charged with six counts of conveying false information concerning the use of an explosive device, each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
“As charged in the Indictment, the defendant embarked on a campaign of terror directed at judges, elected officials, and members of law enforcement in Monmouth County and elsewhere,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “He threatened to detonate bombs and kill and otherwise harm his victims, all in an effort to cause psychological harm to and extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from them. As a result of this federal prosecution, his serious crimes now face serious consequences.”
“Hafner’s actions were intended to – and in fact did – create fear to numerous citizens in the Monmouth County community,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said. “In addition, significant law enforcement resources were wasted in responding to these false bomb threats. Even though these threats were false, the fear and psychological trauma felt by the victims during these incidents were very real.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between July 2016 and May 2018, while residing outside the United States, Hafner allegedly communicated threats to numerous individuals located in and around Monmouth County and elsewhere. The threatening communications targeted elected officials, judges, police officers, attorneys, and their families, and included threats to injure and kill the victims. The defendant sought to extort $350,000 from some of his victims. Hafner also made false bomb threats to an elected official’s office, a county courthouse, a police department, two law firms, and a commercial establishment.
Hafner was originally charged with transmission of threatening communications in a one-count criminal complaint on Oct. 6, 2016, which remained under seal until his arrest in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. Territory, on Sept. 27, 2019, where he had an initial appearance before Chief U.S. District Judge Ramona V. Manglona. Hafner had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court upon his arrival in the District of New Jersey on Oct. 23, 2019. At that time, Hafner was ordered detained without bail.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; detectives of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni; officers of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Shaun Golden; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; officers of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy; officers of the Bradley Beach Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Leonard A. Guida; officers of the Fairhaven Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Joseph McGovern; officers of the Aberdeen Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard A. Derechailo; officers of the Hazlet Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phillip Meehan; officers of the Shrewsbury Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert G. Turner; officers of the Red Bank Police Department, under the direction of Chief Darren McConnell; officers of the Freehold Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ernest Schriefer; officers of the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Craig R. Weber; officers of the Neptune Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief James M. Hunt, Jr.; officers of the Oceanport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael P. Kelly; officers of the Deal Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ronen Neuman; officers of the Manasquan Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Bauer; the U.S. Park Police; N.J. Transit Police; and West Orange Police Department, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Special 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 Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Admit Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Three members of a drug-trafficking organization have pleaded guilty to their roles in distributing significant amounts of drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ramon Velez, 43, of Camden, pleaded guilty today to an information charging one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl; Naeem Sadler, 19, also of Camden, pleaded guilty today to an information charging one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school; Elisa Rivera, 27, of Camden, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Oct. 29, 2019, to an information charging one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school, all before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden federal court.
Five other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy based on the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, and William Carrillo – previously have pleaded guilty in this case. The charges against 11 other defendants remain pending, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of the drug-trafficking organization.
The counts to which Rivera and Sadler pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $2 million fine. The count to which Velez pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. Sentencing for all three defendants is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Social Security Administration Employee Sentenced to 34 Months in Prison for Falsifying Records and Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Social Security Administration employee was sentenced today to 34 months in prison for unlawfully accessing the Social Security accounts of individuals and falsifying their records in order to steal funds for his own use, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Nicholas Pao, 38, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an information charging him with one count of theft of government funds and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Pao was a 10-year employee of the Social Security Administration who worked as a claims technical expert in the Social Security Administration’s office in Egg Harbor Township. Pao was responsible for determining eligibility and payment amounts, processing difficult cases, assisting in case reviews, and making special payment approvals. From December 2014 to July 2018, Pao used his credentials to access the confidential records of several individuals without their knowledge or authority. He altered their records and made fraudulent changes that caused the Social Security Administration to issue benefits to these individuals. Pao would then intercept these benefits, which were issued by way of a Direct Express account and credit card. Pao depleted the funds issued on the Direct Express accounts without the knowledge or consent of the individuals. Pao stole approximately $100,000 in Social Security funds.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Pao to three years of supervised release and ordered him to make full restitution to the SSA.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration, under the direction of John F. Grasso with the investigation.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah Russell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Owner of New Jersey Tax Return Preparation Business Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Keasbey, New Jersey, tax return preparer was sentenced to 29 months in prison today for filing false tax returns on behalf of clients and failing to file his own tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito of the District of New Jersey.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, David Patterson, 38, owned and operated D&D Tax Service LLC, a tax preparation business. Through the firm, he prepared fraudulent tax returns for tax year 2012 in which he knowingly falsified his clients’ medical and dental expenses, gifts to charity, and unreimbursed employee expenses. At times, he took portions of his clients’ tax refunds and deposited them without authorization into bank accounts he maintained or controlled. Patterson also failed to file individual income tax returns for himself, and to pay federal income taxes, for 2013 through 2015.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Patterson to one year of supervised release and ordered restitution of $290,321 to be paid to the IRS.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Carpenito thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorney Eric Powers and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Peck, who prosecuted this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Middlesex County Tax Preparer Sentenced to 29 Months in Prison for FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Keasbey, New Jersey, tax preparer was sentenced today to 29 months in prison for filing a false tax return for two clients and failing to file a tax return, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
David Patterson, 38, previously pleaded before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and one count of willfully failing to file his own tax return. Judge Salas imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Patterson owned and operated D&D Tax Service LLC, a tax preparation business located in Keasbey. He admitted to preparing a fraudulent tax return on behalf of two clients for tax year 2012 in which he knowingly falsified the clients’ medical and dental expenses, gifts to charity, and unreimbursed employee expenses. Patterson admitted that at times he split portions of his clients’ tax refunds into bank accounts he maintained or controlled. He also admitted that he failed to file an individual income tax return for himself, and pay federal income taxes, for calendar year 2013.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Patterson to one year of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $290,321 to the United States. He is also not permitted to run a tax preparation business until the end of his supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur in Newark and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Peck of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Eric B. Powers of the Department of Justice Tax Division.
Defense counsel: James Friedman Esq., New Brunswick, New Jersey
Tax Preparer Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Tax Fraud Scheme and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
NEWARK – A Plainfield, New Jersey, tax preparer was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS, falsifying his tax returns, and witness tampering, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Samuel Davis Jr., 54, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton to a three-count information charging him with conspiring to defraud the IRS, filing false personal tax returns, and witness tampering. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Davis was an active detective sergeant in the N.J. State Police while also owning and operating a tax preparation business, Get Organized Tax & Accounting (GOTA). He retired from the state police in 2016 after 28 years. For tax years 2011 to 2016, Davis and his conspirator, Kyna Felder-Ruiz, prepared false individual income tax returns for various GOTA clients. They used a number of fraudulent practices, including falsely claiming deductions, fabricating educational credits, and submitting fake receipts, in order to obtain refunds for their clients in amounts substantially greater than those to which the taxpayers were entitled.
For tax years 2012 through 2014, Davis also filed false personal income tax returns by underreporting business income that he derived from GOTA, defrauding the IRS of tens of thousands of dollars in taxes.
In October 2018, Davis discovered that his son had received a subpoena to appear and testify before a grand jury, and he attempted to persuade his son to provide false testimony.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Davis to three years of supervised release, fined him $10,000 and ordered restitution of $71,558 to the IRS. Felder-Ruiz previously pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 31, 2019, for her role in the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan L. O’Neill of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this defendant can contact IRS-Criminal Investigation at (732) 761-6439.
Defense counsel; Thomas R. Ashley Esq., Newark
Hudson County Man Admits Role in Wire Fraud Scheme to Defraud Financial Institution CustomersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man today admitted participating in a scheme that involved defrauding financial institution customers of almost half a million dollars, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ramon Herrera, 36, of Union City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between May 2015 and January 2018, Herrera used his position as a registered broker and financial advisor at a clearing services company associated with “Financial Institution-1” to meet and learn confidential information about Financial Institution-1 customers in the Hudson County area, for whom he was ostensibly providing advice and brokerage services. Herrera caused the Financial Institution-1 customers he was advising, many of whom were elderly and/or communicated with Herrera in Spanish, to sign blank withdrawal slips, which Herrera then completed and presented to bank tellers at Financial Institution-1 branches. Herrera directed the bank tellers to withdraw the money from the customers’ accounts in the form of cashier’s checks, which enabled Herrera to then apply the checks against the various personal accounts that Herrara and a family member maintained at Financial Institution-1. In total, Herrera stole more than $450,000 from approximately 40 Financial Instiution-1 customers. He used the stolen funds for his own purposes without the customers’ knowledge or authorization.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine equal to the greater of $250,000 or twice the gain derived from or loss caused by the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 4, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Kozar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Jason LeBoeuf Esq., Livingston, New Jersey