Northern District of New York

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Omar Alaidrus, age 24, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison following his guilty pleas to distributing controlled substances and food stamp fraud.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General Northeast Region (USDA-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office; and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James.

Alaidrus admitted that on multiple occasions, he exchanged fentanyl for food stamps in the Schenectady deli his family owned and operated.  Alaidrus also unlawfully provided cash in exchange for food stamps, and redeemed food stamps for other prohibited items such as Xanax, alcohol, and tobacco.  Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also ordered Alaidrus to pay $316,975 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Food and Nutrition Service and imposed a 3-year-term of supervised release.

USDA-OIG, HSI, New York State Police, and the Schenectady Sheriff and Police investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Benjamin Wheeler, age 20, of Norwich, New York was sentenced today to serve 8 months in federal prison for possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Craig. L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

As part of his guilty plea, Wheeler admitted that on August 6, 2024, he knowingly possessed a Spikes Tactical AR-15 style rifle at his apartment in Norwich, New York, knowing that the firearm had a barrel length of less than sixteen inches. The firearm was not registered to Wheeler in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Wheeler to a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin after his imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), New York Police Department (NYPD) and the New York State Police with assistance from the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown prosecuted the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Taylor, age 29, of Malden, Massachusetts, was sentenced last month to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

When he pled guilty in September 2024, Taylor admitted that he sold multiple firearms and controlled substances to another person in Rensselaer County between September 2023 and January 2024. Taylor admitted that he had sold two firearms to this person on separate occasions in October 2023, and on both occasions also distributed controlled substances. In December 2023, Taylor and a co-conspirator sold this person over 400 fentanyl pills along with approximately 25 grams of fentanyl powder.

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 4-year term of post-incarceration supervised release.

ATF investigated this case with assistance from the Troy Police Department, the Brookline (Massachusetts) Police Department, and the Cambridge (Massachusetts) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph S. Hartunian prosecuted the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Benz Coleman, age 34, of Colonie, New York, was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Coleman admitted that on January 31, 2024, he possessed over 3,000 fentanyl pills and over 13 grams of cocaine, all with the intent to distribute the drugs.  Coleman further admitted that between November 1, 2023 and January 31, 2024, he sold over 2,400 fentanyl pills. 

Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release to begin after Coleman is released from prison. 

DEA and the Colonie Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss prosecuted the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Niesha Goodwin, age 37, of Albany, pled guilty today to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits in the names of other people. Goodwin also pled guilty to firearm and drug distribution charges for a firearm and cocaine base recovered during a search of her residence.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Goodwin admitted that from about July 2020 through March 2021, she fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits worth more than $150,000 by submitting applications for benefits in the names of five other people, including by using stolen personal identifying information. Goodwin agreed to pay $151,783 in restitution to the New York State Department of Labor.

Goodwin also admitted to possessing a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol and cocaine base (a/k/a crack cocaine) with the intent to distribute in November 2022. As a result of her prior conviction for robbery, Goodwin could not lawfully possess the pistol.  Goodwin has agreed to forfeit the firearm and to abandon seven rounds of ammunition that were found in the firearm.

Goodwin faces at least 2 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.75 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years when she is sentenced on June 12, 2025 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.

The case was investigated by USDOL-OIG, USPIS, and HSI, with assistance from the Albany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Paulbeck, Joseph S. Hartunian, and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Willie Mills, age 31, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty on Monday to possession of a firearm as a felon and distribution of fentanyl.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, made the announcement.

Mills admitted to possessing an EAA semiautomatic pistol and distributing 895 pills containing fentanyl. As a result of his prior felony conviction for criminal possession of a firearm, Mills could not lawfully possess the pistol.

Mills faces a mandatory prison term of at least 5 years and maximum term of 40 years, a fine up to $5 million, and a supervised release term of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

DEA is investigating the case with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Paulbeck is prosecuting the case.

PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Bailey Burger, age 38, of Chazy, New York, was indicted last week for alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit alien smuggling.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement.

Burger is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for profit and four additional counts of alien smuggling for profit, all of which allege his involvement in a cross-border smuggling event in which he smuggled four citizens of India into the United States, on January 26, 2025. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted on all charges, Burger faces at least 5 years and up to 15 years in prison, as well as at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. 

Burger was arraigned today, in Plattsburgh, before United States Magistrate Judge Gary L. Favro, and continues to be detained until a hearing on February 20.

U.S. Border Patrol is investigating this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Parvinder Nijjar and Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Stitt are prosecuting this case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jose Carrero, age 36, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty today to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.

On November 4, 2024, DEA agents arrested Carrero after observing him place three kilograms of cocaine into the trunk of his car.  He was carrying $1,704 in cash, and in a search of his home law enforcement found an additional $70,000 in drug proceeds.  As a condition of his plea agreement, Carrero has agreed not to contest the administrative forfeiture of that money. 

Carrero faces at least 5 and up to 40 years in prison; a fine of up to $5 million; and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The DEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Harmish Patel, age 26, of Streamwood, Illinois, was indicted last week for his role in a gold bullion scam that victimized an elderly couple in Rensselaer County.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.

The indictment alleges that from December 1, 2023, to March 29, 2024, Patel conspired with others to transport across state lines gold bullion that had been taken by fraud, and that he transported gold bullion taken by fraud from New York to New Jersey on December 15, 2023, January 4, 2024, and January 15, 2024. According to the previously filed criminal complaint, Patel picked up gold bullion from an elderly couple in Brunswick, New York; the couple had been defrauded in a scam. The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The charges filed against Patel carry a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving elders can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Loretta Washington, age 60, of Binghamton, New York, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for social security fraud, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), New York Field Office announced.

As part of her prior guilty plea, Washington admitted that she had applied for and was receiving social security benefits for a minor child, as the minor child’s representative-payee. A representative-payee is a person or organization selected by the SSA to receive benefits on behalf of a beneficiary who is unable to manage their payments. In September 2018, Broome County Department of Social Services removed the child from Washington’s custody after the child—who was four years old at the time—was found walking on a road in the middle of the night. Washington never reported the change in custody to the Social Security Administration and, at one point, lied to the Social Security Administration that the child was still in her custody. In total, Washington stole over $25,000 in social security benefits between October 2018 and November 2021.

In addition to the 18-month term of imprisonment, Washington will serve a term of supervised release of three years. Washington was also ordered to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration.  

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Tuck. 

PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – A Colombian man was extradited from Canada to the United States and arraigned today for charges arising from the drowning of a pregnant woman. The woman, a citizen of Mexico, died in December 2023 while trying to illegally enter the United States by wading across the Great Chazy River in Champlain, New York.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations, Buffalo, New York Field Office; and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement.

Jhader Augusto Uribe-Tobar, age 36, is a citizen of Colombia who resides in Quebec, Canada.

According to the indictment and an earlier-filed criminal complaint, Uribe-Tobar smuggled a pregnant woman, A.V.-F., from Canada into the Northern District of New York for $2,500, by instructing her to wade through the frigid Great Chazy River in darkness. The smuggling attempt ended in A.V-F.’s death.

United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “This tragedy highlights the dangers of illegal migration and how, as alleged, smugglers deliberately put people in harm’s way for profit. By vigorously prosecuting human smuggling networks, we are deterring and reducing the number of dangerous crossings like the one that took the lives of this young woman and her unborn child.”

HSI Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “We will not stand by as lives are tragically lost by the deception of human smugglers profiting off the vulnerability of migrants. HSI Buffalo and our partners vigorously pursue justice for the victims who are exploited and endangered by the people whom they are trusting to move them across borders.”

Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia stated: “Effective border security enforcement hinges on tangible penalties for criminal actions. The U.S. Border Patrol continues to enforce the laws of the United States, and this prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office demonstrates that those who violate the law will be held accountable.”

The charges in the complaint and indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

On December 7, 2023, A.V-F.’s relative contacted Uribe-Tobar on TikTok where Uribe-Tobar advertised himself as a smuggler.  Uribe-Tobar advised A.V-F.’s relative, “It costs $2500 American, it is worked through Montreal and they are left in the City of Plattsburgh, NY.”  A few days later, on December 11, 2023, A.V-F.’s relative sent Uribe-Tobar proof that he had wired $2,500 to Uribe-Tobar.  Shortly after receiving that message, Uribe-Tobar traveled with A.V-F.  to the immediate area of the United States-Canada border.

At approximately 6:21 that evening, Uribe-Tobar told A.V-F.’s relative, “Friend we are at the river crossing.”  At 6:22 p.m., Uribe-Tobar told A.V-F.’s relative, “She is crossing friend” to which her relative replied, “I’m very nervous.”  At 7:06 p.m., Uribe-Tobar messaged A.V-F’s relative, “Bro hello, I think she got wet or turned off her cell phone.  Bro, I told her to hold it while she was crossing.”  Uribe-Tobar followed that message with a screenshot of messages he exchanged with A.V-F., which showed that he had sent her three messages at 6:17 p.m. The screenshot indicates that the last message was never read. 

Uribe-Tobar and A.V-F’s relative continued to exchange messages throughout the night of December 11, 2023.  Uribe-Tobar claimed that he had people searching for A.V-F. and that “I already sent them a pin to see if they see her, I told them what happened and that she is pregnant.”

On December 12, 2023, A.V-F.’s relative told a Border Patrol Agent in Champlain that she was supposed to illegally enter the United States on December 11, but that he had not heard from her.  He reported her last known location as the edge of the Great Chazy River in Champlain, and that the smuggler had told A.V-F. the river was wadable.  Multiple law enforcement agencies immediately began to search for A.V-F.  On December 14, 2023, they found A.V-F.’s body in the Great Chazy River.

The charges against Uribe-Tobar carry a minimum term of 3 years and a maximum term of life in prison.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

At his initial appearance today in Plattsburgh, Uribe-Tobar was ordered detained pending a trial scheduled before Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd in Utica, New York.

The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and United States Border Patrol are investigating the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Carling Dunham are prosecuting the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs assisted in securing the arrest and extradition of Uribe-Tobar.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, age 29, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to civil rights and firearm charges related to his firing shots outside of an Albany synagogue. 

Alkhader pled guilty to obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, brandishing a firearm during the commission of this offense, and conspiring to purchase a firearm unlawfully.  Alkhader was arrested on December 7, 2023, and has been in federal custody since that date.

On the afternoon of December 7, 2023, Alkhader took an Uber from his home in Schenectady to Temple Israel in Albany.  Upon arriving, he walked up the front steps of the synagogue, removed a shotgun from a duffel bag, and discharged two rounds into the air shouting, “Free Palestine!”  Still holding the shotgun, he then attempted to remove an Israeli flag from a flagpole outside of the synagogue before walking away.  He was arrested shortly after by Albany Police Officers.

United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “The defendant’s violent, antisemitic and terrifying act targeted the Temple Israel congregation, the larger Jewish community, and the right of every person to practice their religion without fear of violence. I commend law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, to investigate his motives and his illegal acquisition of the shotgun, and to bring about today’s guilty plea to a crime carrying a minimum term of 7 years in prison.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Alkhader’s plea confirms his deliberate and premeditated intentions to illegally acquire a gun and use it to bring terror to the Temple Israel community as they were preparing to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. Thanks to the swift actions of the Temple Israel community and our law enforcement partners, justice has been served. The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to ensure all our communities can live without fear of hateful violence.”

Alkhader’s threatening actions forced the daycare operating inside of Temple Israel at the time of his actions to go into lockdown.  Alkhader also significantly disrupted activities that the Temple Israel community had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and made congregants afraid to return to their place of worship.

Alkhader also admitted that in November 2023, he and Andrew Miller agreed that Miller would purchase a shotgun for Alkhader by lying to a firearms dealer and falsely representing that Miller was the purchaser of the shotgun. On November 5, 2023, Alkhader and Miller drove to a federal firearms dealer in Albany and Miller purchased the Kel-Tec KS7 12-gauge pump-action shotgun; Miller later gave the shotgun to Alkhader. Alkhader fired this shotgun outside of Temple Israel.

ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated: “This guilty plea shows accountability for unlawfully obtaining a firearm and using it to instill fear. By stopping those who seek to use firearms to threaten and intimidate others, we are sending a message that gun violence will not be tolerated. This case demonstrates the dangerous consequences of unlawful gun possession. The cooperation between federal, state and local agencies remains critical in dismantling illegal gun trafficking. The successful resolution of this case was made possible due to collaboration between ATF NY Albany, FBI Albany, Albany PD, New York State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox stated: “The Albany Police Department wants to reassure the community that these incidents are taken very seriously, and we are dedicated to maintaining peace and safety for everyone in our community. Alkhader directly targeted the Jewish community, and I am pleased with our department’s quick action in apprehending the defendant, as well as the collective partnerships with the FBI Albany Office and the ATF who helped bring justice to this case.”

Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci.  Alkhader faces at least 7 years and up to life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

Andrew Miller pled guilty and was sentenced to 14 months of imprisonment for his role in the straw purchase conspiracy.

The FBI Albany Field Office, in conjunction with the ATF and the Albany Police Department, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping for the Northern District of New York, Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and Trial Attorney Trevor Kempner of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case. 

A New York man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albany, New York, to civil rights and firearm charges related to his threatening conduct targeted at a Jewish synagogue.

According to court documents, Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to an information charging one count of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, one count of brandishing a firearm during the commission of this offense, and one count of conspiring to purchase a firearm unlawfully. Alkhader was arrested on Dec. 7, 2023, and has been in federal custody since that date.

“The defendant’s violent, antisemitic and terrifying act targeted the Temple Israel congregation, the larger Jewish community, and the right of every person to practice their religion without fear of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman for the Northern District of New York. “I commend law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, to investigate his motives and his illegal acquisition of the shotgun, and to bring about today’s guilty plea to a crime carrying a minimum term of seven years in prison.”

“Mr. Alkhader’s plea confirms his deliberate and premeditated intentions to illegally acquire a gun and use it to bring terror to the Temple Israel community as they were preparing to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Thanks to the swift actions of the Temple Israel community and our law enforcement partners, justice has been served. The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to ensure all our communities can live without fear of hateful violence.”

“This guilty plea shows accountability for unlawfully obtaining a firearm and using it to instill fear. By stopping those who seek to use firearms to threaten and intimidate others, we are sending a message that gun violence will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller of the New York Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “This case demonstrates the dangerous consequences of unlawful gun possession. The cooperation between federal, state and local agencies remains critical in dismantling illegal gun trafficking. The successful resolution of this case was made possible due to collaboration between ATF NY Albany, FBI Albany, Albany PD, NYSP, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

On the afternoon of Dec. 7, 2023, Alkhader took an Uber from his home in Schenectady to Temple Israel Synagogue in Albany. Upon arriving, he walked up the front steps of the synagogue, removed a shotgun from a duffel bag he had been carrying, and discharged two rounds into the air, shouting, “Free Palestine!” Still holding the shotgun, he then attempted to remove an Israeli flag from a flagpole outside of the synagogue before walking away. He was apprehended shortly after by Albany Police Department officers.

Alkhader’s threatening actions forced the daycare operating inside of Temple Israel at the time of his actions to go into lockdown. Alkhader also significantly disrupted activities that the Temple Israel community had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and made congregants afraid to return to their place of worship.

For obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, Alkhader faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years for brandishing a firearm during the commission of his crime. Alkhader faces a maximum of five years in prison for participating in a conspiracy to unlawfully purchase a firearm. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Alkhader is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Albany Field Office investigated the case with assistance from ATF and the Albany Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping for the Northern District of New York and Trial Attorney Trevor Kempner of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Justice Department's National Security Division.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Todd Austin, age 64, of Gloversville, New York, pled guilty today to conspiracy and drug distribution charges in connection with his distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of pure methamphetamine.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.

Austin admitted that between March and July 2023, he obtained methamphetamine from his Albany-based methamphetamine supplier that he then sold to others from his Gloversville residence.

Austin was one of nine defendants to be charged in this investigation. The following defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing:

• Andrew Deleon was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
• Stefanie Plass was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
• Ahmad Burke is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9, 2025;
• Keisha Duboise is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19, 2025;
• Flor Arencibia is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2025; and
• Melissa Karwan is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2025.

Austin faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life. He will be sentenced on June 6, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

Charges against the two remaining defendants, Felix Arencibia and Christian Mur-Santana, are pending.  The charges in the indictment against Arencibia and Mur-Santana are merely accusations. They are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  

These cases are being investigated by the DEA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the cases.

These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher McCarty, age 33, of Manhattan, pled guilty today to mailing a letter containing a threat to kill two New York State judges.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

McCarty admitted that between May and June 2023, he was incarcerated at the Auburn Correctional Facility in Auburn, New York.  McCarty admitted that on or about May 31, 2023, he mailed a letter to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul.  In the letter, McCarty wrote that when he was released from prison, he was going to kill two New York State judges who had presided over his case leading to his incarceration at Auburn Correctional Facility.

At sentencing scheduled for June 10, 2025, before Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, McCarty faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, post-release supervision of up to 3 years, and a fine of up to $250,000. 

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss is prosecuting the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Richard Brundige, age 46, of Ellenburg Depot, New York, was sentenced today to 65 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a rifle as a previously convicted felon.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, United States Marshal David McNulty, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement,

As part of his prior guilty plea, Brundige admitted that on December 12, 2022, he possessed a Marlin Model 336W lever action rifle and 17 rounds of ammunition. Brundige has four felony convictions in New York that prevented him from lawfully possessing the rifle. Brundige committed this offense while a fugitive from justice following a conviction in 2019.

The United States Marshal Service and New York State Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham prosecuted this case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Sherry Ozmore, age 56, of Richmond, Virginia, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with her role as a “runner” for a nationwide conspiracy to impersonate customers of financial institutions to fraudulently obtain cash, checks, loans, and credit.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

Ozmore was indicted in October 2024 as part of a superseding indictment charging the alleged ringleader of the conspiracy, Oluwaseun Adekoya, 39, a Nigerian citizen living in New Jersey, as well as David Daniyan, 60, a Nigerian citizen who according to prosecutors has lived in the United States under stolen identities for decades, with orchestrating a conspiracy to steal the identities of people who resided all over the country and impersonate those people at banks and credit unions to fraudulently obtain cash, checks, loans, and credit. According to documents previously filed in court, the conspirators also allegedly opened bank accounts in the names of identity theft victims, which were then used to deposit and access the funds from checks they had fraudulently obtained from banks and credit unions by impersonating other individuals.  The conspirators’ conduct allegedly involved nearly $3 million in intended losses, over $1.7 million of which was successful.

Ozmore admitted that she was recruited to join the conspiracy as a runner in or around January 2023 and fraudulently obtained over $195,000 over a five-month period that year from banks and credit unions by impersonating identity-theft victims whose personal identifying information was supplied to her by supervisors.  Ozmore was paid a small portion of the money she fraudulently obtained.

The following defendants are charged as follows in the superseding indictment: 

• Adekoya is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and nine counts of aggravated identity theft;
• Daniyan is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and four counts aggravated identity theft;
• Kani Bassie, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft;
• Davon Hunter, 27, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft;
• Jermon Brooks, 20, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft;
• Christian Quivers, 20, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft; and
• Crystal Kurschner, 44, of Brooklyn, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI-Albany, which began after the May 2022 arrest of Daniyan, Gaysha Kennedy, 46, of Brooklyn, and Victor Barriera, 64, of the Bronx, by the Cohoes Police Department after the trio had allegedly traveled to the Capital Region to commit bank fraud. 

Adekoya, Daniyan, Kennedy, and Barriera were originally indicted, along with coconspirators Jerjuan Joyner, 50, of Brooklyn, Akeem Balogun, 56, of Brooklyn, Danielle Cappetti, 46, of the Bronx, and Lesley Lucchese, 53, of Brooklyn.

At sentencing on May 6, 2025, Ozmore faces a maximum term of 30 years’ incarceration, an order of restitution in the amount of $195,500, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years.

Kennedy, Barriera, Joyner, Balogun, Cappetti, and Lucchese have pled guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and are pending sentencing.

The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

FBI Albany is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in New York, Newark, Richmond and Resident Agencies in Westchester, New York; Brooklyn/Queens, New York; Garrett Mountain, New Jersey; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  Additional assistance was provided by other law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement & Removal Operations (New York Field Office & Albany sub-office); U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (Buffalo Field Office & St. Albans Resident Office); U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General; New York law enforcement agencies including the New York State Police; Cohoes PD; Colonie PD; Elmira PD; Corning PD; Plattsburgh PD; Florida law enforcement agencies including the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Pennsylvania State Police; Alabama law enforcement agencies including the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Gasden PD, and Rainbow City PD; Georgia law enforcement agencies including the Georgia State Patrol, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrow PD; Kansas law enforcement agencies including Lawrence PD and Overland Park PD; New Hampshire law enforcement agencies including Rochester PD, Manchester PD, and Amherst PD; the Delaware State Police; Maryland law enforcement agencies including the Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff’s Office and Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office; Wisconsin law enforcement agencies including Onalaska PD and Eau Claire PD; and Indiana law enforcement agencies including the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting this case.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman announced today that the Northern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Unit collected $39,262,324 in civil, criminal and forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $14,085,025 was collected in criminal actions, $15,874,944 was collected in civil actions, and $9,302,354 was collected in asset forfeiture actions. 

The Northern District of New York also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $18,995,733 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $39,092 was collected in criminal actions and $18,956,641 was collected in civil actions.    

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Additionally, forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund can be used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.  In Fiscal Year 2024, $8,330,553 of the funds forfeited in prior years through criminal and civil judicial forfeiture actions in the Northern District of New York were applied to victim compensation. 

United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “These are great results – every recovery of funds strikes a blow for justice. I created the Asset Recovery Unit shortly after I took office in 2021, and I am incredibly proud of its efforts to make sure that crime does not pay, that crime victims are compensated as much as possible, and that companies pay appropriately steep penalties when they defraud the government.”

In May, $11.3 million was recovered as part of a civil settlement in United States ex rel. Elevation 33, LLC v. Guidehouse, Inc. and Nan McKay and Associates, for violations of the False Claims Act, for failing to meet cybersecurity requirements in a federally funded contract intended to ensure a secure online environment for low-income New Yorkers to apply for federal rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Guidehouse and its subcontractor, Nan McKay and Associates, admitted as part of a settlement agreement that neither satisfied their obligation to complete the required testing of the web site used to house applicants’ information, and the site was shut down within 12 hours after certain applicants’ personally identifiable information had been compromised.

In February, the Northern District of New York restored $4,950,440 in funds forfeited from Richard J. Sherwood and Thomas K. Lagan, who were sentenced to both federal and state prison for stealing approximately $11.8 million from the estates of three sisters who died.  These funds were initially forfeited by the government through its criminal prosecutions of Sherwood and Lagan, and were restored in 2024 to the victims of the fraud by the Attorney General and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the United States Department of Justice.  The victims include churches, Ukrainian-American civic organizations, a local hospital and a local university scholarship fund. 

In September, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recovered $1 million from Derek R. Schwartz, who was sentenced this summer to 72 months in prison for conspiring with former ValueWise CEO Michael T. Mann to defraud companies that loaned millions of dollars to ValueWise subsidiaries.  These funds will be distributed to two financing companies that were victims of a sophisticated, years-long scheme.

The Asset Recovery Unit is an initiative that works to deprive criminals of the proceeds of crimes, recovers property that may be used toward restitution, and enforces collection of criminal and civil debts owed to the United States or to victims of federal crimes.  The Asset Recovery Unit is comprised of Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa Fletcher, Elizabeth Conger and Melissa Rothbart, Paralegals Joshua Goodfriend, Marianne Meigs, Carly Clay, Erin Hyatt, Jiselle Cabezas, and Teilor Kaiser Clarey, and Investigative Analyst Jason Babiarz.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Thomas Berrington, age 33, of Colonie, New York, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for his repeated sexual exploitation of a child announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As part of his prior guilty plea, Berrington admitted that between June of 2023 and January of 2024, he repeatedly sexually abused a minor female child for the purpose of photographing and video recording the abuse. The victim was eight years old when Berrington’s abuse of her began.

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also sentenced Berrington to a 25-year term of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment. Berrington will also be required to pay a special assessment of $200, an additional special assessment of $5,000, and register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including from the New York State Police and Colonie Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – A Mexican citizen who had been in local custody after pleading guilty to assault charges, and then was released from custody by the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office after the sheriff’s office refused to honor a federal arrest warrant, has been arrested and taken into custody by federal law enforcement.

“The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca, NY, a self-described sanctuary city, appears to have failed to honor a valid federal arrest warrant for a criminal alien with an assault conviction,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “Yesterday, despite the warrant, a defendant with no legal status and a history of violence was released into the community. Federal agents risked their safety and pursued the defendant in unsafe conditions. Today, they were successful in recapturing the defendant. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s commitment to investigate these circumstances for potential prosecution, and the efforts of the agents who were able to arrest the defendant under wholly avoidable circumstances. The Justice Department will not tolerate actions that endanger law enforcement and make their jobs harder than they already are, as they work to protect us all. We will use every tool at our disposal to prevent sanctuary city policies from impeding and obstructing lawful federal operations designed to make America safe again and end the national crisis arising from four years of failed immigration policy.”

Jesus Romero-Hernandez, 27, was charged in a federal criminal complaint on Jan. 8, 2024, with illegally reentering the United States after a prior removal.

Because Romero-Hernandez was then in the custody of the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca, New York, awaiting resolution of New York State assault charges, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) provided a copy of a federal arrest warrant, signed by a United States Magistrate Judge, to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office.

On January 28, 2025, after Romero-Hernandez’s New York State assault charges were resolved by his plea of guilty to assault in the third degree and a sentence of time-served, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office refused to honor the federal arrest warrant and released Romero-Hernandez before ICE-ERO arrived to pick him up and bring him to federal court in Syracuse to be arraigned on the pending federal criminal complaint.

Today ICE/ERO apprehended Romero-Hernandez with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The charges in the complaint pending against Romero-Hernandez are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York is looking into the circumstances surrounding his release.

A Mexican citizen who had been in local custody after pleading guilty to assault charges, and was released from custody by the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office after the sheriff’s office refused to honor a federal arrest warrant, has been arrested and taken into custody by federal law enforcement.

“The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca, NY, a self-described sanctuary city, appears to have failed to honor a valid federal arrest warrant for a criminal alien with an assault conviction,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “Yesterday, despite the warrant, a defendant with no legal status and a history of violence was released into the community. Federal agents risked their safety and pursued the defendant in unsafe conditions. Today, they were successful in recapturing the defendant. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s commitment to investigate these circumstances for potential prosecution, and the efforts of the agents who were able to arrest the defendant under wholly avoidable circumstances. The Justice Department will not tolerate actions that endanger law enforcement and make their jobs harder than they already are, as they work to protect us all. We will use every tool at our disposal to prevent sanctuary city policies from impeding and obstructing lawful federal operations designed to make America safe again and end the national crisis arising from four years of failed immigration policy.”

Jesus Romero-Hernandez, 27, was charged in a federal criminal complaint on Jan. 8, 2024, with illegally reentering the United States after a prior removal.

Because Romero-Hernandez was then in the custody of the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca, New York, awaiting resolution of New York State assault charges, U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) provided a copy of a federal arrest warrant, signed by a U.S. Magistrate Judge, to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office.

On Jan. 28, after Romero-Hernandez’s New York State assault charges were resolved by his plea of guilty to assault in the third degree and a sentence of time-served, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office refused to honor the federal arrest warrant and released Romero-Hernandez before ICE-ERO arrived to pick him up and bring him to federal court in Syracuse to be arraigned on the pending federal criminal complaint.

Today ICE-ERO apprehended Romero-Hernandez with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The charges in the complaint pending against Romero-Hernandez are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York is looking into the circumstances surrounding his release.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – James Alvin Boone, II, age 30, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute, distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.

Boone admitted that: he and another person conspired to distribute fentanyl and cocaine throughout the Capital Region; he directed his co-conspirator to store over 25,000 fentanyl pills weighing over 3 kilograms, two handguns, ammunition, and several hundred grams of cocaine in a storage unit and at her home; he personally distributed fentanyl and directed his co-conspirator to do the same; and, before this conspiracy, he personally possessed over 1.4 kilograms of cocaine and a pistol in a safe in his home on July 28, 2023.  Law enforcement seized these narcotics, firearms, and ammunition from Boone and his co-conspirator in its investigation.  Boone also admitted that after his arrest, he instructed another individual to dispose of additional fentanyl pills.  

Boone faces a minimum term of 15 years and up to life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  He will be sentenced on May 30, 2025, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The DEA investigated the case with assistance from the Colonie Police Department, Schenectady Police Department, and New York State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa is prosecuting the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK –Jabree Jones a.k.a. “Breezy,” age 32, of Schenectady, New York, has been charged by indictment with crimes including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and to possess firearms, including a machinegun, in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The 16-count indictment charges Jones for his participation in a drug conspiracy from January to May 2023, that included 11 instances of drug distribution between January and May 2023, and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine on May 23, 2023, when the ATF and DEA searched a property on Western Avenue in Albany, and a property in Halfmoon, New York. Jones’ coconspirators, Anthony Luizzi and Brandon Bartley, were each found at the Halfmoon property and the Western Avenue property, respectively. Between the two properties, Jones, along with his coconspirators, possessed 39 firearms, including an illegal machinegun, along with large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. 

Another suspect in the investigation, Anthony Zaremski, was fatally shot during the execution of a federal search warrant on May 23, 2023, at Zaremski’s apartment in Clifton Park, after Zaremski opened fire and wounded two officers.

The following defendants have also been charged in connection with this investigation:

• Anthony Luizzi pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and his possession of the guns found at the Western Avenue property and Halfmoon property. Luizzi was sentenced to 210 months in prison and a $10,000 fine on October 1, 2024.
• Brandon Bartley also pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and his possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 180 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
• Devon Newsome pled guilty to transferring 29 firearms to Jones that were ultimately found at the Western Avenue property, and was sentenced to 60 months in prison.

The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), the Rotterdam Police Department, and the Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Biswell, age 39, of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, to be followed by a life term of supervised release, after a federal judge determined that he is a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

In July 2024, Biswell pled guilty to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and transportation of child pornography.  After his plea, the United States Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Probation Office, and the FBI obtained evidence that Biswell had previously sexually abused an infant, which established that Biswell is a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors – significantly enhancing his sentencing range under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.  Faced with the evidence amassed by the government, Biswell informed the prosecution that he would waive an evidentiary hearing and his objection to being sentenced as a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors in exchange for an agreed-upon sentence of 20 years’ incarceration and a life term of supervised release. 

According to the plea agreement and documents submitted to the Court, Biswell admitted that between January and April 2023, he communicated with an individual he believed was the mother of an 11-year-old girl through an internet-based social networking application and using his cellular phone.  Over the course of those communications, Biswell expressed his interest in engaging in sexual contact and impregnating the 11-year-old and ultimately purchased airfare to travel from his home in Arkansas to Albany, with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact with the child on April 8, 2023.  Upon his arrival in the Capital Region on April 8, 2023, Biswell was arrested by FBI agents and admitted that he had traveled from Arkansas to Albany for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with a child he believed to be 11 years old.  Biswell further admitted that he brought child pornography with him on his cell phone.  The cell phone was subsequently searched by the FBI and found to contain numerous videos and images depicting child pornography, including several videos depicting the sexual abuse and rape of children under the age of 5.   

In sentencing Biswell today, United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci found that he had previously engaged in oral-to-genital contact with an infant, making him a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors.  In addition to a 20-year term of incarceration and a lifetime of supervised release, Judge Nardacci imposed restitution in the amount of $9,000 and a special assessment of $200.  When Biswell is released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender. 

The FBI investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. 

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).  Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Brian Gill, age 59, of Andes, New York, has been indicted for Social Security fraud.  The charge relates to Gill’s concealment of work activity at a tree service company he owned and operated while he was obtaining disability benefits from the Social Security Administration.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office.

The Social Security Fraud charge carries a maximum term of 5 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. Gill could also be ordered to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration for the funds fraudulently collected. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Paul Tuck.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Richard Bradley, age 36, of Syracuse, New York, pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Bradley admitted that, on September 9, 2024, he possessed a loaded rifle in his vehicle, which was parked at a gas station in East Syracuse. Bradley inadvertently fired the rifle several times, but did not strike anyone. As a result of his prior felony conviction for Criminal Mischief, Bradley could not lawfully possess a firearm.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2025, before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. Bradley faces up to fifteen years in federal prison, along with a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of up to three years. He also could be fined up to $250,000, and will be required to forfeit the assault rifle to the United States. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

ATF and the Manlius Police Department are investigating the case with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jason Brundige, age 49, of Ballston Spa, New York, has been indicted for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, possessing a firearm as a felon, and using and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Saratoga County Sheriff Michael H. Zurlo.

The indictment alleges that on June 28 and July 2, 2024, Brundige, a previously convicted felon, distributed cocaine from his Saratoga County residence and, during one of those drug sales, he possessed a firearm. The indictment further alleges that on July 3, 2024, Brundige possessed cocaine with intent to sell it and possessed a loaded firearm in furtherance of this crime. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted on all counts, Brundige would face a minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum prison term of life. Brundige also faces a supervised release term of between 5 years and life to be served after any term of imprisonment. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The ATF and SCSO are investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda is prosecuting this case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Drasana Johnson, age 27, of Albany, has been indicted for laundering over $850,000 in stolen government funds, approximately $200,000 of which she used to purchase a residential property.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Northeast Region, made the announcement.

The indictment alleges that from May 25, 2023, through June 30, 2023, Johnson conducted seven monetary transactions each of a value greater than $10,000 and derived from the theft of government property.

According to a previously filed criminal complaint, Johnson laundered federal funds that Asjid Parvez stole from a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that helped struggling farmers pay off their loans. The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The money laundering charges carry a maximum term of 10 years in prison, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

Parvez, of Albany, was sentenced in May 2024 to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to theft of federal funds.

The FBI has already seized $516,974.54 traceable to the federal funds that Parvez stole, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery Unit has filed a civil action seeking the forfeiture of a residential property in Albany that Johnson is accused of purchased using approximately $202,675 in stolen funds.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the USDA Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Paulbeck is prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Conger is representing the United States in the asset forfeiture action.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Lawrence Boone, age 28, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison for multiple counts of distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

On several occasions from August through November 2023, Boone sent and received images and videos of child pornography from other users on a smartphone messaging application. At the time of his arrest, Boone possessed over 3,000 unique files constituting child pornography on four different electronic devices. The files discovered on Boone’s devices included images of prepubescent minors, images that involved sadistic and masochistic conduct, and images involving the sexual abuse of toddlers and infants.

United States Chief District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered Boone to serve a 15-year term of post-incarceration supervised release and to forfeit the electronic devices used to commit the offense. Boone will be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.

The case was investigated by HSI, the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the NYSP Troop D Computer Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case as a part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Robert Rahrle, age 34, formerly of Florida and now residing in the Northern District of New York, pled guilty Wednesday to tax evasion and wire fraud. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, and Harry Chavis, Jr. Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.

As part his guilty plea, Rahrle admitted that from 2017 through 2024, he ran a fraudulent online gift basket website called iCare Gifting Solutions LLC.  iCare purported to cater to families of incarcerated individuals, promising to send care packages into prisons.  iCare charged hundreds of customers approximately $50 per gift basket but never sent the gift packages.

In addition to defrauding iCare’s customers, Rahrle evaded his federal taxes. He self-prepared and filed tax returns for tax years 2017 and 2018 that falsely reported business losses and failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars of gross receipts.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2025. Rahrle faces up to five years in federal prison on the tax evasion charge and up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge, along with a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of up to three years. He also could be fined up to $250,000 or an alternative fine based on his gain or the victims’ losses, owes restitution to the IRS of approximately $175,000 and restitution to the victims of his fraud, and will be required to forfeit a money judgment of $2 million to the United States. A federal district court judge will determine Rahrle’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by IRS-CI, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Criminal Investigation Division of the U.S. Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Cardwell, age 39, of Rensselaer County, pled guilty today to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

Cardwell admitted that he sexually abused an approximately 7-year-old girl over a period of months and created sexually explicit images of that victim. Cardwell also acknowledged that he had a collection of approximately 1,000 CSAM files that he obtained via the internet, including pictures of prepubescent children engaged in sexual activity.

At sentencing scheduled for May 23, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci, Cardwell faces a mandatory minimum imprisonment term of 15 years and a maximum imprisonment term of 50 years, post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, a fine of up to $250,000, special assessments, restitution to the victims, and forfeiture of the property he used to commit he offenses. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statutes the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Cardwell also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the New York State Police, and the Troy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).  Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – David Gedamoske, age 41, of Lafayette, New York, pled guilty yesterday to evading taxes on over $1 million in wages between 2016 and 2021.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Harry Chavis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Division, made the announcement.

At his change of plea, Gedamoske admitted that he worked as a journeyman lineman for various electrical companies and received wages reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the Form W-2. When he started working at these companies, Gedamoske completed a Form W-4 and claimed either “99 Allowances” or that he was “Exempt” from income tax. In doing so, he intended to have his employer withhold little or no federal income tax on his paycheck. Despite owing a significant amount of tax, Gedamoske failed to file a federal tax return between 2016-2021. As a result, Gedamoske evaded paying over $200,000 in federal taxes.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2025, before Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. Gedamoske faces up to 5 years in federal prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum $100,000 fine. He will have to pay restitution to the IRS. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the IRS-CI and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Paul Tuck.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Joshua Atkinson, age 27, of Ellenville, New York, was sentenced last week to serve 156 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; and Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, whose office leads the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT).

Atkinson was one of 11 defendants charged in the case. These defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing: 

• Christopher Baez was sentenced to 71 months in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release;
• Michael Herry was sentenced to 27 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
• Joshua Morales is scheduled to be sentenced on February 19, 2025;
• Joseph Logan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2025;
• Timothy Hutcherson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9, 2025; and
• Daryl Livingston is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2025. 

As part of his guilty plea, Atkinson admitted that during the conspiracy he distributed and possessed with intent to distribute approximately 3.2 kilograms of cocaine and 600 grams of fentanyl. Atkinson also admitted to using violence to obtain payments from his drug redistributors, including threatening a co-conspirator with a hammer. In January 2023, a search warrant was executed at Atkinson’s Ellenville residence and a .22 caliber pistol was recovered by law enforcement.

Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release to begin after Atkinson is released from prison.

This case is being investigated by HSI; the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with URGENT (the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement and Narcotics Team), an inter-agency taskforce targeting drug dealers and gang members in Ulster County; the New York State Police; the Village of Ellenville Police Department; and the White Plains Police Department, with assistance from the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda is prosecuting this case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Damian Quillinan, age 50, of Broadalbin, New York, pled guilty today to possession of child pornography while under post-release supervision for prior child pornography offenses.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.

According to the plea agreement and documents previously filed in the case, Quillinan is a registered sex offender in the State of New York, stemming from his 2017 convictions in the Northern District of New York for multiple counts of receipt and possession of child pornography. 

In January 2024, shortly after being released from incarceration on those offenses, Quillinan manipulated a video of a prepubescent minor he obtained over the internet to create a lewd and lascivious image of the minor’s genitalia, which he then possessed on a tablet until it was seized by law enforcement during a search of his residence in September 2024. 

Quillinan also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release on his prior convictions by committing the new offense and by possessing unauthorized internet-capable devices.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on the new offense and his supervised release violation by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on May 22, 2025.

Quillinan faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, and up to 20 years in prison, and an additional term of up to 2 years in prison on his violation of supervised release.  He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life.  Quillinan may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense.  Quillinan must continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

HSI investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Nicholas Walter are prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Mills, age 39, a resident of Dannemora, New York, was sentenced today to serve 21 months in prison for knowingly providing a firearm to a felon. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Mills admitted that at various times during summer 2022, he traded a New England Firearms Company Model Pardner-SP1 .410-gauge shotgun, an Armalite rifle, ammunition, an ammunition magazine and two body armor vests to Dustin J. Manor at Manor’s apartment in Plattsburgh, New York, knowing that Manor was a felon. On October 20, 2022, the Plattsburgh Police Department seized the shotgun, one (1) .44 magnum round of ammunition, shotgun rounds, and a set of RTS Tactical Level IV ceramic body armor from Manor’s Plattsburgh apartment after responding to a domestic incident there.

Manor was federally prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition due to 2014 drug felony convictions for which he was sentenced to 5 years in state prison.

Mills had been employed as a corrections officer at Clinton Correctional Facility but resigned his position following his arrest.

Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also imposed a 2-year term of supervised release to begin after Mills is released from prison.

Manor was sentenced in August to 57 months in prison and 3 years’ supervised release for possessing the .410-gauge shotgun and ammunition as a felon.

HSI and the Plattsburgh Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer prosecuted the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Joseph Mitchell, age 38, of Nelliston, New York, pled guilty on Friday to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm as a felon.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.

Mitchell admitted to working with another person to distribute over 350 grams of methamphetamine throughout August 2024.  A search warrant executed at Mitchell’s home on September 5, 2024, led to the recovery of two rifles and one shotgun, which the defendant agreed to forfeit as part of his plea agreement.   As a result of his prior felony convictions for attempted robbery and narcotics possession, Mitchell could not lawfully possess the firearms. 

Mitchell faces a mandatory prison term of at least 10 years and up to life, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The DEA investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Willie Alvarado, Jr., 34, of Utica, New York, was sentenced last week to serve 8 years in federal prison for attempted possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine and money laundering.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division, made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Alvarado admitted that, as early as October 2022, he began using the United States Postal Service to receive drug parcels from Puerto Rico.  In May of 2023, law enforcement intercepted a package shipped from Puerto Rico, intended for Alvarado, which contained two kilograms of cocaine.  Alvarado admitted that he intended to distribute the cocaine in the package.  Alvarado further admitted that, in September of 2023, he used another individual to launder at least $9,940 of his drug proceeds.

Senior United States District Court Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a four-year term of supervised release to begin after Alvarado is released from prison.

The DEA, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case with assistance from the New York State Police, Utica Police Department, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, Syracuse Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement, and Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone prosecuted the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kenneth Locke, age 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 10 months in jail for conspiring with others to unlawfully obtain firearms from a licensed dealer by making false statements, also known as “straw purchasing” firearms.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

In previously pleading guilty, Locke admitted that he entered into an agreement with Rylan Peterson, a native of Kingston, New York, and a former Marine then living in North Carolina, to acquire six semi-automatic handguns on behalf of Oryin McLeod and others residing in Kingston.  After McLeod paid Locke through Peterson, Locke purchased the firearms in December 2022 from a licensed dealer in North Carolina, falsely representing at the time of the purchase that he was acquiring the firearms for himself.  Peterson later transported the firearms from North Carolina to New York where he provided them to McLeod and others. McLeod was subsequently arrested for unlawful possession of two of the firearms acquired through the straw purchasing scheme.

Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also imposed a 3-year term of post-incarceration supervised release. McLeod was previously sentenced to 34 months in prison for his role in unlawfully acquiring the firearms. Peterson is set to be sentenced on March 26, 2025.

ATF and the Kingston Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia prosecuted the case.
 

UTICA, NEW YORK – Joseph Lastrina, age 39, of Norwalk, Connecticut, was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.  

Lastrina admitted to directing both Robert Sanger and Thaddeus Price to complete drug deals that Lastrina arranged.  Those November 2023 transactions collectively involved 177 grams of pure methamphetamine.  A search warrant executed at Sanger’s home led to the recovery of an additional 217 grams of pure methamphetamine.  

Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 3-year-term of supervised release and a $30,000.  Judge Hurd previously sentenced Sanger to 16 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. Price will be sentenced on March 19, 2025.  

The DEA investigated this case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Reiner and Ashlyn Miranda are prosecuting.
 

UTICA, NEW YORK – Wanda Gilpin, age 71, of Pulaski, New York, pled guilty to six counts of bank fraud and two counts of misuse of a social security number, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), New York Field Office announced.

At the change of plea, Gilpin admitted to applying for multiple credit cards and loans using the personally identifiable information of other individuals, including a deceased relative. After Gilpin received the credit cards, she used the cards for personal expenses and incurred balances on each credit card that reached the credit limit assigned to that card.  Gilpin also obtained an automobile loan and personal loan.  In total, Gilpin was able to obtain lines of credit and loans totaling $24,909.68 from six different financial institutions.

Gilpin is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior United States Judge David N. Hurd on May 7, 2025. She faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the bank fraud charges and a maximum sentence of 5 years and a fine of up to $250,000 for the social security fraud charges. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by the judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The SSA-OIG is investigating the case, and the case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian LaRochelle.
 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Taykwun Smoaks, age 32, of Albany, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for receipt of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

As part of his prior guilty plea, Smoaks admitted that from February to March 2023, he received and possessed images and videos of child pornography on his computer and external hard drive. Smoaks admitted that he downloaded more than 600 videos and 22,000 still images, including images of prepubescent minors, images that involved sadistic and masochistic conduct, and images involving the sexual abuse of toddlers and infants.

United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered Smoaks to serve a 15-year term of post-incarceration supervised release; to pay restitution of $3,000 to each of 15 victims for a total amount of $45,000 in restitution; and to forfeit the electronic devices used to commit the offense. Smoaks will also be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.

HSI and NYSP investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Patrick Tucker, age 28, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to distributing methamphetamine.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.

Tucker admitted to distributing a total of approximately 49 grams of methamphetamine through three transactions occurring between January and March 2023.

Tucker faces at least 5 and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia is prosecuting the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mana Sambola a/k/a “Coffee,” age 41, a Liberian national previously residing in Saratoga Springs, New York, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for illegally possessing two firearms.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

A search warrant executed at Sambola’s apartment on May 22, 2023, led to the recovery of a Glock 43 pistol; an Anderson Manufacturing AM15 rifle emblazoned with the names of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: “Death,” “War,” “Famine,” and “Pestilence”; and four boxes of ammunition  Sambola has prior felony convictions related to narcotics and firearms, and he therefore cannot lawfully possess the firearms or ammunition.  Following a contested sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci found that Sambola possessed the Glock in connection with three crimes, specifically straw purchasing a firearm, making a false statement to a firearms dealer, and distribution of a controlled substance.  Judge Nardacci also imposed a 3-year-term of supervised release. 

HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); the Warren County District Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices; the New York State Police; and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted the case.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Barbara DeYear, age 67, of Lorraine, New York, has been charged by indictment with 13 counts of tax fraud. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Harry Chavis, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement. 

The indictment alleges that DeYear is the co-owner and president of Independent Commercial Contractors, Inc., a Jefferson County-based corporation that does construction, demolition, and asbestos removal work, and that she withheld more than $135,000 in employment taxes from her employees’ paychecks between 2019 and 2022 and failed to pay those withholdings to the IRS as required by law. The indictment further alleges that DeYear failed to file quarterly tax returns on behalf of Independent Commercial Contractors from 2015 through 2022 but that during the COVID-19 pandemic she applied for a federally backed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and submitted a fraudulent “file copy” of two tax returns purporting to show tax payments on behalf of the corporation, when neither the tax returns nor the payments were sent to the IRS.

The felony charges filed against DeYear carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 per count, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

DeYear was arraigned today in Binghamton, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric, and she was released pending a trial that will be scheduled later this year before Senior United States District Court Judge David N. Hurd in Utica, New York.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

IRS-CI is investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry is prosecuting the case.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joseph Thompson, age 38, of Hogansburg, New York, was sentenced on December 19, 2024, to 66 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), New York Field Division, made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Thompson admitted that in June 2023, he arranged to meet another individual at a parking lot in Massena, NY, for the purpose of selling marijuana in exchange for firearms. Thompson admitted that he gave the individual approximately 18 pounds of marijuana in exchange for 7 semiautomatic pistols and ammunition magazines. Thompson was arrested immediately after the transaction.

Thompson was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison.

ATF investigated the case, with assistance from Quebec Provincial Police, St. Regis Tribal Police, New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Massena Police Department, and U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case
 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Devon Newsome, age 32, of Forrest Park, Georgia, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for unlawfully transferring firearms to a New York resident.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

When he pled guilty, Newsome admitted that on May 21, 2023, he delivered 29 firearms to a New York resident in Georgia, including stolen firearms and a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device. Those firearms were then transported from Georgia to a property on Western Avenue in Albany. Newsome knew the firearms were destined for New York and knew that neither he nor the person for whom the guns were destined were licensed importers, manufacturers, dealers, or collectors of firearms. On May 23, 2023, law enforcement searched the Western Avenue property and found 34 firearms, including the firearms that Newsome had transferred.

United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release following Newsome’s imprisonment.

The following defendants have also been charged in connection with this investigation:

• Anthony Luizzi pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms, including drugs and guns found at the Western Avenue property. Luizzi was sentenced to 210 months in prison and a $10,000 fine on October 1, 2024.
• Brandon Bartley was sentenced on September 24, 2024, to 180 months in prison and to pay a $5,000 fine, for drug and gun crimes related to his possession of drugs and guns at the Western Avenue property.
• Jabree Jones was charged with a violation of the terms of his federal supervised release on May 23, 2023, based on violations of federal gun and drug trafficking laws, and has been detained pending the resolution of the supervised release violation petition. A final revocation hearing is currently scheduled for January 29, 2025. The violations against Jones are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Another suspect in the investigation, Anthony Zaremski, was fatally shot during the execution of a federal search warrant on May 23, 2023, at Zaremski’s apartment in Clifton Park, New York, after Zaremski opened fire and wounded two officers.

The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), the Rotterdam Police Department, and the Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Emilio Chirico, age 56, the Station Manager for the DeWitt, New York Post Office, has been charged by indictment with wire fraud, misappropriation of postal funds, and false entries and reports, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Modafferi of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). 

The indictment alleges that between January 2021 and March 2023, Chirico stole $81,553.94 in stamps from the DeWitt Post Office and falsified postal records to conceal the theft of the stamps.  Chirico has been the station manager at the DeWitt Post Office since March 2012.

The charges filed against Chirico carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamara B. Thomson and Michael F. Perry.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – David Hullihen, age 41, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to ten counts of receipt of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Hullihen admitted that he sent multiple videos depicting child sexual abuse material to another person over the application Wire. Hullihen also possessed child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. Hullihen is a registered sex offender with two previous convictions for child pornography offenses in New York.

The offenses to which Hullihen pled guilty carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, with a maximum of 40 years imprisonment. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.  However, if Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes accepts the parties’ agreed-upon disposition at sentencing on April 23, 2025, Hullihen will receive an prison term of 235 months. Hullihen’s sentence must also include a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of between five years and life, a fine of up to $250,000.00, restitution to the children whose images he distributed and possessed, and he will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Tiffin, Ohio Police Department, the Syracuse, New York Police Department, and the New York State Police. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted Hullihen as part of Project Safe Childhood. 

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).  Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Leshawn Thomas, age 33, of Clayville, New York, pled guilty yesterday to possessing cocaine and cocaine base with the intent to distribute them and to unlawfully possessing firearms.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.

Thomas, who had two prior felony convictions, admitted to possessing with intent to distribute approximately 3 kilograms of cocaine and 268.14 grams of cocaine base in Oneida County, New York, on or about April 28, 2023.  He also admitted to possessing two loaded semi-automatic pistols: a Glock, model 22, .40 cal. and a Kahr, model CM9, .9 mm.

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes on April 4, 2025.  He faces a minimum term of 10-years in federal prison and a maximum of life, and a term of supervised release between 5 years and life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

DEA investigated the case with the assistance of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYDOCCS).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen J. Vickey is prosecuting the case.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Juan Jose-Ambrosio, age 27, who was living in Onondaga County, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment today for illegally reentering the United States after previously being convicted of illegal reentry last year. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas P. Brophy, Field Office Director, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, (ICE-ERO) Buffalo, NY made the announcement.

Jose-Ambrosio had previously been deported or removed from the United States to Mexico three times. As part of his previous guilty plea, Jose-Ambrosio admitted that he had been convicted of illegal reentry into the United States in August 2023, and deported shortly thereafter. Thereafter, Jose-Ambrosio returned and was most recently found in the United States in Syracuse, New York, after he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Jose-Ambrosio will be subject to deportation again at the conclusion of his prison sentence. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-ICE-ERO investigated the case with the help of the United States Marshall Service and the Town of New Hartford Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted the case.