Northern District of New York

PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Randall J. Montour, age 45, a resident of Cornwall, Ontario, pled guilty today to violating the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 and to falsifying his military discharge certificate.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement.

Montour admitted that he falsely altered his Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, Form DD-214, to reflect he received an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force and that he earned numerous decorations, medals, badges, citations or campaign ribbons, including the Purple Heart. Military records show, however, that Montour received a bad-conduct discharge from the Air Force in 2001 and was awarded only the Air Force Training Ribbon during his time in service. He is not a Purple Heart recipient. Montour also admitted that he used his altered Form DD-214 to purchase Purple Heart Recipient license plates from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, which he then affixed to his vehicle.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2024. Montour faces up to 1 year in jail, a fine of up to $100,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 1 year.  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 United States Marshals Service investigated the case with assistance from the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer is prosecuting the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael C. McDermott, age 30, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for stealing six firearms from a Walmart, a federally licensed firearms dealer. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Bethlehem Police Chief Gina F. Cocchiara made the announcement.

When pleading guilty last October, McDermott admitted to forcing his way into the Walmart in Glenmont, New York, while it was closed overnight, smashing the glass gun case, and stealing five shotguns and one rifle.  McDermott also admitted that when employees chased him into the woods, he pointed a firearm at them.   

United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 3-year-term of supervised release, which includes a special condition of supervision barring McDermott from any association with members, associates and/or prospects of the Suicide Squad motorcycle gang.

The ATF and Bethlehem Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Austin Tennant, age 29, of Phoenix, New York, was convicted on Friday, after a four-day jury trial, on four counts of Distribution of Child Pornography, three counts of Receipt of Child Pornography, and one count of Possession of Child Pornography. The charges relate to Tennant’s distribution of child pornography he downloaded from the Internet as well as child pornography he received directly from child victims he chatted with online.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The evidence at trial established that, between September 2022 and January 2023, Tennant obtained from the Internet and directly from child victims hundreds of videos and thousands of images of child pornography. The evidence further established that Tennant later redistributed that same child pornography to others, including to other children in an effort to induce them to provide him with sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 24, 2024, in Syracuse, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes.  For each of his convictions on Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, Tennant faces a term of imprisonment between five and twenty years, and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years on his conviction for Possession of Child Pornography.  Tennant also faces a fine of up to $250,000, mandatory restitution to the victims, and a term of supervised release between five years and life. Tennant will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 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 case was investigated by HSI Syracuse with assistance from the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian LaRochelle and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck 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 – Dustin Smith, age 30, of Rome, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography. 

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

Smith was previously convicted in Oneida County Court of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and is rated a Level 3 Sex Offender.  The indictment filed against Smith alleges that, in April 2022, he sent and received images and videos of child pornography with two other individuals using Snapchat, and that he possessed images of child pornography on his cellphone.

The charges carry a mandatory minimum term of 15 years, and a maximum term of 40 years, in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between 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 charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

HSI investigated this case with assistance from New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, New York State Parole, and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone 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 – Melisa Muminovic, age 26, of Utica, New York, was sentenced today to 72 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville, New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, John B. Devito, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New York Field Division, and Chief Mark Williams, Utica Police Department.

As part of her prior guilty plea, Muminovic admitted that between approximately January 2021 and July 2021, she conspired with Jahari Brown, Jr. and others to knowingly and intentionally distribute fentanyl in the Utica area. More specifically, she acknowledged that she agreed to keep bags of fentanyl mixture at her residence and other locations, which she delivered to Brown and others, who in turn sold the fentanyl mixture to customers. Muminovic also admitted that in furtherance of the conspiracy, she accompanied Brown to the New York City area for the purpose of purchasing fentanyl and bringing it back to the Utica area, where it would be packaged for sale.

United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Muminovic to serve a term of supervised release of 4 years, upon her release from prison.

Five other defendants were charged in the indictment as co-conspirators with Muminovic. All of them pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced as follows:

Jahari Brown, Jr., aka “JB,” aka “Yay,” age 23, of Utica, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced on April 26, 2023, to serve 216 months (18 years) in federal prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release and an order of forfeiture totaling $177,874. He also pleaded guilty in Oneida County Court to Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Assault in the First Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, and Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, and was sentenced to serve a total of 18 years in state prison and 5 years of post-release supervision. The Federal and New York State sentences are to be served concurrently. The cases in Oneida County Court were prosecuted by the Oneida County District Attorney's Office.

Kymani K. Minott, aka “Bizz,” aka “K-Bizz,” age 20, of Utica, was sentenced on July 14, 2022, to 60 months’ imprisonment, 4 years’ supervised release, and an order of forfeiture of $2,500. Minott pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and distribution of, a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.

Daequon D. Perkins, age 26, of Utica, was sentenced on November 10, 2022 to 27 months’ imprisonment, 4 years’ supervised release, and an order of forfeiture of $2,500. Perkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and distribution of, a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.

Mark W. Baker, age 45, of Utica, was sentenced on May 18, 2023, to 110 months’ imprisonment, 4 years’ supervised release, and forfeiture of $1,193, three firearms (a .40-caliber pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a 12-caliber shotgun), and assorted rounds of ammunition. Baker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possession with the intent to distribute, a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Matthew Brooks, age 37, of Utica, was sentenced on July 25, 2023, to 108 months’ imprisonment, 3 years’ supervised release, and forfeiture of $3,377 and four firearms (a Mossberg .22 caliber rifle, an Armalite M-15 semiautomatic rifle, a Mossberg Maverick 88 12-gauge shotgun, and a Mossberg 500A, 12-gauge shotgun). Brooks pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

New York State Police-Special Investigations Unit (NYSP-SIU) and investigators from the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the City of Utica Police Department, DEA, and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Richard R. Southwick prosecuted the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Teirra Pickering, age 59, of Middleburgh, New York, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison on four counts of distributing controlled substances, including heroin-fentanyl mixtures. 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 her prior guilty plea, Pickering admitted that she distributed heroin-fentanyl mixtures on four occasions between late February 2021 and early March 2021. One of the people Pickering distributed to died hours later of an overdose.

United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to follow the prison term.

DEA and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia prosecuted the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gregory Kurzajczyk, age 76, of East Durham, New York, was sentenced today to a total of 175 months in prison following trial convictions for possessing child pornography – crimes he committed while on federal supervised release. 

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.

Kurzajczyk was convicted of four counts of child pornography possession following a 3-day jury trial in October 2023. Kurzajczyk had prior federal convictions for receiving and distributing child pornography, and was sentenced in January 2017 to 72 months in prison and a life term of supervised release. Kurzajczyk was released from prison in October 2021 and returned home to Greene County under the supervision of the United States Probation Office.

The trial evidence showed that during a routine home visit on February 16, 2022, a United States Probation Officer saw an unauthorized laptop computer in plain view in Kurzajczyk’s bedroom, which led to the discovery of two more unauthorized laptops, and dozens of other unauthorized computer devices, many of them hidden under the covers of Kurzajczyk’s bed. Two laptops and two USB drives each contained a large amount of child pornography, including image and video files depicting the sexual abuse of small children.

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentenced Kurzajczyk to a total of 175 months in prison – 151 months for the trial convictions, to run consecutively to a time-served term of 24 months for Kurzajczyk’s violation of his conditions of supervised release. Judge D’Agostino also imposed a 15-year term of post-imprisonment supervision, ordered forfeiture of the devices on which Kurzajczyk possessed child pornography, and ordered Kurzajczyk to pay $39,000 to victims whose images of sexual abuse Kurzajczyk possessed. Kurzajczyk will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The United States Probation Office for the Northern District of New York initiated this investigation, and the case was also investigated by the FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department and the New York State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted this 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 – Timothy Blackman, age 53, of Daniel Island, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court in Utica to 24 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to filing a false federal income tax return. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Thomas Fattorusso, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), New York Field Office, made the announcement.

In previously pleading guilty, Blackman admitted that while living in Auburn, New York, he was a self-employed contractor providing construction and remodeling services to customers.  During the years 2007 through 2010, Blackman failed to file income tax returns with the IRS and failed to pay income taxes.  After learning of an IRS criminal investigation in June 2010 concerning his income taxes, Blackman filed his 2007 individual tax return late, and willfully falsified that return by understating his true business receipts and total income from his construction and remodeling business. In addition to the term of imprisonment, United States District Judge David Hurd ordered Blackman to serve 1 year of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $42,121.

Blackman previously pled guilty to felony tax evasion in the Northern District of New York on March 19, 2004, for which he received a term of 15 months in prison.

IRS-CI investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael F. Perry and Acting Section Chief John N. Kane of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - James Mack, age 40, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 15 years (180 months) in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile (SPD), Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division Frank A. Tarentino III, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) John B. DeVito made the announcement.

The evidence at trial established that Mack used his Honda Accord as a stash location for his drug trafficking operation. During a search of the defendant’s vehicle on February 12, 2020, SPD Detectives located a hidden compartment (or “trap”) in the dashboard. From within the trap, Detectives recovered over 400 grams of cocaine, over 100 grams of cocaine base (crack cocaine), and a loaded .38 caliber revolver. The defendant was at that time under federal supervision from a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. 

Mack was also sentenced today to serve an 8-year term of supervised release following completion of his prison sentence, and a concurrent term of imprisonment for violating his previous federal supervision.

The Syracuse Police Department-Special Investigations Division (SID), DEA, and ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian LaRochelle and Jessica Carbone prosecuted the defendant.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Calvin Bautista, age 38, of Richmond Hill, New York, was sentenced today to one year of probation and fined $5,000 for smuggling three Burmese pythons into the United States at the Champlain Port of Entry.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ryan Noel, Regional Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, made the announcement.

Bautista previously admitted that on July 15, 2018, he smuggled three Burmese pythons in his pants as he rode on a bus that crossed the U.S.-Canadian border at the Champlain Port of Entry in Clinton County, New York. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers discovered the snakes while reviewing Bautista’s passport and conducting a border search. The young adult snakes were in snake bags attached to Bautista’s pants near his inner thigh. Bautista did not obtain the required permits and documentation to import the snakes into the United States. As their name suggests, Burmese pythons are not native to North America and are an invasive species.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and CBP investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping prosecuted this case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Oryin McLeod, age 23, of Kingston, New York, pled guilty today to 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 John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

McLeod admitted that he entered into an agreement with Rylan Peterson, a native of Kingston then serving in the Marine Corps at a base in North Carolina, for Peterson to acquire six semi-automatic handguns on behalf of McLeod and others.  Peterson then obtained the guns from North Carolina resident Mitchell Locke, who purchased them from a licensed dealer in North Carolina, falsely representing at the time of the purchase that he was acquiring the firearms for himself.  McLeod paid Peterson for the guns, which Peterson transported to New York from North Carolina.  McLeod was subsequently arrested in unlawful possession of two of the handguns.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2024, before Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. McLeod faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of 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.

Peterson and Locke are indicted on the same charge and pending trial.  Peterson is also charged with two additional firearms crimes.  The charges against these defendants are merely accusations, and they presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

ATF and the Kingston Police Department are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin C. Segovia and Emmet O’Hanlon are prosecuting the case.

PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Logan Lafountain, age 27, of Essex County, New York, pled guilty today to sexually exploiting two children and possessing child pornography. 

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of the Buffalo Field Office; and Acting New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

Lafountain admitted that in 2021 and 2022, he sexually abused two girls between the ages of 6 and 8 years old and used his phone to photograph the victims’ genitals.  Lafountain further admitted that along with the images he produced, he possessed images of other prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2024.  Lafountain faces at least 15 and up to 80 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, 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 statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The judge may also order Lafountain to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses.  Lafountain will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

HSI and NYSP investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita 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.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – AnnMarie Ditoro, age 41, of Schenectady, New York, was indicted earlier this month on charges of social security fraud. 

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office, made the announcement.

The indictment alleges that Ditoro misused her children’s Social Security benefits after Schenectady County Department of Social Services removed her children from her custody. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Ditoro was arraigned on February 7 and ordered released pending further proceedings.

If convicted, Ditoro faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised 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.

The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General is investigating this case, which is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Paul Tuck.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Viagrande, age 41, of Latham, New York, was arrested earlier this week and charged with distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.

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

A criminal complaint charges Viagrande, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, with prescribing amphetamine (a Schedule II controlled substance) on 40 occasions to someone who was never his patient, from May 2021 to December 2023. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Viagrande was arrested on Tuesday and ordered released on Thursday with conditions, including a prohibition on his prescribing controlled substances.

If convicted on the charge in the complaint, Viagrande faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, as well as up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. 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.

Anyone wishing to report information about Viagrande or his Latham-based practice, Crossroads Psychiatry NP, may contact the DEA Albany District Office at (518) 782-2000.

The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad (TDS) is investigating this case. TDS is comprised of DEA Special Agents and Diversion Investigators, as well as Investigators from the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is investigating this case.

PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Rey Felix-Rubio, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and unlawful possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

As part of his earlier guilty plea, Felix-Rubio, an illegal alien who entered the United States unlawfully in 2021, admitted that in February 2023, he traveled to the northern border in Chateauguay, New York, where he smuggled five Mexican citizens into the United States for profit.  Felix-Rubio smuggled the aliens while unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm as an illegal alien. 

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 1-year term of supervised release following Felix-Rubio’s release from prison.  Felix-Rubio will be taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation proceedings following his release from prison.

HSI and the Border Patrol investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Stitt prosecuted the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Ward, a/k/a “Reek,” age 45, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by obtaining unemployment insurance benefits under the name of another person, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement was made by 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 Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, North East Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).

Ward admitted that he provided Carl J. DiVeglia III with the personal identifying information of another individual, which DiVeglia used to file a false claim via the NYSDOL website.  Ward further admitted that as a result of the fraudulent application submitted by DiVeglia, the NYSDOL paid $15,006 in unemployment insurance benefits.  As part of his plea agreement, Ward agreed to pay $15,006 in restitution to the State of New York.  DiVeglia previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $1.6 million in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme. 

Charges against Ward’s three co-defendants, his brother Todd Ward, Rocco Resciniti and Jamaine Myers, are still pending. The charges against these defendants are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Ward faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on June 27, 2024 by United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. 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 FBI and USDOL-OIG are investigating this case, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph S. Hartunian and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – John C. Hotaling, age 62, of Esperance, New York, was sentenced today to serve 188 months (15 years and eight months) in federal prison for possessing child pornography. The announcement was made by 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 New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James.

As part of his earlier guilty plea on the eve of trial, Hotaling admitted that in 2020, he possessed child pornography images, some of which he created by photoshopping the faces of children onto nude adult bodies engaged in sexually explicit conduct, a process known as “morphing.”  Hotaling was on supervised release at the time for a 2009 conviction for engaging in the same conduct.  He also admitted to violating his terms and conditions of supervised release and was sentenced to an additional 12 months in prison for the supervised release violation. United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby ordered Hotaling to serve the 12 months consecutively to the 188-month term imposed for new criminal conduct.

Judge Suddaby also imposed a life term of supervised release to begin upon Hotaling’s completion of his prison term, and ordered Hotaling to forfeit the laptop he used to commit the offenses. Hotaling must also register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the New York State Police and the United States Probation Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Collyer, Ashlyn Miranda and Rick Bellis 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.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ruby Ledesma, age 25, of Fresno, California, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC). 

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf; and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

Ledesma admitted that she was a member of a marijuana and THC trafficking organization that shipped thousands of kilograms of marijuana and THC from Fresno to locations throughout the United States, including the Capital Region, between 2016 and June 2022.  The marijuana and THC was shipped through UPS and FedEx from a shipping store, Fast Pack & Ship, in Fresno. 

Fast Pack & Ship was owned by Ledesma’s brother, Sammy Olague, from 2016 through June 2018, when he sold the business to Nehemiah Fane, aka “Neil.”  Olague received a portion of the purchase money for Fast Pack & Ship from Dwight A. Singletary II, aka “Nutt” and “Mike Jones,” and James Tyrell Daniels, aka “Red” and “Ghost,” helped manage Fast Pack & Ship when it was owned by Fane.  In April 2020, Fane transferred ownership of Fast Pack & Ship to Singletary’s partner, McKenzie Merrialice Coles, aka “Kenzie,” who operated Fast Pack & Ship through M.M.M.C. Management, Inc.  The defendant worked with Olague, Fane, Daniels, Singletary and Coles to ship the packages of marijuana and THC.

Ledesma also arranged for Singletary to obtain distribution-quantities of THC “edibles,” which Singletary, in turn, sold. 

Ledesma was charged in an indictment with Singletary, Coles, Olague, Fane, Daniels and 18 other people charging marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, firearms offenses, and other crimes.  Singletary, Coles, Fane, and Daniels have pled not guilty and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. 

In addition to Ledesma, Olague and five other defendants, Rosemary Coles, Latrice Mumphrey, Jazell Shuler, Victor Turner, and Kristle Walker, previously pled guilty and are pending sentencing. 

The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Dustin C. Segovia are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution 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.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Nay Thar, age 25, of Utica, New York, was sentenced today to serve 157 months (13-years and one month) in federal prison for committing the armed robbery of a restaurant in Utica, and use of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun to commit the robbery, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Chief Mark Williams, City of Utica Police Department, New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James, Acting Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville.

As part of his previous guilty plea, Thar admitted that on August 5, 2022, he used an unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun to rob the Zam Zam Restaurant in Utica. Upon entering the restaurant wearing a ski-mask, Thar pointed the sawed-off shotgun at an employee and demanded she open the cash register. After she fled to the rear of the restaurant without opening the register, Thar stole a donation box on the counter containing cash for a charity, exited the building, and fled in a car. New York State Parole officers who happened to be in the area responded with Utica Police (UPD). After a short vehicle pursuit, Thar was taken into custody by Utica Police. The ski-mask, unregistered shotgun, and stolen money were recovered from the car Thar was driving.

Thar was also sentenced today to serve a 5-year term of post-incarceration supervised release following completion of his prison sentence.

The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Utica Police Department (UPD), the New York State Police (NYSP), and Officers of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (Parole) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick prosecuted (with assistance from the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office) the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jesse Bedell, age 35, of Glens Falls, New York, was convicted yesterday of transmitting threats to injure another person, following a 2-day trial. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

The evidence at trial established that Bedell applied to work at Medline Industries’ NAMIC Division in Glens Falls and received an employment offer conditioned upon passing a background investigation. Bedell, however, failed to disclose a prior criminal conviction. As a result, on January 9, 2020, Medline withdrew the employment offer. The following morning, Bedell phoned Medline employees in Neptune, New Jersey, and Northfield, Illinois, and threatened to burn down and blow up the Glens Falls plant. Bedell also threated to kill the employee in Illinois.

The jury took 20 minutes to convict Bedell on both counts. Sentencing is scheduled for June 12, 2024, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in Albany, at which time the defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. The 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 case was investigated by the Glens Falls Police Department and HSI, with assistance from the Warren County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Joseph Osei, a/k/a “Kyngjo,” age 29, of Jamaica, New York, has been indicted on mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for fraudulently obtain pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits using stolen identities.

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 Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

The indictment alleges that from about August 2020 through November 2020, Osei fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits worth more than $100,000 in the names of four other people.  The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The mail fraud charges carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.  The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory term of 2 years in prison, to be imposed consecutively to any other term of imprisonment. 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.

Osei appeared yesterday in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, New York, and was released pending an arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel that is scheduled for February 6, 2024 in Albany.

This case is being investigated by USDOL-OIG, USPIS, and HSI, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office and the New York State Department of Labor’s Office of Special Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Weinbloom, age 49, of Latham, New York, pled guilty yesterday to possessing child pornography, 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).

Weinbloom admitted that on May 18, 2022, he possessed approximately 1,300 images and 1,500 videos of child pornography on a USB flash memory stick found in his residence and that two computers recovered from his residence had also been used to store and view child pornography. 

Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2024. Weinbloom faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, 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 statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The judge may also order Weinbloom to pay restitution to the victims of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense.  Weinbloom will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including from the Colonie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia is 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). 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 – William Gladney, age 41, of Manlius, New York, pled guilty today to multiple charges of possession of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Gladney admitted that he possessed thousands of videos and images of child pornography on several of his personal devices. Gladney has a previous conviction for possession of child pornography in Texas.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 12, 2024, before United States District Glenn T. Suddaby.  Gladney faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between five years and life, to begin after imprisonment. Gladney will also be required 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, the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the NYSP Troop D Computer Crime Unit, and the Auburn Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson prosecuted Gladney 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 – Martin Connearney, age 34, of Lenox, Massachusetts, pled guilty today to traveling across state lines to the Capital Region with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor.  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.

Connearney admitted that between April 6, 2022 and May 5, 2022, he communicated with an individual to discuss and plan Connearney’s sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl in the Capital Region.  Connearney and the individual ultimately devised a plan for Connearney to travel from Lenox to the Capital Region so Connearney could engage in sexual contact with the 10-year-old.  On the morning of May 5, 2022, Connearney drove from Lenox to a location in Columbia County, New York, where he was encountered by law enforcement officials at a prearranged location and arrested.

Connearney is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci on May 30, 2024.  He faces a maximum term of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and mandatory registration as a sex offender.  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. Connearney also agreed to forfeit the phone he used to commit the offense.

The FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force investigated this case.  The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark 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.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Matthew Shaver, age 23, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a loaded shotgun as a felon.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

Shaver admitted that on December 15, 2022, he knowingly possessed a loaded shotgun at his residence in Schenectady.  On that date, federal investigators recovered the shotgun while executing a search warrant on the residence.  A prior felony conviction for assault in the first degree prevented Shaver from legally possessing the firearm in New York.  Shaver was arrested following the search and has remained in custody since then.

Shaver faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on May 29, 2024, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. 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 HIS investigated this case with assistance provided by the Rotterdam Police Department, the Schenectady Police Department, and the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – James Kenyon, age 52, of Smithville Flats, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with transmitting a threat to injure another person and unlawfully possessing three firearms while subject to a domestic violence order of protection.

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.

The charges filed against Kenyon carry a combined maximum term of 20 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.

Kenyon was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and released pending a detention hearing.

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

The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting this case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jonathan Woodworth, age 45, of Riverside-Albert, New Brunswick, Canada, was sentenced yesterday to 144 months in prison for attempting to entice and coerce a 10-year-old child into sexual activity.

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 previously entered guilty plea, Woodworth admitted that between June 23 and September 28, 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit messages with someone he believed was the mother of a 10-year-old girl, in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him. On September 28, 2022, Woodworth traveled by plane and train from New Brunswick to Rensselaer County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the minor. Woodworth was arrested after exiting the Rensselaer train station.

United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 15-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release. Woodworth will be required to register as a sex offender, and faces deportation/removal from the United States, upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department and the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Wentworth-Ping and Ashlyn Miranda prosecuted 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).  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 – Davon Parson, age 20, of Albany, and Dnauticah Taylor-Sterman, age 21, of Albany, have pled guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. 

In separate pleas before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci, Parson and Taylor-Sterman each admitted that between February and October 2022, they were members of a conspiracy to defraud SEFCU by, among other things, applying for loans using stolen identities of real people and withdrawing the loaned money in cash.  Both Parson and Taylor-Sterman admitted that they applied for loans in other people’s names using fake New York driver’s licenses with their photographs but bearing the names and dates of birth of other people. Taylor-Sterman pled guilty today and Parson pled guilty on January 10, 2024.

Parson and Taylor-Sterman were previously charged by an indictment, along with Evan Cutler and Allahson Allah, formerly known as Gwyn Cancer. According to the indictment and statements made by prosecutors in court, the conspirators obtained customer account information from Caeshara Cannon, age 33, of Albany, a former Member Service Manager at SEFCU, and used that information to create counterfeit checks, which were presented for negotiation at SEFCU branches in the Northern District of New York.  The conspirators also obtained personal identifying information of real people, which they used to fraudulently obtain loans from SEFCU, and then withdrew the proceeds in cash.

The charges to which Parson and Taylor-Sterman pled guilty carry a minimum term of 2 years in prison and a maximum term of 32 years, a fine of up to $1.25 million, and a supervised release term of up to 5 years.  Parson will be sentenced on May 10, 2024 and Taylor-Sterman will be sentenced on May 17, 2024. 

Cannon pled guilty on September 14, 2023 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.  She is scheduled for sentencing on July 12, 2024.

The following charges remain pending against the following individuals:

• Allah, age 53, of Albany, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

• Cutler, age 24, of Queensbury, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

As to these defendants, the charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bethlehem Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting this case.

UTICA, NEW YORK –Charles Harrison, 35, of Binghamton, New York, was sentenced today to serve 48 months in federal prison following his trial and conviction for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person (convicted felon).  

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York David L. McNulty made the announcement.

The trial evidence demonstrated that, following his 2012 conviction in the Northern District of New York for Conspiracy to Possess and Distribute controlled substances, Harrison was serving the final portion of his sentence at a halfway house in Connecticut.  Harrison absconded from the halfway house, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest.  On March 29, 2022, the United States Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Fugitive Task Force found Harrison hiding under a mattress in an apartment in Binghamton, New York.  The U.S. Marshals also located a loaded handgun in the bedroom next to where Harrison was hiding.  Forensic and testimonial evidence presented at trial linked Harrison to the handgun that was in the apartment, and the jury voted to convict him of possessing the firearm as a prohibited person by reason of his prior felony conviction.

United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Harrison to serve 3 years of supervised release to begin after his prison sentence.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshalls Service with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New York State Police, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Binghamton Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica N. Carbone and Thomas R. Sutcliffe.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Errol Murray, age 22, of Yonkers, New York was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain nearly $70,000 in unemployment insurance benefits, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); 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 New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang.

As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Murray admitted that he provided Jamie Johnson with his personally identifiable information (PII) and the PII of another person, which Johnson used to file false claims online with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL).  Murray further admitted that as a result of the two fraudulent applications submitted by Johnson, the NYSDOL paid out $69,954 in unemployment insurance benefits. 

Johnson previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $701,441 in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme.  Murray’s co-defendants, Taliek Lanier, age 23, of Albany, and Thomas Brace, a/k/a “Justice,” age 62, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, previously pled guilty to charges stemming from their roles in the scheme with Johnson.  Lanier was sentenced to 12 months in prison to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, while Brace was sentenced to time served and 3 years of supervised release.

Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin after Murray is released from prison, and ordered him to pay $69,954 in restitution to the State of New York.

This case was investigated by HSI, USDOL-OIG, USPIS, and the New York State Inspector General’s Office, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center, and the Albany County Department of Social Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael E. Conner, age 55, of Warrensburg, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with perpetrating a scheme to defraud investors.

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

According to the indictment, Conner held himself out to be an inventor of household products and to hold patents on his inventions, such as a knife with a heated blade and a rotatable refrigerator shelf. Starting in about 2008, Conner convinced other people to invest in his patents and loan him money that would help him market and sell his patents.

The indictment alleges that Conner fraudulently sought and obtained loans from investors, who believed they were loaning money to Conner for business purposes, including to complete the sale of his patents, and to pay attorney’s fees and accountant’s fees associated with anticipated patent sales. But Conner had no intention of using the loaned funds for business purposes, and instead used the money for personal expenses and to fund his lifestyle. Since 2008, Conner has received, from investors, approximately $4 million in connection with this fraudulent scheme; he has also never sold a patent or earned revenue from any of his inventions.

The indictment also alleges that Conner failed to file personal income tax returns, despite knowing he had an obligation to do so, during tax years 2017 through 2021. Conner, who moved from Virginia to New York in 2017, has not filed a personal income tax return since 2008.

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

Conner appeared today in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered released pending a bail hearing scheduled for January 19, 2024.

Conner is charged with 23 counts of wire fraud and 5 counts of failing to file a tax return. On the wire fraud charges, Conner faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years. On the tax charges, which are misdemeanors, Conner faces up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000. 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.

IRS-CI is investigating this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Westervelt, age 46, of Bennington, Vermont, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for traveling from Vermont to Lake George in 2022 to engage in sexual conduct with a 12-year-old.   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 prior guilty plea, Westervelt admitted that between January and June 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit messages online with someone posing as a man who was sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy.  Over the course of those exchanges, Westervelt expressed his desire to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the 12-year-old, and ultimately Westervelt arranged to meet the man and the boy in Lake George for that purpose.  On June 14, 2022, Westervelt left his residence in Bennington and drove to a prearranged meet-up location in Lake George, where he was arrested. 

Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also sentenced Westervelt to serve 10 years of supervised release to begin after Westervelt is released from prison. He was also ordered to forfeit the phone he used to commit the crime. Westervelt will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 

The FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department and New York State Police.  Assistant United States 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.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Terence Wilson, age 40, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 360 months (30 years) in federal prison for his repeated sexual exploitation of a child. 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 prior guilty plea, Wilson admitted that he sexually exploited a child from the time the child was approximately 8 years old until the child was approximately 15 years old and that he created approximately 50 videos depicting the abuse.

Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes, also sentenced Wilson to serve a life term of supervised release to begin after Wilson is released from prison. Wilson also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Adrian LaRochelle prosecuted 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).  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 – Charles Bodie, age 49, of Otsego County, New York, pled guilty yesterday to sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.

Bodie admitted during his change of plea hearing yesterday that, from December 2021 through October 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with the victim, during which he persuaded and enticed her to produce and send him sexually explicit pictures of herself. Bodie admitted further to engaging in sexual intercourse with the same victim when the victim was approximately 13-15 years old.

The offense to which Bodie pled guilty carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, with a maximum of 30 years imprisonment. If Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes accepts the parties’ agreed-upon disposition at sentencing on May 15, 2024, Bodie will receive an imprisonment term of between 210 to 262 months. Bodie’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, restitution to the victim, and he will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case was investigated by HSI, the Otsego County Sherriff’s Office, and the Delaware County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant United States 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), 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 – Ulysses Jessie Walls, a/k/a “Guwala,” age 30, of Rensselaer, New York, was sentenced today to serve 204 months in federal prison for two 2019 armed bank robberies.

The announcement was made by 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); Dominick L. Chiumento, Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police (NYSP); Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins; and Town of North Greenbush Police Chief David Keevern.

As part of his previously entered guilty pleas to armed bank robbery, firearms, and conspiracy charges, Walls admitted that he committed two armed robberies with Christopher Cohn a/k/a “Wolf.”  On February 6, 2019, Walls and Cohn pulled up to an Albany Trustco Bank branch, where Cohn declared he was about to “go do this,” meaning that he planned to rob the bank.  Walls and Cohn then entered the bank wearing ski masks.  In the bank, Walls displayed a gun, and both men threatened to kill the bank’s employees, who surrendered approximately $150,000 to the pair. 

Walls also admitted that on the morning of February 26, 2019, he and Cohn entered an M&T Bank branch in North Greenbush, each wearing a ski mask and brandishing a gun.  During the robbery, Cohn fired multiple shots, including one that grazed a bank employee.  According to court documents, law enforcement tracked Cohn, Walls, and their getaway driver to an Albany motel using a GPS device placed in the stolen money by a member of the bank’s staff.  Cohn was apprehended by officers with more than $10,000 in cash and wearing red sneakers matching those captured by the bank’s surveillance cameras during the robbery.  Walls was arrested in the motel’s lobby, where officers found him with several bags containing approximately $3,800 in cash along with ski masks and other clothing matching that worn by the robbers.  

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Walls to serve a 5-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release, to pay $167,681 in restitution to his victims, and to forfeit $79,117. 

After pleading guilty to firearms, armed bank robbery and conspiracy charges, Cohn was sentenced to 241 months in prison by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn.  

This case was investigated by the FBI, the NYSP, the North Greenbush Police Department, and the Albany Police Department, with the assistance of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Ashlyn Miranda prosecuted the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Aaron Griesche, age 40, of Niskayuna, New York, pled guilty today to possessing child pornography, 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).

Griesche admitted that on July 11, 2021, he possessed child pornography on a USB flash memory stick found in his residence.  Griesche admitted that he had purchased the memory stick from an online retailer and transferred videos of child pornography from the Internet to the device.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 10, 2024. Griesche faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, 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 statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The judge may also order Griesche to pay restitution to the victims of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense.  Griesche will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The FBI and the New York State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia is 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). 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 – John T. Cox, age 61, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to mail fraud and stealing money from a federally funded governmental agency. 

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 Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Northeast Region, made the announcement.

Cox admitted that between June 2017 and February 2023, while employed as a Budget Analyst in the Albany County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), he stole $122,251.25 by issuing 16 fraudulent checks drawn on funds in the care of the ACSO, an agency that received more than $10,000 in federal funding each year during this time period.

Cox used the checks to pay himself directly or to pay down his line of credit.  Cox then tried to cover up his fraud by falsifying ACSO records to suggest that the funds were being used for legitimate purposes such as vehicle and equipment purchases. Cox stole some of the money from a Department of Justice program in which the federal government shares the proceeds of federal asset forfeitures with state and local law enforcement agencies.

Cox is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, 2024 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. The mail fraud conviction carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and the federal program theft conviction carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison.  Both charges carry 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.  Cox has also agreed to pay $122,251.25 in restitution to the ACSO, and to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $113,301.25.

The FBI, DOJ OIG, and ACSO investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal is prosecuting the case.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Marcus Lombardo, age 40, of Hannibal, New York, was sentenced today to serve 135 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography, 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 earlier guilty plea, Lombardo admitted that on February 18, 2021, during a visit at his home from his United States Probation Officer, Lombardo possessed at least 180 image and video files of child pornography on an SD card found inside a cell phone that he was prohibited from possessing under the conditions of his supervised release. 

Lombardo was on federal supervision following a 2012 federal conviction for receipt and possession of child pornography and commission of a felony offense while on pretrial release. He was sentenced to a one-year term of imprisonment in 2019 for violating the conditions of his release on a prior occasion and was sentenced to 16-month term in 2021 for the violation that occurred on February 18, 2021.

United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after Lombardo is released from prison, and ordered him to pay a $100 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $12,000 to victims depicted in the images and videos he possessed.  Lombardo will also be required to continue to register as a sex offender.

This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office (Syracuse) and the FBI Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe 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.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael J. Frascatore, age 59, of Treadwell, New York, pled guilty yesterday to failing to register and update his registration as a sex offender to include an email address he failed to disclose. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement.

Frascatore admitted that he was designated as a Level I sex offender in New York after he was convicted in federal court in 2008 for distributing child pornography. Frascatore knew that as a registered sex offender he was required to report, among other things, all email addresses he used. Despite this requirement, he created an email address in April 2019, using his own name and home address, which he maintained for approximately four years without disclosing as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Frascatore was on supervised release at the time of this offense, and he also did not disclose his email address to U.S. Probation. In addition to pleading guilty to violating SORNA, Frascatore admitted that he violated the terms of his supervised release by using an unauthorized internet-capable phone; maintaining the undisclosed email account; and knowingly communicating with minors online, including by sending explicit photos of himself to minors and requesting nude photos in return.

Frascatore will be sentenced for the SORNA offense and for his violations of supervised release on May 2, 2024, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. The SORNA offense carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. The supervised release violations carry a maximum term of 2 years in 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.

The United States Marshals Service investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael F. Perry 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 – Asjid Parvez, age 37, of Albany, pled guilty today to stealing nearly $1 million in federal funds from a program that helped struggling farmers pay off their loans.

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 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act authorized the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to financially assist certain distressed borrowers who had fallen behind on repaying their federally guaranteed farm loans. Parvez was one such borrower, having defaulted on a loan that he had used to purchase a Maryland chicken farm in 2014.

In pleading guilty, Parvez admitted that in May 2023, the FSA sent him a United States Treasury check in the amount of $972,564.61. Parvez knew that he needed to use these funds to pay off the federally guaranteed farm loan on which he had defaulted. But instead, he stole the money, and used the funds to pay personal expenses and to fund real estate investments. Parvez stole the money by opening a bank account in the name of his lender, Horizon Farm Credit; depositing the Treasury check – which was jointly payable to the defendant and the lender – into that account; and then quickly transferring the Treasury funds to other accounts that he controlled.

Parvez pled guilty to one count of theft of government property. He faces up to 10 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, when United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci sentences him on May 2, 2024. 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 has also agreed to pay $972,564.61 in restitution to the FSA.

Additionally, 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 was purchased using approximately $202,675 in stolen funds.

The FBI investigated this case, with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Conger is representing the United States in the asset forfeiture action.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – William Taylor, age 33, and Patricia Clarke, age 27, both of Jamaica, New York, pled guilty today to mail and wire fraud conspiracy. Taylor also pled guilty to aggravated identity theft.

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); Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and New York State Inspector General (NYSIG) Lucy Lang.

Taylor and Clarke each admitted that they used stolen identities to fraudulently obtain pandemic unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL).  They used the names, dates of birth and social security numbers of at least 20 individuals to submit claims to NYSDOL.  Based on those false claims, NYSDOL wired funds to accounts controlled by Taylor, Clarke, or both; and NYSDOL directed bank cards to be mailed to the addresses provided by Taylor and Clarke.  In total, NYSDOL paid $381,815 on the claims submitted by Taylor and Clarke under the stolen identities. 

The conspiracy conviction carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; a fine of up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of up 3 to years.  For Taylor, the aggravated identity theft conviction carries a mandatory term of 2 years in prison that must run consecutively to the prison term imposed on the conspiracy conviction.  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.

Taylor and Clarke agreed to pay $381,815 in restitution to NYSDOL.  In addition, Taylor agreed to forfeit $315,723 and Clarke agreed to forfeit $66,092.

USDOL-OIG, HSI, USPIS and NYSIG investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK –Michael Laudicina, age 46, of Santa Cruz, California, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with distributing a controlled substance.

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 Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo made the announcement.

The indictment alleges that Laudicina shipped at least 50 grams of methamphetamine to New York on three occasions, once each in July 2022, August 2022 and November 2022.  On a fourth occasion, in August 2022, Laudicina sold fentanyl.  The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The charges filed against Laudicina carry a term of imprisonment at least 10 years and up to life; a fine of up to $10 million; 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.

Laudicina was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and ordered detained pending a trial before Senior United States District Judge Gary L Sharpe.

The DEA and Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Reiner and Ashlyn Miranda are prosecuting the case.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Isaiah Lafoe, age 25, of Lancaster, New Hampshire, pled guilty today to receiving 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.

Lafoe admitted that on September 30, 2020, and between October 5, 2020, and February 15, 2021, he communicated with a 13-year-old child in Troy, New York, and coerced that minor to send him, via social media applications over the internet, images and videos that depicted the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Lafoe received these images and videos on his phone.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 3, 2024, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. Lafoe faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between 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. Lafoe will also be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping 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.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Bram Fox, age 44, of Kerhonkson, New York, was sentenced today to 70 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 and John B. DeVito, 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, Fox admitted that on January 31, 2023, he possessed about 30 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his house, including an Aero Precision M5 rifle.  Fox has felony convictions in New York and Connecticut, including a 2009 conviction for an armed bank robbery in Connecticut, that prevented him from lawfully possessing the rifle.

Fox also admitted that from about October 2020 until January 2023, he purchased firearms parts from several dozen online retailers; had these items shipped to his residence in Kerhonkson; and then used these firearms parts to manufacture non-serialized handguns and rifles, which are sometimes called “ghost guns” due to the fact that this type of firearm does not contain a serial number imprinted by a manufacturer. Of the firearms that Fox possessed on January 31, 2023, most were non-serialized. ATF agents, who searched Fox’s house on January 31, 2023, also found him to be in possession of various tools that could be used to manufacture and modify firearms, as well as firearms parts and accessories such as frames, grips, scopes, sights, and slides.

The ATF and New York State Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted this case.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Dupray Jordan, age 33, of Binghamton, New York pled guilty yesterday to possessing fentanyl and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Sergeant Daniel VanWie of the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force (BCSIUTF).

In pleading guilty yesterday, Jordan admitted that he possessed for distribution methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as a loaded .38 caliber revolver in a Binghamton apartment on November 12, 2021.  Jordan threw the gun to the ground as police entered to execute a search warrant at the Binghamton apartment on that date. The defendant was at that time a convicted felon, having previously been convicted in New York state court of Assault in the Second Degree.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 8, 2024, in Syracuse, New York, at which time Jordan faces up to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as a fine of up to one million dollars. He faces a consecutive sentence of at least 5 years and up to life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.00 for possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking, and up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00 for possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He will also be sentenced to a post-incarceration term of supervised release of at least 3 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.

This case is being investigated by the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force, (consisting of members of the City of Binghamton Police Department, the Broome County Sheriff’s Department, and the Johnson City Police Department), the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The Broome County Metro SWAT Team assisted in the execution of the search warrant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Alexander Wilson, age 30, of Albany, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a pistol as a convicted felon. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; United States Marshal David L. McNulty; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento. 

Wilson, who has two prior felony convictions, admitted that on March 16, 2023, he threw a loaded pistol from a vehicle while being pursued by a New York State Trooper on Interstate 90 in Albany. 

Wilson faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on April 30, 2024.  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 United States Marshals Service, ATF and NYSP investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scarlet Shadows, a/k/a “Dragongurl69,” age 33, of West Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for attempted enticement of a minor.  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 her previously entered guilty plea, Shadows, formerly known as Randy Emillion Goodreau, admitted that she attempted to entice and coerce an individual, whom Shadows believed to be an 11-year-old girl, to have sex.  After weeks of exchanging sexually explicit text messages with this individual and another person Shadows believed was the child’s guardian, Shadows traveled in January 2022 from Vermont to Warren County, New York, with an engagement ring, condoms and gifts for the child, intending to have sex with the child.  

United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 15-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.  Shadows is required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, and the New York State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal prosecuted 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).  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 –Ahmed AlSaadi, age 18, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to possessing a machinegun. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; James Smith, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf.

AlSaadi admitted that on August 2, 2023, he possessed three machinegun conversion devices and a Glock handgun that had been modified with a machinegun conversion device that allowed the Glock to shoot and function as a machinegun. AlSaadi also admitted to selling machinegun conversion devices from March to July 2023.

AlSaadi, who is in custody, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2024, in Albany, by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000. The court may also require AlSaadi to serve a term of supervised release of up to 3 years to begin after imprisonment. 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, FBI, and Troy Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Matthew R. Talamo, 38, of New Haven, New York, pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act related to his operation of Southern Diesel Truck Co. and Southern Diesel and Off-Road LLC (collectively “Southern Diesel”), in Oswego, New York. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) in New York, made the announcement.

Talamo is the owner and operator of Southern Diesel, which specializes in buying and reselling diesel vehicles and performing after-market modifications to diesel vehicles, particularly pickup trucks. In pleading guilty, Talamo admitted that he conspired and agreed with others to violate the Clean Air Act at Southern Diesel by tampering with emission control monitoring devices and methods on diesel pickup trucks, including both software and hardware modifications. The illegal software modifications involved “tuning” or “deleting” the trucks by tampering with the “on board diagnostic” (OBD) systems and disabling emission controls, which allowed the trucks to emit substantially more pollutants into the atmosphere. Talamo and his employees also made hardware modifications to diesel vehicles, including by removing tailpipes, mufflers, and other exhaust components and replacing them with so-called straight pipes that lacked diesel particulate filters and other systems designed to reduce harmful emissions. Between January 2018 and November 2022, Southern Diesel tampered with the emission control monitoring devices and systems of approximately 244 diesel vehicles, often charging thousands of dollars per vehicle for the modifications. Despite the harm to the environment, diesel vehicle owners sometimes seek such illegal modifications to avoid the costs of maintaining and repairing emission control components and to increase speed and fuel efficiency.

The charge to which Talamo pled guilty carries a maximum sentence of 5 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 statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The defendant will be sentenced on April 19, 2024, by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes in Syracuse.

EPA-CID is investigating the case with assistance from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry is prosecuting the case.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joshua Demars, 38, of Fulton, New York, pled guilty today to multiple charges of receipt, transportation, and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Demars admitted that he communicated with minors on the application Snapchat to receive images and videos of child pornography. Demars also admitted that he used his Dropbox account to upload a video of a 5-7 year old female being sexually abused by an adult male. Moreover, Demars acknowledged that he possessed hundreds of videos and images of child pornography on several of his personal devices.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 19, 2023, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes.  Demars faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between five years and life, to begin after imprisonment. Demars will also be required 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, the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the NYSP Troop D Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Carbone prosecuted Demars 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.