Northern District of New York
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Troy Man Sentenced for Firearm FeloniesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Shamel Mark Anthony Chung, age 35, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison on firearm convictions, announced 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).
As part of his guilty plea, Chung admitted to possessing a firearm that he knew had an obliterated serial number and to hiding the firearm under a vehicle in an alleyway in Troy, New York, after being involved in a physical altercation nearby. Chung had been convicted of four felonies previously, all of which involved controlled substance offenses, and was on parole at the time he possessed the firearm.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, which will start after Chung is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Troy Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Williams and Dustin Segovia.
Ithaca Man Sentenced for Gun and Drug FeloniesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William L. Marshall, age 40, of Ithaca, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 33-months in federal prison in connection with his previous plea of guilty to possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun as a prior convicted felon, and possessing marihuana with intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, and Acting Chief of Police John Joly, City of Ithaca Police Department. Marshall was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his release from federal prison.
In addition to his prison sentence, Marshall was ordered to forfeit $34,064.00 in U.S. currency as drug proceeds that were seized by the Ithaca Police Department during the execution of a search warrant at his Ithaca residence on August 18, 2021. Also seized was a Lorcin .380 semiautomatic pistol loaded with seven live rounds. The handgun was reported stolen from Norfolk, Virginia in 2014. Marshall is a prior convicted felon, having been found guilty after trial in 2002 of the New York State felony of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree in Tompkins County Court, for which he was sentenced to serve eight (8) years in prison.
This case was investigated by City of Ithaca Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New York State Police, and the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department, and was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Albany Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Roderick Jones, age 42, of Albany, pled guilty today to two separate instances of unlawful possession of firearms.
The announcement was made by 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); and Chief Eric Hawkins of the Albany Police Department.
As part of his plea, Jones admitted that he possessed a loaded .380 caliber pistol in his vehicle when he was arrested on impaired driving charges on January 17, 2019, after crashing his vehicle into a building on Rensselaer Street in Albany. Jones further admitted that on September 29, 2019, he possessed a 9mm pistol that he discharged four times at two occupied residences in the Ida Yarbrough Homes in Albany. On both occasions, prior felony convictions for robbery prevented Jones from legally possessing firearms in New York.
Jones 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 when he is sentenced on October 13, 2022 by Chief 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.
This case was investigated by the Albany Police Department and ATF with the assistance of the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Segovia and Emmet O’Hanlon.
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.
Troy City Council Member Pleads Guilty to Identity TheftRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kimberly McPherson, age 61, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to identity theft in connection with her casting of absentee ballots in two other people’s names in elections held in 2021.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
McPherson successfully ran for re-election to the Troy City Council in 2021, first in the primary and then in the general election. In pleading guilty to the unlawful possession and use of a means of identification of another person, she admitted that in the primary election, she unlawfully cast an absentee ballot in the name of another person, and that in the general election, she unlawfully cast absentee ballots in the names of two people other than herself.
As part of her plea agreement, McPherson has agreed to resign from the Troy City Council.
McPherson faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of 3 years, when she is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. 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 FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Schenectady Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Ronald Horton, age 24, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to serve 20 years in prison for sexually exploiting a 5-year-old child. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Horton admitted that he recorded multiple videos that depicted his sexual abuse of the child and then uploaded those videos to an account he maintained on a blogging website.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after Horton is released from prison, and ordered Horton to pay a $100 special assessment. Horton will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by HSI and the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita 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.
Michigan Man Sentenced for Traveling to New York Intending to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a ChildRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Robert Hardin, age 76, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was sentenced today to serve 10 years in federal prison for traveling to New York from Michigan for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a 10-year-old child. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Hardin admitted that from July of 2021 through August of 2021 he exchanged sexually explicit messages via an online social networking application and text message with an undercover officer posing as the mother of a 10-year-old girl. In these messages, Hardin expressed a desire to engage in sexually explicit conduct with the child. Hardin further admitted that on August 24, 2021, he traveled from Michigan to New York in order to meet with the child and engage in sexual conduct with her. Hardin was arrested after arriving in New York and has been in custody since that date.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which will start after Hardin is released from prison, and ordered Hardin to pay a $100 special assessment. Hardin will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by 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 Adrian S. LaRochelle 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.
Marietta Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Thomas Martin, age 35, of Marietta, New York, pled guilty yesterday to one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and three counts of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
Martin, who remains detained pending his sentencing scheduled for September 29, 2022, before United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes, faces at least 5 years and up to 60 years in prison and a term of supervised release of between 5 years and 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. Martin will also be required to register as a sex offender.
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Martin admitted that he actively traded child pornography images and videos using a social media messaging application on his cellular telephones, and that on January 30, 2022, he distributed an image file depicting the lascivious display of a child’s genitals who was between 4 and 6 years old. Martin further admitted that from February 3, 2020 to January 30, 2022, he received child pornography through the messaging application, including an image file depicting the lascivious display of a child’s genitals who was between 9 and 11 years old. Finally, Martin admitted that on February 11, 2022, he knowingly possessed 158 image files and 2 video files depicting child pornography on his three cellular telephones.
Martin’s case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Investigators of the New York State Police, Computer Crimes Unit (CCU). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J.L. Brown as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ 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.
Baldwinsville Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Receiving Child Pornography from an 11-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Richard Curtis, age 22, of Baldwinsville, New York, was sentenced today to serve 5 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
As part of his guilty plea, Curtis admitted that in September of 2017 he asked an 11-year-old child to send him sexually explicit videos of herself over the internet application Instagram. In his exchanges with the child, the defendant pretended that he was a female fashion designer looking for models. At his direction, the child produced and sent to Curtis five sexually explicit video files.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 35-year term of supervised release, which will start after Curtis is released from prison, and ordered Curtis to pay a $100 special assessment. Curtis will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
Auburn Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Deryk Paul Burdick, age 33, of Auburn, New York waived indictment and pled guilty today to receipt and possession of child pornography. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
As a part of his guilty plea Burdick, a former school bus driver, admitted that he purchased and downloaded hundreds of child pornography images and videos from the dark web from December 2019 through March 2020 and had child pornography files in his possession in December 2021.
At sentencing on October 12, 2022, Burdick faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of 20 years for the receipt offense and a maximum term of 20 years’ imprisonment for the possession offense. In addition to imprisonment, Burdick can be fined up to $250,000 per count, will be required to pay restitution to the victims of his child pornography receipt and possession offenses, and will be required to serve a term of supervised release after imprisonment of between five years and life. Burdick also will have to register as sex offender upon his release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statutes the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Burdick’s case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the New York State Police, the Auburn Police Department, and the New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce (ICAC). The joint effort is a part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian.
Albany Felon Pleads Guilty to Escaping Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Glyn Frink, age 51, of Albany, pled guilty today to escaping from the Horizon House Residential Reentry Center in September 2021.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty.
As part of the plea, Frink admitted that he was placed by the federal Bureau of Prisons at the Horizon House, and that he signed out to go to work on September 25, 2021 and failed to return at 6 pm as required. Frink remained in the community without approval until March 7, 2022, when he was arrested at a fast food restaurant in Albany.
Frink is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 2022 before Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. He faces a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark.
Watervliet Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Calvin Strong, age 30, of Watervliet, New York, pled guilty today to unlawfully possessing a firearm, announced 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).
As part of his guilty plea Strong admitted that on November 23, 2021, he possessed a Glock .40 caliber handgun and 15 rounds of ammunition in his residence. Strong’s prior felony convictions, including federal convictions for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon, and possessing and intending to distribute cocaine, cocaine base and heroin, prevented him from lawfully possessing the handgun.
Strong faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum fine of $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. Sentencing is scheduled for September 26, 2022 before Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr.
This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the United States Probation Office for the Northern District of New York, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Watervliet Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss.
Two Defendants Charged with Prison-Based Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ivis Jorge, age 44, formerly an inmate at the Riverview Correctional Facility in Ogdensburg, New York, and Pamela Febo, age 38, of Keansburg, New Jersey, were arraigned today on an indictment alleging a fraud scheme to obtain unemployment insurance benefits, including COVID-19 pandemic-related benefits, from programs administered by the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL).
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Anthony J. Annucci, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYSDOCCS); and NYSDOL Commissioner Roberta Reardon.
The indictment alleges a conspiracy to submit a fraudulent unemployment insurance claim to NYSDOL using Jorge’s personal identifying information. Febo allegedly submitted the application at Jorge’s direction in October 2020 and continued to re-certify Jorge’s benefits eligibility each week for approximately four months knowing that Jorge was incarcerated, and not “able and available to start work immediately.” NYSDOL paid more than $27,000 in benefits on the claim. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Jorge, who remains subject to incarceration by New York State, waived a detention hearing and United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart ordered him detained in federal custody pending trial. Febo was ordered released.
Both defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, as well as substantive wire fraud counts. The 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. 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 case is being investigated by the FBI, the NYSDOCCS Office of Special Investigations, and the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Chisholm.
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.
Schenectady Father and Son Indicted for Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jeffrey C. Civitello Sr., age 50, and Jeffrey C. Civitello Jr., age 22, both of Schenectady, New York, have been indicted for trafficking kilograms of cocaine.
The announcement was made by 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.
The Civitellos are charged with conspiring with other men, including two New Jersey men indicted last year, to traffic more than 5 kilograms of cocaine to Schenectady in March and April 2021. The Civitellos are also each charged with possessing and intending to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine on March 31, 2021, and with attempting to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine on April 2, 2021. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted on all charges, each man faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, as well as at least 5 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. The indictment also seeks a money judgment against the Civitellos in the amount of $600,000. 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.
Jeffrey Civitello Sr. was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart; a detention hearing is scheduled for June 3, 2022.
Jeffrey Civitello Jr. will be arraigned at a later date. He has been in custody since October 21, 2021, when he was arrested by the DEA in Schenectady on unrelated charges of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing and intending to distribute marijuana. Those charges are also merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Capital District Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes DEA Special Agents and investigators from state and local police agencies, including the Saratoga Springs Police Department, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Rensselaer County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Justin Micheli, age 34, of Schodack, New York, pled guilty today to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The announcement was made by 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.
As part of his guilty plea, Micheli admitted that on March 16, 2021, he possessed cocaine base, marijuana and assorted pills with the intent to distribute them. He also possessed a loaded semi-automatic pistol made from component parts without a serial number, also known as a “ghost gun,” to protect his drugs and drug proceeds. Micheli also admitted to posting videos of his firearm on social media in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
On May 9, 2022, Micheli pled guilty to possessing ammunition as a convicted felon and to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2022, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in Albany, at which time Micheli faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping. The case was prosecuted to indictment by Assistant United States Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
Newark Man Sentenced for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tristan Warner, age 48, of Newark, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for the attempted online enticement of a minor, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Warner admitted that between about October 2020 and January 15, 2021, he exchanged electronic messages, via text and through a social networking platform, with someone he believed to be the mother of an 11-year-old girl. In those messages, Warner expressed an interest in meeting the minor girl and in engaging in sexual acts with her. He also communicated by telephone with someone he believed to be the girl’s mother. On January 15, 2021, Warner drove from Newark to a pre-determined location in Watervliet, New York, to meet and engage in sexual acts with the minor. He brought with him condoms, stuffed animals and two sex-related devices to give to the girl as gifts. Warner was then encountered by law enforcement and arrested.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release to follow the term of incarceration.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police and the Colonie Police Department, and the Watervliet Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss.
This case was prosecuted 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.
Ithaca Convenience Store Owner Sentenced for Committing Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Abdul Jalil, age 55, of Ithaca, New York, was sentenced yesterday to five years’ probation for federal food stamp fraud, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Bethanne M. Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and John Joly, Acting Chief of the Ithaca Police Department.
As part of his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that he exchanged food stamp benefits for cash with customers at his store, the Ithaca Halal Meat and Grocery, which is prohibited by the USDA, resulting in a loss to the government of $120,061. Following today’s sentencing, the defendant paid full restitution to the government.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Ithaca Police Department, and the Ithaca Department of Social Services, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson.
Vermont Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Traveling to New York to Engage in Sexual Activity with a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert McAdam, age 49, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, McAdam admitted that, between February 7, 2019 and June 16, 2020, he exchanged text messages with someone he believed to be the adult father of a 15-year-old girl. In these exchanges, McAdam discussed his interest in having sex with the girl. Then, McAdam traveled to New York in early June 2020 to meet with the person he believed to be the father of the girl. After this in-person meeting, McAdam arranged to have sex with the minor in a hotel room in Queensbury, New York, to take place on June 16, 2020. On this date, McAdam traveled from Vermont to a hotel room in Queensbury, where he was encountered by law enforcement and arrested. McAdam brought alcohol that he intended to supply to the minor, as well as condoms.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after McAdam is released from prison. As a result of his conviction, McAdam will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from incarceration.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, including investigators with the New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Williams.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Conspiracy and DistributionRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Eric F. Jackson, aka “The Mexican,” aka “Pops,” age 48, of Syracuse, pled guilty Wednesday to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and distribution of 50 grams or more methamphetamine.
The announcement was made by 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.
As part of his guilty plea, Jackson admitted that beginning no later than May 2020 through April 2021, he conspired with others to transport methamphetamine from California to locations in the Northern District of New York, including Syracuse, for distribution. Jackson admitted that in furtherance of the conspiracy, in December 2020, a coconspirator drove with approximately 4.6 kilograms of pure methamphetamine from California destined for Syracuse but was intercepted by police and arrested in Oklahoma City. Jackson also admitted that he arranged for methamphetamine to be shipped by a common carrier to addresses in the Syracuse area, which were provided by coconspirators. In addition to participating in the conspiracy, Jackson admitted that he personally distributed more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine to another individual in Syracuse. Jackson further admitted that at the time of his arrest in April 2021, at a small convenience store on Park Street in Syracuse, New York, he possessed approximately $17,460 in drug proceeds, and more than 350 grams of pure methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute.
At sentencing, on each count, Jackson faces a maximum potential sentence of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum term of ten years’ imprisonment, a maximum lifetime term of supervised release, a mandatory minimum term of five years’ supervised release, and a maximum fine of $10,000,000. 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.
This case is being investigated by DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York State Police-Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (NYSP-VGNET), Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, Syracuse Police Department, Oklahoma City Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie.
Syracuse City School District Teachers Pay over $31,000 for Submitting False Timecards to Federally Funded High School Dropout Prevention ProgramRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Syracuse City School District teachers Jason Cecile and Nichole Murray have agreed to pay the United States $31,872.90 to resolve allegations that they submitted false timecards in connection with the School District’s Twilight Program.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, and Terry Harris, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General (ED OIG), Eastern Region.
“The settlement announced today, as well as the related state prosecutions, hold Mr. Cecile and Ms. Murray accountable for stealing money from a federally funded program intended to benefit at-risk high schoolers,” said United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman. “We will not tolerate fraudulent conduct that could undermine an important safety net for struggling students.”
"These individuals shamelessly stole from the very students they were supposed to be helping. My thanks to U.S. Attorney Freedman, and our other partners in law enforcement, for their dedication to ensuring justice is served and that the stolen money is recouped” said Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller.
“Mr. Cecile and Ms. Murray not only abused their positions of trust for personal gain, but did so at the expense of the very ones they promised to serve – school children. That is unacceptable,” said Terry Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Regional Office. “The OIG will continue to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate education funds for their own purposes. America’s students and taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, Syracuse City School District (SCSD) received federal grant funds administered by the U.S. Department of Education to operate a high school dropout-prevention program known as the Twilight Program. SCSD offered the Twilight Program at various high schools after regular school hours, from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Students enrolled in the Twilight Program were given the opportunity to make up classes to accumulate enough credits to earn their high school diplomas. SCSD teachers staffed the Twilight Program and received extra pay for teaching classes to Twilight Program participants.
Jason Cecile was the Twilight Program Coordinator at Henninger High School. Nichole Murray was a teacher in the Henninger Twilight Program. As the coordinator, Cecile controlled the Twilight teaching schedule. He instructed certain Twilight staff members to claim hours on their timecard based on the amount of money that was available in the Twilight budget, not on the number of hours they worked. Cecile admitted he habitually left Twilight early and submitted timecards that overreported the number of hours he worked. Murray admitted that she taught one Twilight class, and generally left Henninger at 5:00 p.m., but submitted timecards attesting that she worked until 6:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m., or 7:00 p.m. Both Murray and Cecile signed their timecards and submitted them for payment, falsely attesting to their accuracy.
As part of the settlement agreements, Cecile will pay $20,754.15. Murray will pay $11,118.75.
This investigation was triggered in part by a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act, which allows private persons, known as “relators,” to file civil actions on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The relator in this case will receive $2,001.37 of the settlement proceeds. The case is docketed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York under number 5:19-cv-1188 (DNH/TWD).
In a related case prosecuted by the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, Jason Cecile pled guilty to Corrupting the Government in the 3rd Degree, a felony, and Nichole Murray pled guilty to Disorderly Conduct. As part of their criminal plea agreements, Murray and Cecile agreed to resign from their employment at SCSD.
This investigation and settlement were the result of a coordinated effort among the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, the New York State Comptroller’s Office, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office and the ED OIG. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Moran.
Gloversville Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Drug and Firearm ConvictionsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kent Tucker, age 25, of Gloversville, New York, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for possessing and intending to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine base, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The announcement was made by 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).
As part of his guilty plea, Tucker admitted that on August 21, 2020, he possessed methamphetamine pills and cocaine base with the intent to distribute them and possessed a loaded, stolen firearm to protect his drugs and drug proceeds from others. Tucker has two prior felony convictions: a 2018 conviction for burglary in the third degree, and a 2014 conviction for attempted common-law robbery.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, which will start after Tucker is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Gloversville Police Department, with assistance from the New York State Police and Homeland Security Investigations, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping.
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.
Latham Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Weinbloom, age 47, of Latham, New York, was ordered detained yesterday on a charge of possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the complaint, Weinbloom possessed images and videos of child pornography on an encrypted thumb drive located at his residence on May 18, 2022.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Weinbloom had a detention hearing yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted of possessing child pornography, Weinbloom faces up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment 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.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes investigators from the New York State Police and Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Segovia.
This case is being prosecuted 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 Felon Pleads Guilty to Handgun PossessionRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Rodney Ogletree, age 38, of Syracuse, pled guilty yesterday to illegally possessing a firearm 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 U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile.
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Ogletree admitted that on September 16, 2020, he possessed a loaded Glock Model 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine in Syracuse when he was driving a car stopped by Syracuse Police. Ogletree could not lawfully possess a handgun, having sustained three previous felony convictions, two of which were for being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the time of his arrest in this case, Ogletree was serving a three-year term of federal post-imprisonment supervised release.
Ogletree faces up to 10 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 September 19, 2022, by Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue. As part of yesterday’s court proceeding, Ogletree also admitted that he violated the conditions of a previously imposed sentence of supervised release by possessing a firearm and engaging in new criminal conduct, for which he faces an additional sentence of imprisonment of up to 2 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.
This case was investigated by the Syracuse Police Department, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Marshals Service.
South Carolina Man Admits to Selling HandgunsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joshua Meighen, age 38, of Seneca, South Carolina, pled guilty yesterday to transferring a firearm and ammunition to a convicted felon, and selling a firearm to an out-of-state resident, announced, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and 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).
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Joshua Meighen admitted that while he was living in South Carolina, he contacted a Central New York resident who was known to Meighen as a convicted felon and arranged for a sale through the U.S mails of a Taurus 9mm caliber semiautomatic pistol and 25 rounds of ammunition. Meighen admitted that he sent the pistol and ammunition from South Carolina to Central New York, where it was recovered at a post office facility in Syracuse on October 14, 2021. Meighen further admitted that he also mailed a Phoenix Arms .22 caliber pistol, and a Stoeger 9mm caliber pistol from South Carolina to a New York resident in Binghamton, New York, which were seized on November 10, 2021, by the United States Postal Inspection Service through the execution of a federal search warrant.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 19, 2022, at which time Joshua Meighen faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison for transferring a firearm and ammunition to a convicted felon, and up to 5 years in federal prison for selling a firearm to an out-of-state resident, as well as a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term pf post-imprisonment 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.
This case is being investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, and the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard R. Southwick.
Albany Man Sentenced to 111 Months for Stealing Nude Photos of Numerous Victims and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael P. Fish, age 26, of Albany, was sentenced today to 111 months in prison for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with his hacking of online social media accounts and theft of nude images of dozens of female victims, as well as possession of child pornography.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr.; United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and State University of New York-Plattsburgh Police Chief Patrick Rascoe.
As part of his May 19, 2020 guilty plea, Fish admitted that from about 2016 to 2019—while an undergraduate at SUNY-Plattsburgh and then as a law student—he accessed the school email accounts of dozens of female SUNY-Plattsburgh students and used information from those school email accounts to gain unauthorized access to the victims’ social media accounts. Fish stole, and traded online with others, private nude photographs and videos stored in the victims’ social media accounts. As a result of these crimes, the school had to allocate money and staff to identifying compromised accounts, reviewing computer and server access logs, resetting passwords, and notifying students and parents. Fish further admitted that on March 19, 2019, he possessed several videos of child pornography on his laptop computer.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after Fish is released from prison, and ordered Fish to pay $35,430 in restitution to SUNY-Plattsburgh.
A co-conspirator, Nicholas Faber, was sentenced to 36 months in prison on August 19, 2021, for computer hacking and aggravated identity theft offenses.
In January 2021, Fish was charged by criminal complaint with obstruction of justice for submitting six fraudulent character letters to the court in connection with sentencing in this proceeding. That case remains pending. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI with substantial assistance from the SUNY-Plattsburgh Police Department. Deputy Chief Michael Stawasz from the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Wayne A. Myers, prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts Tioga County Man of Misusing a Social Security Number and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - “John Doe,” formerly of Owego, New York, was convicted today, after a four-day jury trial, of two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft and one count of Misuse of a Social Security Number. The charges relate to Doe’s use of the name, Social Security number, and date of birth of another person to obtain Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits to which he was not entitled. Doe’s true identity has yet to be confirmed.
The announcement was made by 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.
The evidence at trial established that, since approximately 1999, Doe received SSI benefits from the Social Security Administration under the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a homeless U.S. Army veteran living in North Carolina. When Doe’s use of the other person’s identity was ultimately discovered and Doe was questioned by federal agents, Doe continued to falsely claim the identity as his own and provided agents a photocopy of the victim’s birth certificate and Social Security card, purporting them to be his own.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 30, 2022, in Syracuse, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. For his conviction of Misuse of a Social Security Number, Doe faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution to the Social Security Administration, and a term of supervised of up to three years. For his two convictions on Aggravated Identity Theft, Doe faces a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison on each count, which the Court can run concurrently or consecutively. 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 jury was not able to reach a unanimous verdict on the remaining count of Supplemental Security Income fraud, and a mistrial was declared as to that charge.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office, the Tioga County Department of Social Services, the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian S. LaRochelle and Michael D. Gadarian.
Jefferson County Man Charged with Mailing Threatening LettersRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jesse Bartlett, age 46, of LaFargeville, New York, was arrested today and charged with mailing threatening letters, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
A criminal complaint alleges that Bartlett, who claimed to be the “Chinese Zodiac Killer,” mailed threatening communications to media outlets, government offices, houses of worship and private businesses throughout New York, as well as in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. In the letters, which he signed as the “Chinese Zodiac Killer,” Bartlett wrote that he killed people, ate their flesh, and that he intends to kill more people, including an unnamed bus driver.
The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge filed against Bartlett 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.
Bartlett made an initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 23.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with assistance from the New York State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping.
Albany Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Debra Hackstadt, age 67, of Albany, pled guilty today to fraudulently obtaining 32 government-backed loans meant for businesses struggling with the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In pleading guilty, Hackstadt admitted that between April 30, 2020 and June 11, 2021, she fraudulently obtained $1,615,546 from two pandemic relief loan programs – the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), whose loans are issued by private financial institutions and backed by the federal government, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), which are issued directly by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). These loans were issued to Hackstadt herself, certain of her family members and acquaintances, and several companies controlled by Hackstadt or her family members.
Hackstadt committed the fraud by lying to the SBA and various PPP lenders on loan applications, including by making up and grossly overstating the employees and payrolls of the companies and sole proprietorships for which she obtained loans. Many of the PPP applications also included false tax documents that Hackstadt created as part of the scheme. In total, Hackstadt’s scheme resulted in the issuance of 27 PPP loans and five EIDLs.
Hackstadt also admitted that in addition to these loans, she fraudulently obtained two other business loans from private lenders. She fraudulently obtained a $42,290 loan in October-November 2019, and promptly defaulted on it, and fraudulently obtained a $48,500 loan in June 2021, and promptly defaulted on it.
Hackstadt faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on October 6, 2022 by Chief 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. Hackstadt has also agreed to pay restitution, and to entry of a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $254,812, representing the amount of money she personally obtained from the fraud.
This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Joshua R. Rosenthal.
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.
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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Murder and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kyle M. Leeper, age 38, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, pled guilty yesterday to committing murder during a drug conspiracy, conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The defendant entered his guilty plea yesterday shortly before a federal jury trial scheduled to begin on Monday May 16, 2022, in Utica, New York.
As part of his guilty plea, Leeper admitted the following: He was part of a conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine from Indiana and Southern California to Cortland County, New York, where Leeper distributed it. In the fall of 2018, Crystal Stephens, of Groton, New York, who was incarcerated in Indiana on burglary charges, provided Leeper by telephone with contact information for John Rice, an Indiana-based methamphetamine dealer. Leeper communicated with Rice by telephone and then travelled to and from Indiana twice in late 2018 and early 2019, where he obtained crystal methamphetamine and a .380 caliber pistol from Rice. Leeper distributed this methamphetamine in the Cortland area.
After Rice was arrested in early January 2019, Leeper arranged to travel to the Los Angeles area to purchase more methamphetamine. From jail, Stephens provided Leeper with telephone numbers for possible methamphetamine sources in East Los Angeles. In mid-January 2019, Leeper and an associate, Ramon Nieves Cotto, drove from Cortland to Los Angeles, where Leeper contacted one of these sources. The source sought assistance from Arlene Rodriguez, who introduced Leeper to a middleman. On January 17, 2019, this middleman arranged for Leeper to buy three pounds of crystal methamphetamine for $5,000. But, after the methamphetamine was delivered, Leeper realized that he had been shortchanged on the quantity delivered. Leeper abducted the middleman and Rodriguez at gunpoint. Later that day, Nieves Cotto purchased zip ties, which Leeper used to bind the middleman. On the night of January 17, 2019, outside Barstow, California, Leeper shot the middleman eight times from behind with the .380 caliber pistol, killing him. Leeper and Nieves Cotto, along with Rodriguez, then drove to Cortland, where Leeper distributed the methamphetamine he managed to obtain on this trip to California.
In early February 2019, Leeper, Nieves Cotto, and Rodriguez returned to Los Angeles, where Leeper purchased an additional six to eight pounds of methamphetamine and a 9 mm pistol. Upon his return to Cortland, Leeper, assisted by Rodriguez, began to distribute this methamphetamine. On February 19, 2019, officers with the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office stopped Leeper and Rodriguez while they were driving in Leeper’s pickup truck, which had an expired registration and cracked windshield. Inside the truck, the officers found four pounds of high-purity methamphetamine, the loaded .380 caliber pistol Leeper had used to commit the murder, and ammunition. They arrested Leeper, who previously had been convicted of state and federal felony offenses in Pennsylvania, and Rodriguez.
Kyle Leeper is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14, 2022, and could receive a sentence of between 25 and 40 years in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10.5 million. 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.
Six (6) co-defendants previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy with Kyle Leeper, and/or aiding and abetting the murder. All are awaiting sentencing.
Jose Pimentel, Jr., age 31, of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Edgar Arredondo, age 35, of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He also pled guilty to charges based on his possession in the Central District of California of a shotgun, ammunition, and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
John Rice, age 57, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Ramon Nieves-Cotto, age 30, of DeRuyter, New York, pled guilty to aiding and abetting a murder during a drug conspiracy, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Crystal J. Stephens, age 34, of Groton, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Arlene N. Rodriguez, age 38, of Montebello, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cortland County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, the Barstow (California) Police Department, and the San Bernadino (California) County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Cortland County (New York) District Attorney’s Office, the Montgomery County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department, the Montgomery County (Indiana) District Attorney’s Office, the Pomona (California) Police Department, and the El Monte (California) Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven D. Clymer, Richard R. Southwick, and Thomas R. Sutcliffe.
Long Island Man Sentenced for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jacob Delaney, age 24, of Holtsville, New York, was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Delaney admitted that between about September 2018 and December 12, 2019, as a resident of New Paltz, New York, he used the Internet to search for, and download, numerous still images and video files of child pornography onto his computer and external hard drive. Some of the child pornography files received and possessed by Delaney depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexual conduct.
In imposing the sentence, Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 10-year term of supervised release to follow the term of incarceration.
This case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Rick Belliss.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Construction Company Agrees to Pay $2.8 Million to Resolve Allegations of Small Business Subcontracting FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Hensel Phelps Construction Company (Hensel Phelps), a large construction company headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, has agreed to pay $2,804,110 to resolve allegations that it improperly manipulated a federal subcontract designated for a business owned and operated by a service-disabled veteran, announced Carla B. Freedman, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, and Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
“This settlement holds accountable another large company for scheming to obtain a contract set aside for a veteran-owned small business,” said United States Attorney Freedman. “Working closely with our colleagues in the Eastern District of Washington and our agency partners, we have returned millions of dollars to taxpayers over the past three months while demonstrating the serious consequences for those who divert contracting opportunities away from veterans.”
Federal government contracts and subcontracts may be reserved, or “set aside,” for various categories of small businesses, such that only eligible small businesses in a particular socioeconomic category are eligible to bid on, receive, and perform the contracts. One such category is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), which is reserved for small businesses owned, controlled, and operated by veterans of the United States military who incurred a disability in the course of their military service to the United States. Large businesses that perform on large federal prime contracts must develop and implement small business subcontracting plans designed to subcontract portions of the work to SDVOSBs and other types of small businesses.
Hensel Phelps is a general contractor and construction company that performs large scale private construction and public works projects nationwide, including in New York and Washington States. In 2011, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees construction of many federal buildings, awarded Hensel Phelps a contract to construct the Armed Forces Retirement Home’s New Commons/Health Care Building in Washington, D.C. The Armed Forces Retirement Home provides retirement communities and residential facilities for veterans. As a condition of the contract, Hensel Phelps was required to have and implement a small business subcontracting plan to provide contracting opportunities for SDVOSBs and other types of small businesses.
During the course of the contract, Hensel Phelps negotiated with another large business, identified in the settlement agreement as “Company 1,” to provide kitchen and food service equipment for the Armed Forces Retirement Home. In the settlement agreement, Hensel Phelps admitted that it negotiated the entire subcontract, including all of the equipment, installation, and other needed kitchen work, including pricing, with Company 1, which was not an SDVOSB. Hensel Phelps further admitted that after it had fully negotiated the work with Company 1, rather than executing the subcontract with Company 1, Hensel Phelps instead entered into a subcontract with an SDVOSB, identified in the settlement agreement as “the SDVOSB,” providing for the same work and using the same terms and pricing that had been agreed upon between Hensel Phelps and Company 1, but including an additional 1.5% fee for the SDVOSB. Hensel Phelps further admitted that it should have known that the SDVOSB was merely a passthrough for Company 1, which was providing all of the work on the subcontract, including the bonding, purchasing, and installing of all of the equipment, and that the SDVOSB’s role was limited to providing its SDVOSB status and making it appear as though an SDVOSB was performing the work.
In February 2022, Trimark USA, LLC, an equipment vendor headquartered in Mansfield, Massachusetts, paid $48.5 million to resolve admissions and allegations that TriMark subsidiaries improperly manipulated and obtained contracts set aside for SDVOSBs nationwide, including the Armed Forces Retirement Home subcontract. In the same settlement, former TriMark executive Kimberly Rimsza paid an additional $100,000 penalty to resolve her individual liability.
“Taking advantage of contracts intended for companies owned and operated by service-disabled veterans demonstrates a shocking disregard for fair competition and integrity in government contracting,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “Together with the landmark TriMark settlement, we have returned over $50 million to the public and provided accountability for these critical programs. I want to especially commend our strong partnership with the Northern District of New York and the stellar investigative work done by the case agents. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue small business fraud and ensure fair contracting opportunities for our small business community, which is critical to a safe and strong Eastern Washington.”
“Fraudulent schemes that take advantage of contract opportunities set aside for disabled veterans cheat the government and deserving bidders. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to preserve the integrity of federal contracting,” said GSA Inspector General Carol Fortine Ochoa.
“Protecting Department of Defense (DoD) contracts intended for small businesses owned by disabled veterans of the United States military is a priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “We will continue to work with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to hold companies accountable for circumventing SDVOSB requirements.”
This case began in April 2022, when a whistleblower, a company known as Fox Unlimited Enterprises, LLP, filed a qui tam complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, Case No. 1:22-cv-355. When a whistleblower, or “relator,” files a qui tam complaint, the False Claims Act requires the United States to investigate the allegations and elect whether to intervene and take over the action or to decline to intervene and allow the relator to go forward with the litigation on behalf of the United States. The relator is generally able to then share in any recovery. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the relator will receive $630,925 of the settlement.
The settlement was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Syracuse Post of Duty; the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, New York Field Investigations Office; the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, New York Field Office; the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Procurement Fraud Detachment 6, Rome, New York; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division, Syracuse Fraud Branch Office; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Spokane and Buffalo Resident Agencies; and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Economic Crimes Resident Agency Northeast. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam J. Katz of the Northern District of New York and Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene of the Eastern District of Washington handled this matter on behalf of the United States.
Australian Citizen Sentenced for Visa FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Paul J. Carter, also known as Paul Hamilton, and formerly known as Paul Cristallo, was sentenced today to time served (6 days in jail), and to pay a $5,000 fine, for making false statements in a 2018 U.S. visa application.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Carter, age 55, an Australian citizen residing in Watervliet, New York, admitted to lying about his criminal history when he sought to renew his E-2 visa in 2018. E-2 visas admit certain foreign nationals who have invested a substantial amount of money in a U.S. business. Carter obtained an E-2 visa, and began residing in the United States, in 2014. The U.S. government denied Carter’s visa renewal application in 2018, and Carter has been residing in the United States without status since May 2020.
This case was investigated by HSI, with assistance from the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ted Serr, age 38, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
Serr, who remains detained pending his sentencing scheduled for September 7, 2022, before Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue, faces at least 5 years and up to 60 years in prison. The Court will also impose a term of supervised release of between 5 years and 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. Serr will also be required to register as a sex offender.
As part of his guilty plea, Serr admitted that he actively traded child pornography images and videos using a social media messaging application on his cellular telephone, and that on June 2, 2021, he distributed a video file depicting sexual conduct with a child who was between 8 and 11 years old. Serr further admitted that on June 8, 2021, he received a video file depicting sexual conduct with a child who was between 3 and 5 years old. Finally, Serr admitted that on June 10, 2021, he knowingly possessed 52 image files and 452 video files depicting child pornography on his cellular telephone.
Serr’s case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Investigators of the New York State Police, Computer Crimes Unit (CCU). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J.L. Brown as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ 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 Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Stephen Calderon, age 42, of Albany, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a rifle as a felon.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and 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).
As part of his plea, Calderon admitted that on December 19, 2018, he knowingly possessed a Norinco SKS 7.62x39 caliber rifle in the city of Albany. Two prior felony convictions, both for driving with a suspended license as a habitual offender in Florida, prevented Calderon from legally possessing the firearm.
Calderon faces up to 10 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 Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy.
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 was investigated by ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
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.
Western Massachusetts Man Charged with Traveling to Meet Minor for SexRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Martin Connearney, age 32, of Lenox, Massachusetts, was arrested yesterday and charged with traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The criminal complaint alleges that between April 6, 2022 and May 4, 2022, Connearney exchanged text messages with another person in which Connearney expressed interest in engaging in sexual conduct with a child. Connearney and the other person discussed plans in which Connearney would travel from Massachusetts in order to meet at a prearranged location in New York and engage in sexual acts with the child. On the morning of May 5, 2022, Connearney drove from Lenox to New York, where he was encountered by law enforcement officials and arrested.
Connearney appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart and was ordered detained after he waived his right to a detention hearing.
The charge filed against Connearney carries a maximum sentence of 30 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 particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Iraqi Citizen Sentenced for Lying to U.S. Immigration Officials About His Membership in Middle Eastern Paramilitary GroupRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Chasib Hafedh Saadoon Al Fawadi, age 36, an Iraqi citizen residing in Geddes, New York, was sentenced today to serve 48 months in federal prison for his convictions for making false statements in a U.S. immigration application for permanent residence, and making false statements to U.S. Immigration officials during an oral interview for permanent residency, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office. The sentence imposed today included a stipulation for a court order for Al Fawadi’s removal from the United States without further immigration proceedings following his release from federal prison.
As part of his guilty plea, Al Fawadi admitted that in a written application mailed to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in Syracuse, New York, on June 8, 2017, he falsely denied being a member of any group engaged in violent activities. Al Fawadi’s statement was false because since after his 26th birthday, while living in Iraq, he was a member of and affiliated with As’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), an Iranian-backed Shiite militia and paramilitary organization. Also, as part of his guilty plea, Al Fawadi admitted that he falsely reaffirmed his previous written statements during an in-person oral interview with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in Syracuse on April 9, 2019.
Al Fawadi’s participation in AAH—a group which since has been formally designated as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the United States Department of State—included travel to Syria in 2013. The purpose of the travel was apparently to engage in combat operations in support of the Syrian regime that, less than a month before Al Fawadi arrived, killed over 1,400 of its own citizens in the Ghouta chemical weapons attack. Al Fawadi concealed his travel to Syria, Iran, and Jordan when he applied for refugee classification and again in his application for permanent resident status.
United States Attorney Carla Freedman said, “Immigration applicants must disclose their ties to any group engaged in violent activities, and will be prosecuted when they fail to do so. Thanks to this prosecution and the diligent work of our law enforcement partners, a dangerous person has been removed from our community and will no longer be able to reside in the United States.”
Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said, “Mr. Al Fawadi lied to authorities to conceal his membership in a violent paramilitary group. The FBI’s top priority remains protecting our national security and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure dangerous individuals do not have the opportunity to jeopardize the safety of Americans.”
“Due to the dedication of our special agents and law enforcement partners, Al Fawadi is no longer able to hide his affiliation with a violent paramilitary group,” said HSI Buffalo acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Scarpino. “HSI will continue to remain vigilant in its mission to protect the homeland and dismantle terrorist organizations that pose a threat to the United States.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer, with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, as well as the Counter Terrorism Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice [“DOJ”] and the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Criminal Division of DOJ.
Fulton County Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Mail in AlbanyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Otilio Millan III, age 33, of Broadalbin, New York, pled guilty today to stealing gift cards and cash from mailed packages while employed as a clerk for the United States Postal Service (USPS).
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area for the USPS Office of the Inspector General.
In pleading guilty, Millan admitted that from December 2020 to November 2021, he opened mailed packages in order to steal gift cards and cash, while working at several Post Offices in Albany, including the Terminal Street Station and the Stuyvesant Plaza Station.
Millan, who pled guilty to mail theft, faces up to 5 years in prison when Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn sentences him on September 8, 2022. 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. Millan has also agreed to pay restitution.
This case was investigated by the USPS Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Doctor Admits to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ehab Kodsi, age 56, of Watervliet, New York, pled guilty today to filing a false tax return and admitted to deliberately underreporting his income from 2015 to 2018.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”).
Kodsi, a medical doctor, is the sole owner of a pain management clinic located in Queensbury, New York. He is also a partner in a real estate company that owns several properties, including the office building in Queensbury that houses his pain management clinic.
In pleading guilty, Kodsi admitted that from 2015 to 2018, he underreported his businesses’ revenues to the IRS, and improperly deducted personal and business expenses. As a result, Kodsi failed to report a total of $822,069 in income and failed to pay $245,212 in taxes.
Kodsi did not report income received from third parties reimbursing services provided by his pain management clinic, deducted personal expenses as business expenses, deducted the same business expense multiple times, and overstated business expenses related to his and his family’s use of vehicles.
Kodsi faces up to 3 years in prison, and a maximum $250,000 fine, when Senior United District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn sentences him on September 8, 2022. He has also agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $245,212. 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 was investigated by IRS-CI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Schenectady Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Thomas Hendricks Jr., age 40, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a loaded pistol as a felon.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and 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).
As part of his plea, Hendricks admitted that on June 20, 2021, he brandished a 9mm semi-automatic pistol while live-streaming on his Facebook account. He further admitted that on June 28, 2021, he possessed the same loaded pistol in his residence in the city of Schenectady, at which time it was seized by the Schenectady Police Department as part of an investigation. Two prior felony convictions, for criminal possession of a weapon and aggravated cruelty to animals, prevented Hendricks from legally possessing the firearm in New York.
Hendricks faces up to 10 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 September 13, 2022, by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy.
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 was investigated by ATF and the Schenectady Police Department, with assistance provided by the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
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.
Ithaca Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Leroy Reed, age 53, of Ithaca, New York, pled guilty today before Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
Reed, who remains detained pending his sentencing scheduled for September 20, 2022, faces at least 15 years in prison and up to 60 years imprisonment on the charges. The Court will also impose a term of supervised release of between 5 years and 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.
As part of his guilty plea, Reed, admitted that from February 2020 to March 2021 he used a computer to download child pornography over the internet using peer-to-peer file sharing software. A subsequent search of Reed’s apartment revealed that he was in possession of 55 images and 94 video files depicting child pornography. Reed is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2002 of Rape in the First Degree involving a victim who was 15 years old.
Reed’s case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), with assistance from the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ 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.
Vestal Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Nicholas Donafrio, age 42, of Vestal, New York, pled guilty today before Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy to one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
Donafrio’s sentencing is scheduled for September 6, 2022. He faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 on the charge. The Court must also impose a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, and Donofrio 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 is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
As part of his guilty plea, Donafrio admitted that in September of 2016 an FBI undercover agent using peer-to-peer file sharing software downloaded child pornography from Donafrio’s laptop computer and that in March of 2017 he possessed over 12,000 images and 57 video files depicting child pornography on a thumb drive. Donofrio also admitted that he possessed another 1,500 images and 150 videos on eight other pieces of electronic media, and that the child pornography he collected included prepubescent children and toddlers.
Donafrio’s case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), with assistance from the Vestal Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ 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.
Ulster County Man Sentenced for Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Anthony Hadden, age 29, of Modena, New York, was sentenced last week to 121 months in prison for possessing, distributing, receiving and transporting child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Hadden admitted that between December 14, 2017 and January 9, 2018, he distributed and received images and videos of child pornography through a group messaging application on his phone. His phone also contained numerous files depicting child pornography. Hadden also admitted that on January 21, 2020, Hadden emailed to himself numerous images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
In imposing sentence on April 29, 2022, United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release to follow the term of incarceration.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Orange County Man Sentenced for Cocaine ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –James Taylor, age 34, of Orange County, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for possessing and intending to distribute cocaine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division
As part of his guilty plea, Taylor admitted that on March 2, 2020, he and his co-defendant possessed with the intent to distribute approximately two kilograms of cocaine.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 2-year term of supervised release to follow the term of incarceration.
His co-defendant, Peter Mami, age 44, also of Orange County, also pled guilty to possessing and intending to distribute cocaine, and is pending sentencing.
This case was investigated by the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
Schenectady Man Sentenced for Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – James King, age 33, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for possessing and intending to distribute methamphetamine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen; and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his guilty plea, King admitted that between February and March 2021, he sold methamphetamine twice and possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute on March 17, 2021. In total, King admitted to selling more than 150 grams of methamphetamine.
Chief United States District Judge Hon. Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a term of 4 years of supervised release to follow the term of incarceration.
This case was investigated by DEA, the New York State Police, and HSI, with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department and the Guilderland Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping.
Albany Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon at Albany International AirportRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Josef Jarvis, age 32, of Albany, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon at the Albany International Airport. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Jarvis, who has prior felony convictions for racketeering and weapons offenses, admitted that he possessed a loaded handgun and ammunition while attempting to pass through a security checkpoint at Albany International Airport before boarding a flight on August 16, 2021.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, which will start after Jarvis is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping.
Chenango County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jonas Whaley, 36, of Chenango County, New York, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. Devito, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Chenango County Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr., and Broome County Sheriff David E. Harder.
As part of his guilty plea, Whaley admitted that he possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Whaley further admitted that he possessed two pistols and a revolver, which he used in furtherance of his drug trafficking to protect himself, the drugs he planned to distribute, and drug proceeds. As part of his guilty plea, Whaley agreed to the forfeiture of 12 additional firearms, more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibers, and $3,600 in drug proceeds.
At sentencing on August 23, 2022, Whaley faces a minimum term of 10 years and up to life in prison, a post-incarceration term of at least 4 years and up to life of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $5,000,000. 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.
This case is being investigated by ATF, the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie.
Former State Employee Indicted for Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – A grand jury indictment unsealed today alleges that former New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) employee Wendell Giles, age 51, of Albany, conspired with another former NYSDOL employee to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, including federally funded pandemic-relief benefits. A co-conspirator, Carl J. DiVeglia III, age 33, of Albany, waived indictment and pled guilty on April 13 to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges before Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Associate Deputy Attorney General and Director of COVID Fraud Enforcement Kevin A. Chambers; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).
The indictment alleges that from about July 2020 through August 2021, Giles and DiVeglia initiated fraudulent unemployment insurance applications in the names of other people and then abused their NYSDOL computer systems access to release benefits payments on the false claims. Giles and DiVeglia each received a share of the fraudulently obtained UI benefits. The charges in the indictment against Giles are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman stated: “As alleged, Wendell Giles breached the public’s trust by taking money from government programs designed to help out-of-work New Yorkers during a global pandemic. The integrity of government benefits programs depends on the honesty of the people who help to administer them. We continue to prioritize COVID fraud prosecutions to maintain public confidence in these programs and to hold accountable those who have abused the system.”
Director Kevin A. Chambers stated: “Those who took advantage of the government’s pandemic relief packages decided that their personal gain was more important than the health and economic security of their fellow citizens. This behavior is even more egregious when committed by government employees who abused their positions of trust. I applaud the hard work of those who are investigating and prosecuting this matter.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Janeen DiGuiseppi stated: “As alleged in the indictment, Wendell Giles and his co-conspirator used their (former) positions at the NYS Department of Labor to cheat a system designed to help unemployed New Yorkers. Their scheme lined their own pockets during a global pandemic when millions lost their jobs and needed help more than ever. The FBI, along with our partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who defraud programs designed to assist Americans in need.”
USDOL-OIG Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone stated: “An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate fraud involving unemployment insurance programs. This is particularly true when an allegation involves misconduct by the very government employees charged with overseeing those programs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and state workforce agencies to aggressively investigate unemployment insurance fraud.”
Giles appeared today and pled not guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart. Giles was released with conditions.
As part of DiVeglia’s guilty plea on April 13, he admitted responsibility for over $1.6 million in losses to NYSDOL and to personally receiving approximately $225,000 in fraud proceeds.
A mail fraud charge carries 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 consecutive to any other terms 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.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and USDOL-OIG, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Chisholm and Joshua R. Rosenthal.
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.
New Jersey Man Indicted for Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Juller Perez, age 43, of Garfield, New Jersey, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with engaging in a kickback scheme to defraud a company with operations in Greene County, from at least 2015 to 2019. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Tammy L. Tomlins, Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
According to the indictment, from at least 2015 to 2019, Perez co-owned a trucking company in New Jersey that transported products as a third-party contractor for a bedding company with a distribution facility in West Coxsackie, New York. As part of the fraudulent scheme, Perez paid kickbacks to the transportation manager of the bedding company in exchange for the use of the bedding company’s trucks and drivers to transport merchandise from West Coxsackie to Perez’s truck yard in Clifton, New Jersey, which allowed Perez to avoid certain transportation costs. Perez then fraudulently invoiced and received payment from the bedding company as if his trucking company had transported and delivered the merchandise from West Coxsackie when Perez and his trucking company transported the merchandise only from the Clifton, New Jersey location.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charges filed against Perez carry a maximum sentence of 20 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.
Perez was arraigned today in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was released pending a trial before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping.
Liverpool Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Dominic Zampini, age 26, of Liverpool, New York, pled guilty today to one count of receipt of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
Zampini, who remains detained pending his sentencing scheduled for August 24, 2022, faces at least 5 years’ and up to 60 years’ imprisonment on the charges. Following a sentence of imprisonment, Zampini will also be placed on a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, and 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 particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
As part of his guilty plea, Zampini admitted that between October 2020 and December 2020, he knowingly received child pornography images over the internet from another individual he met through a mobile application, and that in September, 2021 he possessed images depicting child pornography on two cell phones.
This case is being investigated the New York State Police and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie 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), 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.
Georgia Man Sentenced to 60 Days in Jail and Fined for Entering Port of Albany Under False PretensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Andrew Avila, age 45, of Acworth, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday to a 60-day term of imprisonment, to be followed by 1 year of supervised release, and to pay a $5,000 fine, for the misdemeanor offense of entering the Port of Albany under false pretenses. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and U.S. Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson.
Avila was convicted on December 2, 2021 after a four-day jury trial. The trial evidence demonstrated that Avila traveled from Atlanta, Georgia, on May 2, 2018, and entered the Port of Albany by passing himself off as a Department of Energy (“DOE”) employee. The Port of Albany is a secured area that spans parts of Albany, Rensselaer, and the Town of Bethlehem, New York, and is subject to a security plan required and approved by the United States Coast Guard.
This case was investigated by the Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily C. Powers and Rick Belliss.
Delaware County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jeremie Hoyt, age 42, of Davenport, New York, pled guilty today before Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
Hoyt, who remains detained pending his sentencing scheduled for August 24, 2022, faces at least 15 years and up to 110 years imprisonment on the charges, and a fine of up to $250,000. The Court must also impose a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, and Hoyt will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of this conviction. 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.
As part of his guilty plea, Hoyt admitted that he used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct, and that in August of 2019 he produced a sexually explicit photograph of the child, and in November 2020 he produced a sexually explicit video of the same child. Hoyt further admitted that he later distributed the sexually explicit image and video over the Internet to other users on a messaging application and that he still possessed the sexually explicit image and video on his iPad when law enforcement searched his home in April 2021.
Hoyt’s case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Investigators of the New York State Police, Computer Crimes Unit (CCU), and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown 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.