Northern District of Ohio
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Cleveland men indicted for armed robberies in Solon, Bath and North OlmstedRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury indicted three Cleveland men for armed robberies in Solon, Bath and North Olmsted, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Stephone D. Tillman, 24, Matthew S. Bowen, Jr., 24, and Christopher R. Jones, 25, were indicted on charges of conspiring to interfere with interstate commerce by means of robbery as well as committing the robberies of convenience stores in Solon and in Bath.
Additionally, Tillman and Bowen were also charged with robbing a drive through convenience store in North Olmsted. Each of the robberies involved the use of a firearm, according to the indictment.
Tillman, Bowen, and Jones robbed the Circle K, located at 29605 Aurora Road, in Solon, on September 15, 2015. On October 3, 2015, Bowen and Tillman robbed the Zip Thru drive-through store located at 30781 Lorain Road, in North Olmsted. On October 8, 2015, all three defendants robbed the Circle K, located at 791 Cleveland-Massillon Road, in Bath, according to the indictment.
Additionally, Tillman was charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to each of the robberies. Bowen and Jones were charged as accomplices to that firearm use for the two Circle K robberies.
Tillman was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Solon, North Olmsted, and Bath Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin R. Filiatraut and Kelly L. Galvin.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
Cleveland man charged for armed robberies of Family Dollar storesRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was indicted for four armed robberies of Family Dollar stores that took place in 2015, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
Patrick Young, 19, was indicted on one count of conspiring to interfere with commerce by means of robbery, four counts of interference with commerce by means of robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The indictment alleges that Young and others known to the grand jury conspired to rob Family Dollar stores at 7300 St. Clair Ave., 3470 East 93rd Street, 7415 Superior Ave., and 12107 St. Clair Ave between August 24 and September 16, 2015.
The indictment also alleges Young carried and brandished a firearm during the incidents.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases the sentence will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen E. Henderson following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cleveland Division, and the Cleveland Division of Police, and with the assistance of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Canton man charged with robbing three banksRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Cortez K.D. Williams, 24, of Canton, with bank robbery, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Williams is charged robbing the Huntington National Bank at 230 West Cedar Street in Ravenna, on March 27, 2015. Williams is charged with robbign the same Huntington National Bank branch on September 23. He is also charged with robbintg the Huntington National Bank at 1045 Trump Road in Carrollton.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Linda H. Barr.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Akron man faces federal charges for firearms and FentanylRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Stuart J. Boykin, 39, of Akron, with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Count 1 charges Boykin of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl/heroin on November 19, 2015. Count 2 charges Boykin with possessing firearms and ammunition on that same date, after having been convicted in Summit County Court of Common Pleas Case No. CR-1995-06-1635A on November 20, 1995, of felonious assault.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Linda H. Barr.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Elyria man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for drug and firearms convictionsRead the Press Release
An Elyria man was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for federal narcotics and firearms violations, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Jerry L. Wells, Jr., 34, was sentenced to 125 months in prison after previously being found guilty of distribution of heroin, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and MDMA, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Wells distributed heroin on four occasions in February. He also possessed 30 grams of MDMA and 60 marijuana plants on Feb. 21, according to court documents.
On that same date, Wells possessed a Taurus 9 mm pistol despite several previous convictions in Lorain County Common Pleas Court, including heroin trafficking, cocaine trafficking and burglary, according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Corts following an investigation by the Elyria Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Five indicted for bringing multi-kilo shipments of heroin, cocaine and marijuana to Toledo area from California and MexicoRead the Press Release
Five men were named in an 11-count indictment, accused of conspiring to bring heroin, cocaine and marijuana to the Toledo area from Mexico and California, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
Indicted are: Jesus Reyes, 27, of Los Angeles; Jose Leal Jr., 27, of Los Angeles; Edgar Campos, 26, of San Fernando, Calif.; Rigoberto Luna Luna, 48, of Mexico, and Eric Dodd, 25, of Oregon, Ohio.
Reyes, Leal, Campos and Luna obtained the drugs in California and Mexico and distributed the heroi, cocaine and marijuana to members of the Alejandro Garcia organization, a narcotics operation that operated in Northwest Ohio. This took place beginning in 2010, according to the indictment.
Reyes, Leal, Campos and Luna facilitated the transportation of kilogram-quantities of heroin, cocaine and marijuana to the Toledo area by utilizing semi-truck deliveries, parcel delivery services and couriers, including Dodd, according to the indictment.
Dodd assisted in the distribution of narcotics to mid-level and lower-level drug dealers in the Toledo area, according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Freeman following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Toledo Police Department and the Metro Drug Task Force.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland man sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for armed robbery in Cleveland HeightsRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for robbing a Family Dollar store in Cleveland Heights, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Cleveland Office.
Keyonte Oates, aka Keyontae Berry, aka “Pacco,” 23, was previously found guilty of one count of interference with commerce by means of robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and In relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced to 114 months in prison.
Oates and others attempted to rob the Family Dollar store on September 23, 2014. A firearm was brandished during the incident, according to court documents.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Kendra Klump following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cleveland Division, and the Cleveland Heights Police Department.
Texas man charged with illegally transporting three minors into the United StatesRead the Press Release
An information was filed charging Arely Gonzalez-Corea, 37, of Katy, Texas, with transporting illegal aliens with the United States, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Corea was stopped in Sandusky County last month and found to have three juveniles who were in the United States illegally, two from Guatemala and one from Nicaragua, according to the information.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Bureau of Customs & Border Protection, Sandusky, Ohio. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey B. Tangeman.
An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland women sentenced to prison for stealing identities and filing false tax returnsRead the Press Release
Two Cleveland women were sentenced to prison for a conspiracy in which they stole other people’s identities and collected more than $326,000 in false tax returns, law enforcement officials said.
Michelle D. Pugh, a/k/a Michelle Morman, 39, was sentenced to four years in prison. Joi C. Tate, 38, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. They were ordered to pay $326,265 in restitution.
They were previously found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the government, making false, fictitious and fraudulent claims for income tax refunds, theft of public funds and aggravated identity theft.
“This duo is stole money from the government and identifying information from customers,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
“These unscrupulous defendants thought they had figured out a clever scheme to thwart the IRS and steal from American taxpayers by posing as legitimate income tax preparers,” said Guy A. Ficco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “Today they are being held accountable for their criminal actions.”
Pugh and Tate, acting together and with others, engaged in a false tax refund scheme in which they prepared at least 25 false income tax returns for the years 2010 and 2011, for approximately 20 people including Pugh, which claimed income tax refunds that were greater than the actual refunds, if any, to which the taxpayers were entitled, according to court documents.
Pugh, Tate and others gathered personal identification information used in filing the returns either by posing as legitimate tax preparers working through Pugh’s company, MP Tax Services, or through a network of associates. In some cases, Pugh and Tate obtained and used personal identification information of individuals without their knowledge of consent. Pugh and Tate did not list themselves as the actual tax preparer on any of the tax returns they filed in others’ names.
On each return, Pugh, Tate and their cohorts generated false refund claims, at least in part, by reporting a falsely inflated or fictitious wage income and a resulting false earned income credit. On some returns, Pugh, Tate and their confederates also claimed false dependents and/or reported false education and child tax credits, as reflected on fictitious Forms 8863 and 8812 filed with the IRS.
Pugh and Tate filed the returns electronically on behalf of taxpayers, through private and public internet connections. Generally, they did not provide a copy of the return to the taxpayer, and the taxpayer did not know the amount of the refund claimed or was told an incorrect amount. In the case of those individuals whose identities were used without their knowledge or permission, Pugh and Tate did not inform them that they received funds from the IRS and instead kept the proceeds for themselves, according to court documents.
The electronic filings included requests that the IRS direct-deposit refunds into bank accounts owned or controlled by Pugh. After receiving the refunds, Pugh, Tate and their co-conspirators paid only a portion of the refund, if any, to the taxpayer.
Pugh’s, Tate’s and their co-conspirators’ falsely inflated refund claims on the returns filed in the scheme resulted in the delivery of approximately $326,265 in illicit refunds to the conspirators, according to court documents.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Om Kakani, following an investigation by the IRS – Criminal Investigations.
Barberton man who participated in ethnic cleansing in former Yugoslavia sentenced to prison, to be deportedRead the Press Release
A Barberton man was sentenced to two years in prison for lying on his immigration documents by failing to disclose his role in the ethnically motivated murder of a Croatian couple during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Marlon Miller, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Detroit, which covers Michigan and Ohio.
Slobodan Mutic, 53, is expected to be deported upon completion of his sentence to Croatia, where he will stand trial for human-rights violations.
Mutic, a former soldier of the now-defunct rogue state Republika Serbian Krajina, pleaded guilty last year to one count of knowingly and willingly possessing a U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Form I-94, knowing it to be forged, counterfeited, altered, falsely made or to be have been procured by means of a false claim or statement.
"Our nation welcomes refugees, not human rights criminals,” Dettelbach said. “This defendant lied his way into this nation and does not deserve the privileges and freedoms this great nation offers. It is now up the legal system to ensure that he will be held to account for any of his actions in a proper court once he is returned to his home country."
“Today’s sentencing is another step toward Mr. Mutic’s removal from the United States,” Miller said. “This case underscores HSI’s commitment to ensuring that the United States is not perceived as a haven for individuals who have committed horrendous war crimes in their home countries.”
Mutic possessed a Form I-94 in 2012 that he fraudulently procured. Mutic, on or about August 2001, falsely claimed “no” when filling out immigration forms that asked if he had ever “been arrested, cited, charged, indicted, fined or imprisoned for breaking any law or ordinance…” and again when asked if he had “ever engaged in any genocide, otherwise ordered, incited, assisted or otherwise participated in the killing of any person because of race, religion, nationality ethnic origin or political opinion,” according to court documents.
Those answers were false. Mutic was arrested, detained for a month and questioned by local law enforcement about the murder of Stjepan and Paula Cindric. The answers also contradicted statements he made during a January 8, 1992 interview that were memorialized in an affidavit that Mutic signed, according to court documents.
In that affidavit, Mutic admitted to his participation in the murder of the Cindric family along with accomplice Dragan Perencevic. Mutic and Perencevic targeted the Cindrics because of their ethnicity. Mutic is also wanted for other crimes in Croatia, including the murder of Aleksandra Zivkovic, according to court documents.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. Cronin and Karrie Howard following an investigation by Homeland Security Special Agent Timothy Stark and Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center historian Michael MacQueen.
Liberty Center man charged with receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
A criminal information was filed charging Gerald B. Searle, 51, Liberty Center, with receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of a child, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The conduct took place between 2013 and 2015, according to the information
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Office of the Inspector General, Sandusky, Ohio, with the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Tangeman.
An information is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Department reaches settlement with Kent State University to resolve allegations of discrimination in university-operated student housingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Kent State University has agreed to pay $145,000 to settle a civil rights lawsuit alleging that the university had maintained a policy of not allowing students with psychological disabilities to keep emotional support animals in university-operated student housing. Under the settlement agreement, which must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, KSU will:
• pay $100,000 to two former students who sought and were denied a reasonable accommodation to keep an emotional support dog in their university-operated apartment;
• pay $30,000 to a fair housing organization that advocated on behalf of the students;
• pay $15,000 to the United States; and
• adopt a housing policy that will allow persons with psychological disabilities to keep animals with them in university housing when such animals provide necessary therapeutic benefits to such students and allowing the animal would not fundamentally alter the nature of the housing.
“This settlement shows the department’s continued and strong commitment to ensuring that students in university housing are afforded the protections of the Fair Housing Act,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Those protections include accommodations for students with disabilities who need assistance animals in order to have an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of university housing.”
“Kent State University is to be commended for reaching an agreement that will benefit its students,” said U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio. “This agreement will help many people who are working hard to earn their fair share of the American dream.”
The proposed settlement would resolve a lawsuit filed by the department in 2014. In that lawsuit, the department alleged that KSU violated the Fair Housing Act when, in 2010, it denied a request to allow a student with a psychological disability and her husband to keep an emotional support dog in their university-operated student apartment. The students, along with the Fair Housing Advocates Association in Akron, Ohio, filed a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD investigated the complaint, determined that KSU had violated the Fair Housing Act and referred the matter to the department. Under the proposed settlement, KSU has agreed to change its policy to accommodate similar requests going forward.
“Providers of on-campus housing have the same obligation to comply with the Fair Housing Act as other housing providers,” said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Today’s settlement reinforces the ongoing commitment of HUD and the Justice Department to ensuring that individuals with disabilities are granted the accommodations they need to perform daily life functions.”
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected] or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or through HUD’s website at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Kent State University to Resolve Allegations of Discrimination in University-Operated Student HousingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Kent State University (KSU) has agreed to pay $145,000 to settle a civil rights lawsuit alleging that the university had maintained a policy of not allowing students with psychological disabilities to keep emotional support animals in university-operated student housing. Under the settlement agreement, which must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, KSU will:
• pay $100,000 to two former students who sought and were denied a reasonable accommodation to keep an emotional support dog in their university-operated apartment;
• pay $30,000 to a fair housing organization that advocated on behalf of the students;
• pay $15,000 to the United States; and
• adopt a housing policy that will allow persons with psychological disabilities to keep animals with them in university housing when such animals provide necessary therapeutic benefits to such students and allowing the animal would not fundamentally alter the nature of the housing.
“This settlement shows the department’s continued and strong commitment to ensuring that students in university housing are afforded the protections of the Fair Housing Act,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division. “Those protections include accommodations for students with disabilities who need assistance animals in order to have an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of university housing.”
“Kent State University is to be commended for reaching an agreement that will benefit its students,” said U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio. “This agreement will help many people who are working hard to earn their fair share of the American dream.”
The proposed settlement would resolve a lawsuit filed by the department in 2014. In that lawsuit, the department alleged that KSU violated the Fair Housing Act when, in 2010, it denied a request to allow a student with a psychological disability and her husband to keep an emotional support dog in their university-operated student apartment. The students, along with the Fair Housing Advocates Association in Akron, Ohio, filed a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD investigated the complaint, determined that KSU had violated the Fair Housing Act and referred the matter to the department. Under the proposed settlement, KSU has agreed to change its policy to accommodate similar requests going forward.
“Providers of on-campus housing have the same obligation to comply with the Fair Housing Act as other housing providers,” said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Today’s settlement reinforces the ongoing commitment of HUD and the Justice Department to ensuring that individuals with disabilities are granted the accommodations they need to perform daily life functions.”
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected] or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or through HUD’s website at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp.
Kent State Consent Decree
Bedford woman sentenced to more than two years in prison for identity theft and tax crimesRead the Press Release
A Bedford woman was sentenced to more than two years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $150,000 in restitution for an identity theft and tax fraud scheme, law enforcement officials announced.
Michelle Devine was sentenced to 28 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, and ordered to pay $149,616 in restitution. Devin, 44, pleaded guilty last year to one count of aggravated identity theft, four counts of theft of government property and one count of filing false claims for income tax refunds.
"This woman preyed on people's trust by posing as a legitimate tax preparer," said U.S Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach. "Instead, she abused that trust and stole money."
“Identity theft is a contemptible modern-day scourge,” said Guy A. Ficco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “Individuals who commit refund fraud and identity theft of this magnitude and with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Kendra Klump following at investigation by the Internal Revenue Service -- Criminal Investigations.
Statement regarding Tamir RiceRead the Press Release
“The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the United States Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been monitoring the investigation that has been conducted regarding the death of Tamir Rice on Nov. 22, 2014. We will continue our independent review of this matter, assess all available materials and determine what actions are appropriate, given the strict burdens and requirements imposed by applicable federal civil rights laws.
“Additionally, the Department of Justice continues in its efforts to pursue ongoing and comprehensive reform pursuant to the consent decree in the federal, civil pattern and practice case filed before Chief Judge Solomon Oliver in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.”
Avon Lake man sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud that contributed to the collapse of credit unionRead the Press Release
An Avon Lake man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $10.6 million in loan proceeds, bribing the chief operating officer of the credit union to receive those loans, and laundering the proceeds, conduct which contributed to the collapse of the St. Paul Croatian Federal Credit Union, law enforcement officials said.
Gezim Selgjekaj, 44, was ordered to pay $16 million in restitution. A jury earlier this year found him guilty of one count of conspiracy, 15 counts of financial institution fraud, five counts of bribery and six counts of money laundering.
Selgjekaj received more than $10.6 million in fraudulent loanproceeds from the credit union between 2003 and 2010. Selgjekaj obtained the fraudulent loan proceeds using personal loan accounts, loan accounts he created in business names, including businesses that had previously ceased to exist or never existed at all, and loan accounts he created in the names of friends and family members who were unaware of Selgjekaj’sconduct, according to trial testimony and court documents. Notably, between 2004 and 2008, Selgjekaj was incarcerated in a federal correctional institution on unrelated criminal charges. According to court records and trial testimony, Selgjekajcontrolled others who went to the credit union and obtained loans on his behalf during his incarceration. Some of the loan proceeds were then deposited into his prison account.
Also during this time, and in order to obtain the loan proceeds after defaulting on previously obtained loans and being incarcerated, Selgjekaj provided more than approximately $200,000 in cash and check bribes to Anthony Raguz, the credit union’s then-chief operating officer.
Most of those loans were never repaid, causing a loss to the credit union, according to trial testimony and court documents.
“This defendant is the latest in a line of people who abused the trust of a credit union members and an entire community,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “This defendant contributed to the pain, stress and hardship of thousands of families, and will not be held accountable for his crimes.”
“This sentence should send a message to those who would steal from others,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
“Gezim Selgjekaj and his co-conspirators built a house of cards laced with a web of financial lies. The underlying structure fell apart and exposed these individuals for what they really are --thieves,” said Guy A. Ficco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “Combining the financial investigative expertise of the IRS with the skills and resources of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office makes a formidable team for combating major, greed-driven crimes.”
Selgjekaj is the latest of more than two dozen people convicted of crimes related to the collapse of St. Paul Croatian Federal Credit Union. The credit union was closed and then liquidated in 2010 after sustaining approximately $170 million in total losses,with approximately $72.5 million of those losses tied to individual criminal fraud schemes, making it the largest credit union failure in American history.
A subsequent investigation and prosecutions revealed that more than two dozen people received fraudulent loans, some totaling millions of dollars, that were never repaid in exchange for cash bribes and other kickbacks to Raguz. Trial testimony revealed that Raguz received the most number of and the largest total amount of bribes from Selgjekaj. Raguz is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. AttorneysBridget M. Brennan and Robert W. Kern following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.
Westlake cardiologist sentenced to 20 years in prison for overbilling Medicare and others by $5.7 million for unnecessary proceduresRead the Press Release
A Westlake cardiologist was sentenced to 20 years in prison for performing unnecessary catheterizations, tests, stent insertions and causing unnecessary coronary artery bypass surgeries as part of a scheme to overbill Medicare and other insurers, law enforcement officials said.
Dr. Harold Persaud, 56, was convicted earlier this year of one count of health care fraud, 13 counts of making false statements and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from criminal activity.
“This defendant used his medical license as a license to steal,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon. “He inflated Medicare billings, falsified cardiac care records and performing needless and sometimes invasive tests and procedures. This prison sentence is well deserved.”
“Dr. Persaud violated the sacred trust between doctor and patient by ordering unnecessary tests, procedures and surgeries to line his pockets,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office. “He ripped off taxpayers and put patients’ lives at risk.”
“Dr. Persaud's systematic use of medically unnecessary tests and procedures, falsification of patient records, and submission of false billings to health care insurers added up to a toxic mixture of fraud at the expense of patient safety and well-being, and taxpayer dollars,” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General - Chicago Region. “The OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify, investigate and seek the criminal prosecution of those who choose to exploit federally funded health care programs and the patients these programs serve.”
Persaud had a private medical practice at 29099 Health Campus Drive in Westlake and had hospital privileges at Fairview Hospital, St. John’s Medical Center and Southwest General Hospital, according to court documents and trial testimony.
Persaud devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money from Medicare and other insurers. The scheme took place between 2006 and 2012. According to court documents and trial testimony, his activities in furtherance of the scheme included:
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Persaud selected the billing code for each customer submitted to Medicare and private insurers, and used codes that reflected a service that was more costly than that which was actually performed;
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Persaud performed nuclear stress tests on patients that were not medically necessary;
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He knowingly recorded false results of patients’ nuclear stress tests to justify cardiac catheterization procedures that were not medically necessary;
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Persaud performed cardiac catheterizations on patients at the hospitals and falsely recorded the existence and extent of lesions (blockage) observed during the procedures;
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He recorded false symptoms in patient records to justify testing and procedures on patients;
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Persaud inserted cardiac stents in patients who did not have 70 percent or more blockage in the vessel that he stented and who did not have symptoms of blockage;
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He placed a stent in a stenosed artery that already had a functioning bypass, thus providing no medical benefit and increasing the risk of harm to the patient;
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He improperly referred patients for coronary artery bypass surgery when there was no medical necessity for such surgery, which benefitted Persaud by increasing the amount of follow-up testing he could perform and bill to Medicare and private insurers;
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Persaud performed medically unnecessary stent procedures, aortograms, renal angiograms and other procedures and tests.
As a result of this scheme, Persaud overbilled and caused the overbilling of Medicare and private insurers in the amount of approximately $29 million, of which Medicare and the private insurers paid approximately $5.7 million, according to court records.
A hearing is scheduled for January 27 to determine restitution.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael L. Collyer and Chelsea Rice following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General
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Sandusky man faces child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
William Lester, 21, of Sandusky, was charged with receiving and distributing visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment charges that from on or about May 14, 2013, through on or about November 8, 2013, Lester knowingly received and distributed, by computer, numerous computer files, which contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Cleveland Office.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ohio Cardiologist Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Overbilling Medicare and Others of $5.7 Million for Unnecessary ProceduresRead the Press Release
A Westlake, Ohio, cardiologist was sentenced to 20 years in prison for performing unnecessary catheterizations, tests, stent insertions and causing unnecessary coronary artery bypass surgeries as part of a scheme to overbill Medicare and other insurers by $29 million, law enforcement officials said.
Dr. Harold Persaud, 56, was convicted earlier this year of one count of health care fraud, 13 counts of making false statements and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from criminal activity.
“This defendant used his medical license as a license to steal,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon. “He inflated Medicare billings, falsified cardiac care records and performing needless and sometimes invasive tests and procedures. This prison sentence is well deserved.”
“Dr. Persaud violated the sacred trust between doctor and patient by ordering unnecessary tests, procedures and surgeries to line his pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Office. “He ripped off taxpayers and put patients’ lives at risk.”
“Dr. Persaud's systematic use of medically unnecessary tests and procedures, falsification of patient records and submission of false billings to health care insurers added up to a toxic mixture of fraud at the expense of patient safety and well-being and taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General - Chicago Region. “The OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify, investigate and seek the criminal prosecution of those who choose to exploit federally funded health care programs and the patients these programs serve.”
Persaud had a private medical practice at 29099 Health Campus Drive in Westlake and had hospital privileges at Fairview Hospital, St. John’s Medical Center and Southwest General Hospital, according to court documents and trial testimony.
Persaud devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money from Medicare and other insurers. The scheme took place between 2006 and 2012. According to court documents and trial testimony, his activities in furtherance of the scheme included:
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Persaud selected the billing code for each customer submitted to Medicare and private insurers and used codes that reflected a service that was more costly than that which was actually performed;
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Persaud performed nuclear stress tests on patients that were not medically necessary;
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He knowingly recorded false results of patients’ nuclear stress tests to justify cardiac catheterization procedures that were not medically necessary;
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Persaud performed cardiac catheterizations on patients at the hospitals and falsely recorded the existence and extent of lesions (blockage) observed during the procedures;
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He recorded false symptoms in patient records to justify testing and procedures on patients;
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Persaud inserted cardiac stents in patients who did not have 70 percent or more blockage in the vessel that he stented and who did not have symptoms of blockage;
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He placed a stent in a stenosed artery that already had a functioning bypass, thus providing no medical benefit and increasing the risk of harm to the patient;
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He improperly referred patients for coronary artery bypass surgery when there was no medical necessity for such surgery, which benefitted Persaud by increasing the amount of follow-up testing he could perform and bill to Medicare and private insurers;
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Persaud performed medically unnecessary stent procedures, aortograms, renal angiograms and other procedures and tests.
As a result of this scheme, Persaud overbilled and caused the overbilling of Medicare and private insurers in the amount of approximately $29 million, of which Medicare and the private insurers paid approximately $5.7 million, according to court records.
A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2016, to determine restitution.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael L. Collyer and Chelsea Rice following an investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General
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Lorain man indicted for producing child pornography with more than a dozen childrenRead the Press Release
A grand jury returned a 15-count superseding indictment charging Robert B. Ray, 52, of Lorain, with producing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, receiving, and possessing child pornography, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Between 2009 and 2013, Ray induced or coerced 13 different minor children into sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating child pornography, according the the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough following an investigation by the FBI Cleveland Field Office, Elyria Resident Agency.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former president of Toledo Metro Federal Credit Union charged with embezzlementRead the Press Release
The former president of the Toledo Metro Federal Credit Union was charged in federal court related to using his corporate credit card for personal gain of more than $233,000, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Charles Robert Poore, 45, formerly of Toledo, now residing in Pittsburgh, was charged in a criminal information with one count of embezzlement.
Poore was president of the Toledo Metro Federal Credit Union and, as such, has a credit card for business expenses. Poore used that credit card to purchase goods from third-party vendors through an Amazon account. He then sold those items to the credit union using his corporate credit card at a signifcantly inflated cost. This conduct occurred between 2011 and 2014 and realized profits for Poore of approximately $233,933, according to the information.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Freeman.
An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland man indicted for three bank robberiesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury indicted Keith E. Bass, 20, of Cleveland, for the robberies of three separate banks in Northeast Ohio, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that on September 1, 2015, Bass entered the PNC Bank at 7101 Broadway Avenue, in Cleveland, and robbed the bank of $3,119. On September 9, 2015, Bass entered the First Merit Bank at 22595 Lakeshore Boulevard, in Euclid, and robbed the bank of $1,250. On November 9, 2015, Bass entered the Citizens Bank at 23300 Lakeshore Boulevard, in Euclid, and robbed the bank of $5,140, according to the indictment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Cleveland Police Department and the Euclid Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin R. Filiatraut.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland one of six cities selected for federal team to combat human traffickingRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach today announced the selection of the Northern District of Ohio as one of only six federal districts designated to participate in the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) Initiative, an interagency federal law enforcement initiative aimed at streamlining the investigation and prosecution of federal human trafficking offenses.
“This designation will allow us to build on our success here in Northern Ohio by devoting more resources to investigating and prosecuting human trafficking,” Dettelbach said. “The cases we have prosecuted remind us time and again that labor trafficking and sex trafficking hide in plain sight.”
“Human trafficking violates the rights of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office. “The FBI aggressively pursues justice for these victims and this initiative will help us investigate these cases.”
Dettelbach’s announcement follows the joint announcement of Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez earlier today designating the following cities as Phase II ACTeam sites: Cleveland, Ohio; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Newark, New Jersey; Portland, Maine; Portland, Oregon; and Sacramento, California.
The sites were selected by unanimous interagency consensus of the Federal Enforcement Working Group, comprised of national anti-trafficking experts of the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, the Executive Office of United States Attorneys, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and Office of the Inspector General.
ACTeams are aimed at developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, and coercion, complementing Project Safe Childhood and related efforts aimed at combating child sexual exploitation, including child sex trafficking. ACTeams bring together federal prosecutors and federal agents from multiple federal investigative agencies to develop and implement proactive anti-trafficking case identification, investigation, and prosecution strategies in close coordination with one another and with national anti-trafficking subject matter experts.
Nearly 50 people have been indicted in federal court in the Northern District of Ohio for human trafficking and related offenses since 2010. Among them:
U.S. v. Callahan, et al.: Jessica Hunt is serving 32 years in prison and Jordie Callahan is serving 30 years in prison after a jury convicted them of abusing a developmentally impaired woman in Ashland. The adult victim and her toddler were forced to live in a squalid basement without a bathroom or running water. They were only permitted to come upstairs when the adult victim was ordered to clean and do chores around the home.
U.S. v. Mack, et al.: Jeremy Mack is serving life in prison for forcing – through violence, threats and coercion -- girls to engage in commercial sex acts for his benefit. Mack would not permit the girls to leave the house unescorted (with few exceptions) and terrorized them with firearms.
U.S. v. Robinson, et al.: Brandon Robinson was sentenced to eight years in prison after forcing a 14 year-old runaway to provide sexual services at truck stops along I-75 in Ohio.
U.S. v. Tutstone: Eric Tutstone was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for attempting to sell a 16-year-old girl for $300 to a woman he believed was a “madam.” Tutstone arranged for the “sale” to take place at a Starbucks in downtown Cleveland.
During Phase I of the ACTeam Initiative, Phase I Pilot ACTeams were convened in Atlanta, Georgia; El Paso, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles, California; Memphis, Tennessee; and Miami, Florida. Phase I proved highly successful, with ACTeam Districts collectively increasing prosecutions by 119 percent, compared to 35 percent nationwide during the same two-year period.
Based on the outstanding results of Phase I, Attorney General Lynch, Secretary of Homeland Security Johnson, and Secretary of Labor Perez launched Phase II on June 25, 2015 by soliciting joint applications from United States Attorneys’ Offices and their federal law enforcement partners nationwide.
“Human trafficking robs victims of their liberty, exploits them for labor and for sex, and infringes not only on their rights, but on their essential humanity,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “Through the ACTeam Initiative, we are harnessing resources across the federal government to ensure that our multi-agency fight against human trafficking is as comprehensive and effective as possible. In the days and months ahead, the Department of Justice will continue to work alongside our federal partners to prosecute wrongdoing, support survivors, and bring this devastating crime to an end.”
“The Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) Initiative is an important tool in our collective ability to combat sex trafficking, forced labor and domestic servitude here in the United States,” said Secretary Jeh C. Johnson of Homeland Security. “It highlights our commitment to increase capacity to rescue victims and bring perpetrators of these terrible crimes to justice. Our collective efforts are amplified when we work together in furtherance of shared missions like this. And, through DHS’s Blue Campaign, we will remain focused on ending human trafficking in the United States.”
“A trafficking victim shouldn’t have to spend time trying to determine whether they have a Department of Labor issue or a Department of Justice issue,” said Secretary Thomas Perez of the Department of Labor. “Their basic rights are being violated, and we can accomplish so much more to redress those crimes when we work together. The Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team Initiative, by bringing our respective departments’ collective resources and expertise to bear, is helping us build a whole even greater than the sum of our individual parts.”
“Human trafficking is a modern day form of slavery that destroys lives and exploits the most vulnerable in our society,” said FBI Director James B. Comey. “These Anti-Trafficking Coordination Teams are the most effective way to investigate human trafficking by allowing us to work in a collaborative, victim-oriented manner.”
The Attorney General has declared efforts to bring human traffickers to justice and to restore the lives of human trafficking survivors be among the highest priorities of the Department of Justice.
Five indicted for carjackings and armed robberies in TremontRead the Press Release
A 28-count federal indictment was unsealed today, charging five men with crimes related to a series of carjackings in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office.
Indicted are: Kenneth Jackson, Jr., 19, of Cleveland; Tervon’tae Taylor, 22, of Cleveland Heights; D’wan Dillard, Jr., 19, of Cleveland; Antowine Palmer, 23, of Cleveland, and Calvin Rembert, 22, of Cleveland. The charges include carjacking and multiple counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Palmer is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Conduct alleged in the indictment includes six different armed robberies that took place in July and August 2015.
“Those who use guns to terrorize our community must be held accountable,” Dettelbach said. “These charges entail violent actions including using firearms to take what they wanted from people. The FBI and Cleveland police did an outstanding job finding and arresting this crew.”
“Those indicted terrorized victims and the city with their dangerous, gun wielding car thefts,” Anthony said. “The Violent Crime Task Force and our local partners are committed to aggressively investigate predators who choose to engage in heinous acts of violence against our citizens.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Galvin and Kevin Filiatraut following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cleveland Division of Police.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
An indictment is only charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland man indicted on human trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was indicted on two counts related to human trafficking, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
Ronnie L. Pratt trafficked two underage girls. He did this by taking photos of his girls and posting the photos on www.backpage.com. Pratt handled all text communications with potential customers and transported the girls to “dates.” He kept a portion of the money they were paid for commercial sex acts, according to court documents.
One of the girls was 13 when she began working for Pratt, according to court documents
Pratt had a gun that he used to intimidate at least one of the girls, according to court documents.
The conduct took place between July and November 2015, according to the indictment. The investigation is ongoing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Department terminates consent decree with Ohio Department of Youth ServicesRead the Press Release
The United States announced today that it has joined with the state of Ohio in seeking the termination of a consent decree with the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS), recognizing Ohio’s successful elimination of its use of disciplinary solitary confinement on children in its custody and its improvement of individualized mental health treatment for children formerly at risk of such confinement.
DYS pledged in the consent decree on May 21, 2014, to dramatically reduce and eventually eliminate its use of solitary confinement on children in its custody. DYS also committed to ensure that children in its juvenile facilities receive individualized mental health treatment to prevent and address the conditions and behaviors that led to solitary confinement. Ohio also committed to reduce the potential harms caused by solitary confinement by increasing access to therapeutic, educational and recreational services while a child is in solitary confinement and addressing the child’s behavior that led to acts of violence.
The consent decree resolved allegations that Ohio subjected children with mental health needs to harmful solitary confinement and withheld treatment and programming, in violation of their constitutional rights. The consent decree included performance standards to measure compliance, and the monitors in the United States and S.H. cases monitored compliance jointly. In the order of termination, the court concluded that Ohio had complied with the terms and conditions of the consent decree.
In granting the joint motion to terminate the consent decree, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio noted the “remarkable improvement” in conditions of confinement at DYS juvenile facilities. The court commended DYS for numerous improvements, including the abolition of the practice of disciplinary solitary confinement, its “vastly improved” mental health services and a reduction in the incarcerated population from over 2000 children to fewer than 500 today. The experts who monitored the consent decree prepared and filed with the court a detailed report that explained the reforms DYS made “to memorialize [DYS’] major policy and practice decisions for the benefit of others in the field.”
“The state of Ohio, the administrators of the Department of Youth Services and their counsel are to be commended for their commitment to reforming Ohio’s juvenile correctional facilities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division. “Ohio’s achievements can serve as a model throughout the nation.”
“The termination of this consent decree illustrates state and federal cooperation to provide safer practices for children in Ohio juvenile facilities,” said U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart of the Southern District of Ohio.
“We are gratified that we were able to work together with our state partners to make juvenile justice in Ohio more rehabilitative,” said U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio.
The department first investigated conditions at Ohio juvenile correctional facilities in 2007 and found constitutional deficiencies in Ohio’s use of physical force, mental health care, grievance investigation and processing and use of solitary confinement. In June 2008, the department entered into a consent decree with Ohio to remedy these violations at two facilities that are now closed – the Scioto Juvenile Correctional Facility and the Marion Juvenile Correctional Facility. Simultaneously, private plaintiffs in the case S.H. v. Reed entered into a consent decree with Ohio regarding similar deficiencies at all of the state’s juvenile correctional facilities. However, between November 2013 and January 2014, data from the monitoring of both consent decrees revealed that Ohio had continued to use unlawful solitary confinement on children at Scioto and in the other facilities.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 authorizes the department to seek a remedy for a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the constitutional or federal statutory rights of youth in juvenile justice institutions. Please visit the Civil Rights Division’s website to learn more about this act and other laws the Civil Rights Division enforces.
This agreement is due to the efforts of the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio. The agreement was also due to the work of plaintiffs’ counsel in S.H., Alphonse Gerhardstein of Gerhardstein & Branch Co. LPA and Kim Tandy of the Children’s Law Center Inc., and to the leadership of DYS.
Justice Department Agrees to Termination of Consent Decree Concerning Children in Ohio Juvenile Correctional FacilitiesRead the Press Release
The United States announced today that it has joined with the state of Ohio in seeking the termination of a consent decree with the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS), recognizing Ohio’s successful elimination of its use of disciplinary solitary confinement on children in its custody and its improvement of individualized mental health treatment for children formerly at risk of such confinement.
DYS pledged in the consent decree on May 21, 2014, to dramatically reduce and eventually eliminate its use of solitary confinement on children in its custody. DYS also committed to ensure that children in its juvenile facilities receive individualized mental health treatment to prevent and address the conditions and behaviors that led to solitary confinement. Ohio also committed to reduce the potential harms caused by solitary confinement by increasing access to therapeutic, educational and recreational services while a child is in solitary confinement and addressing the child’s behavior that led to acts of violence.
The consent decree resolved allegations that Ohio subjected children with mental health needs to harmful solitary confinement and withheld treatment and programming, in violation of their constitutional rights. The consent decree included performance standards to measure compliance, and the monitors in the United States and S.H. cases monitored compliance jointly. In the order of termination, the court concluded that Ohio had complied with the terms and conditions of the consent decree.
In granting the joint motion to terminate the consent decree, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio noted the “remarkable improvement” in conditions of confinement at DYS juvenile facilities. The court commended DYS for numerous improvements, including the abolition of the practice of disciplinary solitary confinement, its “vastly improved” mental health services and a reduction in the incarcerated population from over 2000 children to fewer than 500 today. The experts who monitored the consent decree prepared and filed with the court a detailed report that explained the reforms DYS made “to memorialize [DYS’] major policy and practice decisions for the benefit of others in the field.”
“The state of Ohio, the administrators of the Department of Youth Services and their counsel are to be commended for their commitment to reforming Ohio’s juvenile correctional facilities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division. “Ohio’s achievements can serve as a model throughout the nation.”
“The termination of this consent decree illustrates state and federal cooperation to provide safer practices for children in Ohio juvenile facilities,” said U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart of the Southern District of Ohio.
“We are gratified that we were able to work together with our state partners to make juvenile justice in Ohio more rehabilitative,” said U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio.
The department first investigated conditions at Ohio juvenile correctional facilities in 2007 and found constitutional deficiencies in Ohio’s use of physical force, mental health care, grievance investigation and processing and use of solitary confinement. In June 2008, the department entered into a consent decree with Ohio to remedy these violations at two facilities that are now closed – the Scioto Juvenile Correctional Facility and the Marion Juvenile Correctional Facility. Simultaneously, private plaintiffs in the case S.H. v. Reed entered into a consent decree with Ohio regarding similar deficiencies at all of the state’s juvenile correctional facilities. However, between November 2013 and January 2014, data from the monitoring of both consent decrees revealed that Ohio had continued to use unlawful solitary confinement on children at Scioto and in the other facilities.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 authorizes the department to seek a remedy for a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the constitutional or federal statutory rights of youth in juvenile justice institutions. Please visit the Civil Rights Division’s website to learn more about this act and other laws the Civil Rights Division enforces.
This agreement is due to the efforts of the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio. The agreement was also due to the work of plaintiffs’ counsel in S.H., Alphonse Gerhardstein of Gerhardstein & Branch Co. LPA and Kim Tandy of the Children’s Law Center Inc., and to the leadership of DYS.
Ohio Monitors Final Report
Ohio Report on Transformation
Order Terminating Consent Decree
Summit County councilwoman indicted for allegedly taking bribesRead the Press Release
A Summit County councilwoman was named in an 11-count federal indictment, charged with taking cash bribes and other things of value in exchange for official actions, including help with court cases, impeding a pending IRS investigation and assistance obtaining a liquor license, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office.
Tamela Lee, 57, of Akron, was indicted on six counts: conspiracy to commit honest services mail and wire fraud, honest services mail fraud, Hobbs Act conspiracy, violating the Hobbs Act, obstruction of justice and making false statements to law enforcement.
“The charges in this case are extremely serious, because our public officials owe the community the highest level of integrity and honesty,” Dettelbach said. “Working with the FBI, we will continue to pursue corruption allegations so that the public can trust its elected officials.”
“Ms. Lee and the three other defendants must be held accountable for their crimes,” Anthony said. “She was supposed to lawfully represent the people that elected her, but rather, was motivated by her own self interests. The FBI will continue to root out public corruption, whether it is elected officials that violate their oath and the law or citizens that bribe them to do so.”
Three others were also indicted.
Omar Abdelqader, 49, of North Canton, was indicted on seven counts: conspiracy to commit honest services mail and wire fraud, honest services mail fraud, Hobbs Act conspiracy, violating the Hobbs Act, obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements to law enforcement.
Abdelrahman Abdelqader, 42, of Canton, was indicted on two counts: obstruction of justice and making false statements to law enforcement. Samir Abdelqader, 19, of Fairlawn, was indicted on one count of making false statements to law enforcement.
Omar Abdelqader was affiliated with several convenience stores and other businesses in the Akron area, including the Bi-Rite on Diagnonal Road. Abdelrahman Abdelqader is his brother and Samir Abdelqader is his nephew, according to the indictment.
Lee solicited and accepted things from Omar Abdelqader, including money, loans, campaign contributions, home improvements, home maintenance and consumer goods. These were provided directly by Omar Abdelqader, or through Bi-Rite, according to the indictment.
In return, Lee performed and promised to perform official acts for Omar Abdelqader and other businesses in Akron for which he served as a conduit to Lee. These actions included helping Omar Abdelqader and his designees navigate government bureaucracy, achieve favorable outcomes in judicial and administrative proceedings and obtain streamlined access to information, according to the indictment.
For example, on July 5, 2013, Lee caused to be sent a letter to the State of Ohio Liquor Control Commission on behalf of Person 7’s store, recommending approval of a liquor license application.
On June 8, 2014, Omar and Samir Abdelqader discussed Samir obtaining a bond regarding criminal charges he was facing. About 40 minutes later, Omar and Lee discussed the councilwoman emailing or calling the judge. On June 12, Lee called Judge 2’s chambers several times. The next day Lee asked Omar for money, and he directed her to the Bi-Rite to collect the money, according to the indictment.
On June 14, 2014, Lee sent a text message to Omar informing him that the judge and bailiff returned her call. She then sent a text message to Omar stating: “I am going to bed, I am angry and frustrated and broke…bye,” according to the indictment.
Later that day, Omar instructed Lee to send her daughter to the Bi-Rite to pick up cash. Three days later, Lee spoke to Judge 2 and told the judge she was related to Samir Abdelqader, according to the indictment.
In July 2014, Lee and Omar spoke repeatedly about fundraising for her campaign. Omar told Person 9 that he had collected $800 in donations for Lee. Omar explained the Lee provided service. “In other words, I am keeping her because we need her, man,” Omar told Person 9, who responded: “She is better than an attorney to us!” according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antoinette T. Bacon and Linda Barr following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Akron Police Department.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
An indictment is only charge and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Akron man indicted for soliciting the murder of members of the U.S. militaryRead the Press Release
A six-count indictment was filed today charging an Akron man for soliciting the murder of members of the U.S. military.
Terrence J. McNeil, 25, was indicted on three counts of solicitation of a crime of violence and three counts of threatening military personnel.
The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Division.
“According to the indictment, Terrence McNeil solicited the murder of members of our military by disseminating ISIL’s violent rhetoric, circulating detailed U.S. military personnel information and explicitly calling for the killing of American service members in their homes and communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “ISIL and its followers continue to use social media in an attempt to incite violence around the world, including in the United States. The National Security Division’s highest priority is counterterrorism and we will use all of our tools to disrupt threats and acts of violence against our military members and their families.”
“We owe it to our servicemen and women to protect their safety at home after they fought abroad to protect our freedom,” said U.S. Attorney Dettelbach. “This defendant is charged with urging harm to our men and women in uniform and will now answer for those threats.”
“While we aggressively defend First Amendment rights, the individual arrested went far beyond free speech by reposting names and addresses of 100 U.S. service members, all with the intent to have them killed,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to stop those who wish to support these despicable acts.”
According to the indictment:
McNeil maintained social media accounts on several social media web sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. He repeatedly professed his support on social media for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
On or about Sept. 24, 2015, using a Tumblr account, McNeil reblogged a file with the banner “Islamic State Hacking Division,” followed by “Target: United States Military” and “Leak: Addresses of 100 U.S. Military Personnel.”
The file type is a .gif file, which allows multiple still images to be looped in one file, with a timed delay between each image. The text of the first file reads “O Brothers in America, know that the jihad against the crusaders is not limited to the lands of the Khilafah, it is a world-wide jihad and their war is not just a war against the Islamic State, it is a war against Islam…Know that it is wajib (translated to “necessary”) for you to kill these kuffar! and now we have made it easy for you by giving you addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting for? Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe…”
The file then loops several dozen photographs, purportedly of U.S. military personnel, along with their respective name, address and military branch.
The final image looped is a picture of a handgun and a knife with text that reads “…and kill them wherever you find them…”
On Oct. 3, 2015, McNeil posted on his Twitter account: “Released - Address of the US Navy Seal [R.O] who killed Sheikh Osama Bin Laden R.A. - #GoForth #RunRobertRun.”
The defendant included in his post an embedded link that when clicked revealed the purported address of R.O. and a link to R.O.’s purported photograph. The link further stated that R.O. “is a mummy’s boy who has been trying to hide yet still lives with his father…and mother…In between going around America to conferences boasting at how his ‘claim to fame’ is killing Sheikh Osama Bin Laden R.A. …I am posting his address to brothers & to Al Qaeda in the U.S. as a number one target.”
On Oct. 3, 2015, McNeil posted the content regarding R.O. and his address and photograph from the embedded link described above onto his Tumblr page. McNeil added the statement, “don’t let this kafir sleep peacefully,” to his Tumblr post.
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal history, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. Each solicitation count carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and each threat count carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. It is the government’s burden to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, and a defendant is presumed innocent until that time.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section following an investigation by the Cleveland FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of local, state and Federal agencies from Northeast Ohio. The Cleveland FBI would like to thank the following partners in this investigation: Akron Police Department, University of Akron Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Transit Police, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Youngstown man faces firearms chargeRead the Press Release
A Youngstown man was arrested today to face charges that he illegally possessed a firearm, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Brian K. Bellard, 43, possessed a Smith and Wesson, model SD40VE, .40 caliber pistol, and ammunition in October, despite a previous convictiion for cocaine, trafficking, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Youngstown Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason M. Katz.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ohio Man Indicted for Soliciting the Murder of Members of the U.S. MilitaryRead the Press Release
A six-count indictment was filed today charging an Akron, Ohio, man for soliciting the murder of members of the U.S. military.
Terrence J. McNeil, 25, was indicted on three counts of solicitation of a crime of violence and three counts of threatening military personnel. He was arrested on Nov. 12, 2015, on federal charges that he solicited the murder of members of the U.S. military.
The charge was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Division.
“According to the indictment, Terrence McNeil solicited the murder of members of our military by disseminating ISIL’s violent rhetoric, circulating detailed U.S. military personnel information and explicitly calling for the killing of American service members in their homes and communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “ISIL and its followers continue to use social media in an attempt to incite violence around the world, including in the United States. The National Security Division's highest priority is counterterrorism and we will use all of our tools to disrupt threats and acts of violence against our military members and their families.”
“We owe it to our servicemen and women to protect their safety at home after they fought abroad to protect our freedom,” said U.S. Attorney Dettelbach. “This defendant is charged with urging harm to our men and women in uniform and will now answer for those threats.”
“While we aggressively defend First Amendment rights, the individual arrested went far beyond free speech by reposting names and addresses of 100 U.S. service members, all with the intent to have them killed,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to stop those who wish to support these despicable acts.”
According to the indictment:
McNeil maintained social media accounts on several social media web sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. He repeatedly professed his support on social media for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
On or about Sept. 24, 2015, using a Tumblr account, McNeil reblogged a file with the banner “Islamic State Hacking Division,” followed by “Target: United States Military” and “Leak: Addresses of 100 U.S. Military Personnel.”
The file type is a .gif file, which allows multiple still images to be looped in one file, with a timed delay between each image. The text of the first file reads “O Brothers in America, know that the jihad against the crusaders is not limited to the lands of the Khilafah, it is a world-wide jihad and their war is not just a war against the Islamic State, it is a war against Islam…Know that it is wajib (translated to “necessary”) for you to kill these kuffar! and now we have made it easy for you by giving you addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting for? Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe…”
The file then loops several dozen photographs, purportedly of U.S. military personnel, along with their respective name, address and military branch.
The final image looped is a picture of a handgun and a knife with text that reads “…and kill them wherever you find them…”
On Oct. 3, 2015, McNeil posted on his Twitter account: “Released - Address of the US Navy Seal [R.O] who killed Sheikh Osama Bin Laden R.A. - #GoForth #RunRobertRun.”
The defendant included in his post an embedded link that when clicked revealed the purported address of R.O. and a link to R.O.’s purported photograph. The link further stated that R.O. “is a mummy’s boy who has been trying to hide yet still lives with his father…and mother…In between going around America to conferences boasting at how his ‘claim to fame’ is killing Sheikh Osama Bin Laden R.A. …I am posting his address to brothers & to Al Qaeda in the U.S. as a number one target.”
On Oct. 3, 2015, McNeil posted the content regarding R.O. and his address and photograph from the embedded link described above onto his Tumblr page. McNeil added the statement, “don’t let this kafir sleep peacefully,” to his Tumblr post.
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal history, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. Each solicitation count carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and each threat count carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. It is the government’s burden to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, and a defendant is presumed innocent until that time.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Cleveland. This case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
McNeil Indictment
Former North Randall police officer convicted of selling firearms to felonsRead the Press Release
A former police officer was convicted of illegally selling firearms to people he knew were felons, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office.
Kevin R. Lumpkin, 29, of North Olmsted, is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 29.
A jury convicted him after a weeklong trial of selling a Hi-Point .45-caliber rifle and a Ruger .380-caliber pistol on different occassions to people he knew were convicted of felonies and therefore forbidden from possessing a firearm. These sales took place between 2011 and 2013, when Lumpkin was a North Randall police officer, according to trial testimony.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Kendra Klump and Edward Feran following an investigation by the FBI.
Virginia man convicted on child pornography charges, traveling to Ohio to engage in sex with minorRead the Press Release
A Virigina man was convicted of traveling across state lines to engage in sexual conduct with an underage girl, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
David W. Vickers, 42, of Leesburg, Virginia, was convicted on three counts: receiving and distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, enticement, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Vickers communicated online with what he believed to be a 29-year-old Ohio woman and her 13-year-old daughter. In fact, Vickers was communicating with law enforcement investigators. Vickers sent 20 child pornography videos, 11 bestiality videos and discussed how he liked to drug and tie up children. In January 2015, he travelled to Ohio for the purposes of having sex with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl and was arrested, according to court documents.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 15. He faces a recommended sentencing guideline range of 30 years to life in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Kevin Filiatraut following an investigation by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the United States Secret Service.
Pair from Galion charged for armed robbery in Ontario, OhioRead the Press Release
Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Cleveland Division, Northern District of Ohio, and Steven Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio announce the arrest of Taylor Crisman and Chris Hill for the hostage-style armed robbery of KeyBank in Ontario, Ohio in early November.
On November 5, 2015, an unknown suspect held a KeyBank employee and his family hostage at gunpoint overnight in their home. On the morning of November 6, 2015, the suspect ordered the bank employee to travel to the bank, remove a large sum of money from the vault and return home. The suspect held the bank employee's wife and small children hostage until the employee returned home with the money. The bank employee complied with the demand. The suspect then notified an accomplice to pick him up from the residence.
A composite sketch of the unknown suspect was released to the public via the media on November 23, 2015. Various tips were received. Based on the composite sketch being shown by various media outlets, on November 28, 2015, a tip was provided indicating knowledge of the person that committed the KeyBank robbery. Investigators worked with the tipster to corroborate the information obtained over the next several days.
At approximately 12pm today agents from the Cleveland Division of the FBI, Mansfield and Canton resident offices, along with officers from the Ontario Police Department and Richland County Sheriff's Office conducted a traffic stop in Galion, Ohio and placed Crisman, 18, and Hill, 23, both of Galion, Ohio, into custody.
"The FBI commends the media and the public for helping to identify the individual who terrorized a KeyBank employee and his young family overnight," said SAC Anthony. "Crisman and Hill underestimated the collaborative efforts of law enforcement and the community."
"The one thing that these violent criminals did not count on was the incredible work of the FBI, the Ontario Police Department and the Richland County Sheriff's Office," said Dettelbach. "Now they will pay the price at the bar of justice for that oversight."
Crisman was placed into federal custody based on a federal arrest warrant obtained this week. Crisman was transported to Akron, Ohio this afternoon. Hill is currently being held on probable cause charges in the Richland County jail and will be federally charged tomorrow.
Evidence has been obtained at various locations where these two individuals have recently resided. Some items of evidence recovered include the fedora hat and bandana believed to be worn by Crisman during the time he held the family hostage in their home. Also, the .38 caliber handgun believed to be used by Crisman has been recovered.
Investigative activity continues to occur. Additional information will be released when appropriate.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Any questions regarding this news release can be directed to SA Vicki D Anderson at the Cleveland Office of the FBI, 216-522-1400 or [email protected].
Wayne County men indicted for distributing Adderall, other prescription drugsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Ryan L. Peltan, 30, of Doylestown, and Derik W. Snell, 39, of Wooster, with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Count 1 of the indictment alleges that on October 26, 2015, Peltan and Snell possessed with the intent to distribute approximately 2,952 dose units of Adderall and approximately 90 dose units of Adderall patches, Schedule II controlled substances.
Count 2 of the indictment alleges that on the same date, Peltan and Snell possessed with the intent to distribute approximately 999 dose units of Alprazolam (Xanax), approximately 592 dose units of Conazepam, approximately 1,494 dose units of Lorazepam, and approximately 1,052 dose units of Tramadol, Schedule IV controlled substances.
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Akron Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Linda H. Barr.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Stark County duo charged with counterfeitingRead the Press Release
A pair from Stark County were indicted for allegedly counterfeiting $20 bills, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Keith Bloomfield, 20, of Canton, and Jordan R. Custer, 20, of Canal Fulton, were charged wtih with aiding and abetting one another in making counterfeit obligations of the United States. The indictment alleges that Bloomfield and Custer, aiding and abetting one another, falsely made, forged, and counterfeited approximately 20 falsely made, forged and counterfeited twenty-dollar Federal Reserve notes, obligations of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 471 and 2.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen E. Henderson, and was investigated by the United States Secret Service.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Postal employees charged with stealing mailRead the Press Release
Two people from Northeast Ohio were charged wtih mail theft by a postal employee, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Indicted are Joseph W. Dixon, III, 36, of Parma, and Tiffany C. Miller, 26, of Cleveland.
The indictment against Dixon charges that, while he was a Postal Service employee, he stole mail from a Postal Service collection box in Brook Park.
A separate indictment against Miller charges that, while she was a Postal Service employee, she stole mail from Postal Service collection boxes in Cleveland and an envelope addressed to a resident of Euclid.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to each case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants' roles in the offenses and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Seabury Gould. The cases were investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland man sentenced to 55 years in prison for armed robberiesRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was sentenced to 55 years in prison for committing three armed robberies, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Cleveland Office.
Eric Gooch, 24, was convicted by a jury this summer on multiple counts, including conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, use of a firearm during commission of a felony, armed bank robbery and Hobbs Act robbery.
Gooch conspired with others to rob Rose's Discount Store in Cleveland, Ohio. On January 21, 2013, Gooch and others entered and robbed the Rose's Discount Store, and during the robbery, a firearm was brandished. Gooch robbed the PNC Bank at 16614 Harvard Avenue in Cleveland on Feb. 22, 2013, and the PNC Bank at 2771 South Moreland Boulevard in Cleveland on March 13, 2013. A firearm was brandished during each bank robbery, according to trial testimony.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle M. Baeppler and M. Kendra Klump following an investigation by the FBI and Cleveland Division of Police.
Sandusky man charged for false billing schemeRead the Press Release
A Sandusky man was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a billing scheme to defraud his employer, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Anthony K. Jones, 59, worked at Kyklos Bearing International LLC (KBI), where he had authority to make purchases for KBI using an acquisition credit card and the company’s purchase order process. Scott C. Wagner was the owner of Construction Equipment and Supply (CES), which sold and rented industrial machinery, according to the criminal information.
Beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2013, Wagner submitted invoices to Jones for goods that were never delivered and purchases of goods far in excess of what was actually delivered. Jones in turn arranged for KBI to pay the invoices, according to the information.
Wagner made large sums of money through the false billing scheme and compensated Jones with cash kickbacks, according to the information
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sandusky, Ohio, with the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Gene Crawford.
An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Three men face cocaine distribution chargesRead the Press Release
Three men were indicted today on charges that they violated federal drug law, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Indicted are: Dockery Cleveland, 36; Menford McCain, 33, and Larone Williams, 45.
Count one of the indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. County two charges Dockery Cleveland and Larone Williams with attempting to possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. Count three charges the defendants with attempting to possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
If convicted, the defendants' sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the Defendants' prior criminal record, if any, the defendants' ro le in the offenses and the unique characteristics of the vio lations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Riedl. The ninvestigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Youngstown, Ohio.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lisbon man indicted for child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
Charles Lee Davis, Jr., 49, of Lisbon, was charged with receiving, distributing and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment charges that from on or about November 7, 2013, through on or about January 28, 2014, Davis knowingly received and distributed, using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce, numerous computer files, which files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and which files had been shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce. The indictment also charges that on July 23, 2014, Davis possessed a computer containing child pornography.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Sullivan. The case was investigated by the Youngstown Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Houston contractor indicted for making false statements about paying prevailing wage on CMHA jobsRead the Press Release
A 61-count indictment was filed charging Marcus Butler, of Houston, with making multiple false statements to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the United States Department of Labor while defrauding the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and several of his former employees, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced that.
The indictment alleges that Butler ran an electrical company called LB Electric of Northeast Ohio in the Cleveland area. Butler and his company agreed to work as subcontractors on a number of CMHA construction projects, including projects at the Riverside Park, Union Square and Delaney Village properties.
Butler, as a subcontractor on the CMHA project, agreed to pay his employees a prevailing wage while they worked on these CMHA projects and further agreed to provide certified weekly payrolls to CMHA. Although Butler submitted numerous certified payrolls claiming that he paid a prevailing wage to his employees, he did not in fact make such payments to his employees and instead submitted false certified payrolls to conceal this conduct. As a result of his conduct, Butler overstated the amount of wages paid to his employees, and thus underpaid his employees, by approximately $126,514, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of the factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the criminal conduct. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Om Kakani, following an investigation by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and CMHA.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ghanaian man charged with bank fraud and credit card fraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment charging Emmanuel Antwi, a Ghanaian national, with credit card fraud and bank fraud, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that Antwi defrauded Fifth Third Bank, First Merit Bank, and Key Bank through misrepresentations relating to numerous cash advances.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the court after review of the factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, the defendants’ roles in the offense and the characteristics of the criminal conduct. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum
Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cronin is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Elyria Police Department.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Chesterland man faces child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
A grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Jeffrey J. Justice, 32, of Chester Township, with receiving and distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and with possessing child pornography, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough following an investigation by the FBI Cleveland Field Office, Painesville Resident Agency.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Canfield man charged with child pornography offensesRead the Press Release
Christopher B. Yates, 24, of Canfield, was charged with receiving, distributing and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment charges that from on or about September 25, 2013, through on or about October 28, 2013, Yates knowingly received and distributed, using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce, numerous computer files, which files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and which files had been shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce. The indictment also charges that on November 15, 2013, Yates possessed a computer containing child pornography.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Sullivan. The case was investigated by the Youngstown Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ohio Man Arrested for Soliciting the Murder of Members of the U.S. MilitaryRead the Press Release
An Akron, Ohio, man was arrested today on federal charges that he solicited the murder of members of the U.S. military.
Terrence J. McNeil, 25, appeared in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Ohio after being charged with one count of solicitation of a crime of violence.
The charge was announced by Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Division.
“According to the allegations in the complaint, Terrence McNeil solicited the murder of members of our military by disseminating ISIL’s violent rhetoric, circulating detailed U.S. military personnel information, and explicitly calling for the killing of American service members in their homes and communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “ISIL and its followers continue to use social media in an attempt to incite violence around the world, including in the United States. The National Security Division's highest priority is counterterrorism and we will use all of our tools to disrupt threats and acts of violence against our military members and their families.”
“As this nation honors our veterans, we must make clear that we will not tolerate threats of violence against our service members,” said U.S. Attorney Dettelbach. “This defendant is charged with urging harm to our men and women in uniform and will now answer for those threats.”
“While we aggressively defend First Amendment rights, the individual arrested went far beyond free speech by reposting names and addresses of 100 U.S. service members, all with the intent to have them killed,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to stop those who wish to support these despicable acts.”
According to an affidavit filed in the case:
McNeil professed his support on social media on numerous occasions for the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
On or about Sept. 24, 2015, using a Tumblr account, McNeil reblogged a file with the banner “Islamic State Hacking Division,” followed by “Target: United States Military” and “Leak: Addresses of 100 U.S. Military Personnel.”
The file type is a .gif file, which allows multiple still images to be looped in one file, with a timed delay between each image. The text of the first file reads “O Brothers in America, know that the jihad against the crusaders is not limited to the lands of the Khilafah, it is a world-wide jihad and their war is not just a war against the Islamic State, it is a war against Islam…Know that it is wajib (translated to “necessary”) for you to kill these kuffar! and now we have made it easy for you by giving you addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting for? Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe…”
The file then loops several dozen photographs, purportedly of U.S. military personnel, along with their respective name, address and military branch.
The final image looped is a picture of a handgun and a knife with text that reads “…and kill them wherever you find them…”
A charge is not evidence of guilt. It is the government’s burden to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, and a defendant is presumed innocent until that time.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Cleveland. This case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
McNeil Complaint
Lorain County and federal law enforcement work together to combat violent crime and drug traffickingRead the Press Release
Several indictments regarding drug trafficking and firearms crimes in Lorain County were recently unsealed in federal court as part of an ongoing coordinated enforcement initiative, law enforcement officials said.
The indictments were announced by U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach, Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will, Elyria Police Chief Duane Whitely, Lorain Police Chief Cel Rivera, Lorain County Sheriff Phil Stammitti, Drug Enforcement Administration Resident Agent in Charge Keith Martin, ATF Special Agent in Charge Donald J. Soranno and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Steven D. Anthony and the Lorain County Sheriff’s Drug Task Force.
Cases recently filed include:
Jason Vasquez, 37 of Lorain, was charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute heroin. He also faces charges for possessing a firearm and ammunition despite previous convictions for drug trafficking, felonious assault and intimidation. Vasquez is believed to be a major source of heroin and fentanyl in the Lorain County area.
Anetaeus Spencer, 33, of Lorain, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition and several firearms, namely: a Rohm Arms 7.62 x 39 mm. rifle, a Taurus “Judge” .45LC/410GA revolver, a Smith and Wesson pistol, a Keltec .380 handgun and a Mossberg 12 gage shotgun. He was previously convicted of felony offenses which would prohibit him from possessing a firearm and ammunition. Spencer also sold quantities of crack and heroin, and had several thousand dollars on his person at the time of his arrest, according to the indictment.
Octavious Smith, 37, of Elyria, was indicted for possessing a 9 mm firearm and distributing heroin and crack cocaine in Lorain County. Smith was previously convicted of felony offenses which would prohibit him from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Calvin L. Williams, 32, of Elyria, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a weapon, namely a Glock 9 mm handgun. Williams also has pending state drug cases and was previously convicted of felony offenses which would prohibit him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Steve J. Hamilton, 24, of Lorain, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, namely a Heritage MFG “Rough Rider” .22-caliber revolver. Hamilton was previously convicted of felony offenses which would prohibit him from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
These indictments are just the latest in the continuing efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office to work with local partners Lorain County to ensure those who repeatedly violate gun and drug laws in Lorain County are held accountable.
“These defendants’ days of selling drugs on the streets of Elyria and Lorain, or carrying firearms despite prior felony convictions, are over,” Dettelbach said. “These cases are a great example of what happens when agencies and departments combine their resources and expertise to work together. We will build off these successes and work to keep Lorain County safe.”
In prior cases the United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted multiple Lorain County residents who ran afoul of gun and drug laws in cooperation with local law enforcement. These previous cases include:
Jeremy Mack, 38, of Elyria, was sentenced to life in prison after a jury convicted him of human trafficking, drug crimes and obstruction of justice.
Siarres Noble, 29, of Elyria was sentenced to 20 years in prison for distributing heroin and fentanyl, including fentanyl that caused the death of an Elyria resident last year.
John H. Allen, 49, of Lorain, was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison after being convicted of possession with the intent to distribute PCP and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Anthony Paul Montoy, 40, and Fred Alston, 60, both of Elyria, were convicted of conspiracy to distribute kilograms of cocaine in the Lorain County area. Montoy was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison and Alston was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison.
Jerry Wells, 34, of Elyria, recently pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute heroin, MDMA, marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Wells was previously convicted of felony offenses which prohibited him from possessing a firearm and ammunition. He is awaiting sentencing.
Quentin Jackson, 24, of Elyria was recently convicted of felon in possession of a firearm. His sentencing is pending.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Akron man arrested for soliciting the murder of members of the U.S. militaryRead the Press Release
An Akron man was arrested today on federal charges that he solicited the murder of members of the U.S. military.
Terrence J. McNeil, 25, appeared in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Ohio after being charged with one count of solicitation of a crime of violence.
The charge was announced by Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Division.
“According to the allegations in the complaint, Terrence McNeil solicited the murder of members of our military by disseminating ISIL’s violent rhetoric, circulating detailed U.S. military personnel information, and explicitly calling for the killing of American service members in their homes and communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “ISIL and its followers continue to use social media in an attempt to incite violence around the world, including in the United States. The National Security Division's highest priority is counterterrorism and we will use all of our tools to disrupt threats and acts of violence against our military members and their families.”
“As this nation honors our veterans, we must make clear that we will not tolerate threats of violence against our service members,” said U.S. Attorney Dettelbach. “This defendant is charged with urging harm to our men and women in uniform and will now answer for those threats.”
“While we aggressively defend First Amendment rights, the individual arrested went far beyond free speech by reposting names and addresses of 100 U.S. service members, all with the intent to have them killed,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to stop those who wish to support these despicable acts.”
According to an affidavit filed in the case:
McNeil professed his support on social media on numerous occasions for the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
On or about Sept. 24, 2015, using a Tumblr account, McNeil reblogged a file with the banner “Islamic State Hacking Division,” followed by “Target: United States Military” and “Leak: Addresses of 100 U.S. Military Personnel.”
The file type is a .gif file, which allows multiple still images to be looped in one file, with a timed delay between each image. The text of the first file reads “O Brothers in America, know that the jihad against the crusaders is not limited to the lands of the Khilafah, it is a world-wide jihad and their war is not just a war against the Islamic State, it is a war against Islam…Know that it is wajib (translated to “necessary”) for you to kill these kuffar! and now we have made it easy for you by giving you addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting for? Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe…”
The file then loops several dozen photographs, purportedly of U.S. military personnel, along with their respective name, address and military branch.
The final image looped is a picture of a handgun and a knife with text that reads “…and kill them wherever you find them…”
A charge is not evidence of guilt. It is the government’s burden to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, and a defendant is presumed innocent until that time.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes local, state and federal agencies from Northeast Ohio. The Cleveland FBI would like to thank the following partners in this investigation: Akron Police Department, University of Akron Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Transit Police, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. This case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Roaming Shores man faces additional drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury sitting returned a six-count superseding indictment charging a Roaming Shores man with distribution of heroin, distribution of crack cocaine, possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
James E. Brooks, 40, remains detained in federal custody.
Brooks knowingly and intentionally distributed crack cocaine on August 12, 2015, on August 13, 2015, and on August 17, 2015. He also distributed heroin on August 17, 2015, according to the indictment.
Brooks possessed a firearm during the August 17, 2015, drug trafficking crime. The indictment also alleges that on August 20, 2015, Brooks possessed a Walther, model P22, .22 Caliber Pistol; a Winchester, model 50, 12 gauge shotgun; and a Winchester, model 120, 12 gauge shotgun. Brooks was forbidden from possessing firearms because of previous felony convictions including drug abuse, burglary, aggravated robbery with a firearm specification, felonious assault, escape, and felonious assault with a firearm specification, all in the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Katz following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office, the Warren Police Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio BCI&I and the TAG Law Enforcement Task Force.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Cleveland resident charged with tax fraudRead the Press Release
A 13-count indictment charging a former Cleveland woman with tax fraud, obstruction and related charges was unsealed, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Troy Stemen, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.
Lerona Renay Shelton, 46, of Birmingham, Alabama, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. Shelton is charged wtih conspiracy to defraud the United States, six counts of aiding and abetting tax returns, obstruction of an official proceeding, four counts of making false statements and one count of perjury.
Shelton in 2010 obtained taxpayer names, addresses and W-2 forms that claimed false employments, wages and taxes withheld. Shelton sent this information to Sean Houston, of Cleveland, who prepared and submitted false tax returns to the IRS, according to the indictment.
Shelton was questioned in the Grand Jury about his activities with Houston and gave answers that he knew to be false, according to the indictment.
Houston pleaded guilty on April 13, 2015 to one count of conspiracy to file false claims for income tax refunds with the IRS and 10 counts of filing false claims for income tax refunds with the IRS. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 24, 2015.
Another related defendant, Nikita Griffin, pleaded guilty on April 14, 2015 to one count of conspiracy to file false claims for income tax refunds with the IRS. She is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19, 2015.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James V. Moroney following an investigation by IRS-CI.
If convicted, the defendant's sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.