Southern District of Ohio
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Cincinnati man arrested for series of bank robberiesRead the Press Release
Law enforcement officers including FBI Task Force agents and FBI SWAT officers arrested Bruce Armstead, 66, of Cincinnati on March 29 on charges that he committed five bank robberies in the Cincinnati area between November 2021 and January 2022.
A federal indictment was unsealed following Armstead’s arrest.
The indictment alleges that Armstead robbed
- a U.S. Bank in Lockland on November 2, 2021 and again on November 13, 2021
- a Huntington Bank on Galbraith Road in Deer Park on December 8, 2021
- a 5/3 Bank in Wyoming, Ohio on December 14, 2021 and
- a US Bank on Hamilton Avenue in Mt. Healthy on January 7, 2022
The grand jury charged Armstead with three counts of bank robbery, two counts of armed bank robbery in connection with the robberies on December 8 and January 7, and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
Each count of bank robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Armed bank robbery is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Use of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory minimum seven-year sentence.
“The FBI along with investigators from the police departments in Lockland, Deer Park, Wyoming, and Mount Healthy began investigating Armstead based on information they obtained from bank surveillance videos and interviews with bank employees,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “The cooperation between agencies was crucial to securing the indictment.”
Armstead was arrested near his residence in South Cumminsville.
U.S. Attorney Parker along with J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Interim Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge, Lockland Police Chief Darin Lunsford, Deer Park Police Chief Michael F. Schlie, Wyoming Police Chief Brooke Brady and Mount Healthy Police Chief Vincent L. Demasi announced the indictment and the arrest.
Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Springer is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Cincinnati man sentenced to three years in prison for creating fake ID documents claiming he was federal employee & agentRead the Press Release
A Cincinnati man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 36 months in prison for crimes related to creating fake credentials to pretend to be a member of law enforcement and a federal employee.
David Lomache, 62, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to making fake IDs claiming he was a Special Agent with Homeland Security and an employee of the Defense Logistics Agency, which is the Department of Defense’s combat logistics support agency.
“As today’s sentence reflects, Lomache’s offense is much more serious than merely creating fake identification documents for self-enrichment,” said United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “The defendant was not just collecting badges and making ID cards for his personal amusement. He was amassing the tools he needed to impersonate law enforcement and federal government employees. Given that many of his chosen identities focused on search, rescue, recovery, and seizure, Lomache’s apparent designs include the threat of trespass or worse under the guise of government authority.”
Lomache pleaded guilty in August 2021 to fraud in connection with identification documents.
According to the court documents, the defendant used fake credentials to acquire badges intended only for legitimate federal officers.
Lomache fraudulently obtained a United States Federal Contractor badge in order to impersonate a civilian contractor technician for the Defense Logistics Agency.
In January 2021, Lomache produced fake identification documents for both the Defense Logistics Agency and for Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”). He listed his titles on the fraudulent documents as “Civilian Contractor Technician” and “Homeland Security Special Agent.”
In February 2021, the defendant posted a picture of himself on social media in which he’s wearing a cap with “K-9” printed on it with a gold badge on the side. In the comments, Lomache claimed to be a “CERT member…K9 search & rescue urban/mountain.”
When investigators executed a search warrant as part of this investigation, they discovered Lomache in possession of numerous law enforcement badges, patches and clothing items, as well as fake identification cards, handcuffs and various knives.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; James C. Harris III, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations; and Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Matthew McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney Painter is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Former IRS Employee Arrested for Assisting in Preparation of False Tax Returns, Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Cincinnati – Frederick Louis, 57, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was indicted on 16 counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, 4 counts of wire fraud, and 4 counts of aggravated identity theft. On March 18, 2022, Louis was arrested by IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents.
The indictment alleges that Louis served as a “ghost preparer,” meaning that he prepared tax returns for compensation but failed to sign or otherwise declare the tax returns he prepared for other individuals. Louis worked as a Tax Examiner for the IRS from 1985 to 1994. It is alleged that due to his prior IRS employment, Louis knew that by law individuals who are paid to prepare or assist in preparing tax returns must have a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) and sign and include their PTIN on the returns they prepare. Louis also held himself out to be an accountant who prepared tax returns for pay or as a favor to friends. In actuality, Louis does not have an accounting degree, is not a Certified Public Accountant, and did not have a PTIN.
It is alleged that from at least January 2016 and continuing through at least March 2021, Louis prepared tax returns that contained false Schedule C business expenses, false Schedule F farming expenses, false Schedule A itemized deductions, claimed false dependents, and/or claimed false filing statuses on certain tax returns to generate fraudulent inflated tax refunds to which the taxpayer clients were not entitled. It is further alleged that Louis allocated portions of the refunds to himself, often unbeknownst to his client by directing the fraudulently inflated refunds be direct deposited in one of the following ways: (1) the entire refund was sent to Louis or (2) some portion of the refund was sent to bank accounts owned or controlled by Louis. As a result of the scheme, the IRS issued over $191,000 in fraudulent federal income tax refunds.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in the case.
# # #
Cincinnati man who sex trafficked teen sentenced to more than 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man who sex trafficked a minor female with his half-brother was sentenced in federal court here today to 188 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release. As part of his sentence, the defendant was also ordered to pay $194,000 in restitution to the minor victim.
William Pierce Washington, Jr., 52, was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2017 with co-defendant William Pierce Washington, 40, also of Cincinnati.
According to court documents, Washington, Jr., also known as “Man,” participated in the sex trafficking of a minor female for at least four months. Washington, Jr. often transported the victim and the victim resided at his home during the majority of the events.
Co-defendant Washington, also known as “Bam,” primarily orchestrated the exploitation. Washington would routinely get the victim high on drugs, including forcibly injecting the victim with heroin on at least one occasion.
Washington would then traffic the teenager to engage in sexual conduct for money. He beat and raped the victim.
Court documents in this case detail that Sharonville Police Department officers responded to a motel in Sharonville on April 18, 2017, following the report of a distraught female in the business’s parking lot. The female, a 16-year-old, told officers she had spent several hours in a motel room smoking crack cocaine and engaged in oral sex with an adult male who physically assaulted her.
Contact with the adult male and search of his cell phone revealed sexually explicit photos with the victim and text conversations with Washington about arrangements to coordinate the sexual activity for payment to Washington.
Washington was sentenced in December 2021 to more than 15 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Sharonville Police Chief James C. Nesbitt II and other members of the FBI’s child exploitation task force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Black. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
South African woman arrested at local airport for mailing controlled substances to Ohio inmatesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Federal agents arrested a South African woman this morning at John Glenn International Airport on federal charges alleging she mailed large amounts of K2 and Suboxone via mail into the United States. Inmates in Ohio jails were the end recipients of the packages.
Tanya Baird, 46, of South Africa, appeared in federal court at 3pm today.
According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, Baird obtained K2 from China and saturated legal documents with the substance in South Africa before mailing the papers to the United States.
For example, in June 2021, Baird allegedly mailed at least eight packages each containing 30 pieces of saturated paper to an inmate in an Ohio prison.
It is alleged that another individual sometimes received packages from Baird containing legal privileged documents that were saturated in K2. The individual would then send the legal documents into Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction facilities and collect proceeds from inmates. The proceeds were then allegedly sent to Baird via CashApp or PayPal.
In total, import records showed 69 packages being sent into the United States from June through August 2021, 34 of which were destined for the Southern District of Ohio. Multiple recipients of the packages from Baird had been in communication with or attended visits with current Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction inmates.
“Today’s arrest would not have happened without the cooperation and professionalism of our law enforcement partners, especially with the FBI,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Kent Kleinschmidt. “Synthetic drugs are extremely dangerous because their use can lead to very erratic behavior and even death. They absolutely have no place in our society, but are especially problematic inside a correctional facility.”
Baird is charged with importing controlled substances, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Kent Kleinschmidt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and officials with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Hunter is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Jury finds local man guilty of shooting, killing former girlfriend’s ex-husband in front of victim’s childrenRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted a Dayton man of traveling interstate to murder the former husband of his then-girlfriend after cyberstalking the victim.
Sterling H. Roberts, 38, of Dayton, was found guilty of shooting and killing Robert Caldwell in August 2017. As a previously convicted felon, Roberts was prohibited from possessing the firearm he used in furtherance of the crime of violence.
The verdict was announced today following a trial that began on March 8 before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to court documents and trial testimony, around 6pm on Aug. 15, 2017, Robert Caldwell and his three minor children left a counseling appointment in Riverside, Ohio. While crossing the parking lot, Roberts shot Robert Caldwell multiple times in front of his children and died at the scene.
Roberts’ girlfriend at the time, co-defendant Tawnney Caldwell, and the murder victim had an ongoing dispute regarding the custody of their children. The two, along with four other co-defendants, collaborated to plan, execute and cover-up the murder.
Earlier in August 2017, Roberts pretended to be a customer in need of stonework and messaged Robert Caldwell to lure him into meeting in Jamestown, Ohio. Roberts, armed with a gun, ambushed Robert Caldwell, who fled and called 911. Robert Caldwell eventually escaped that encounter and reported it to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.
Between the time of the attempted homicide and the eventual murder of Robert Caldwell, Roberts fled to a relative’s home in Tennessee. Tawnney Caldwell traveled interstate and brought him back to Ohio, stopping in Kentucky to illegally purchase Roberts an AK-47 rifle.
Sterling Roberts’ brothers, Chance Deakin and Christopher Roberts; Chandra Harmon (Tawnney’s mother); and James Harmon (Tawnney’s step-father) were each charged in March 2018 and have been convicted of crimes related to the cyberstalking and murder.
Tawnney Caldwell was sentenced in July 2021 to 35 years in prison for interstate stalking resulting in death.
Roberts faces up to life in prison; a sentencing date has not yet been set.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Riverside Police Chief Frank Robinson and Sugarcreek Township Police Chief Michael Brown announced today’s guilty verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith, Sheila G. Lafferty and Kevin Koller are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Cincinnati man who advertised online for babysitting services sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man who sought babysitting jobs online was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 100 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.
Ryan J. McConnell, 31, was arrested by federal agents in December 2020.
According to court documents, FBI agents in El Paso, Texas, acting in an undercover capacity on Kik messenger discovered McConnell through a group called “Toddlers.” Members within this group distributed hundreds of videos and images of child rape.
McConnell’s phone contained child pornography depicting pre-pubescent and pubescent boys engaged in sexually explicit conduct while wearing diapers.
Additionally, McConnell actively sought work as a babysitter from approximately 2010 until 2020 on a number of websites, including SitterCity.com, Care.com, Craigslist.org and possibly others. For example, McConnell was registered for three SitterCity accounts and had created at least 20 Craigslist ads offering childcare and/or babysitting services as recently as late October 2020. He was accepting babysitting jobs as “Bryan S.”
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Columbus man pleads guilty to robbing 2 mail carriers at gunpointRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to two separate armed robberies of United States Postal Carriers.
Brandon J. Campbell, 20, admitted to using violence and a weapon to endanger the mail carriers’ lives and steal property from them.
According to Campbell’s plea documents, he assaulted two postal carriers in September 2021.
On Sept. 8, 2021, Campbell stole an “arrow” key – which is used to access USPS mailboxes and receptacles – and vehicle keys from a postal carrier who was delivering mail at Vistas at Rocky Fork Apartment Complex in Gahanna. Campbell wore a balaclava mask and used a Glock-style handgun.
On Sept. 21, 2021, Campbell committed armed robbery against a second postal carrier who was delivering mail near 4500 Hemingway Court in Columbus. He again used a handgun and mask and stole the carrier’s arrow key.
Investigators followed Campbell’s champaign-colored Saturn Aura and subsequently executed search warrants on an apartment Campbell fled into, as well as his vehicle. Law enforcement officers discovered four firearms in that apartment, as well as the balaclava mask. Forensic examination of Campbell’s iPhone showed the phone was in the location of both robberies during the timeframe of the robberies. Campbell’s phone also showed pictures of himself holding a Glock-style firearm.
Aggravated robbery of property of the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future sentencing hearing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Gary R. Barksdale, Chief Postal Inspector, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Grand jury indicts Wilmington man allegedly involved in shoot-out with illegally possessing ammunitionRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged a previously convicted felon with possessing ammunition during a shoot-out with another man.
Charles Stacey Brooks, 40, of Wilmington, Ohio, was allegedly in an active shoot-out in a residential neighborhood in January 2022. It is alleged that Brooks illegally possessed ammunition at the time of the incident.
According to pending local charges, on Jan. 12, 2022, Brooks and Christian Burton, 21, also of Wilmington, shot at each other while in a residential neighborhood of Wilmington. A 911 caller allegedly reported hearing at least three shots on South Walnut St. The caller said that one of the shots struck the outside of a car occupied by a man driving with his child.
Brooks has previously been convicted of felony crimes including robbery and aggravated drug trafficking. He was on parole at the time of the shooting.
Possessing a firearm or ammunition as a previously convicted felon is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Burton has also been indicted by a federal grand jury. He was charged federally on Feb. 23 with seven counts of narcotics crimes, including distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Burton faces a potential minimum of five years up to 40 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Wilmington Police Chief Ron Cravens; Warrren County Sheriff Larry L. Sims and other members of the Warren County Drug Task Force; and Clinton County Prosecutor Andrew T. McCoy announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Dayton man sentenced to 11 years in prison for distributing images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Jason Pollet, 48, of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 132 months in prison for distributing child pornography.
According to court documents, throughout 2020 and 2021, law enforcement agents and task force officers in the Southern District of Ohio conducted an online investigation to identify individuals using social media and messaging apps to commit child exploitation offenses.
Between November and December 2020, Pollet used Kik Messenger and Wickr – two internet-based messaging apps – to distribute more than 30 images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to an undercover law enforcement officer.
Pollet pleaded guilty in November 2021 to distributing child pornography.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the sentence imposed by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas A. Dingeldein represented the United States in this case.
# # #
Cincinnati political consultant sentenced to 2 years in prison for embezzling $1.4M from Congressional campaignRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A political and media consultant was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 24 months in prison for federal crimes related to the embezzlement of more than $1.4 million from a United States Congressional campaign.
James R. Schwartz II, 42, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to wire fraud and falsification of records.
According to court documents, from approximately 2011 through 2019, Schwartz worked as a consultant on behalf of a Congressional campaign through his companies Fountain Square Group LLC and Prime Media LLC. Schwartz also served as the de facto treasurer for the campaign.
Schwartz embezzled funds from the Congressional campaign by writing checks to himself and his companies from the campaign that were for more money than he and his companies had actually earned.
“Simply put, when he ran low on money, Schwartz cut himself a check from campaign funds that he did not earn,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said. “For close to 10 years, Schwartz fraudulently lined his own pockets at the expense of the entity he was hired to help further.”
Schwartz concealed the embezzled funds by misrepresenting the amounts paid to him and his companies in reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Schwartz created and submitted false receipt and disbursement records to an FEC audit team; Schwartz fabricated bank statements; he falsified e-donation reports and created a fake email from an e-donation vendor to conceal the fake e-donation reports; and he began writing fake checks to match the fictitious bank statements, which were prepared to match the prior false filings with the FEC.
During the FEC audit in summer 2019, Schwartz reported his criminal activity to the United States Attorney’s Office and cooperated with FBI agents.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew C. Singer is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Previously convicted felon sentenced to 14 years in prison for gun, drug crimesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Da’Quan Payne, 30, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 170 months in prison for committing five federal crimes related to firearms and narcotics.
According to court documents, Payne possessed nine firearms, approximately $194,000 in cash, and distributable amounts of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. He had nearly $158,000 in cash in his home.
In June 2019, agents from the Norwood Drug Task Force, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Cincinnati Police Department launched an investigation into Payne’s suspected drug-trafficking activity.
They conducted five law-enforcement controlled purchases of fentanyl from Payne. During those purchases, law enforcement observed Payne carrying a firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Payne is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Investigators learned that Payne kept some of his supplies in storage lockers. During a search of Payne’s storage units, law enforcement discovered eight of Payne’s nine firearms, along with fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. Payne was also storing more than $24,000 in cash in the lockers.
A search of Payne’s vehicle revealed the ninth firearm, more than $12,000 in cash and various narcotics.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Kent Kleinschmidt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Norwood Police Chief William Kramer and Interim Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Eastern Ohio man sentenced to 14 years in prison for gun, drug & cyberstalking crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Eastern Ohio man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 168 months in prison for discharging a firearm during a drug-trafficking robbery and for cyberstalking a victim for a year.
Michael Bertolino, Jr., 35, of Adena, Ohio, was sentenced for committing three federal crimes.
According to court documents, in December 2020, Bertolino conspired with others to plan and execute the armed robbery of a drug dealer in Cadiz, Ohio.
At a meet-up arranged through SnapChat, Bertolino and others robbed the individual of a half-pound of marijuana and 50 THC cartridges. During the robbery, as the victim was on the ground, Bertolino discharged a gun into the ground near the victim’s head.
In a separate criminal scheme, throughout all of 2020, Bertolino used social media platforms, text messages and a GPS system to cyberstalk a second victim.
The defendant created social media accounts to post derogatory statements or comments on the accounts of the victim and the victim’s friends and family members. For example, Bertolino created a Facebook account and used explicit photos of the victim for the account profile.
Bertolino also placed a GPS tracker on the victim’s vehicle and monitored the victim’s movement on his computer. He sent the victim Google Earth screenshots showing that he was tracking the victim at all times.
As part of his cyberstalking, Bertolino used a text messaging application to send the victim thousands of messages from what appeared to be 19 different phone numbers. In the messages, he threatened to kill the victim and those involved with the victim and promised to post compromising pictures of the victim online.
Bertolino pleaded guilty in July 2021 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and cyberstalking.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Harrison County Sheriff Ronald J. Myers announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney S. Courter Shimeall is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Three Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Plot to Attack Power Grids in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Three men pleaded guilty today to crimes related to a scheme to attack power grids in the United States in furtherance of white supremacist ideology.
According to court documents, Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio; Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, of West Lafayette, Indiana, and of Katy, Texas; and Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. The charge and plea agreements indicate that the defendants knew and intended that the material support they conspired to provide would be used to prepare for and carry out the federal offense of destroying energy facilities.
“These three defendants admitted to engaging in a disturbing plot, in furtherance of white supremacist ideology, to attack energy facilities in order to damage the economy and stoke division in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Justice Department is committed to investigating and disrupting such terrorist plots and holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”
“These defendants conspired to use violence to sow hate, create chaos, and endanger the safety of the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “As this case shows, federal and state law enforcement agencies are dedicated to working together to protect this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“The defendants in this case wanted to attack regional power substations and expected the damage would lead to economic distress and civil unrest,” said Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “These individuals wanted to carry out such a plot because of their adherence to racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist views. When individuals move from espousing particular views to planning or committing acts of violence the FBI will investigate and take action to stop their plans. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
“Those inspired to commit terrorist acts in the name of hate pose a serious threat to our nation," said Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “I am thankful for the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners who work each day to prevent this type of violence from occurring in our communities.”
According to court documents, in fall 2019, Frost and Cook met in an online chat group. Frost shared the idea of attacking a power grid with Cook, and within weeks, the two began efforts to recruit others to join in their plan.
As part of the recruitment process, Cook circulated a book list of readings that promoted the ideology of white supremacy and Neo-Nazism. By late 2019, Sawall – a friend of Cook’s – joined the conspiracy and assisted Cook with online recruitment efforts, operational security and organization.
As part of the conspiracy, each defendant was assigned a substation in a different region of the United States. The plan was to attack the substations, or power grids, with powerful rifles. The defendants believed their plan would cost the government millions of dollars and cause unrest for Americans in the region. They had conversations about how the possibility of the power being out for many months could cause war, even a race war, and induce the next Great Depression.
In February 2020, the co-conspirators met in Columbus, Ohio, to further discuss their plot. Frost provided Cook with an AR-47 and the two took the rifle to a shooting range to train.
Frost also provided Cook and Sawall with suicide necklaces during the Columbus meeting. The necklaces were filled with fentanyl and were to be ingested if and when the defendants were caught by law enforcement. Both Cook and Sawall expressed their commitment to dying in furtherance of their mission.
Upon arriving in Columbus, Sawall and Cook purchased spray paint and painted a swastika flag under a bridge at a park with the caption, “Join the Front.” The defendants had additional propaganda plans for their time in Ohio, but they were derailed during a traffic stop, during which Sawall swallowed his suicide pill but ultimately survived.
Court documents detail that Cook and Frost continued to travel together after their Ohio meeting, and drove to Texas in March 2020. Cook stayed in different cities with various juveniles who he was attempting to recruit for their plot.
Cook, Frost and Sawall were each charged with providing material support to terrorism by a bill of information filed on Feb. 7. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica W. Knight for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Houston. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Northern District of Indiana provided valuable support.
Lead defendant sentenced to 12 years in prison for invading homes of Dayton-area drug dealersRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Columbus, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court today to 144 months in prison for his role in multiple home invasions that took place in the greater Dayton region.
Kieran Chandre Furness, 28, was sentenced for conspiring to violate the Hobbs Act with four co-defendants, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, the defendants conspired to commit at least four home invasions of Dayton-area drug dealers.
The co-conspirators took part in armed robberies of purported drug dealers to steal their illicit drug inventories and cash proceeds derived from prior drug dealing. The co-conspirators also stole vehicles, jewelry, clothing, shoes and firearms.
During January 2019, Furness and others forced entry into various residences in Dayton, Trotwood and Harrison Township. While inside the homes, defendants bound up the ankles and wrists of adult and child occupants, forcing them to lie face down on the floor, and brandishing firearms towards them.
Furness was the final defendant to be sentenced in the case. His co-defendants received the following sentences:
- Dreshaun Alexander Thomas – 97 months in prison;
- William Anthony-Lee Baylor – 72 months in prison;
- James Ralph Jackson III – 60 months in prison; and
- Eric Sterling Brown II – 48 months in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland H. Herndon, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck and Trotwood Police Chief Erik Wilson announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorneys Dwight K. Keller and Ryan A. Saunders are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Jury convicts former Columbus vice officer of civil rights violationRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted a former Columbus vice officer with conspiring to violate an individual’s constitutional rights.
The verdict was announced yesterday evening following a trial that began on Feb. 14 before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.
Steven G. Rosser, 45, of Delaware, was employed with the Columbus Division of Police for 19 years and assigned as a detective in CPD’s vice unit from April 2013 until October 2018.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in 2018, Rosser and others conspired to deprive one of the owners of the Dollhouse, a gentlemen’s club on Karl Court, of his civil rights by seizing and searching him and his vehicle without probable cause in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. At trial, the government presented evidence that Rosser was part of a scheme to frame the victim for cocaine possession.
Rosser was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested in March 2020.
Conspiracy to violate a person’s civil rights is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) Superintendent Joseph Morbitzer; and Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber announced the verdict.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s BCI, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of Police.
# # #
Dayton-area former investment advisor sentenced to 2 years in prison for Social Security fraud, making false statements regarding theft from local churchRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Charles Edward Severt, Jr., 52, of Xenia, was sentenced in federal court to 24 months in prison for stealing more than $370,000 in Social Security disability benefits and for making false statements related to stealing $20,000 from a Xenia church.
Severt was indicted and arrested in March 2021.
According to court documents, in connection with his application for disability benefits, Severt stated that he had not worked since 2010 as the result of a shooting. In reality, Severt had been working since at least 2014 in the tree trimming business.
Severt also stated under oath that his license as an investment advisor was suspended for not reporting income from flipping houses. Court documents detail Severt was actually banned for life by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for stealing $20,000 from a church in Xenia.
As part of his sentence, Severt will pay more than $370,000 in restitution.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case, which was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Chicago Field Division, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service.
# # #
3 men plead guilty to domestic terrorism crime related to plans to attack power gridsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three men pleaded guilty today to crimes related to conspiring to attack power grids throughout the United States in furtherance of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism advocating for the supremacy of the white race.
Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio; Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, of Katy, Texas and of West Lafayette, Indiana; and Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin; have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.
“According to these pleas, three individuals engaged in a disturbing plot to attack our country’s energy infrastructure, damage the economy, and stoke division in our society, all in the name of white supremacy,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and disrupt such violent plots, and to hold perpetrators accountable in a courtroom, where the rule of law and the Constitution prevail.”
“These defendants conspired to use violence to sow hate, create chaos, and endanger the safety of the American people,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said. “As this case shows, federal and state law enforcement agencies are dedicated to working together to protect this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“The defendants in this case wanted to attack regional power substations and expected the damage would lead to economic distress and civil unrest,” said Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “These individuals wanted to carry out such a plot because of their adherence to racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist views. When individuals move from espousing particular views to planning or committing acts of violence the FBI will investigate and take action to stop their plans. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
“Those inspired to commit terrorist acts in the name of hate pose a serious threat to our nation," stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers. “I am thankful for the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners who work each day to prevent this type of violence from occurring in our communities.”
According to court documents, in fall 2019, Frost and Cook met in an online chat group. Frost shared the idea of attacking a power grid with Cook, and within weeks, the two began efforts to recruit others to join in their plan.
As part of the recruitment process, Cook asked literary questions and circulated a book list of readings that promoted the ideology of white supremacy and Neo-Nazism.
By late 2019, Sawall – a friend of Cook’s in real life and online – joined the conspiracy and assisted Cook with online recruitment efforts, operational security and organization.
As part of the conspiracy, each defendant was assigned a substation in a different region of the United States. The plan was to attack the substations, or power grids, with powerful rifles. The defendants believed their plan would cost the government millions of dollars and cause unrest for Americans in the region. They had conversations about how the possibility of the power being out for many months could cause war, even a race war, and induce the next Great Depression.
In February 2020, the co-conspirators met in Columbus, Ohio, to further discuss their plot. Frost provided Cook with an AR-47 and the two took the rifle to a shooting range to train.
Frost also provided Cook and Sawall with suicide necklaces during the Columbus meeting. The necklaces were filled with fentanyl and were to be ingested if and when the defendants were caught by law enforcement. Both Cook and Sawall expressed their commitment to dying in furtherance of their mission.
Upon arriving in Columbus, Sawall and Cook purchased spray paint and painted a swastika flag under a bridge at a park with the caption, “Join the Front.” The defendants had additional propaganda plans for their time in Ohio, but they were derailed during a traffic stop, during which Sawall swallowed his suicide pill but ultimately survived.
Court documents detail that Cook and Frost continued in furtherance of the conspiracy to travel together after their Ohio meeting, and drove to Texas in March 2020, where Cook stayed in different cities with various juveniles he was attempting to recruit for their plot.
Cook, Frost and Sawall were each charged by a Bill of Information that was filed on Feb. 7. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight and Trial Attorney Justin Sher with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.
U.S. Attorney Parker commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Houston, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Northern District of Indiana.
# # #
Diagnostic testing company agrees to resolve claims for improperly billed testingRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – American Health Associates, Inc. (AHA) has agreed to pay the United States $142,718 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare for diagnostic testing.
AHA has offices in Cincinnati and in 2014, acquired MedLab, which provided laboratory services to Access Hospital Dayton, LLC.
The government alleged that, between January 2015 and December 2019, AHA knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare for diagnostic laboratory tests that were performed during patients’ inpatient stays at Access Hospital Dayton and already covered by the inpatient admission. Medicare prohibits separate payment for diagnostic testing performed during an inpatient admission.
The government’s settlement in this matter follows the federal government’s earlier settlement with Access Hospital Dayton, bringing the federal government’s total recovery in this matter to approximately $517,498. The False Claims Act permits the United States to recover a multiplier of as much as three times the amount of damages sustained by the Government. The settlements with Access Hospital Dayton and AHA were consistent with the multiple damages recovery allowable under the False Claims Act.
False Claims Act tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The matter was investigated by Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Wilson of the Civil Division and Civil Chief Andrew M. Malek of the Southern District of Ohio.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
# # #
Columbus man pleads guilty to threatening local reproductive health services facilityRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man pleaded guilty in federal court this morning to threatening to bring a bomb to a local reproductive health services facility.
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Brime, 25, also admitted to threatening to kill a patient whom he believed was seeking reproductive health services, specifically an abortion, at the clinic.
On April 11, 2021, Brime made two separate telephone calls to the local reproductive health care clinic. In the first, he made a death threat relating to the prospective patient and in the second, he made a bomb threat directly to the clinic, telling the clinic staff “my organization will be bringing a bomb to your facility. I suggest you close your doors.”
Specifically, Brime admitted to violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act – which makes it a federal crime to threaten the use of force to intimidate anyone receiving or providing reproductive health services – and to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
Threatening freedom of access to clinic entrances is a federal crime punishable by up to one year in prison and transmitting threats in interstate commerce carries a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Brime was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in September 2021. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and S. Courter Shimeall and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
3 Central Ohio health providers to pay more than $3 million for improper claims submitted to Medicare and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ CompensationRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The United States and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation have reached three related settlements totaling more than $3 million with Orthopedic & Neurological Consultants, New Albany Surgery Center, and Mount Carmel Health System, for improper claims submitted to Medicare and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
Orthopedic & Neurological Consultants (OrthoNeuro) is a large orthopedic practice in Central Ohio. One of its doctors and part owner, Robert Nowinski, now deceased, billed for certain complex shoulder surgeries that either did not occur within the standard of care or did not occur at all. Dr. Nowinski routinely billed for complex, time-consuming shoulder surgeries despite spending a fraction of the time in the operating room as would be expected and required to complete such surgeries. He frequently did not use the specific supplies required for the designated surgery.
Nowinski used the operating room facilities at New Albany Surgery Center (NASC), an ambulatory surgery center and a joint venture with OrthoNeuro and Mount Carmel Health, and at Mount Carmel’s New Albany Surgical Hospital.
NASC and Mount Carmel billed “facility fees” to Medicare and Ohio BWC relating to the surgeries allegedly performed at those facilities by Dr. Nowinski. OrthoNeuro billed Medicare and Ohio BWC for Dr. Nowinski’s professional services involved in the suspect procedures.
As part of the settlement, OrthoNeuro will pay $498,182 to Medicare and $533,482 to BWC; NASC will pay $772,650 to Medicare and $468,406 to BWC; and Mount Carmel will pay $760,901 to Medicare and $156,139 to BWC.
While the settling parties did not appear to intentionally submit false claims arising from Dr. Nowinski’s surgical procedures, the government concluded that there was evidence that should have provided notice of Dr. Nowinski’s wrongdoing to the settling parties.
“The United States will aggressively pursue providers that bill for services not performed within the appropriate standard of care, as well as entities whose compliance programs fail to identify egregious wrongdoing by their providers. Here, the settling parties have fully cooperated with the government’s investigation and promptly worked with the United States and Ohio BWC to reach a swift and equitable resolution,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Stephanie McCloud, Administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG); J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and the U.S. Department of Labor announced the charges. Civil Chief Andrew M. Malek and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth F. Affeldt are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
U.S. Attorney Parker announces district priorities, management teamRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, today announced priority areas and appointments to his management staff.
“Every matter we handle is significant, and this office is dedicated to pursuing justice every day, in every matter,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “Under my leadership, we will emphasize efforts related to national security, narcotics, gun violence, public corruption, civil rights, elder abuse and fraud, child exploitation, cybercrimes and environmental matters. We will work to protect every person in the Southern District of Ohio, and especially vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.”
Parker oversees a staff of approximately 125 people, including 65 Assistant United States Attorneys.
Management staff appointments were effective Feb. 11. They include:
First Assistant United States Attorney Salvador A. Dominguez
Mr. Dominguez was named First Assistant U.S. Attorney. This position is the number two position in the U.S. Attorney's Office and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the office. Dominguez has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1989, serving in a number of roles throughout his tenure. Dominguez served as the District’s First Assistant and Criminal Chief from July 1997 through February 2001 and as Interim United States Attorney in 2001. Prior to that, he served in the Criminal Division as the Project Safe Neighborhood/Violent Crimes Coordinator. A U.S. Navy Veteran, Captain Dominguez retired from the Navy in 2017 following 32 years of combined active-duty and service in the Navy’s Reserve component, which included three separate Commanding Officer tours and service as both a trial judge and a term on the Navy and Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. Dominguez is a graduate of Wabash College and received his law degree from Indiana University.
Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy
Ms. Muncy will be responsible for supervising a number of personnel and handling some issues related to Department of Justice reporting requirements and special projects. In addition, Muncy will lead the District’s Litigation Support Unit. Muncy served as the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Chief from 2019 to 2022. Muncy has also served as the District’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator. She has served as a criminal Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2007. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Muncy was First Assistant Commonwealth Attorney for Kenton County, Kentucky, from 2002-2007. Muncy is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and the Syracuse University School of Law.
Criminal Chief Karl P. Kadon
Mr. Kadon will continue as District Criminal Chief, a post he has held since November 2019. Kadon began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Cincinnati Criminal Division in 2006. He also served as the District’s Chief of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force from May 2019 to November 2019, as the Chief of the Counter-Terrorism Section in the Office of the Justice Attaché at U.S. Embassy Kabul in 2010-11, and as the Justice Attaché at U.S. Embassy Kabul in 2016. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Kadon served as Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office and as Deputy City Solicitor/Chief of Litigation for the City of Cincinnati Law Department. Kadon served 28 years as a U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate, with active service in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and other locations. Kadon graduated from Miami University and earned his law degree from Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law.
Kadon will be assisted in his Criminal Chief Duties by four Deputy Criminal Chiefs. They are:
Brian J. Martinez, Deputy Criminal Chief (Columbus)
Mr. Martinez has served as the Deputy Criminal Chief in the Columbus office since 2019. Martinez joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2014. He served as the Chief of Staff for the Associate Attorney General of the United States from 2012 to 2014 and as the Chief of Staff of the Justice Department’s Civil Division from 2009 to 2012. Prior to his work at the Department, Martinez was an associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP in San Francisco from 2003 to 2009. Martinez clerked for the Hon. Thelton Henderson of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He attended Stanford University for both his undergraduate education and law school.
Emily N. Glatfelter, Deputy Criminal Chief (Cincinnati)
Ms. Glatfelter has served as a Deputy Criminal Chief in the Cincinnati office since 2015. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cincinnati in 2012, primarily handling financial crimes matters. She previously served in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Maryland, beginning in 2006. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Butler University and her law degree from Indiana University before working for Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington D.C. She also clerked for the Hon. David F. Hamilton while he served as U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana.
Brent G. Tabacchi, Deputy Criminal Chief (Dayton)
Mr. Tabacchi has served as a Deputy Criminal Chief in the Dayton office since 2021. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Dayton in 2007, handling the prosecution of drug organizations and financial crimes. He previously served in the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. In the early 2000s, he worked as an associate at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago and as a law clerk for the Hon. Kenneth F. Ripple, Judge for the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He graduated from the University of Illinois with his bachelor’s degree and law degree.
Kelly A. Norris, Deputy Criminal Chief (Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Task Force)
Ms. Norris joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbus in 2018, primarily handling narcotics and gun cases. During her tenure, she has been the District’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Coordinator. She previously served in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, beginning in 2008. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Xavier University and her law degree from the Valparaiso University School of Law before working for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General in the Health Care Fraud Section.
Civil Chief Andrew M. Malek
Mr. Malek has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2002, initially handling defensive civil matters, then focusing on affirmative civil matters as the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Coordinator then as the District Deputy Civil Chief. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s office, Malek served as staff counsel to the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee in Columbus, Judicial Law Clerk to the Hon. Donald E. Calhoun, Jr., of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Columbus, and as a commercial litigation attorney in Los Angeles. Malek received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his law degree from The Ohio State University.
Deputy Civil Chief Brandi Stewart
Ms. Stewart joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Dayton in 2014, where she defended the United States and its agencies in a wide array of civil suits brought against the government. She currently serves in the Affirmative Civil Enforcement division in Cincinnati where she primarily investigates and prosecutes fraud and civil rights cases on behalf of the United States. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Stewart was in private practice at a large Cincinnati-based law firm practicing civil litigation.
Appellate Chief Mary Beth Young
Ms. Young will continue as Appellate Chief, a position she has held since 2016, with supervisory responsibility for criminal and civil filings in the Court of Appeals and coordination of the District’s appellate practice with other divisions of the Department of Justice. Young became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2012 in Columbus after serving two years as a Special AUSA. Prior to joining the District, Young was in private practice in Columbus and served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Moritz College of Law. Young received her B.S. from the University of Kentucky, her M.S. from Georgia Tech, and her J.D. from the University of Chicago. Following law school, Young served as law clerk to Judge David Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, then to Justice Antonin Scalia of the United States Supreme Court.
Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill
Ms. Hill will continue as the District’s Senior Litigation Counsel (SLC), a position she has held since April 2021. As the SLC, Hill is responsible for legal training and development. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbus in 2011 and served as the District’s Project Safe Childhood (“PSC”) Coordinator from 2012 until 2021. She previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington D.C. from 2007 to 2011. Prior to beginning her career as an assistant federal prosecutor, Hill clerked for the Hon. Robert I. Richter while he served on the Criminal Division of the D.C. Superior Court. She received her law degree from the George Washington University Law School and her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri.
# # #
Former D.A.R.E. officer pleads guilty to child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A former longtime Beavercreek police officer pleaded guilty in federal court here today to two federal child pornography crimes.
Kevin A. Kovacs, 60, of Fairborn, was arrested in April 2020 and indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2020.
Kovacs pleaded guilty today to transporting and possessing child pornography.
According to the plea document, between April 2015 and July 2017, Kovacs uploaded more than 300 images and 2,200 videos depicting child pornography to his Dropbox account. Videos featured the sexual abuse of children as young as toddler aged. One video depicted a toddler lying on a diaper whose arms and legs were bound by black tape.
Kovacs also used online messenger, social media, cloud storage and email accounts to transport and possess child pornography.
In total, as of December 2019, Kovacs possessed more than 780 images and 5,100 videos of child pornography.
Kovacs’ plea also includes an agreed upon sentencing range of 60 to 240 months in prison. The Court will ultimately determine the sentence at a future hearing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney, Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Fairborn Police Chief Terry Bennington and Beavercreek Police Chief Jeff Fiorita announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorneys Dwight K. Keller and DeMarr Moulton are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Former Ohio resident extradited from Ghana pleads guilty to laundering proceeds of online romance scamsRead the Press Release
Columbus, Ohio – Samuel Antwi, a citizen of Ghana and former Columbus resident, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to crimes resulting from his involvement in laundering money obtained through online romance scams.
After being charged on Valentine’s Day in 2018, Antwi fled the United States. He was arrested in Ghana in July 2021at the request of the United States and Ghanaian authorities extradited Antwi back to Columbus to face his pending charges. He has remained in custody since his extradition.
According to court documents, the perpetrators of the romance scams created several profiles on online dating sites. The scammers then contacted men and women throughout the United States and elsewhere, established relationships with the victims and ultimately asked for money. The victims received account information and were directed to send money to those accounts, including some controlled by Antwi. The fraud generated millions of dollars in proceeds. Antwi is not charged with perpetrating the romance scams, but instead is charged with laundering the proceeds to conceal or disguise their criminal source.
“Scammers use online dating sites to build trust relationships with victims and persuade them to send money or share personal and financial information,” said U.S Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “As Valentine’s Day approaches, remember, never send money to someone you have only met online. If you are the victim of a romance scam, file a complaint at ic3.gov.”
Court documents spell out Antwi’s involvement in the scheme. He used a company he established, E.N.O. Services, to launder the money. From at least December 2013 through May 2015, Antwi knowingly laundered or attempted to launder $331,150 using bank accounts in his name and his company’s name. Antwi also unlawfully possessed stolen credit card numbers and other confidential personal information of others. Between April 26, 2016, and May 18, 2016, he possessed at least 87 stolen credit card numbers.
Antwi pleaded guilty to one count of concealment money laundering and one count of access device fraud. The parties have agreed to a term of incarceration of between 24 and 30 months, and restitution to victims of $291,150.
Antwi was one of eight people charged on Valentine’s Day 2018 in connection with the romance scam money laundering. Six have received sentences ranging from 42 months in prison to 30 months of probation. One defendant remains at large.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Division; and James C. Harris III, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced the guilty plea entered before U.S. District Chief Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division worked with law enforcement partners in Ghana to secure the arrest of Antwi in Ghana and his extradition to the United States.
# # #
Former Columbus police officer pleads guilty to fentanyl trafficking, briberyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus police officer pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to distribute more than eight kilograms of fentanyl and accepting bribes to protect the transportation of cocaine.
Marco R. Merino, 45, of Columbus, was arrested by federal agents in September 2021.
From June to September 2021, Merino conspired with another Columbus police officer to traffic fentanyl. Merino distributed fentanyl to another individual on at least three occasions and accepted $32,500 for approximately one of the kilograms of fentanyl.
In March, April, May, August and September 2021, Merino accepted a total of $45,000 in cash in exchange for protecting the safe transport of at least 47 kilograms of cocaine. Merino possessed a firearm in furtherance of the protection of cocaine. Unbeknownst to Merino, there was no actual cocaine and each of the transactions was controlled by federal law enforcement.
“Unlike the purported cocaine involved in transports, the fentanyl that Merino distributed was real,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Merino swore an oath to serve and protect our community as a law enforcement officer, and instead he conspired to traffic enough fentanyl to kill well over one million people.”
Court documents detail that Merino tried to recruit a confidential informant to traffic drugs with him. Merino promised law enforcement protection to the individual and said he could intervene if other law enforcement agencies attempted to investigate the confidential informant.
Possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl is a federal crime punishable by 10 years and up to life in prison. Federal Program Bribery is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Charges remain pending against fellow former Columbus police officer John J. Kotchkoski, 33, of Marengo, Ohio.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; and Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Licking County man charged with committing $1 million in fraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jeremie Adam Elkins, 44, of Newark, Ohio, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly causing approximately $1 million in fraud while employed as a network engineer at Verizon, Inc.
It is also alleged Elkins illegally possessed a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony crime.
According to the 16-count indictment, from July to October 2020, Elkins used his company-issued credit card to pay for personal expenses like hotels/resorts, restaurants, bars, pawn shops and auction houses. Elkins had been employed as a Network Engineer at Verizon.
Elkins also allegedly used an old Verizon work order number to place multiple fraudulent orders with vendor W.W. Grainger, Inc. Grainger provides tools and equipment for Verizon service vans.
It is alleged Elkins placed 46 unauthorized orders to Grainger and personally picked up the majority of the equipment, which totaled approximately $936,000. He allegedly used the illicit proceeds to purchase two boats and a motorcycle.
Court documents detail the defendant placed an additional 20 unauthorized orders to Grainger, for items totaling nearly $954,000, but never obtained the equipment.
Elkins is alleged to have caused $24,000 in loss to Verizon and more than $936,000 in loss to W.W. Grainger.
When he was arrested in August 2021, Elkins allegedly illegally possessed a pistol. Elkins was previously convicted of a felony crime in Licking County.
Elkins is charged with 10 counts of wire fraud, five counts of access device fraud and one count of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony crime.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the charges and commended the investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Brenda S. Shoemaker is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Westerville man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually exploiting 5-year-oldRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A man convicted at trial in summer 2021 of crimes related to creating child pornography of his sexual abuse of a 5-year-old was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 300 months in prison.
A jury convicted Christopher M. Sammons, 28, of four child exploitation crimes in June 2021.
“Sammons’ conduct is truly some of the worst of the worst,” United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said. “The defendant molested a 5-year-old child repeatedly and shared pornographic images of the child with others. His prison sentence is deserved. This office will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone who abuses the most vulnerable in our society.”
According to court documents and trial testimony, on March 11, 2019, an undercover FBI agent in Little Rock, Arkansas, received a message from Sammons regarding sexual interest in children.
Throughout their conversations, Sammons encouraged the undercover agent to “just make some homemade stuff” when discussing the availability of child pornography.
Sammons detailed sexually abusing a then 5-year-old victim and also offered to “share her next time if you’re interested in a long-term thing.” Sammons sent the agent child pornography files and suggested plans for he and the agent to exchange videos of themselves sexually abusing minors.
Based on IP address information, the investigative lead was forwarded to FBI Columbus and a Task Force Officer here began communicating with Sammons. Sammons told the task force officer he had been sexually abusing the victim for a year.
Sammons abused the victim while he was babysitting her and he was scheduled to babysit on the day he had arranged to exchange sexually explicit videos with the undercover agent. Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Sammons’ house before the scheduled babysitting began, preventing Sammons from engaging in the planned pornographic exchange.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati District; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rausch, Legal Director of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Human Trafficking Initiative, represented the United States in this case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
# # #
Justice Department secures agreement with Kroger to make online COVID-19 vaccine registration accessible for people with disabilitiesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker announced today a Department of Justice settlement agreement with Ohio-based retailer The Kroger Co. The agreement, secured under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), will eliminate barriers preventing people with certain disabilities from getting information about COVID-19 vaccinations and booking their vaccination appointments online.
Kroger has 2,800 retail grocery stores under the Kroger name and others, with a presence in 35 states and the District of Columbia.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Portal for Kroger-branded stores, currently located at https://www.kroger.com/health/pharmacy/covid-care, was not accessible to people with certain disabilities, including those who use screen reader software. For instance, critical medical screening questions, were not read to screen readers users. These included questions about current COVID-related symptoms, allergies, and reactions to previous vaccines. Further, when a screen reader user selected an available appointment time, the website told them that the available appointment was “unavailable” instead of “selected.”
Under today’s settlement, Kroger will make content about the COVID-19 vaccine, including the forms for scheduling an appointment to get the vaccine, conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Version 2.1, Level AA. WCAG is a set of voluntary industry guidelines for making information on a website accessible to users with disabilities.
Kroger also must regularly test the pages of its website that include vaccine scheduling and information about the COVID-19 vaccine, and quickly fix any problems that keep people with disabilities from being able to use these pages.
“All individuals deserve a full and equal opportunity to access services like vaccines,” U.S. Attorney Parker said. “This office will continue to partner with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to ensure that equal access.”
“Access for people with disabilities should never be an afterthought, including during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When a store’s website is inaccessible, people with disabilities may struggle to get potentially life-saving vaccines for themselves and their loved ones. This agreement helps fulfill the promise of the ADA by ensuring individuals with disabilities have equal access to healthcare.”
ADA complaints may be filed online at www.ada.gov/complaint.
Anyone in the Southern District of Ohio may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio by emailing [email protected] or calling 614-469-5715.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael J.T. Downey is representing the United States in this matter in the Southern District of Ohio.
# # #
Cincinnati area man charged with perpetrating an online romance scam, laundering proceedsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged a former Fairfield and Cincinnati man with crimes related to an online romance fraud scheme.
De-love Kofi Amuzu, 23, was arrested on Jan. 13 in the Bronx and will appear in federal court in Cincinnati at 1:30pm today.
According to the 10-count indictment, from 2018 until his arrest in 2022, Amuzu conspired with others to perpetrate an online romance fraud scheme and to launder the proceeds of the scheme, including by wiring funds to Ghana. The co-conspirators allegedly created profiles on dating websites using false information and pictures of other individuals.
It is alleged that the co-conspirators led victims to believe they were in a romantic relationship with the person pictured in the false online profile and then made misrepresentations to the victims that induced them to transfer or mail money and valuables to members of the conspiracy.
According to the charging document, Amuzu used multiple bank accounts in furtherance of the scheme, including a bank account opened in the name of a shell company, Obdomdel Management Agency LLC.
Amuzu is charged with conspiring to commit and committing wire and mail fraud, as well as conspiring to launder money and committing money laundering. Each is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Butler County Prosecutor Michael T. Gmoser and Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones announced the charges. U.S. Attorney Parker also recognized the contributions of Garrett Baker and Susan Monnin of the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as Butler County Prosecutor’s Investigator Steve Isgro. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Wilmington man pleads guilty to making online threats relating to his participation in U.S. Capitol riotRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Wilmington man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to making interstate threats, a felony offense. The crime arises from his communications online related to his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol.
Justin Stoll, 41, was arrested on Jan. 15, 2021, by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
According to court documents, Stoll used the username “Th3RealHuckleberry” on the app Clapper and on YouTube to post videos related to his participation in the Capitol riots.
Videos Stoll filmed at the Capitol show that he proceeded past police barricades that other rioters had torn down and yelled profanities at U.S. Capitol Police.
The government’s investigation has not yielded evidence suggesting that Stoll entered the Capitol building, engaged in acts of violence, or destroyed property.
When Stoll returned to the Southern District of Ohio, he uploaded the videos to social media.
Stoll received comments from other individuals in response to his YouTube videos, including from one user who said (s)he had saved Stoll’s video and suggested that Stoll might go to prison. Stoll responded via another video, in which he said, in part:
Well, that shows your f------ ignorance because, clearly, the capitol building is owned by the people, so again, nothing will happen. Secondly, I never admitted I went into it, did I? Go watch the video again. Daddy’s not stupid. [Wink.] Third, if you ever in your f------ existence did something to jeopardize taking me away from my family, you will absolutely meet your maker. You can play that for the D.A. in court, I don’t care. If you ever jeopardize me, from being with my family, you will absolutely meet your mother f------ maker, and I will be the one to arrange the meeting.
Stoll admitted as part of his guilty plea today that he posted the video for the purpose of making a threat.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea entered into today before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia and Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Timothy S. Mangan are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Jury convicts Dayton businessman of fraudRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted a Dayton businessman of crimes related to the fraudulent diversion of funds from an insurance claim.
Brian Higgins, 50, was found guilty of three counts of mail fraud and two counts of witness retaliation.
The verdict was announced today following a trial that began on Jan. 10 before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in 2014 and 2015, Higgins filed an insurance claim in connection with water damage to the Meeker Creek Residence, an 8,000 square-foot house in Dayton. Higgins received more than $100,000 in insurance claims that he used for his personal benefit rather than to repair water damage that occurred from a large fish tank.
Higgins used money disbursed on the claim to pay for personal expenditures, such as funding a new restaurant space, paying telephone bills, spending money at a casino, and other personal expenses, rather than paying for bona fide repairs and restoration of the home.
The defendant submitted invoices and repair cost estimates from a construction vendor to his mortgage company, falsely representing that he intended to buy these products to repair his house.
Higgins then diverted the money to himself and paid for travel, hotels and dining out, among other personal expenses. Higgins used a fraction of the funds from the claim to complete small, cosmetic repairs in an attempt to cover up his scheme.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) announced today’s verdict. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Rob Painter are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Mexican citizen sentenced to federal prison for using disabled veteran’s Social Security number for benefitsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Fernando Arroyo-Alonso, 59, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to one year and one day in prison for stealing the identity of a disabled United States veteran.
The defendant was arrested in Warren County in May 2021 for misusing a Social Security number.
According to court documents, in May 2019, Arroyo-Alonso submitted an online application for Title XVI Supplemental Security Income benefits using the identity of a disabled veteran who also receives Title XVI Supplemental Security Income and Veterans Affairs benefits.
The defendant used the victim’s identity, date of birth and Social Security number to obtain an Ohio driver’s license in the victim’s name. In actuality, the victim does not reside in Ohio.
Arroyo-Alonso also obtained a criminal record while using the victim’s identity.
After serving his sentence, Arroyo-Alonso will be deported to Mexico.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Andrew Boockmeier, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. The U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Ohio BMV and the Hamilton Township Police assisted with this investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Dayton man pleads guilty to dealing fentanyl cocaine mixture that caused multiple fatal and nonfatal overdosesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to distributing fentanyl and cocaine that resulted in six overdoses in the late hours of New Year’s Eve and into the early hours of New Year’s Day 2019.
Kelsey V. Williams, Jr., 40, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Ohio in May 2021 and arrested in June 2021 in Minnesota.
According to court documents, on New Year’s Eve 2018 and New Year’s Day 2019, the defendant distributed a fentanyl and cocaine mixture responsible for four fatal and two nonfatal overdoses.
Distributing a controlled substance that results in death or serious bodily injury is a federal crime punishable by 20 years up to life in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the plea entered into today before Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Ryan A. Saunders are representing the United States in this case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation S.O.S. In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced the launch of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S), a program aimed at reducing the supply of synthetic opioids in 10 high impact areas and identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.
# # #
Middletown drug ring leader connected to Sinaloa Drug Cartel sentenced to 25 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Middletown man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 300 months in prison for his role in a local narcotics conspiracy tied to the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico.
Donte Holdbrook, 28, was one of 12 individuals charged by a Cincinnati federal grand jury in March 2018 in a narcotics and money laundering conspiracy.
Holdbrook’s local drug trafficking organization trafficked more than $1 million in fentanyl and heroin in the region. After Holdbrook was arrested in late 2016, Middletown Police officials reported that fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses in Middletown fell by approximately one third.
Members of the group distributed fentanyl from Mexico in Middletown and sent proceeds back to the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico. A number of others were charged in San Diego, California, in a related case.
The investigation began when undercover FBI agents in San Diego learned that a known Sinaloa Cartel money-laundering boss, Jose Lopez-Albarran, coordinated and conducted multiple bulk cash pickups from a drug trafficking organization within the Southern District of Ohio.
Lopez-Albarran was one of 40 defendants charged in the Southern District of California. According to court documents there, he and other members of the Cartel allegedly laundered tens of millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds from the United States to Mexico between 2015 and 2018. Through the investigation in California, law enforcement discovered multiple drug-trafficking cells throughout the United States.
The Middletown drug-trafficking cell led by Holdbrook sent drug proceeds back to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico via Lopez-Albarran.
Holdbrook was found to be in possession of 366 grams of fentanyl during a traffic stop on Dec. 2, 2017, and he arranged for multiple shipments of fentanyl into the Middletown area.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac, Middletown Police Chief David Birk and Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Richard S. Fambro announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Black. Criminal Chief Karl P. Kadon is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Cincinnati residents charged with making straw purchases of firearmsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged two individuals from Cincinnati with crimes related to making straw purchases of firearms.
Jermaine Pulley, 29, and Nylisha Hill, 22, are charged with conspiring to commit a felony against the United States by making false statements during purchases of firearms, including by lying on federal firearms forms.
Hill is scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court this afternoon.
According to the indictment that was unsealed yesterday, Pulley was prohibited from possessing firearms under the terms of his probation. The indictment alleges that Pulley would provide Hill with cash to purchase firearms on his behalf and that the defendants would then make false representations to federal firearms licensees, to the effect that Hill, not Pulley, was the true purchaser of the firearms.
It is alleged the defendants visited two area federal firearms licensees on Oct. 12, 2021, in an attempt to purchase multiple firearms.
Pulley allegedly attempted to pay for a firearm at Shoot Point Blank – Cincy West, saying that he was paying for the firearm, but that it was for Hill’s use.
That same day, the defendants purchased two firearms at Shoot Point Blank – Blue Ash. Shortly after purchasing the firearms, it is alleged they attempted to buy two more.
Making a false statement on federal firearms forms is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Conspiring to commit a felony crime against the United States carries a potential penalty of five years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Roland H. Herndon, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Columbus man sentenced to more than 18 years in prison for robbing auto parts stores at gunpointRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court here today to 225 months in prison for armed robbery.
Craishon Russell, 32, robbed two auto parts stores at gunpoint in June 2019.
According to court documents, on June 5, 2019, Russell brandished a firearm at the AutoZone store on East Main St. in Reynoldsburg. Russell had employees empty the safe and registers, totaling in $1,400 in cash.
On June 15, 2019, Russell robbed at gunpoint the O’Reilly Auto Parts store on Gender Road in Canal Winchester.
Employees at each store described the assailant’s tattoos, including those on his neck and under his right eye.
“Russell’s crimes are very serious – in particular because a firearm was involved in the commission of the offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Several employees and customers were present in both businesses at the time of the robberies making them even more brazen.”
On June 19, 2019, Russell was stopped by Columbus Division of Police officers on a complaint of a man waving a gun around. He was arrested after officers discovered a pistol in his vehicle.
Russell, also known as “Diablo,” was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2020 and pleaded guilty in July 2021 to robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland H. Herndon, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and Kevin W. Kelley are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Columbus man sentenced to 3 years in prison for misusing Social Security Numbers to get apartments, vehicles, credit cardsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – DeWayne Foster, 39, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for using false identifying information and Social Security Numbers on six occasions over the course of six months.
According to court documents, in 2018 and 2019, Foster used the alias “Thomas Walker” along with false Social Security Numbers to apply to rent apartments, purchase vehicles and obtain credit cards and personal loans.
In September 2018, Foster used a false SSN to rent a two-bedroom townhome in Sunbury, Ohio, for $1,570 per month.
On five other occasions, Foster used the Social Security Number of a minor born in 2007. Within one week in January 2019, Foster illegally used the SSN to obtain a vehicle loan for nearly $26,000, to sign a lease for an apartment in Powell, Ohio, for approximately $25,000, and to apply for a second, $41,000 auto loan.
In February 2019, Foster used the false information to obtain a personal credit card with a $2,000 limit. Finally, in March 2019, the defendant applied for a $15,000 loan.
Foster is currently serving an eight-year sentence in Union County for local narcotics crimes and will serve 12 months of his federal sentence after he is released from local custody. He is also ordered to pay more than $16,000 in restitution to the victims he defrauded in his federal case.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James L. Graham and commended the investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and Columbus Division of Police. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Ohio home healthcare provider agrees to pay $500,000 as part of False Claims Act settlementRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local home healthcare provider has agreed to pay half a million dollars to the government and close its operations as part of a False Claims Act settlement.
According to court documents, Academy Health Care Services is a home healthcare agency based in Dayton providing service to patients in Ohio, many of whom are disabled and living in group homes.
Academy’s owners include Jagdish, Nita and Vijay Patel, all of Ohio.
The settlement unsealed today details that the healthcare provider’s billing practices routinely caused Ohio Medicaid to pay at a higher level of reimbursement than warranted by the services provided as well as the setting in which the services were provided.
From 2014 until 2017, Academy billed for individual healthcare services when any services it actually provided were in group settings. Further, Academy nurses did not spend the time required with patients to receive reimbursement for individual services.
The healthcare provider will pay $500,000 in total, of which $250,000 is restitution.
As part of the settlement, Academy agrees to cease operations no later than June 30, 2022, and agrees that after Dec. 31, 2021, it will no longer provide services to beneficiaries of federal healthcare programs, including the Ohio Medicaid program, and will not submit claims for any services provided to beneficiaries of federal healthcare programs.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the settlement and commended the work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Ohio Department of Medicaid. Deputy Civil Chief Andrew M. Malek and Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Rawlings are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Dayton man pleads guilty to kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in victim’s deathRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Dayton man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today for his role in the summer 2019 kidnapping and subsequent death of Kwasi Casey, whose body was later found in a detached garage on Fountain Ave. in Dayton.
Antoine Dye, 37, offered a guilty plea to conspiring to kidnapping resulting in death.
According to court documents, five co-conspirators kidnapped and abducted the victim at gunpoint on July 7, 2019.
Mr. Casey was taken to one of the defendant’s homes, where he was held against his will and beaten with a baseball bat. Another defendant made ransom demands of the victim’s family.
The indictment in this case details that Casey escaped on July 8, 2019, but was recaptured and forced into a co-conspirator’s minivan, where the victim was again physically assaulted. Mr. Casey ultimately died as a result of the defendants’ actions.
Between July and September 2019, the defendants concealed the victim’s body at a garage on Fountain Ave. in Dayton. On Sept. 17, 2019, the defendants set the garage on fire to destroy evidence and the victim’s body. On Sept. 26, 2019, the victim’s burnt remains were recovered from the burnt garage.
Other defendants charged in this case include: Eric Blackshear, 42; Markale Thomas, 28; Devon Love, 29; and Ryan Reese, 27.
Each of the defendants is charged with conspiring to kidnap the victim, a federal crime punishable by up to life in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L, Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter B Silvain, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith and OCDETF Deputy Chief Christy L. Muncy are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Former Hamilton County Deputy sentenced to 42 months in prison for using excessive forceRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A former Hamilton County jail deputy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 42 months in prison for using unreasonable force while acting under color of law. The former law enforcement officer shoved a suspect in a holding cell with such force that the victim left his feet and collided headfirst with a concrete wall, losing consciousness, splitting open his head, and breaking his leg.
Jason Mize, 35, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in January 2021 to the willful violation of the victim’s Constitutional right to be free from excessive force.
Court documents detail that on August 20, 2016, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a 61-year-old individual and brought him to the Hamilton County Justice Center for processing.
While the victim was in medical intake, Mize approached the victim from behind and told the individual to stand. Mize then pushed the victim towards a holding cell, shoving the victim with such force that the victim collided headfirst with a concrete wall. Mize left the victim, who was bleeding from the head, on the floor.
When asked by a supervisor if there was a use of force or anybody was hurt, Mize said no. Mize eventually returned to the cell to raise a curtain on the door to cover the cell’s window. The supervisor then checked the cell and called for the nurse. While the nurse administered first aid, Mize stood outside the cell and drank a soda.
The victim – who was later acquitted of the crime for which he had been arrested – stayed in the hospital for two weeks and suffered a scalp hematoma with lacerations and a leg fracture.
The United States argued at sentencing that Mize’s crime was part of a history of violence as a law enforcement officer. According to court documents, Mize began working as a deputy in 2007 and was laid off in 2008. He was rehired in 2011 and served until his resignation in 2016. During his time as a deputy, Mize was disciplined more than nine times. At least three of those times were for excessive force. At the time of this offense, Mize had been given a counseling letter on two occasions and suspended without pay at least once.
In April 2017, after his resignation from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Mize stated on Facebook Messenger: “I miss choking people.”
Over the course of the investigation into Mize’s conduct, the defendant lied repeatedly and pressured witnesses not to come forward.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Gaffney Painter and Ebunoluwa Taiwo are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Construction company owner sentenced to prison for mail fraud involving worker safety and embezzlement from company 401(k) programRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The owner of a Cincinnati-based construction company was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 18 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining employee safety training certificates and embezzling from the company’s pension benefit program.
Ron Craig Estes, owner of R&R Steel, LLC, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black in January 2020 to mail fraud and theft from an employee benefit plan.
According to court documents, Estes devised a scheme in 2015 to skirt Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements by buying fake employee training certifications in order to compete for a contract to provide steel installation and other work for the 8th and Sycamore project in Cincinnati. Estes paid $800 for 10 fake training certificates to avoid the costs and time associated with ensuring that all of the company’s employees had completed appropriate safety training. R&R received the $450,000 contract to do the work.
Court documents also say Estes embezzled between $15,000 and $40,000 from the company’s 401(k) retirement benefit plan established for the workers. Estes completed distribution forms for workers who had left the company and forged the participant’s signature on the distribution checks in order to cash the checks for his own benefit and use.
At sentencing, the United States argued that many of the victims in this case were particularly vulnerable due to being limited English proficient, migrant workers who feared reporting Estes’ criminal activities. According to court records, the Ohio Department of Commerce found that the company had violated the prevailing wage laws for the 8th & Sycamore project and ordered R&R Steel, LLC to pay $292,276.33, including $150,789.09 in past wages due and $141,487.24 in penalties associated with these violations.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, commended the investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
If you believe you are a victim of this fraud, please contact the Department of Labor at 1-866-444-3272.
# # #
2 local men sentenced to federal prison for child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Shelby County man and a Miami County man were sentenced in federal court in Dayton this week for possessing and distributing child pornography.
Brian Clark, 47, of Troy, Ohio, was sentenced on Dec. 7 to 120 months in prison for possession of child pornography with a prior offense. Aaron Smith, 31, of Sidney, Ohio, was sentenced on Dec. 9 to 90 months in prison for distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, Clark, who had previously been convicted as a sex offender, collected sexually explicit images of children from 2015 until his arrest in June 2020. Clark possessed approximately 250 images of child pornography. His collection included images of prepubescent children including toddlers, and included depictions of rape, sexual abuse, and sadism. He pleaded guilty in March 2021 to possessing the child pornography images.
Court documents detail that Smith amassed a collection of 773 images and 1,670 videos of child pornography. Those images and videos included infants and toddlers and depictions of rape, sexual abuse, bestiality, and sadism. Smith traded child pornography images with others online and discussed his enjoyment of the material with them. Smith pleaded guilty in September 2021 to distributing child pornography.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Troy Police Chief Shawn McKinney announced the sentences imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorney Christina E. Mahy is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Former deputy sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Franklin County corrections officer was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 97 months in prison for receiving child pornography. As part of his sentence, he was also ordered to pay more than $50,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images.
Daniel P. Heintz, 39, of Columbus, was charged by criminal complaint in February 2021.
According to court documents, authorities were alerted to messages sent by Heintz on Kik Messenger in mid-August 2020. In the conversations, Heintz discussed with an Illinois man their mutual sexual interest for children, and exchanged images of themselves and of pornography, including child pornography. Heintz received sexually explicit videos from the man of a girl 13 to 15 years old.
An affidavit details that Heintz discussed sexually abusing a minor to whom he had access. He discussed photographing the minor in the victim’s sleep and conduct he would commit – as well as sexual abuse the Illinois man could commit – to the minor victim.
On Feb. 11, 2021, law enforcement officials executed search warrants at Heintz’s residence and of his person at his place of employment, the Franklin County Correctional Center on S. Front Street.
A forensic examination of his electronics revealed thousands of images of prepubescent minors, some as young as toddler age, engaged in explicit sexual conduct and being sexually abused.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill and Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
2 defendants charged in T&A Crips case each sentenced to at least 18 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two of the 19 defendants convicted in a Columbus gang-related racketeering conspiracy were sentenced in federal court this week.
Brandon Martin, 29, was sentenced yesterday to 24 years in prison. Martin shot and killed William Moore, a rival Poindexter Thug Life Bloods gang member, in March 2013.
Terrell Scott Hansard, 24, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison. Hansard drove the vehicle when gang members shot and killed 7-year-old Deoante Fisher in March 2016.
The racketeering conspiracy first charged in 2018 includes five murders, at least 26 attempted murders, and other violent and drug-trafficking crimes.
The local T&A Crips gang derived its name from Trevitt and Atcheson streets in the King-Lincoln District of Columbus, where its members predominantly resided.
T&A controlled the neighborhood through intimidation, fear and violence. Gang members were expected to retaliate with acts of violence when their members and associates were disrespected, threatened, intimidated or subjected to acts of violence.
Specifically, co-conspirators in this case have been convicted of five murders:
the murder of Franky Tention on July 1, 2012, in the area of 431 Ellison Street;
the murder of William Moore on March 15, 2013;
the murder of Marvin Ector on December 23, 2013, on East 5th Avenue;
the murder of Quincy Story on January 24, 2015; and
the murder of seven-year-old Deonte Fisher on March 4, 2016.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland H. Herndon, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; and United States Marshal Pete Tobin announced the sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Guatemalan man who was extradited to Ohio sentenced to 140 months in prison for Colombia-to-United States cocaine conspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Guatemalan man was sentenced in federal court here for distributing at least five kilograms or more of cocaine on the high seas.
In March 2020, Jose Luis DeLeon-Baltazar, 40, was sentenced to 140 months in prison. He was extradited to Columbus from Bogota, Colombia. DeLeon-Baltazar is the second defendant to be extradited to the United States in this case.
DeLeon-Baltazar conspired with others to ship hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, via sea and land, through Central America and Mexico to the United States.
DeLeon-Baltazar, also known as “Enano,” was indicted in September 2018.
According to court documents, as part of the conspiracy individuals would use “load” coordinators to assist with logistics of cocaine shipments, locate drivers and boat operators for narcotic-laden vehicles and vessels, and secure shared investments from multiple co-conspirators in specific cocaine shipments. Fishermen and other commercial maritime laborers were allegedly recruited by conspirators to transport cocaine and refueling vessels.
Conspirators paid a “tax” or “fee” to send cocaine through areas controlled by a different drug trafficking organization or cartel.
Members of the conspiracy shared information on the activities and locations of law enforcement and military personnel assigned to interdict narcotics shipments. Co-conspirators also sheltered individuals who were at risk of extradition to other countries.
Low-level co-conspirators would take responsibility for an entire load of seized cocaine to free higher-level members.
DeLeon-Baltazar received multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine transported on go-fast speed boats from Colombia into Guatemala. Once the cocaine arrived in Guatemala, DeLeon-Baltazar hid the cocaine in buildings in Tecun Uman, Guatemala until the cocaine was transported across Guatemala’s northern border into Mexico. On May 19, 2016, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a go-fast boat that contained 880 kilograms of cocaine approximately 400 miles south of the Guatemala- Mexico border. That shipment was to be received by DeLeon-Baltazar in Guatemala where he would store it until it was to be transported to Mexico.
Additional cocaine shipments seized in this case thus far include:
- 720 kilograms of cocaine seized by the United States Coast Guard northwest of the Galapagos Islands on Aug. 18, 2017; and
- 34 kilograms of cocaine seized by the Guatemalan Policia National Civil in San Marcos, Guatemala on or about Nov. 26, 2017.
Four defendants were transported to Ohio for prosecution in September 2017, following the 720 kilogram seizure near the Galapagos Islands. That seizure alone included more than 1,584 pounds of cocaine, equaling an approximate street value of $25 million. In total, six defendants have now been convicted in the Southern District of Ohio.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Richard S. Fambro announced the sentence imposed on Dec. 7 by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Elizabeth R. Rabe, now a Trial Attorney at the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering Asset Recovery Section and Assistant United States Attorney Kelly A. Norris represented the United States in this case. The case was charged and prosecuted as part of OCDETF, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing DeLeon-Baltazar’s extradition from Colombia.
# # #
Cincinnati man who sex trafficked teen sentenced to more than 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man who was charged with his half-brother for conspiring to sex traffic minor females was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 188 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release.
William Pierce Washington, 40, was charged by a federal grand jury in 2017 with co-defendant William Pierce Washington, Jr., 51.
According to court documents, William Pierce Washington, also known as “Bam,” sex trafficked a minor female for at least four months. Washington would routinely get the victim high on drugs, including forcibly injecting the victim with heroin on at least one occasion.
Washington would then traffic the teenager to engage in sexual conduct for money. He beat and raped the victim.
Court documents in this case detail that Sharonville Police Department officers responded to a motel in Sharonville on April 18, 2017 following the report of a distraught female in the business’s parking lot. The female, a 16-year-old, told officers she had spent several hours in a motel room smoking crack cocaine and engaged in oral sex with an adult male who physically assaulted her.
Contact with the adult male and search of his cell phone revealed sexually explicit photos with the victim and text conversations with Washington about arrangements to coordinate the sexual activity for payment to Washington.
As part of his sentence, Washington was ordered to pay more than $229,000 in restitution to the victim and to a local county Job and Family Services agency.
Washington, Jr. has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Sharonville Acting Police Chief Mark Preuss and other members of the FBI’s child exploitation task force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Black. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Jury convicts Cincinnati man of trafficking fentanylRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal jury has convicted Lelon Campbell, 28, of Cincinnati, with distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
The verdict was announced today following a trial that began on Nov. 29 before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in June 2018, Campbell distributed fentanyl. In October 2018, he possessed more than 130 grams of fentanyl and approximately 27 grams of cocaine.
A federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment against Campbell in November 2021. He was originally charged in 2019.
Campbell will be sentenced at a future hearing. He faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Ronald H. Herndon, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac announced today’s verdict. Special Assistant United States Attorney John Zachary Kessler from the Cincinnati City Solicitor’s Office and Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Oakley represented the United States in this case.
# # #
Owner of local marketing business to pay quarter of a million dollars for committing COVID relief fraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus woman was sentenced in federal court here today and ordered to pay a fine of $250,000, the maximum amount allowed by law, for committing COVID relief fraud. In addition to her fine, she was ordered to pay more than $128,000 in restitution.
Janet Jenison, 38, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement on a Paycheck Protection Program loan application.
Jenison was charged by bill of information in May 2021 and pleaded guilty in July 2021.
According to court documents, Jenison submitted three fraudulent applications to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, created by the CARES Act, for Janet Minton Marketing, LLC, a business registered in her maiden name. The applications collectively sought $298,719.67 in fraudulent loans. Two of the applications were approved and a financial institution disbursed $160,247.
In support of the three applications, Jenison created false Fifth Third Bank account statements for her business for the period Feb. 8, 2020 to March 6, 2020. The bank statements showed debits for payroll, tax withholding and business expenses. The business account at Fifth Third Bank was not opened until April 27, 2020.
Jenison also submitted false tax documents. One document claimed she elected for her marketing business to be classified as a corporation and was dated Jan. 24, 2020, but the employer identification number on the form was not created until four months later. The defendant also made false claims about federal employment tax deposits.
Jenison was interviewed by law enforcement in March 2021 and she admitted to creating the false documents submitted in support of the applications.
As part of her sentence, Jenison was ordered to pay $128,783.04 in restitution and to serve five years of probation, including six months of home confinement.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office; and officials with the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
14 charged in narcotics conspiracy involving millions of dollars’ worth of opioidsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged 14 individuals in a narcotics conspiracy alleged to have occurred for at least the past four years.
Each of the defendants is charged with conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, a crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
According to the indictment unsealed today, the defendants also possessed and distributed heroin and methamphetamine.
The co-conspirators were originally charged by criminal complaint on Nov. 15. Thirteen of the defendants have been arrested and will appear in federal court in Cincinnati. Sterling Parish is a fugitive with an outstanding arrest warrant. Any tips or information on the location of Sterling Parish should be sent to FBI Cincinnati at 513-421-4310.
An affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint details that Steffen Roberson, also known as “Worm,” was running one of the largest heroin/fentanyl drug trafficking organizations in the greater Cincinnati area. The drug trafficking organization is also alleged to have distributed narcotics in Akron, Ohio, Fairfield, Ohio, and Gary, Indiana, as well.
The group was allegedly known to obtain drugs from multiple sources of supply, including in Atlanta and Baltimore. Roberson would allegedly purchase distributable amounts of opioids for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.
It is alleged that Roberson’s brother, Anthony Roberson, also known as the “Chemist,” manufactured heroin and fentanyl mixtures for the drug trafficking organization by cutting the narcotics with fillers and looking for ways to make the drug mixtures more potent.
More than 30 state and federal search warrants have been executed since 2018 on co-conspirators’ residences where large quantities of fentanyl and loaded firearms have been routinely recovered.
In total, law enforcement has seized approximately $150,000 in cash, 10 kilograms of fentanyl, multiple vehicles and 28 firearms related to the investigation.
Those charged include:
Name
Also Known As
Age
City of Residence
Steffen Roberson
Worm
40
Cincinnati
Anthony Roberson
Don, Chemist
44
Cincinnati
Devon Price
DV
36
Atlanta
Quinton Jennings
Smoke
39
Cincinnati
David Hamler
Chewy
31
Maineville, Ohio
Gregory Donaldson, Jr.
Gotti
32
Cincinnati
Donald Fairbanks III
Don Don
33
Middletown, Ohio
Roderick Smith
Pink
46
Cincinnati
Rashawn Zanders
Rayzo
35
Cincinnati
Sterling Parish
Sterl
36
Cincinnati
Jerome Newton, Jr.
Kodak, Boo
29
Cincinnati
Jimmy Daniel III
Neutron
32
Cincinnati
Alton Beacher
Yog
42
Cincinnati
Juan Marcano
47
New York City
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac announced the charges. They commended the cooperative investigation in this case with the Hamilton County Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit (RENU), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), the Drug Abuse and Reduction Task Force (DART), Middletown Police Department, Warren County Drug Task Force (WCDTF), Butler County Undercover Regional Narcotics Unit (BURN), Hamilton County Probation Office, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley N. Brucato and Dominick S. Gerace are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Kenneth L. Parker sworn in as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Kenneth L. Parker was sworn in today as United States Attorney, the chief law enforcement official, for the Southern District of Ohio. President Biden nominated Parker on Sept. 28, and the United States Senate approved his confirmation on Nov. 19.
Parker is a lifelong resident of the Cincinnati region and has served as an Assistant United States Attorney there since 1999. The 49-year-old has served in a variety of leadership roles as a federal prosecutor in the Office’s criminal division, including as Criminal Chief (2011 to 2019) and as the District’s OCDETF Chief (2010-2011).
Parker graduated from Tuskegee University in 1994 and earned his law degree from Indiana University in 1997. He clerked for the Hon. S. Arthur Spiegel in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
He has served as president of the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and of the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati.
Throughout his career, Parker has been consistently dedicated to connecting with the community to promote crime prevention as an essential part of enforcement.
“As U.S. Attorney, I am committed to partnering with the community to strengthen relationships between our office, the law enforcement partners with whom we work, and government and non-government agencies,” said Parker. “In other words, building community trust will be an integral part of what we do.”
As an alumnus of the Summer Work Experience in Law program, Parker later served as Chair of the program, which seeks to increase the number of African Americans in the legal profession. He has helped expand the program to Hamilton, Dayton and Columbus.
The new U.S. Attorney resides in Cincinnati with his wife and their twin daughters.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office represents the United States in 48 of Ohio’s 88 counties. The Southern District of Ohio includes the metropolitan areas of Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton.
# # #