Southern District of Ohio
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Dayton man sentenced to 70 months in prison for possessing firearm after felony convictionRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Rasu Taylor, 45, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 70 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Clark County Sheriff Deborah K. Burchett announced the sentence handed down on September 30 by U.S. District Judge Thomas M Rose.
According to court documents, in September 2018, while Taylor was on parole, a Clark County Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop of Taylor’s vehicle in the parking lot of a Motel 6 in Springfield. Upon approaching the vehicle, the deputy noticed an open container of alcohol in the console and Taylor attempting to hide a firearm.
A search of the vehicle revealed a pistol with a full magazine, marijuana, scales and nearly $2,000 in cash.
A subsequent search of the motel room Taylor had been living in for 19 days revealed marijuana, fentanyl, body armor, a Glock pistol with two magazines and more than $2,600 in cash.
Taylor had been previously convicted of felonies, including possession of drugs in Montgomery County and felonious assault in Clark County.
Taylor pleaded guilty on September 9 to illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from owning or possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by the ATF and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Columbus man sentenced to life in prison for murdering potential witnessesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Antwan L. Hutchinson, 28, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to life in prison with no chance of parole for murdering two potential witnesses and conspiring to distribute narcotics.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence imposed this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
Hutchinson and Michael J. Favors, 27, also of Columbus, were indicted in April 2017 and charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and murdering two potential witnesses.
According to court documents, Hutchinson led a drug trafficking organization and possessed and distributed cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana. As part of the drug conspiracy, he and Favors used “trap houses” that were in others’ names as locations to store and sell the drugs. This included using threat of force and using the homes of drug-addicted individuals.
Hutchinson also intimidated, assaulted, threatened and tortured individuals with serious physical harm who were perceived as owing money or drugs to the members of the conspiracy. Further, he tortured and killed individuals who were seen as potential witnesses against the members of the conspiracy.
As part of his plea in April 2019, Hutchinson admitted he intentionally killed Sidney Campbell and Marie Stamp in February 2017 because they were perceived as potential witnesses against the defendants.
Hutchinson also beat and tortured Cody Campbell in February 2017. Hutchinson used a two-by-four to beat and extension cords to whip Campbell, who died hours after the incident.
Pursuant to the murder charges to which Hutchinson pleaded, the defendant must be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release.
“Today Antwan Hutchinson was sentenced to life in prison for his heinous conduct,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “He will never be paroled, and he cannot appeal the sentence. This swift, severe, and certain punishment is appropriate for his crimes, and I hope it gives his victims’ families some sense of closure.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF and the Columbus Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers and Jessica W. Knight who are prosecuting the case.
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Ohio-to-Canada gun smuggling ringleader sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A New York man was sentenced here in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison and fined $30,000 for conspiring to illegally purchase firearms.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the sentence handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
Jerome Watkins Jr., 33, of Niagara Falls, was one of four individuals charged in an Ohio-to-Canada gun smuggling conspiracy in August 2018.
Jeremy Hearn, 40, and Marcedes Green, 28, both of Columbus, and Kristina DeLorenzo, 31, of Lewiston, N.Y., were also charged by a federal grand jury in Columbus.
According to court documents, from at least January 2018 until April 2018, they served as either straw purchasers, couriers or resellers of firearms purchased in Columbus and eventually resold in Canada.
Hearn would purchase the firearms from various federally-licensed firearms dealers in Central Ohio by providing false information on ATF Form 4473. He traveled to at least 12 different federal firearms licensee stores in Central Ohio.
Hearn purchased at least 32 firearms and Green, with money provided by Hearn, assisted in the purchase of at least six of the firearms.
Hearn, Watkins and DeLorenzo then acted as couriers or assisted in courier duties, regularly traveling between Columbus and Niagara Falls and/or across the Canadian border for resale.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF, and the assistance of the ATF field office in Buffalo, New York, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Ohio and the Western District of New York, and L.E.P.D. Firearms and Range in Columbus, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Kevin W. Kelley, who are prosecuting the case.
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Former Dayton city commissioner pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A former Dayton City Commissioner entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court today for accepting a thing of value in connection with a local government.
Williams served as an elected commissioner of the City of Dayton from 2001 until 2018. In 2015, Williams accepted a construction project at his personal home by an individual for a greatly reduced price in exchange for influencing the awarding of city contracts to that same individual.
The individual’s business was subsequently awarded at least $150,000 in contracts with both the City of Dayton and CityWide Development Corporation, a non-profit organization that functioned as a development and financing arm of the City of Dayton. CityWide routinely awarded thousands of dollars in contracts to private companies for the demolition of homes in Dayton.
Williams accepted more than $35,000 in free benefits from the individual, including cash payments and the construction of a patio at his home.
In an attempt to conceal the fraud, Williams demanded the individual create a fake invoice, falsely reflecting that Williams had personally paid the individual for the home improvement project.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Todd Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber announced today’s plea entered before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29.
Others charged include RoShawn Winburn, Clayton Luckie and Brian Higgins. Luckie pleaded guilty in July to mail fraud.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office, as well as assistant United States Attorneys Brent Tabacchi, SaMee Harden and Dominick Gerace, who are representing the United States in this case.
If you have any information related to the schemes alleged above, please contact the FBI’s Dayton Public Corruption Tip Line at 937-291-5222.
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Final defendant pleads guilty in Vegas-to-Columbus oxy ring, marking 22nd convictionRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 22nd and final defendant related to a Las Vegas-to-Columbus oxycodone distribution ring pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today.
Edward Vaughns, 56, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and to launder money.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Mona Passmore, acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.
According to court documents, defendants had been diverting oxycodone pills from the Las Vegas area to Columbus since at least 2012. Law enforcement officials seized numerous U.S. mail packages containing thousands of oxycodone pills and large amounts of cash being sent between Las Vegas and Columbus in connection with this drug trafficking organization.
The co-conspirators also engaged in financial transactions – making use of wire transfers, bank accounts, and prepaid debit cards – involving hundreds of thousands of dollars to conceal the nature and source of their profits and promote the drug trafficking organization’s activities. Money was used to purchase airline tickets, pay for hotel rooms and cover other costs associated with bringing the drugs to Columbus for distribution.
According to Vaughns’ plea, specifically, Vaughn was responsible for the distribution of at least 15,000 oxycodone pills.
Others charged in the related cases include: Marcus Pryor, Marquis Pryor, Maisha Caples, Michael Griffin, James Stone, David Pryor, Sukita Williams, Danny Williams, Russell Briggs, Richard Briggs, Tiana Castro, Dontonyo Courtney, Larissa Harris-Patterson, Joquline Harris, Alfred James, Rashod Todd, Raynard Miller, Arthur Pirtle, Thomas Lane, Gary Washington and Jerry Campbell.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation, USPIS and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Hunter and Brian J. Martinez, who are prosecuting the cases.
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Federal, state & local law enforcement to announce significant law enforcement action involving 19 charged defendantsRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Today the government has unsealed charges against 19 individuals in an alleged narcotics conspiracy. Arrests were made this morning.
The briefing will be held:
TODAY: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019
WHEN: 1:30 P.M.
WHERE: Walter H. Rice Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse
Front Steps
200 West 2nd Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402
WHO: U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman
Mauricio Jimenez, assistant special agent in charge, DEA
ID and media credentials will be required.
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19 charged in alleged narcotics ringRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A federal grand jury has charged 19 local individuals in a narcotics conspiracy involving more than 400 grams of fentanyl, 500 grams of methamphetamine, 500 grams of cocaine and heroin.
Eight of the defendants were arrested this morning, four were already in law enforcement custody and one has self-surrendered. Six currently remain at large.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced the charges.
Those charged include:
Name
Age
City of Residence
Crawford P. Bogle
33
Dayton
Savon P. Pope
26
Dayton
Deshawn M. Harris
32
Phoenix, Ariz./Dayton
Kris A. Bogle
49
Dayton
Bryan K. Barney
36
Dayton
Lajuan M. Allen
32
Dayton
Donte (Deontay) A. Williams
28
Dayton
Marshall A. Cooper
32
Dayton
Jujuan D. Hansbro
26
Dayton
Qeuntin L. Robinson
35
Huber Heights
Dorian T. Bailey
32
Dayton
Storm A. Otey
28
Dayton
Dae-Sean L. Winn
21
Dayton
Jerome Bogle
52
Dayton
Brandon Henry
33
Dayton
Boyd D. Jackson
63
Middletown
Lisa N. Sumpter
34
Middletown
Kimberly L. Kelly
25
Dayton
Allen C.M. Maye
39
Dayton
*Currently a fugitive
According to the 27-count indictment, Crawford Bogle and Pope (with the assistance of other co-defendants) allegedly acquired for resale bulk amounts of controlled substances, including kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Crawford Bogle and Pope then allegedly processed and repacked the illegal drugs for resale in Southern Ohio, Kentucky and elsewhere.
It is alleged the group used 13 Dayton homes, apartments and business properties to process, store and distribute the drugs and cash proceeds.
The indictment details that defendants allegedly delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for kilogram quantities of the drugs. Crawford Bogle, Pope and others used proceeds from the drug sales to purchase a variety of high-end goods, including luxury cars.
Barney allegedly provided various members of the organization with fraudulent dealership tags to conceal their true ownership of vehicles through his car dealership.
In May 2019, Barney allegedly fled from a federal task force officer after an acquaintance of the illicit organization left a stash house in Dayton while in possession of more than $100,000 in cash.
In June 2019, members of the group allegedly hid bulk cash in a Dayton park while attempting to evade federal task force officers. It is alleged that Crawford Bogle searched the park the next day in an effort to locate the cash.
Defendants are charged with attempting to, conspiring to and distributing controlled substances (10 years up to life in prison), as well as communicating to facilitate a drug crime (up to four years in prison).
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the DEA and the assistance of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office, and Dayton, Middletown and Springfield police departments, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Brent G. Tabacchi and Dominick S. Gerace, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of those remaining at large, please text SOFAST and your tip to 847411.
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Local man pleads guilty to creating child pornography through sexual abuse of toddlerRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Miami Township man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to creating and distributing child pornography of the sexual abuse of a two-year-old.
Travis E. Walker, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2018 and offered a guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon L. Ovington on September 23.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer, Montgomery County Prosecutor Matthias H. Heck, Jr., and Miami Township Police Chief Ronald L. Hess announced the plea.
According to court documents, beginning in at least January 2018 and continuing through May 2018, Walker sexually abused a toddler victim and produced at least 12 pornographic images on his cell phone.
In May 2018, Walker distributed five of the child pornography files he produced to an undercover FBI task force officer via the Kik Messenger app.
Producing child pornography is punishable by 15 to 30 years in prison. Distributing child pornography carries a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison.
The plea agreement includes a global resolution involving state charges in Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, including three counts of rape of a person under 13 years of age and four counts of gross sexual imposition of a person under 13 years of age. The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office will recommend that Walker serve his federal prison sentence concurrent to state imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office RANGE Task Force and Miami Township Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorney SaMee Harden, who is prosecuting the case. Assistant Montgomery County Prosecutors Kelly D. Madzey and Jonathan W. Sauline are prosecuting the related state charges.
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Grand jury indicts 18 in Mexico-to-Ohio heroin, money laundering & immigration document conspiraciesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged 18 individuals in conspiracies to distribute kilogram quantities of heroin, launder money back to Mexico and run a fake immigration identification business.
The superseding indictment was returned here yesterday and 13 of the defendants were arrested in Central Ohio today. Custody will be sought for five defendants in California.
According to the 16-count indictment, Diego Ernesto Castaneda-Garcia was allegedly the leader of a drug trafficking organization that received imported heroin from Mexico, repackaged it into user quantities and sold it to heroin users in and around Central Ohio.
It was further a part of the alleged drug conspiracy that defendants would arrange for workers to be smuggled into the United States from Mexico for arrival in Central Ohio to distribute heroin.
Co-conspirators allegedly packaged heroin into foil balls called “fechas” – which roughly translates to “coins” in English – containing 1/10th of a gram of narcotics. Heroin was sold to users in public parking lots by “runners” who charged $100 for a group of 15 coins.
The indictment details that one co-conspirator would act as a dispatcher taking calls and coordinating runners. Other defendants would arrange for apartments to rent for the runners to live in and purchase vehicles for runners. Other co-conspirators would create fake identification documents for the workers, including drivers licenses, permanent resident alien cards and Social Security cards. It was also a part of the alleged drug conspiracy that individuals would register automobiles and license tags in false names or in the name of a U.S. citizen in order to avoid the attention of law enforcement.
Defendants allegedly wired money on multiple occasions from storefronts in Columbus to Nayarit, Mexico.
“Special Agents with HSI and our local, state and federal partners have once again taken down a sophisticated international drug trafficking operation, suspected of untold harm in our community,” said Vance Callander, special agent in charge of HSI for Michigan and Ohio. “This organization went to great lengths to conceal their activities from law enforcement. However, today’s arrests demonstrate that HSI and our partners will be unyielding in our efforts to take down those who seek to profit from poisoning our community.”
“Drug dealers that distribute heroin run complex trafficking operations, concealing their crimes in attempts to evade justice – until they are overwhelmed by law enforcement fighting back to protect our communities,” Ohio Attorney General Yost said. “I’m proud of the work done by the Bureau of Criminal Investigations and our partners in this operation.”
According to the indictment, a group associated with the drug traffickers was involved in the business of creating fake identification documents. This was for members of the drug trafficking group as well as members of the public who were purchasing driver’s licenses, lawful permanent resident cards and U.S. Social Security cards. The business was called “Chilango’s Perfumes” and perfumes was allegedly used as a code word for fake documents. Customers allegedly paid $120 for a “full set” – a Social Security card and resident alien card.
For example, Julia Martinez-Alvarez received a phone call from a Spanish-speaking female on August 15 who said, “I was calling you because I wanted perfume.”
Martinez-Alvarez allegedly responded, “Of course. To place your order, I need a frontal photo, with the hair up, no earrings, no glasses. Send me the photo, name, date of birth and nationality…”
Those charged include:
Name
Also Known As
Victor Daniel Torres-Lopez
Diego Ernesto Castaneda-Garcia
Neto, Mariachi, El Musican, Jorge Alonso Casillas-Guillen, Jose Alberto Carbajal, Sergio Castaneda-Garcia, Jose Salas Carbajal, Oscar Silva-Santiago
Angel Moises Castaneda-Garcia
Moi, Moises
Jose Narciso Acuna-Zepeda
Chucky
Javier Eduardo Acuna-Zepeda
Lalo, Guaranieve, Huijolo
Omar Fernando Chavez-Andrade
Contador
Julia Martinez-Alvarez
Sandra Rodriguez-Rosa, Sandra Yvette Rodrigruez-Rosa, Julie Martinez-Albarado, Lusero Gonzales, Lori Michelle Willet, Emma Gonzalez
Jennifer Esmeralda Rodriguez-Martinez
Tonie Michelle Rondrekia Scott
Michael P. Uccello
Serena Esclante
Delander Edward Moore, Jr.
Luis Enrique Diaz-Castillo
Chaz A. Holland
Tesla M Yant
Juan Manuel Alfaro-Alvarez
Manuel
Adriana Gabriela Salazar-Martinez
Maria Esther Rosario
Maria Jorge, Dember O. Hernandez, Pablo Tadeo Salgado, Maria Gabriela Ramos Martinez
Charged in heroin conspiracy punishable by up to life in prison.
Conspiring to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin is a federal crime punishable by up to life prison. Laundering and conspiring to launder money, conspiring to create and creating fraudulent identification documents are each crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperation of federal, state and local law enforcement, both in investigating this case and executing multiple arrests today.
Those agencies include:
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
Delaware County Sheriff’s Office
Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI)
IRS Criminal Investigation
Dublin Police Department
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Westerville Police Department
Delaware Police Department
Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force
U.S. Border Patrol
United States Marshals Service
Columbus Division of Police
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Unit
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Prichard and Special Assistant United States Attorney Roger Dinh are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Four doctors charged in southern district of Ohio as part of second Appalachian region prescription opioid takedownRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The Justice Department announced today the second coordinated law enforcement action of the Appalachian Region Prescription Opioid (ARPO) strike force, including four cases in the Southern District of Ohio.
Today’s takedown resulted in charges against 13 individuals total across five Appalachian federal districts for alleged offenses relating to the over prescription of controlled substances through “pill mill” clinics. Of those charged, 12 were charged for their role in unlawfully distributing opioids and other controlled substances and 11 were physicians. The alleged conduct resulted in the distribution of more than 17 million pills.
This action follows the first such takedown in April of this year, which involved charges against 60 defendants, including 53 medical professionals, in 11 federal districts, alleging the illegal distribution of more than 23 million pills. The charges brought in April have already resulted in 11 guilty pleas in seven federal districts, including guilty pleas by nine medical professionals, including seven physicians.
“We said in April that the ARPO strike force was not a one-and-done spectacle, but an enduring commitment to stamp out opioid trafficking by prescription pad. We meant it,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman. “It’s thanks to the partnership between U.S. Attorney’s offices, the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners that the United States is able to investigate and prosecute not only medical professionals who are allegedly acting as drug dealers, but also the myriad other malefactors who have contributed—and are contributing—to the opioid epidemic.”
In the Southern District of Ohio, four medical professionals were charged, including three medical doctors and one doctor of osteopathy, in connection with several alleged “pill mill” controlled substance diversion and/or health care fraud schemes.
Troy Balgo, D.O., 53, of Saint Clairsville, the elected county coroner of Belmont County, was charged with one count of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, six counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to commit unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
Balgo allegedly caused and/or conspired with others to cause submissions for health care services that he did not perform, and prescribed controlled substances while he was out of the state or country. Balgo is the owner and operator of two medical clinics in St. Clairsville.
George Griffin, M.D., 70, of Cincinnati, was charged with 20 counts of distribution of controlled substances for his alleged participation in the unlawful prescription of controlled substances outside of the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Griffin owns and operates a solo medical practice in Cincinnati.
Thomas Romano, M.D., 69, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was charged with 20 counts of diversion of controlled substances for his alleged participation in the unlawful prescription of controlled substances outside of the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Romano owns and operates a solo cash-only medical practice in Martin’s Ferry, Belmont County.
Freeda Flynn, M.D., 66, of Saint Clairsville, was charged with eight counts of distribution of controlled substances, and one count of health care fraud, for her alleged participation in the unlawful prescription of controlled substances outside of the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose, and health care fraud for the submission of claims for services which were medically unnecessary and/or performed below medically-accepted standards. Flynn owns and operates a solo practice with focuses on medical and opioid addiction treatment programs in St. Clairsville.
The DEA, FBI and HHS-OIG, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation and the Ohio Board of Pharmacy investigated the cases in the Southern District of Ohio. The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christopher Jason of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Hamilton pain clinic doctor pleads guilty to running pill millRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The owner and operator of a Hamilton pain clinic pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to illegal distribution of controlled substances, health care fraud and violating the anti-kickback statute.
Nilesh Jobalia, 54, of Cincinnati, entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Anthony Groeber, Executive Director, State Medical Board of Ohio; Steven Schierholt, Executive Director, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy; and Stephanie B. McCloud, Administrator, Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, announced the plea.
“Today Dr. Jobalia accepted responsibility for trafficking drugs by means of a prescription pad, health care fraud, and receiving kickbacks,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “He faces a substantial term of imprisonment for his crimes.”
According to court documents, Jobalia owned and operated Cincinnati Centers for Pain Relief in Hamilton, Ohio from March 2013 through December 2017. Although the practice was not licensed as such, it operated almost exclusively as a pain clinic.
Patients were prescribed fentanyl, oxycodone, methadone, morphine and other controlled substances on many occasions without actually being seen by the doctor.
Jobalia’s practice also billed Medicare, Medicaid and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for medically unnecessary prescriptions and services not rendered.
For example, prescriptions to one customer alone caused the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to pay more than $450,000 for medically unnecessary drugs. In total, Jobalia caused more than $2 million in false claims.
“Our investigators started looking at Dr. Jobalia in 2015 for suspicious prescribing, and we’re pleased to see this case come to a just end,” said BWC Administrator/CEO Stephanie McCloud. “Even more so, we’re pleased to see him out of practice and out of the BWC system. Our injured workers are better off.”
Jobalia also received more than $103,000 from a pharmaceutical company for purported speaking engagements about a fentanyl spray, a medication intended for breakthrough cancer pain.
The speaking engagements were actually sham programs, though, in which many attendees were not medical professionals permitted to prescribe the fentanyl spray. Usually, Jobalia, some of his staff and the pharmaceutical sales representative were the only people present at the engagements, which were held at fine dining restaurants in the Cincinnati area.
Jobalia was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2018.
As part of his plea agreement, the parties involved in his case are recommending a sentence range of 78 to 144 months in prison.
“This pain relief clinic was nothing more than a front for hard drug handouts,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “Shutting the operation down is a big win for a region that’s been hit especially hard by the opioid crisis.”
“I applaud the dedication of our agents in helping to secure this conviction,” said State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy Executive Director Schierholt. “The coordination among agencies demonstrates the importance of collaboration in addressing the criminal activity fueling Ohio’s drug epidemic.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by the HHS-OIG, Ohio Medical and Pharmacy boards, Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Maritsa Flaherty and Salvador A. Dominguez, who are prosecuting the case.
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Suspected Columbus gang member sentenced to 42 months in prison for illegal possession of firearms, ammunitionRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Corey D. Wilder, Jr., 27, of Columbus was sentenced in U.S. District Court to serve 42 months in prison for possessing a loaded AR-15 assault-style rifle during a standoff with members of a rival gang in south Columbus in 2017.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Acting Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence handed down September 16 by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.
According to court documents, Columbus Police identified Wilder, a suspected gang member, alongside documented South Park/Fetti Nation gang members outside apartments where Wilder lived in July 2017 when a dispute erupted with a rival gang who threatened to shoot up Wilder’s girlfriend’s sister’s car. A Columbus Police officer knew Wilder by sight and knew he was a convicted felon who was not allowed to possess a gun. Wilder was carrying an AR-15 style rifle with a loaded magazine containing 31 live rounds of ammunition. A search of Wilder’s apartment recovered at least nine other firearms, several of which were loaded, along with illegal drugs. Wilder pleaded guilty on April 11, 2019 to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Wilder has been in custody since his arrest. Two others involved in the incident received substantial sentences as well. Michael Chester, 28, was sentenced to 51 months in prison. Davonta Flood, 22, was sentenced to 33 months in prison. Each pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms because they were convicted felons.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the ATF and Columbus Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J. C. Grey, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Jury Convicts Cincinnati Man of 8 Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A U.S. District Court jury here today convicted Qian “Will” Williams, 38, of Cincinnati, of distributing heroin and cocaine from a house in northeast Cincinnati, and of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug crimes.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac and Boone County Sheriff Michael A. Helmig announced the verdict reached today following a jury trial that began September 11 before U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
Testimony by witnesses and evidence presented during the trial showed that for approximately 15 months Williams distributed heroin and cocaine he obtained from sources in Indiana and elsewhere.
Task force officers executed search warrants at Williams’ property on Randomhill Drive in August 2017. They seized more than a kilogram of heroin, more than 100 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia including a kilogram press, six firearms including two handguns, large-capacity magazines, and ammunition. Agents also seized more than $80,000 in cash and jewelry while executing the search warrants.
The jury found Williams guilty of two counts of distribution of a controlled substance (up to 20 years), one count of possession of a kilogram or more of heroin with intent to distribute it (at least 10 years up to life), one count of possession of 100 or more grams of heroin with intent to distribute it (five to 40 years), one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute it (up to 20 years) and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises (up to 20 years).
The jury also convicted Williams of being a felon in possession of a firearm, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, punishable by at least five years and up to life in prison.
A federal grand jury indicted and agents arrested Williams in October 2017. He has been in custody since his arrest and was ordered to remain in custody until he is sentenced. Judge Barrett will schedule a date for sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the DEA, Cincinnati Police Department and Boone County Sheriff’s Office, as well as assistant United States Attorneys Karl P. Kadon and Ebunoluwa Taiwo, who are representing the United States in this case.
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Former Postal Carrier Offers Guilty Plea for Stealing Marijuana and Methamphetamine Mail PackagesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former United States Postal Carrier pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to stealing mail parcels that contained narcotics and then selling those narcotics in his neighborhood.
Ricky Lee Harris Germany, 32, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and a detectable amount of marijuana.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) Eastern Area Field Office, announced the plea offered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King.
According to court documents, Germany had been employed as a city postal carrier at the United States Postal Service’s Oakland Park Station in Columbus from 2013 until 2018.
In September 2018, investigators received information that Germany had stolen mail parcels containing marijuana while employed as a postal carrier. According to a complainant, Harris Germany stole more than 100 pounds of marijuana over the course of six months. The complainant stated Harris Germany would look for large parcels from California, Texas and Arizona and would check the packages on his lunch break to see if they contained drugs.
The investigation revealed Germany intercepted mail parcels on multiple occasions from delivery routes other than his assigned route. During a search of his residence, investigators discovered opened packages containing marijuana, THC oil and methamphetamine.
Germany admitted to stealing mail coming from out of state and selling stolen narcotics to people in his neighborhood.
Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine is punishable by a range of 10 years up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the USPS-OIG and Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J.C. Grey, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Dayton Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Possessing Gun as Convicted Felon, Violating Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Gabriel Newman, 36, of Dayton was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 84 months in prison for possessing an AR-15 assault-style rifle at a home where he was dealing illegal drugs.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl announced the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
Newman was also ordered to forfeit a handgun, ammunition and a high-capacity magazine for the AR-15 found during the search.
According to court documents, Newman was on federal supervised release in early 2018 for a prior federal conviction of drug trafficking when agents found the firearm as well as illegal drugs hidden inside a Christmas tree at a residence in east Dayton.
Agents arrested Newman and he pleaded guilty in February to one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and to violating his supervised release following his 2015 conviction for drug trafficking.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the ATF and Dayton Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Brent Tabacchi, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Couple Who Worked at Local Research Institute for 10 Years Charged with Stealing Trade Secrets, Wire FraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Dublin, Ohio couple has been charged with crimes connected to stealing exosome-related trade secrets concerning the research, identification and treatment of a range of pediatric medical conditions.
John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges.
According to the indictment, Yu Zhou, 49, and Li Chen, 46, currently of San Diego, Calif., conspired to, attempted to and did steal scientific trade secrets related to exosomes and exosome isolation from Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Research Institute for their own personal financial gain.
The defendants were arrested in California in July and the case was unsealed today at the defendants’ arraignments in federal court in Columbus at 2pm before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.
Zhou and Chen are spouses who worked in separate medical research labs at the Research Institute for 10 years each (Zhou from 2007 until 2017 and Chen from 2008 until 2018). Exosomes play a key role in the research, identification and treatment of a range of medical conditions, including necrotizing enterocolitis (a condition found in premature babies), liver fibrosis and liver cancer.
The husband and wife allegedly founded a company in China in 2015 without the hospital’s knowledge. While Zhou and Chen continued to be employed by Nationwide Children’s, they marketed products and services related to exosome isolation through their Chinese company.
The indictment also alleges that in 2017, Zhou helped co-found an American biotechnology company. As of 2019, the company’s website advertised multiple products and services related to exosome isolation, including a kit that was developed from a trade secret created at a Nationwide Children’s research lab.
Zhou and Chen allegedly used the hospital’s Research Institute resources and equipment to conduct the exosome research for their unauthorized, outside work.
In November 2017, Zhou and Chen allegedly received more than $876,000 and stock related to an asset purchase agreement involving the American biotechnology company. It is also alleged Zhou entered into a stock purchase agreement with that same company under which he would receive $450,000.
Zhou resigned from the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s, effective November 10, 2017. On January 31, 2018, Chen resigned from her position at the research institute.
Before his official last day of employment with the research institute, Zhou allegedly participated in a press release announcing the American company’s plans to market and distribute “proprietary exosome isolation systems” from its headquarters in Central Ohio.
“Nationwide Children’s Hospital devoted years of work and its own money to researching exosomes in order to promote honorable medical advances,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “The hospital’s Research Institute took reasonable measures to keep its trade secrets secret. I commend the cooperation of Nationwide Children’s throughout this investigation.”
“The theft of trade secrets is a growing threat that severely impacts our economy and our national security,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Todd Wickerham. “The FBI is committed to investigating these cases and working with all of our partners to protect intellectual property.”
Conspiring to, attempting to and committing theft of trade secrets is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Conspiring to, attempting to and committing wire fraud carries a potential maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall, Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and J. Michael Marous and National Security Division Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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MS-13 Defendant Pleads Guilty to Two MurdersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A defendant in the MS-13 racketeering case pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today and accepted responsibility for his involvement in two homicides.
Jose Salvador Gonzalez-Campos, 28, formerly of Columbus, pleaded guilty today to one count of participating in a racketeering conspiracy and one count of murder through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the plea entered into today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Gonzalez-Campos, also known as “Danger,” is one of 23 individuals charged in a second superseding indictment in February 2018 who are alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.
The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.
The second superseding indictment alleges that the defendants committed a host of overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, including: 1) the December 2006 murder of Jose Mendez, a confidential informant, in Perry County; 2) the November 2008 murder of Ramon Ramos on Lockbourne Road in Columbus; 3) the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, a suspected rival gang member, near Innis Road in Columbus; 4) the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus; and 5) the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.
As part of his plea, Gonzalez-Campos accepted responsibility for his role in the murders of Wilson Villeda and Salvador Martinez-Diaz. He also admitted to being involved in drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering on behalf of the criminal enterprise.
The parties involved in Gonzalez-Campos’ case are recommending a prison sentence of 35 to 40 years.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, ICE, Columbus Division of Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Brian J. Martinez and Jessica H. Kim, who are prosecuting the case.
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Huber Heights Man Indicted for Fleeing Prior to Serving Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged a Huber Heights man for failing to appear with the Bureau of Prisons to begin his 30-month prison sentence for beating a man he believed to be Jewish outside of a Cincinnati restaurant in February 2017.
Izmir Koch, 34, was sentenced in July and ordered by the court to self-surrender at a federal correctional institute on August 16.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Cincinnati Division announced the new charge.
According to the indictment, Koch had been released while awaiting surrender for service of sentence, and directed by the Court to surrender to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Correctional Institute Gilmer in the Northern District of West Virginia. It is alleged that Koch knowingly and willfully failed to self-surrender.
Koch was convicted after a trial in December 2018 of one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.
In February 2017, the Defendant and his companions were heard yelling “I want to kill all of the Jews” and “I want to stab the Jews” outside a Cincinnati restaurant. The victim represented to Koch that he was Jewish, after which Koch began punching and kicking him. A number of other people joined in the assault. The victim was left with a broken facial bone and bruised ribs. The victim was not in fact Jewish, but was with friends and family members who were.
Koch faces an additional prison sentence of up to five years for failing to appear.
Koch’s initial prosecution was investigated by the Cincinnati Division of the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Rossi of the Southern District of Ohio, and Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. SAUSA Rossi and Trial Attorney Mulhauser are also handling Koch’s new charge.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
If you have any information on Koch’s whereabouts, please contact the FBI at (513) 421-4310.
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Lima Man Charged with Sex Trafficking Minor GirlRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A registered sex offender has been charged with federal crimes related to sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl.
A federal grand jury has charged Nicholas Salvadore Cochran, 28, of Lima, Ohio, with sex trafficking a minor, sexually exploiting a minor, distributing and possessing child pornography and committing a sex offense while registered as a sex offender in an indictment filed here today.
Cochran was arrested on Aug. 9 as part of Operation Independence Day – a nationwide FBI-led operation to identify and arrest sex traffickers and recover child victims.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Celina Police Chief Thomas Wale, Allen County Sheriff Matthew B. Treglia, Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the charges.
According to the indictment, last month Cochran caused a minor female victim to engage in commercial sex acts with several men in exchange for money.
Court documents detail that Cochran met the minor victim on Snapchat approximately five months prior.
Phone numbers linked to Cochran were allegedly posted on the website skipthegames.com in the female escorts section. Cochran’s advertisement stated, in part: “…do not attempt to low ball me I can skype and I have duo for verification and i will send one nude No small talk time is money and I don’t like mine wasted…”
Investigation of the advertisements revealed that between July 9 and July 14, Cochran allegedly posted approximately 25 ads for the Lima-Findlay, Dayton and Columbus areas. He allegedly posted ads for sex with the child victim daily, and those ads contained nude photographs of the minor.
Cochran had been convicted of two counts of sexual battery and one count of attempted sexual battery in Henry County in 2009.
Cochran faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), the Celina and Westerville police departments and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office as well as Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Hill, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Russian and Italian Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Steal Trade Secrets from American Aviation CompanyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Russian national and an Italian national have been charged here with conspiring and attempting to steal trade secrets from an American aviation company.
Alexander Yuryevich Korshunov, 57, and Maurizio Paolo Bianchi, 59, were charged by a criminal complaint on Aug. 21. Korshunov was arrested on Aug. 30 at Naples International Airport in Italy. The complaint was unsealed today.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Korshunov was an employee of a Russian state-owned company and had previously been a Russian public official whose service included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bianchi was a former director at an Italian subsidiary of GE Aviation, one of the world’s top aircraft engine suppliers, which is headquartered in the Southern District of Ohio. While working for the subsidiary, Bianchi was responsible for business in China, Russia and Asia.
After leaving the subsidiary, Bianchi went to work for a company called Aernova in Forli, Italy.
Korshunov was employed at United Engine Corp (UEC), which included a subsidiary named Aviadvigatel (a branch of the Russian state-owned company), which had been “entity listed” by the U.S. Department of Commerce in September 2018 for acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.
Aernova and Aviadvigatel had a contract during the time of the alleged conduct.
It is alleged that between 2013 and 2018, Bianchi – on behalf of Korshunov – hired current or former employees of GE Aviation’s Italian subsidiary to do consulting work related to jet engine accessory gearboxes for Bianchi and Korshunov. The employees’ statements of work typically stated that the “the holders of patent and intellectual property obtained as a result of the work are…the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.”
Throughout the consulting, employees allegedly used trade secrets owned by GE Aviation to create the technical report. The effort focused on accessory gearboxes made by Avio Aero, which are external engine components that provide power to systems such as hydraulic pumps, generators and fuel pumps.
The affidavit details that Korshunov arranged and paid for employees to meet with him in June 2013 at the Paris Air Show in Le-Bourget, France and in 2014 in Milan, Italy to discuss and revise the technical report.
Conspiring to and attempting to steal trade secrets is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Benjamin C. Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and the cooperation of GE Aviation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Mangan and Trial Attorney Will Mackie of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, who are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division assisted in the investigation.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Russian and Italian Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Steal Trade Secrets from American Aviation CompanyRead the Press Release
A Russian national and an Italian national have been charged in the United States with conspiring and attempting to steal trade secrets from an American aviation company.
Alexander Yuryevich Korshunov, 57, and Maurizio Paolo Bianchi, 59, were charged by a criminal complaint on Aug. 21. Korshunov was arrested on Aug. 30 at Naples International Airport in Italy. The complaint was unsealed today.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Korshunov was an employee of a Russian state-owned company and had previously been a Russian public official whose service included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bianchi was a former director at an Italian subsidiary of GE Aviation, one of the world’s top aircraft engine suppliers, which is headquartered in the Southern District of Ohio. While working for the subsidiary, Bianchi was responsible for business in China, Russia and Asia.
After leaving the subsidiary, Bianchi went to work for a company called Aernova in Forli, Italy.
Korshunov was employed at United Engine Corp (UEC), which included a subsidiary named Aviadvigatel (a branch of the Russian state-owned company), which had been “entity listed” by the U.S. Department of Commerce in September 2018 for acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.
Aernova and Aviadvigatel had a contract during the time of the alleged conduct.
It is alleged that between 2013 and 2018, Bianchi – on behalf of Korshunov – hired current or former employees of GE Aviation’s Italian subsidiary to do consulting work related to jet engine accessory gearboxes for Bianchi and Korshunov. The employees’ statements of work typically stated that the “the holders of patent and intellectual property obtained as a result of the work are…the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.”
Throughout the consulting, employees allegedly used trade secrets owned by GE Aviation to create the technical report. The effort focused on accessory gearboxes made by Avio Aero, which are external engine components that provide power to systems such as hydraulic pumps, generators and fuel pumps.
The affidavit details that Korshunov arranged and paid for employees to meet with him in June 2013 at the Paris Air Show in Le-Bourget, France, and in 2014 in Milan, Italy, to discuss and revise the technical report.
Conspiring to and attempting to steal trade secrets is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Benjamin C. Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and the cooperation of GE Aviation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Mangan and Trial Attorney Will Mackie of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, who are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division assisted in the investigation.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Maryland Man Charged with Cyberstalking Ohio VictimsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Maryland man was arrested this morning on federal charges of cyberstalking victims in the Southern District of Ohio.
Vincent Brocoli, 32, of Essex, Md., was charged with three counts of cyberstalking in an indictment returned here August 29 and unsealed today.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges.
According to the indictment, from August 2016 until April 2019, Brocoli (also known as Matthew Dehart, BunchMedia and BunchMarketing), cyberstalked a female victim and her parents by creating social media accounts in their names, sending them threats, and using the Internet to cause substantial emotional distress to their family.
Brocoli allegedly created social media accounts like @xokirstylies1, @xokirstyslut1 and @killyourselfkirsty, among others.
It is alleged Brocoli used the Internet to post photos of the victim with a cross on her forehead and send messages like “I hope you get cancer and die UGLY SLLUT [sic],” and “Go away and die. Just put a gun in your mouth and get it over with.”
The indictment also details that, over the course of nearly three years, Brocoli allegedly used the Internet and multiple social media platforms to post threatening and sexually vulgar comments, calling the victim a “worthless lying slut” and a “whore.” Brocoli also allegedly used the Internet to post comments asserting that the victim and her husband had AIDS, like claiming that the victim “took [her husband]’s gay cum down her throat and now she has aids. Diseased whorebag.”
Brocoli allegedly posed as the victim’s father and mother online by creating multiple Instagram and Twitter handles using their names. He also used the Internet to post comments to the victim’s mother, calling her a “pedophile,” commenting that she needed “to be arrested for child abuse,” and telling her to “Shut up and die.” Brocoli further used the Internet to post to the victim’s father that he would “be the first to go to hell and answer to the real God when the time comes.”
Cyberstalking is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Jessica H. Kim and Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher N. St. Pierre, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Columbus Man Convicted at Trial Sentenced for Six Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months in prison for drug crimes.
A jury convicted Glenn Marcell Madison, Jr., 29, of Columbus, in May on all counts following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge James L. Graham.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Columbus Interim Chief of Police Thomas A. Quinlan announced the sentence handed down this afternoon.
Madison, also known as “Monster,” was indicted in October 2018 and May 2019 and charged with six drug-related crimes.
He was convicted of two counts of distributing cocaine, one count of distributing heroin and one count of distributing methamphetamine; each are crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Madison was also convicted of two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a potential sentence of five to 40 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the Columbus Division of Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton, who are representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati Man Sentenced to Prison for Hate CrimesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in federal court this morning for violating the Fair Housing Act through force, by willfully intimidating two homeowners based on their race, color and familial status.
Samuel Whitt, 43, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 54 months in prison for criminal interference with the right to fair housing.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
Whitt was indicted in May 2017 and pleaded guilty in January 2019 to criminal interference with the right to fair housing, in part by the use or attempted use of fire or an explosive.
Whitt destroyed a rental home owned by an inter-racial couple in Price Hill in November 2016. According to court documents, Whitt broke into the rental home and spray-painted the walls with messages including “die n****r” and “white power,” as well as images of swastikas. Whitt also poured quick-drying concrete into the bathroom drains and toilet; stabbed a knife into the floor; removed plumbing traps from the sinks and left the water running; turned on the gas stove in the upstairs kitchen, poured paint into the burners, and attempted to remove the smoke detector above the stove.
“I want this conviction and sentence to send a message to racists in the Southern District of Ohio,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “It’s your right to wallow in noxious beliefs to your heart’s content, but act on those thoughts with violence and you will go to federal prison for a long time. Together with our law enforcement partners at all levels, this office will enforce the federal laws against hate crimes vigorously and to their fullest extent.”
As part of his sentence, the Court also ordered that Whitt pay more than $66,000 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence, including one year of home confinement.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI and Cincinnati Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Gaffney and Kyle Healey, who are representing the United States in this case.
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Three Ohio Men Sentenced to Prison in Case Involving Sexual Abuse of ToddlersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three defendants in a child pornography case have been sentenced to prison.
David E. Fairchild, 45, of Kirkersville, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 456 months in prison. In March, Jesse G. Szuba, 31, of Newark, was sentenced to 220 months in prison and Mike Allen, 36, of Heath, was sentenced to 68 months in prison.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, Vance Callander, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael H Watson.
The three men were charged in May 2018 in a second superseding indictment that was unsealed in late October.
According to court documents, in January 2018, the Franklin County ICAC Task Force received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a video depicting child sexual abuse. The video was uploaded to Google from the username “David TwistedBottomFreak Fairchild” and depicted an adult male anally penetrating a toddler-aged child.
Investigation of the CyberTip revealed that Fairchild sexually abused a female victim, born in 2016, and created child pornography involving the victim. He thereafter sent the child pornography he created to others, including Szuba.
Likewise, Szuba attempted to produce child pornography involving a boy born in 2014.
Szuba and Fairchild met on Craigslist and communicated with each other about sexually abusing the toddlers. During their communications, they exchanged child pornography files and discussed plans to engage in various sex acts with each other and the victims.
Further, Szuba suggested other sex acts that Fairchild perpetrate against the female victim and asked Fairchild to send Szuba pictures or videos of that abuse. Fairchild similarly suggested that Szuba engage in sex acts with the male victim, and live stream such sexual abuse online.
In response to watching a video of Fairchild sexually abusing the toddler girl, Szuba messaged Fairchild that he “liked” the video “espically [sic] when she started whimpering.” Between January 26 and January 31, 2018, Szuba repeatedly requested, and Fairchild repeatedly sent, images and videos depicting sexual abuse of the female toddler.
Fairchild sent child pornography files to Allen, as well, including a link to Fairchild’s Google Drive account, which contained the video that prompted the CyberTip to NCMEC.
In January 2018, Fairchild sent six emails containing child pornography to a fourth related defendant, Caleb Cumberland, 31, of Tarlton, Ohio. Cumberland pleaded guilty in May to distributing and receiving child pornography. The parties in his case are recommending a sentencing range of 72 to 96 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Franklin County ICAC Task Force, HSI, and Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and Jonathan J.C. Grey, who are prosecuting the case.
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Former Chief Financial Officer Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling Money from Two Area BusinessesRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Sandy Green, of Fairborn, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 48 months in prison for wire fraud as part of a scheme to defraud her previous employers.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Yvonne A. DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, announced the sentence imposed yesterday afternoon by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, Green was a bookkeeper at a Dayton business from May to November 2017. Green made fraudulent credit card returns without a corresponding legitimate purchase, causing company money to be paid into personal bank accounts belonging to Green and her family members.
Additionally, from April 2017 until March 2018, Green was the Chief Financial Officer for a second victim business in the Dayton area. Green again defrauded the company, this time transferring money from the business’s credit union into bank accounts controlled by Green and her family members. She attempted to disguise receiving the money by falsely listing other individuals and entities as the payee.
In total, Green embezzled more than $150,000 from the two companies. As part of her sentence, she was ordered to pay approximately $173,000 in restitution to the two companies.
Green pleaded guilty in August 2018 to two counts of wire fraud.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Secret Service and Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Hunt and SaMee Harden, who are representing the United States in this case.
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Dayton Technology Staffing Company Pleads Guilty in Connection to University Visa FraudRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Dayton IT staffing company pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court yesterday to knowing about but failing to notify an authority of a federal offense, namely, visa fraud at Wright State University. The case was unsealed today.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Vance Callander, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Dayton Resident Agency announced the plea entered into before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to court documents, Web Yoga, Inc. is a privately held company based in Dayton that specializes in information technology staffing.
During the summer of 2010, an official with Wright State University approached Web Yoga and proposed an arrangement whereby the university would source H-1B visa holders from overseas and subcontract them to Web Yoga for placement at client locations around the country.
Between 2010 and 2013, Wright State entered into several sponsored research contracts with Web Yoga. Wright State would employ software engineers, obtain H-1B visas for the employees, and pay their respective salary and benefits as employees of the university.
The H-1B visa program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s or higher degree in a specific specialty. As an institute of higher learning, Wright State was sometimes “cap exempt” from limits on the number of H-1B visas it could obtain, unlike other types of organizations.
Wright State University employed 24 foreign employees – who were selected and approved by Web Yoga – through H-1B visas. Web Yoga learned in 2012 that portions of the H-1B visa paperwork filed by Wright State with the federal government did not accurately reflect the work locations for the visa holders subcontracted to Web Yoga. Specifically, Web Yoga learned the university falsely stated the employees would be physically working on the university’s campus. The visa employees worked as consultants on behalf of Web Yoga in various cities throughout the country, including Atlanta, Orlando and New York City.
Web Yoga continued to subcontract for the H-1B employees even after learning the visas were obtained through false statements. Web Yoga continued to present the employees as valid visa holders to their clients across the United States. Web Yoga did not make the felony known to a person of authority and concealed Wright State’s false statements through its actions.
As part of the plea, the parties have recommended Web Yoga pay a fine of approximately $566,000, to be paid no later than the date of sentencing.
In November 2018, Wright State University’s Board of Trustees accepted responsibility for visa fraud offenses on behalf of the university and agreed to pay the federal government $1 million.
“Today’s guilty plea marks the successful culmination of a complex visa-fraud investigation by HSI and our partners,” said Vance Callander, Special Agent in Charge for HSI in Michigan and Ohio. “This outcome should serve as a stark warning to entities who may be seeking to exploit the U.S. Visa process.”
“Web Yoga, Inc. conspired to conceal its use of Wright State University’s employees authorized through the H-1B visa program to work in the U.S. As an institution of higher learning, the university is exempt from the national cap on H-1B visas, yet Web Yoga, a privately held company, had the H-1B authorized employees work to fulfill its consulting contracts. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate crimes that abuse Department of Labor programs and deprive American workers of employment opportunities," said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation of this case by HSI, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey, who is representing the United States in this case.
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MS-13 Defendant Pleads Guilty to Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A defendant in the MS-13 racketeering case pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today and accepted responsibility for his involvement in a homicide.
Erasmo Humberto Lima-Martinez, 32, of Columbus, pleaded guilty today to one count of murder in aid of racketeering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the plea entered into today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Lima-Martinez, also known as “Tun Tun,” is one of 23 individuals charged in a second superseding indictment in February 2018 who are alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.
The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.
The second superseding indictment alleges that the defendants committed a host of overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, including: 1) the December 2006 murder of Jose Mendez, a confidential informant, in Perry County; 2) the November 2008 murder of Ramon Ramos on Lockbourne Road in Columbus; 3) the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, a suspected rival gang member, near Innis Road in Columbus; 4) the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus; and 5) the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.
As part of his plea, Lima-Martinez accepted responsibility for his role in the Wilson Villeda homicide in 2015. Villeda was a 17-year-old high school student at the time of his murder, and had been deemed to be affiliated with a rival gang. MS-13 leadership in El Salvador authorized Villeda’s murder, and in November 2015, MS-13 members took Villeda to Innis Park, where they attacked and killed him with a machete and other bladed weapons before burying his body in a shallow grave in the woods in the park.
Lima-Martinez also took part in drug trafficking cocaine, marijuana and heroin on behalf of the criminal enterprise.
Lima-Martinez faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, ICE, Columbus Division of Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Brian J. Martinez and Jessica H. Kim, who are prosecuting the case.
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Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute More Than 30 Kilograms of Fentanyl, Heroin & Cocaine in Central OhioRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A defendant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today after law enforcement officials discovered more than 30 kilograms of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine, as well as nearly $75,000 in cash, in his motorcycle.
Jorge Sanchez Montes, 33, of Phoenix, Ariz., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiring to possess more than 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl. Montes faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and law enforcement officials with the Central Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force announced the plea entered into this morning before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
According to court documents, officers conducted a traffic stop on Montes in June near mile marker 78 on Interstate 70, near Plain City. During the stop, a K9 positively alerted to narcotics and Montes’ motorcycle was subsequently searched. Officers discovered approximately 30 packages of narcotics and more than $74,300 in cash.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Central Ohio HIDTA Task Force and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Hunter, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Westerville Man Sentenced for Brandishing Firearm in Relation to Xanax Drug Ring OperationsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Bilal A. El Yousseph, 27, of Westerville, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 102 months in prison for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler announced the sentence handed down today by Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham.
According to court documents, from January to June 2018, El Yousseph engaged in a conspiracy to distribute Xanax, Adderall and marijuana. El Yousseph was a leader of the conspiracy and recruited other individuals, including at least one juvenile, to sell controlled substances.
In February 2018, El Yousseph and other members of the conspiracy believed an individual had stolen Xanax from them and had lied to them about who had stolen it.
El Yousseph confronted the individual at his house in Westerville, and El Yousseph’s cell phone was used to video record the confrontation. During the confrontation, El Yousseph and others brandished firearms and repeatedly threatened to kill the individual and his family.
For example, one video that is 20 minutes long shows the victim in his own basement writing a confession with at least two guns pointed to his head. El Yousseph directs the individual to write faster and in big letters. He tells a co-conspirator to “Google, What’s the most painful place to get shot?” then places his Glock on the base of the victim’s skull.
Throughout the confrontation, firearms were racked and rounds were ejected, showing that the guns were loaded. At one point, one of the juveniles discharged one of the firearms, though the bullet did not hit anyone.
In June 2018, El Yousseph was stopped by law enforcement in Westerville for driving erratically. He had nearly hit another vehicle and driven into a curb. Officers found El Yousseph to be impaired and found 285 Xanax pills as well as Adderall and Fentanyl tablets and marijuana in the vehicle. El Yousseph also had a loaded handgun and the victim’s confession letter in the car.
El Yousseph pleaded guilty in June 2019 to conspiring to distribute drugs and to brandishing a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI and Westerville Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate, who is representing the United States in this case.
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MS-13 Defendant Admits to Being Shooter in 2006 MurderRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A defendant in the MS-13 racketeering case has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court and accepted responsibility for his involvement in multiple homicides, including the murder of a former confidential informant.
Juan Jose Jimenez-Montufar (also known as Chele Trece), 35, of Columbus, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the plea entered into today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Jimenez-Montufar is one of 23 individuals charged in a second superseding indictment in February 2018 who are alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.
The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.
The second superseding indictment alleges that the defendants committed a host of overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, including: 1) the December 2006 murder of Jose Mendez, a confidential informant, in Perry County; 2) the November 2008 murder of Ramon Ramos on Lockbourne Road in Columbus; 3) the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, a suspected rival gang member, near Innis Road in Columbus; 4) the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus; and 5) the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.
As part of his plea, Jimenez-Montufar admitted to being the shooter who killed Jose Mendez in 2006. At that time, Mendez was a confidential informant working with law enforcement agencies in the Columbus area. In December 2006, Jimenez-Montufar and other MS-13 members drove Mendez to a remote location east of Columbus to murder him. Jimenez-Montufar shot Mendez in the head and left his body in Perry County.
Jimenez-Montufar’s plea also details that the defendant participated in other homicides, assaulted victims, set fire to an extortion victim’s car, and took part in drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering.
Jimenez-Montufar faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, ICE, Columbus Division of Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Brian J. Martinez and Jessica H. Kim, who are prosecuting the case.
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Owners of EMS Company Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for $3.6M Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Owners of Tritan EMS were sentenced in U.S. District Court for crimes related to a $3.6 million health care fraud scheme.
Jeralyn R. Dougherty, 67, of Dublin, was sentenced Friday to 42 months in prison, ordered to pay more than $3.6 million in restitution, including $873,716 to the IRS, and ordered to forfeit numerous financial accounts.
Clint J. Green, 47, of Orient, Ohio, was sentenced in June 2019 to 42 months in prison, ordered to pay more than $3.3 million in restitution, including $649,671 to the IRS, and ordered to forfeit numerous financial accounts.
In February 2019, Dougherty and Green pleaded guilty to health care fraud and filing false tax returns.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Dougherty’s sentence imposed Friday by Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham.
According to court documents, between January 2012 and June 2017 Dougherty and her son, Green, owned and operated Tritan EMS, LLC (Tritan), a medical transportation company and Medicare and Medicaid provider.
Dougherty and Green were aware that Medicare and Medicaid only reimbursed claims for non-emergency ambulance services provided to Medicare recipients who were transported to certain locations, such as a hospitals, skilled nursing facilities or renal dialysis facilities, and only where the patients were being transported to receive Medicare or Medicaid covered services or returning from receiving care for such services.
Dougherty and Green billed Medicare and Medicaid for ambulance services knowing that patients were transported by a vehicle other than an ambulance, and knowing that the patients did not meet the Medicare and Medicaid requirements for ambulance services.
The total amount of fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare and Medicaid at the direction of Dougherty and Green for ambulance services that were medically unnecessary and by a vehicle other than an ambulance was more than $2.7 million.
Dougherty filed false personal tax returns with the IRS for the 2013 through 2016 income tax years. Dougherty misrepresented on her personal tax returns the amount of income she received from Tritan each year. The total tax loss to the IRS was $873,716.
Green also filed false personal tax returns with the IRS for the 2014 through 2016 income tax years, and the total tax loss to the IRS was $649,671.
“Waste, fraud and abuse in the health care industry contributes to the rising cost of health care and degrades the integrity of our health care system,” said William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Fortunately, one of the government's most powerful weapons is the ability to seize assets through the asset forfeiture program and in this case the government has seized a significant portion of the health care fraud proceeds.”
“Those who try to game the health care system will end up losing,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “I’m proud of my staff and our partners at the federal level for securing justice in this case.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation, HHS OIG the Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth F. Affeldt and Maritsa A. Flaherty, who prosecuted these cases.
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Local Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Possessing Gun as Convicted Felon, Violating Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Dayton man was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 84 additional months in prison for crimes related to an Indiana robbery.
Jeremy Watson, 40, was on federal supervised release in April 2018 for a 2004 conviction in the Southern District of Ohio when he robbed a Dollar General Store in Lawrenceburg, Ind. Watson is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for the robbery in Indiana and will serve the additional seven years consecutively.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Miamisburg Police Chief John Sedlak announced the sentence handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, Watson fled to Miamisburg, Ohio following the robbery in Indiana. Law enforcement officers encountered Watson at a hotel in Miamisburg on April 3, 2018. Watson attempted to flee on foot, but slipped and fell. While on the ground, he turned and pointed a gun toward the police.
Watson pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He was sentenced to 48 months in prison for that crime and to 36 months in prison for violating his supervised release.
Watson had been released from federal custody in June 2017. He had been sentenced to 168 months in prison for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (a carjacking).
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the ATF and Miamisburg Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hunt, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Former Members of Ohio Militia Group Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Possess Unregistered ExplosivesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Two former members of an Ohio militia group heave pleaded guilty to violating the National Firearms Act by conspiring to possess destructive devices.
Ryan D. King, 37, of Franklin, Ohio and Randy D. Goodman, 53, of Ripley, Ohio, each pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to possess unregistered explosive devices. King and Goodman were indicted by a federal grand jury in February.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Todd Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the pleas entered into yesterday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
According to court documents, King and Goodman were members of a militia group operating in the Southern District of Ohio. King and Goodman established a small subset of the militia group and referred to it as the “Special Projects Team.” The defendants advocated that this Team construct, use and stockpile explosives including pipe bombs, landmines and remote activated explosive devices.
As part of their pleas, the defendants admitted they conspired to possess destructive devices in violation of the National Firearms Act, specifically, bombs and parts necessary to make pipe bombs.
In January 2019, King and Goodman tested their “crater makers” at Goodman’s home in Ripley, Ohio. They discussed construction and ignition methods in detail. Goodman referenced the Boston Marathon as an example of a remote detonation system that worked.
They discussed which methods would be most lethal, including constructing their explosive devices out of metal pipes instead of PVC.
For example, Goodman asked, “Do we know how they built the pressure cookers for the Boston bombers…we are talking the same concept…”
King added, “If you really want explosions you would bury these in the driveway, so they go up and out. We can build land mines, I’ve already built them before, you know that.”
Conspiring to possess destructive devices is a crime that carries a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison.
This case was investigated by agents with the FBI and is being prosecuted by United States Attorney Glassman and Assistant United States Attorney Sheila G. Lafferty.
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Local Pastor Charged with Coercing Minor FemaleRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The pastor of a Sharonville church has been charged federally with coercing a minor female in a criminal complaint that details interactions with two alleged victims.
Cesar Agusto Guerrero, Jr., 41, of Liberty Township, was charged federally on August 9. The criminal complaint was unsealed today following Guerrero’s initial appearance in federal court at 2:30pm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Sharonville Police Chief Steve Vanover announced the charges.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, the Sharonville Police Department received several complaints on August 7 regarding the pastor of Mision Cristiana el Calvario Church and a minor female victim.
Guerrero allegedly contacted the 17-year-old victim through the Facebook Messenger app and told the victim he had dreamt of her dressed in white and walking in a dark place. The victim told the pastor she had been sexually molested in Guatemala.
It is alleged Guerrero told the victim that God was speaking to him and the only way to get out of the dark place was for her to have sexual relations with Guerrero. The pastor allegedly referred to this as a “cleansing process.”
The affidavit details that Guerrero requested a nude video call with the victim as well as photos of her genitalia. He cited several biblical verses while making the request.
Further, it is alleged the victim met with the pastor at the Sharonville church on July 30. At that time, the pastor allegedly said he would “free her mouth” by having the victim perform oral sex on him. The pastor also allegedly raped the victim.
On August 9, officials with the FBI and Sharonville Police received information from a second alleged victim. According to the affidavit, the second victim had been sexually assaulted by the pastor on more than one occasion, beginning when the victim was 14 years old.
Guerrero allegedly told the second victim to show him how she kissed her boyfriend before assaulting her and telling her if she was a child of God she would obey him.
It is also alleged that Guerrero sexually assaulted this second victim on another occasion at his home.
Guerrero was arrested last week on state charges and was transferred to federal custody today.
Coercing a minor is a federal crime punishable by a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison.
If you believe you are also a victim in this case, or have relevant information related to Guerrero, please contact the FBI tip line at 513-979-8822.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Sharonville Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey, who is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Dontae T. Tucker, 34, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 48 months in prison for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl announced the sentence imposed yesterday by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, in March and April 2018, Tucker possessed five firearms that he sold to an individual in Dayton. The firearms included a rifle, a shotgun and three pistols.
Tucker was previously convicted in Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
Tucker pleaded guilty in November 2018 to illegally possessing firearms.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation of this case by ATF and Dayton Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Dayton Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Possessing Firearm After Felony ConvictionsRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Henry B. Essick, III, 34, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 72 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the sentence handed down today by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to court documents, in September 2018, Essick possessed a Bolt Action Rifle. At that time, Essick was on post-release control with the State of Ohio. During a parole visit, authorities searched Essick’s residence on Harvard Boulevard in Dayton and located the rifle in a downstairs closet.
Essick has previously been convicted of felonies, including attempted aggravated arson, rape and kidnapping. He is currently in state custody after being convicted of forgery charges. Essick will serve his federal prison sentence consecutive to his current state one.
Essick pleaded guilty in May 2019 to one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by the ATF, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith, who is representing the United States in this case.
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U.S. Attorney & Law Enforcement to Announce Federal Charges Arising out of Investigation into Dayton Mass ShootingRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Today the government is unsealing charges against a friend of Connor Betts for allegedly lying on federal firearms forms.
The briefing will be held:
TODAY: MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019
WHEN: 2 P.M.
WHERE: Walter H. Rice Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse
First Floor Conference Room 150
200 West 2nd Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402
WHO: U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman
Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, FBI
Room available beginning at 1:40 P.M. No TV lighting provided. ID will be required for entrance at Security.
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Friend of Dayton Mass Shooter Charged with Illegally Purchasing and Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A friend of Dayton mass shooter Connor Betts has been charged federally with lying on federal firearms forms in order to purchase weapons and with illegally possessing those weapons. The friend also allegedly purchased firearm components and body armor for Betts, which Betts used in the August 4 shooting.
Ethan Kollie, 24, of Kettering, was arrested Friday evening. His case was unsealed today.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl announced the charges.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, federal agents interviewed Kollie on August 4 in connection with the mass shooting earlier that day in Dayton.
During that first interview, Kollie allegedly told agents that he likes guns and currently owns a handgun and a micro Draco pistol.
He also indicated that he purchased body armor and a firearm component for Betts earlier this year.
Kollie consented to a search of his residence, and while inside, agents smelled marijuana and observed in plain sight a bong and the Draco pistol.
Federal agents interviewed Kollie again on August 8. During that second interview, Kollie indicated he and Betts had done “hard drugs,” marijuana and acid together four to five times a week during 2014 to 2015. When asked how often he used drugs in the past year and a half, Kollie said he smokes marijuana every day and has done so since he was 14.
The affidavit details that Kollie also told agents he uses psychedelic mushrooms, which he grows in his residence, and “micro-doses” on a constant basis, stating it gives him energy and is “fun.”
Kollie allegedly told agents he lied on ATF Form 4473 while purchasing firearms, specifically while answering question 11e that asks, “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?” Kollie checked the “no” box.
According to the affidavit, Kollie also acknowledged purchasing three items used by Betts during the August 4 mass shooting:
- body armor,
- upper receiver that was attached to the AM-15 weapon and
- 100-round double drum magazine.
Kollie indicated he purchased these items for Betts and stored them at his apartment to assist Betts in hiding them from Betts’ parents. Kollie and Betts allegedly assembled the AM-15 in Kollie’s apartment approximately 10 weeks ago. Approximately six to eight weeks ago, Kollie obtained the drum magazine. At that time, Betts took possession of it, the assembled weapon, and the body armor.
Agents returned to Kollie’s apartment with a federal search warrant and recovered the micro Draco pistol, a Taurus Model PT111 G2A semi-automatic pistol, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, including a “bong,” and suspected marijuana and mushrooms believed to contain Schedule 1 Controlled Substances. Kollie was at the apartment at the time agents executed the warrant and was carrying a concealed (with permit) .38 Taurus revolver and a small amount of suspected marijuana, both of which were also recovered pursuant a warrant. Lab testing is in progress.
Possessing a firearm as an unlawful user of a controlled substance is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Making a false statement regarding firearms carries a potential maximum sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment.
Kollie is currently in custody and will appear in federal court in Dayton at 3pm on Wednesday for a detention hearing.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, as well as First Assistant United States Attorney Vipal J. Patel and Assistant United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace, who are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Three Parents Charged with Stealing Social Security Benefits from ChildrenRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three parents have been charged and two have pleaded guilty to receiving their children’s Social Security disability payments while the children were not in their care.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Tracey Thanos, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, announced the charges.
Shannon Scott, 35, of Columbus, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on Wednesday. Scott lost custody of her child in 2014 but falsely represented to Social Security that her child was still living with her in order to continue receiving her child’s disability payments through July 2018. In total, she fraudulently obtained more than $35,000.
Jennifer Riggs, 40, of Heath, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King in June. In 2016, Riggs lost custody of her child but continued accepting the child’s Social Security benefits through May 2018, receiving nearly $17,000 in disability payments.
Maddo Tamboura, 42, of Whitehall, was charged by a federal grand jury on Thursday and arrested today. According to his indictment, Tamboura kept Social Security payments for two children that did not live with him, totaling more than $19,000.
Converting Supplemental Security Income benefits is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigations by the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry, who is prosecuting all three cases.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Columbus Man Charged with Coercing Minor Girls OnlineRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a Columbus man with multiple crimes related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The man allegedly chatted with minor females on Instagram, Snapchat and other social media sites and requested that the girls send him videos of themselves engaged in sexual acts.
Michael T. Sutherin, 21, of Columbus, was charged with producing, advertising for, distributing receiving and possessing child pornography, as well as coercing a minor, in a 13-count indictment returned here yesterday and filed today.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division and members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the charges.
According to the indictment, Sutherin coerced at least four females ages 12 to 15 to engage in sexual activities on video.
Sutherin’s indictment includes multiple charges punishable by a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and S. Courter Shimeall, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
If you believe you were also a victim in this case, or have related information, please contact the FBI at 614-849-1765.
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Three Defendants in MS-13 Racketeering Case Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Court accepted guilty pleas this week from three defendants in the
MS-13 racketeering case. Each defendant accepted responsibility for murder, including one homicide in Indianapolis investigated as part of this case.Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the pleas entered into before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
In February 2018, 23 individuals were charged in a second superseding indictment and alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.
The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.
The second superseding indictment alleges that the defendants committed a host of overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, including: 1) the December 2006 murder of Jose Mendez, a suspected confidential informant, in Perry County; 2) the November 2008 murder of Ramon Ramos on Lockbourne Road in Columbus; 3) the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, a suspected rival gang member, near Innis Road in Columbus; 4) the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus; and 5) the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.
Jose Manuel Romero-Parada (a/k/a Russo), 24, of Columbus, pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon to a superseding information. Through his plea to racketeering conspiracy, he accepted responsibility for his role in the murders of Carlos Serrano-Ramos and Wilson Villeda. In addition, he accepted responsibility for his involvement in the murder of Israel Anibal Mejia-Martinez, who was killed with bladed weapons and buried in a park in Indianapolis in 2017. The parties in Romero-Parada’s case have recommended a sentence of 35 to 40 years in prison.
Jose Bonilla-Mejia (a/k/a Espia), 30, of Santa Maria, Calif., accepted responsibility for his role in the murders of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, Wilson Villeda and Salvador Martinez-Diaz. As part of his plea, he will serve life in prison without the possibility of release. Chief Judge Sargus accepted Bonilla-Mejia’s guilty plea this afternoon.
Juan Jose Alvarenga-Alberto (a/k/a Sailen), 30, of Columbus, pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon. He accepted responsibility for his role in the 2016 shooting death of Salvador Martinez-Diaz in Columbus.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, ICE, Columbus Division of Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with Bonilla-Mejia’s resolution.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brian J. Martinez and Jessica H. Kim are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Possessing Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Rodney Anderson, 35, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 72 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black.
According to court documents, in July 2018, Narcotics Unit investigators with the Cincinnati Police Department were working overtime targeting citywide drug hotspots. While conducting surveillance near the 1600 block of Race Street, they observed Anderson in his vehicle. Anderson violated a traffic law at West Liberty and Elm streets.
During the traffic stop, officers discovered more than 60 bindles containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a pistol.
Anderson pleaded guilty in January to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by ATF and Cincinnati Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Springer, who is representing the United States in this case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Defendant Sentenced in T&A Crips Gang CaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – One of 19 defendants charged in a gang-related racketeering conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison.
Dominique Bryant, also known as “Doggy,” 27, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in the racketeering conspiracy in January.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan, United States Marshal Pete Tobin and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents, Bryant and the other defendants are members and associates of the Trevitt and Atcheson Crips gang known as T&A.
The gang derived its name from Trevitt and Atcheson streets in the King-Lincoln District of Columbus, where its members predominantly reside.
Beginning in June 2010, T&A members and associates conspired in a racketeering enterprise and engaged in murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, witness tampering, robbery, assault and other crimes.
The gang 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 are charged with 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 Deaonte Fisher on March 4, 2016.
As part of Bryant’s plea agreement, he accepted responsibility for firing a gun and striking two members of the rival gang Poindexter Thug Life (PTL) at Beatty Park Recreation Center in June 2014.
Again, in 2014, Bryant retaliated against members of a second rival gang, the Milo Bloods, by shooting his firearm at a vehicle containing Milo Bloods members.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF, FBI and Columbus Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers, Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton, who are prosecuting the case.
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Columbus Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Stealing More Than 35 Vehicles and Selling Their PartsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for stealing at least 35 vehicles and earning more than half a million dollars by selling their parts.
James A. Imes, 50, was sentenced today for operating a chop shop, trafficking in motor vehicle parts, removing or altering vehicle identification numbers and releasing refrigerant chemicals into the environment.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Laurie A. Stevenson and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien announced the sentence handed down today by Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham.
According to court documents, from January 2013 until April 2014, Imes stole at least 35 vehicles to dismantle them and sell their parts throughout the Midwest, earning $10,000 to $15,000 per week. He and his associates operated chop shops in three locations on the West side of Columbus to traffic the car parts.
Imes told investigators he was renting three separate garage spaces and running a business “disguised as a diesel mechanic shop, but it’s obviously not.” He said the true purpose of the business was to “cut up stolen trucks.”
Two of the vehicles were kept for personal use, and the rest were sold as parts or scrap to salvage yards. More valuable parts were sold on Craigslist through posts advertised in cities across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia.
During the destruction of the vehicles, HCFC refrigerant chemicals were released into the atmosphere when vehicle air conditioning tubes were cut.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Ohio EPA Special Investigations Unit, as well as the assistance from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Columbus Division of Police Auto Theft Unit and Ohio State Highway Patrol Theft and Fraud Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan J.C. Grey and J. Michael Marous and Special Assistant United States Attorney Heather Robinson are representing the United States in this case.
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Bowling Green Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Two GirlsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Lynn Brenneman, 60, of Bowling Green, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Mason Police Chief Todd Carter, Warren County Prosecutor David P. Fornshell, Preble County Prosecutor Martin P. Votel and members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the plea entered into before U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
According to court documents, in December 2018, an FBI task force officer was contacted by an Ohio Department of Natural Resources officer regarding an investigation involving the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old.
Brenneman had abused the girl on five different occasions over the course of three years and had gone on trips with the girl’s family to Florida, New York, Indiana, Michigan, Washington D.C. and various places in Ohio. For some of the trips, Brenneman paid for campsites and drove the victim in his RV to other states, where he sexually abused her.
On one family trip to a state park in Ohio in September 2018, Brenneman abused the victim and she ran from the camper and reported the abuse. Officers from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources responded on scene at the campground and interviewed witnesses.
During the course of this investigation, it was also revealed that Brenneman had engaged in similar abuse with a second victim years earlier, abusing her between the ages of eight and 11.
The parties involved with this case have recommended a sentence of 10 years in prison in addition to lifetime supervised release. Judge Dlott will consider that recommendation at a future sentencing hearing.
As part of his plea, Brenneman has agreed to pay $75,000 in restitution to one victim and $25,000 to another victim.
The plea agreement also accounts for local charges in Warren and Preble counties.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, Ohio Division of Natural Resources and Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Lead Defendant in MS-13 Racketeering Case Admits to Five Murders, Agrees to Serve Life in Prison with No Chance of ReleaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two men, including the lead defendant, have agreed to plead guilty in the MS-13 racketeering case to multiple murders and serve life in prison. Two others have agreed to plead guilty and potentially serve 35-40 years in prison.
Martin Neftali Aguilar-Rivera (a/k/a Momia), 34, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court this morning before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. to conspiring to commit racketeering and murder in aid of racketeering. Aguilar-Rivera accepted responsibility for participating in five murders. As a part of his plea, all parties in his case have recommended a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of release.
Likewise, a plea agreement was filed this morning for Jose Bonilla-Mejia (a/k/a Espia), 30, of Santa Maria, Calif. Bonilla-Mejia is offering to accept responsibility for his role in the murders of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, Wilson Villeda and Salvador Martinez-Diaz and serve life in prison without the possibility of release. His plea agreement will be considered by Chief Judge Sargus at a future hearing.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the pleas offered.
In February 2018, 23 individuals were charged in a second superseding indictment and alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.
The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.
The second superseding indictment alleges that the defendants committed a host of overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, including: 1) the December 2006 murder of Jose Mendez, a suspected confidential informant, in Perry County; 2) the November 2008 murder of Ramon Ramos on Lockbourne Road in Columbus; 3) the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, a suspected rival gang member, near Innis Road in Columbus; 4) the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus; and 5) the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.
The murders often involved defendants using weapons like machetes, knives and hammers to attack and beat their victims to death. In two of the charged murders, the victims were stabbed and slashed with bladed weapons before being buried in a nearby park.
Plea agreements were also filed today for two other defendants in this case, Jose Manuel Romero-Parada (a/k/a Russo), 24, of Columbus, and Jose Salvador Gonzalez-Campos (a/k/a Danger), 28, of Columbus. Both Romero-Parada and Gonzalez-Campos have agreed to plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy and accept responsibility for taking part in multiple homicides and other gang-related crimes, including drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering. The parties have recommended a sentence of 35 to 40 years in prison for these defendants. Chief Judge Sargus will consider those plea agreements at future hearings.
At future hearings, Chief Judge Sargus will consider the recommended terms of imprisonment and determine the ultimate sentences to impose.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, ICE, Columbus Division of Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Brian J. Martinez and Jessica H. Kim, who are prosecuting the case.
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Federal & Local Law Enforcement to Announce Pleas in MS-13 Racketeering CaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two men, including the lead defendant, have agreed to plead guilty in the MS-13 racketeering case to multiple murders and serve life in prison. Two others have agreed to plead guilty and potentially serve 35-40 years in prison.
The briefing will be held:
TODAY: MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019
WHEN: IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING 10:30AM PLEA HEARING BEFORE CHIEF U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE EDMUND A. SARGUS, JR.
WHERE: Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse
Front steps
85 Marconi Blvd.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
WHO: U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman
Columbus Interim Chief of Police Thomas Quinlan
Kristin Beggs, Supervisory Special Agent, FBI
Briefing will occur outside the front entrance of the federal courthouse. The plea hearing is open to the media. No cameras are permitted within the courthouse.
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Columbus Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Oklahoma Sheriff, Local FBI AgentRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Joseph Michael Bragg, 40, of Columbus pleaded guilty to charges connected with at least a dozen threats he sent to a sheriff in Oklahoma during a two-month period in 2018, and threatening a Columbus FBI agent who came to Bragg’s residence to interview him.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the pleas entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael Watson.
According to court documents, Bragg transmitted through agency websites between June and July 2018 at least a dozen communications which contained threats to violently injure Rogers County, Oklahoma Sheriff Scott Walton and numerous other individuals in the state. On July 20, 2018, at the request of the FBI office in Oklahoma, an FBI agent in Columbus went to Bragg’s residence. Bragg came to the door, shouted profanities at the agent and told the agent “you have no authority here” before going back inside. Bragg came back to the door threatening to shoot and decapitate the agent. The agent drew his weapon in defense. Authorities came back with a search warrant and later arrested Bragg, who has been in custody since.
Bragg pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and one count of influencing a federal official by threat. The plea agreement includes an agreed sentence of at least 12 months imprisonment, which would include time served, and three years of supervised release to include mental health treatment. Judge Watson will review the plea agreement and determine a date for sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the agencies participating in the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight, who is representing the United States.
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Three More Charged with Internet Cafe Robberies Including One that Resulted in Deaths of OwnersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three more Columbus men have been charged in a case involving the murder of a husband and wife in an internet café.
Chris A. King, 24, Justice B. Stringer, 24, and Brisco Dawkins, 50, were indicted by a federal grand jury on July 18.
Dezhan Townsend, 20, and Desjuan Harris, 24, were previously charged by federal criminal complaint and are included in the indictment as well.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan and Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Ron O’Brien announced the charges unsealed today after the defendants appeared in federal court.
According to court documents, on January 20, three defendants robbed Players Paradise on East Broad Street at gunpoint. Townsend, Stringer and King allegedly murdered security guard Joseph Arrington and then his wife, employee Karen Arrington.
An affidavit details that defendants entered the café around 4am on January 20 and positioned themselves near the office door. One person sat at a game as if he was playing it. When Karen Arrington attempted to enter the office, the defendants, armed with handguns, immediately confronted armed security guard Joseph Arrington.
All five men face charges of robbery.
Townsend, Stringer and King are charged with two counts of murder. King is also charged with committing murder with the intent to prevent a witness from providing information to law enforcement.
Townsend, Harris, Stinger and Dawkins are also charged with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Columbus SWAT officers arrested Townsend and Harris on Wednesday, July 3. They arrested Dawkins and Stringer today. The new charges were unsealed today after Dawkins and Stringer appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chelsey M. Vascura, who ordered them held without bond.
King remains at large. If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact the Columbus Division of Police at 614-645-4545.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Columbus Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers and Kevin Kelley, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Lowe with the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, who are representing the United States.
Criminal complaints and indictments merely contain allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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