Southern District of Ohio
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Jury Convicts Batavia Man of Two Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A U.S. District Court jury here convicted Bruce Lee Felix, 52, of Batavia of using a gun to rob the Cheviot Savings Bank and an earlier robbery of the Cincinnatus Savings and Loan.
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, Colerain Township Police Chief Mark C. Denney, Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac, Harrison Police Chief Charles Lindsey and Michael S. Masterson, Director of Enforcement, Ohio Casino Control Commission announced the verdict returned today following a trial that began July 1 before U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black.
Court documents and trial testimony said that Felix, wearing a mask and brandishing a gun, surprised a maintenance man at the Cheviot Savings Bank, 1194 Stone Drive, Harrison, Ohio at approximately 8 a.m. on June 17, 2015 when the maintenance man was entering the back door of the bank. Felix placed his gun to the maintenance man’s temple and demanded that he open the vault. Once he realized only bank tellers could open the vault, he ordered the victim down on the floor of the break room, zip-tied his hands behind his back and his feet together, removed the victim’s boots and waited for the tellers to arrive. When the tellers arrived, Felix ordered them to open the vault and remove the money. He then fled the bank.
The jury also convicted Felix of robbing the Cincinnatus Savings and Loan, 3664 Springdale Road, on February 4, 2015 when he jumped out of the bushes as two employees were getting ready to enter the bank around 8 a.m. He forced them to open the vault and remove the money before ordering them to lie on the ground and tying their hands behind their back.
Felix was arrested on February 4, 2017 in Batavia.
The jury found Felix guilty of one count of armed bank robbery, punishable by up to 25 years in prison, and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence, punishable by a mandatory minimum of 25 years to life due to a prior firearm conviction in 1996, for the Cheviot Savings Bank robbery. His conviction on one count of bank robbery for the Cincinnatus Savings and Loan is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by law enforcement and Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Springer and Ebunoluwa Taiwo, who tried the case on behalf of the United States.
# # #
U.S. Attorney, Federal Law Enforcement to Announce Charges Against Wholesale Pharmaceutical Company & Its ExecutivesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged a pharmaceutical distributor, two of its former officials and two pharmacists with conspiring to distribute millions of painkiller pills in an indictment returned here yesterday. Defendants were arrested by federal agents this morning.
The briefing will be held:
TODAY: THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2019
WHEN: 2:30 P.M.
WHERE: U.S. Attorney’s Office
Library
221 E. 4th Street, Fourth Floor
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
WHO: U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman
Kathy Federico, Diversion Program Manager, DEA
Mauricio Jimenez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA
Verne Waldow, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, HHS-OIG
Room available beginning at 2:15 P.M. No TV lighting will be available. ID will be required for entrance at Security on the fourth floor.
# # #
Pharmaceutical Distributor & Executives, Pharmacists Charged with Unlawfully Distributing PainkillersRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged a pharmaceutical distributor, two of its former officials and two pharmacists with conspiring to distribute controlled substances in an indictment returned here yesterday.
Four individuals have been charged, including Miami-Luken’s former president and compliance officer and two West Virginia pharmacists.
Those charged include:
- Anthony Rattini, 71, of Colorado Springs, Colo., the former president of Miami-Luken;
- James Barclay, 72, of Springboro, Ohio, the former compliance officer of Miami-Luken;
- Devonna Miller-West, 49, of Oceana, W.Va., a pharmacist who owned and operated Westside Pharmacy in Oceana, Wva.; and
- Samuel “Randy” Ballengee, 54, of Lovely, Ky., a pharmacist who owned and operated Tug Valley Pharmacy in Williamson, Wva.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Keith Martin, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General announced the charges.
Miami-Luken supplied pharmaceuticals to more than 200 pharmacies in Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Tennessee.
From 2008 until 2015, the company generated more than $173 million in consolidated sales per year. More than 70 percent of the profits came from wholesale distribution.
According to the indictment, Rattini, Barclay and Miami-Luken sought to enrich themselves by distributing millions of painkillers to doctors and pharmacies in rural Appalachia, where the opioid epidemic was at its peak.
The distributor and its officials allegedly continued to distribute millions of pills to Westside, Tug Valley and other pharmacies even after being advised by the DEA of their responsibilities as a wholesaler to ensure drugs were not being diverted and to report suspicious orders.
It is alleged they filled suspicious orders placed by Miller-West, Ballengee and others.
For example, Rattini, Barclay and Miami-Luken allegedly ignored obvious signs of abuse by distributing more than 2.3 million oxycodone pills and 2.6 hydrocodone pills to Miller-West’s pharmacy in a town of approximately 1,394 people.
Ballengee’s pharmacy allegedly received more than 120,000 painkiller pills from Miami-Luken in one month. From 2008 through 2014, Miami-Luken distributed more than 6 million hydrocodone pills to Tug Valley Pharmacy.
The wholesaler allegedly provided another 2.2 million pills from 2012 through 2014 to another pharmacy that had been cut off from other wholesalers.
From 2008 through 2011, Miami-Luken allegedly distributed more than 3.7 million hydrocodone pills to a pharmacy in Kermit, W.Va., a town of 400 people.
Each of the defendants and Miami-Luken, Inc. is charged with conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the DEA and HHS-OIG, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Oakley and Maritsa A. Flaherty, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Justice Department Focus on Fentanyl Yields Results in Montgomery CountyRead the Press Release
DAYTON – One year ago, the Justice Department announced the formation of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.
The Southern District of Ohio is one of 10 districts included in the initiative to target counties with high drug overdose death rates and focus on federally prosecuting every readily available case involving fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and other synthetic opioids, regardless of the drug quantity.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced 58 operation S.O.S. investigations in the Southern District of Ohio. Of those 58 investigations, 52 involve fentanyl distribution.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office here is working in coordination with the DEA, ATF, FBI and HSI to bring cases to fruition. The initiative in the Southern District of Ohio has a primary focus on Montgomery County, given the interconnectedness of drug trafficking across the region, includes cases from nearby counties as well.
For example:
- Last month, Salvador Ramirez was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison. A federal indictment in July 2018 charged him and six other individuals in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Miami Valley and across southern and central Ohio. This investigation includes the seizure of more than seven kilograms of fentanyl.
- This spring, an Arizona man and a Dayton man pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute large quantities of fentanyl in Dayton. Michael Nailen worked as a commercial truck driver, and when traveling for work, he permitted other individuals to hide kilogram quantities of drugs and bulk amounts of cash in his tractor trailer. More than 400 grams of fentanyl were distributed via Marco Gonzalez, who would meet Nailen in Dayton and other Ohio cities to deliver the drugs to local dealers.
- In March, a Springfield, Ohio man was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possessing 14 grams of carfentanil. Craig Gilbreath ran from officers after being encountered by police and ultimately threw bags containing the carfentanil, which is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and used to immobilize large animals.
“The rise of synthetic opioids presents an unprecedented public health and safety crisis in the Southern District of Ohio. Countering that crisis will continue to require prevention, enforcement, and treatment, and it will require everyone working together. Enforcement targeted toward areas particularly hard hit by synthetic opioid distribution, in the interests of reducing supply and disrupting the formation of distribution hubs, is one important piece of our enforcement strategy. The death and destruction caused by synthetic opioids remain unacceptable, but the work that law enforcement agents and prosecutors are doing as part of this operation is one reason for optimism.”
The other nine participating districts and some of their successes include:
- The Eastern District of California has reported a total of 27 Operation S.O.S. investigations in which the narcotics seized have included kilogram-quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone.
- The Eastern District of Kentucky has reported 15 investigations with six to eight new investigations being added monthly and has charged nine sentence-enhanced “death resulting” cases.
- The District of Maine has an additional 30 cases as a result of Operation S.O.S.
- The District of New Hampshire has had 41 cases through Operation S.O.S. that have resulted in indictments with fentanyl being distributed in 39 of those cases amongst other drugs.
- The Northern District of Ohio has indicted 71 defendants under Operation S.O.S., and has seen a 12 percent decrease in overdose deaths from the year prior.
- The Western District of Pennsylvania noticed the decline in overdose deaths in the county they originally had targeted. This decline was attributed to a large number of people moving out of the targeted county to attempt to circumvent the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has refocused their resources to target the county where fatal overdoses have increased the most.
- The Eastern District of Tennessee has reported seven Operation S.O.S. cases involving 39 defendants, with a number of those including “death resulting” cases.
- The Northern District of West Virginia has 22 Operation S.O.S. cases with one “death resulting” prosecution. One of these investigations resulted in eight separate cases involving 35 defendants.
- Southern District of West Virginia has 62 cases pending as a result of Operation S.O.S. with 13 convictions. Just recently, a 1.2 kilogram mixture of fentanyl and heroin was seized from a defendant in one of those cases.
“Our attorneys and law enforcement agents have spent the past year working tirelessly to disrupt the networks engaged in the trafficking of synthetic opioids. Today we are proud to share their successes in 10 of the districts most affected by this scourge,” Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen said. “The Department of Justice’s efforts have resulted in countless successes from California to Maine. We have successfully sought enhanced sentences in cases that resulted in deadly overdoses, and we have boosted cooperation among the partners involved. There remains much work to be done, but Operation S.O.S. marks a crucial turning point in the fight against synthetic opioids.”
# # #
- Last month, Salvador Ramirez was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison. A federal indictment in July 2018 charged him and six other individuals in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Miami Valley and across southern and central Ohio. This investigation includes the seizure of more than seven kilograms of fentanyl.
Medical Billing Company Owner Sentenced to Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The owner of a medical and dental billing company was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for her role in committing more than $2 million in health care fraud.
Cindy Dahdah, 61, of Beavercreek, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
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, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
According to court documents and testimony, Dahdah and her late husband, Dr. Salim Dahdah, conspired to commit health care fraud from 2007 until 2015.
The defendants provided medically unnecessary medical tests and procedures – including nuclear stress tests and invasive cardiac procedures – exposing patients to the risk of serious physical harm.
Cindy Dahdah pleaded guilty in October 2018 to conspiracy to commit and committing health care fraud and making false statements related to health care matters.
Salim Dahdah was a licensed cardiologist and owner of Ohio Institute of Cardiac Care (OICC) in Springfield, Ohio. The practice was originally incorporated in 1986 and eventually used the name Advanced Cardiology Associates, Inc. Cindy Dahdah incorporated ACCU-BIL Management, Inc., a privately held medical and dental billing company established in 2001 in Beavercreek. The couple also owned a primary care practice located in the same building as the cardiology practice.
OICC focused on treating patients who suffered from cardiac related illnesses, including coronary artery disease. Most of the practice’s patients were elderly and of lower socio-economic class.
As part of their conspiracy, the couple created aggressive medical protocols for cardiac related tests and procedures that they required OICC and ACCU-BIL staff to follow regardless of the medical necessity of the procedures.
The Dahdahs would name a patient’s last seen physician as a referring physician for invasive and unnecessary procedures, even though the last physician never ordered the procedures. In order to ensure their protocols were strictly followed, Cindy Dahdah would often reprimand, humiliate or threaten to terminate employees who refused to schedule the medical tests.
Cindy Dahdah also threatened to terminate primary care patients who refused to be treated by a cardiologist at OICC.
In order to increase revenue, Salim Dahdah intentionally misinterpreted cardiac tests, including heart catheterizations, to justify risky procedures like the insertion of heart defibrillators when they were medically unnecessary.
For example, Salim Dahdah told a patient in his/her thirties that (s)he needed a heart surgery or (s)he would die. The patient underwent the surgery in 2013 in order for Dahdah to implant an AICD (an implantable defibrillator). Later, the patient sought the services of another cardiologist and determined the AICD had been unnecessary, and had to undergo a second risky heart surgery to have it removed.
As a result of the health care fraud scheme, the defendants caused more than 2,000 fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare, Ohio Medicaid and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield totaling approximately $2 million.
“The Dahdahs subjected patients to unnecessary nuclear stress tests and invasive cardiac procedures in order to make a quick buck off Medicare and Medicaid,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “What an unconscionable business model. The defendant’s prison term is well deserved.”
“The human cost of this couple’s crimes far outweighs the financial cost,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “These patients believed their life-altering treatments were medically necessary, but it was all a ploy aimed at squeezing more money out of the state. Nothing – not even this sentence – can erase the anguish inflicted upon this couple’s victims.”
The couple was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2017. Salim Dahdah also pleaded guilty in October 2018 to the same crimes as Cindy Dahdah. He died prior to being sentenced.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by HHS-OIG, the FBI and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth F. Affeldt and Maritsa A. Flaherty, who are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Dayton Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Meth CrimesRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Jason Rosales, 45, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 240 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for two crimes related to methamphetamine.
Rosales was convicted after an eight-day trial last July of conspiracy to possess and attempt to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of the drug.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Keith Martin, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Springfield Police Chief Lee Graf and leaders of the MOWIN Task Force in Kansas City, Mo. announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents and testimony, Rosales conspired to and attempted to possess at least 4,427 grams of 100 percent pure “crystal meth” or “ice.”
The MOWIN (Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics) Task Force in Kansas City had interdicted a courier at a Greyhound Bus Station on February 13, 2017 with 10 bundles of crystal meth hidden in a duffle bag.
The courier had been en route to deliver the drugs in Springfield, Ohio, and ultimately the DEA orchestrated a controlled delivery to Rosales in Dayton.
Rosales was charged by an indictment in February 2017. He was arrested on February 16, 2017 and has remained in custody since.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the DEA, Springfield Police Department and Kansas City law enforcement, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Sheila G. Lafferty, who represented the United States in this case.
###
Prison for Man who Illegally Entered U.S. After 4 DeportationsRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Edgar Ezequiel Ramos-Serrano, 33, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 12 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being found in the United States subsequent to a felony conviction. Ramos-Serrano has been deported on four prior occasions, has been convicted of this same offense twice before, and will likely be deported once again following his prison sentence.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, ICE agents found Ramos-Serrano at the Montgomery County Jail on February 19 following his arrest on local traffic-related charges including driving without a license.
Ramos-Serrano, a citizen of Honduras, had been removed from the United States to Honduras in June 2005, July 2009, July 2010, and November 2013. Following the July 2009 removal, Ramos-Serrano returned illegally, was found in the Western District of Pennsylvania, was convicted there of Reentry of a Removed Alien, and was sentenced to “time served” (approximately 2 months). Ramos-Serrano returned illegally once again, and in November 2013, he was found in the Southern District of Ohio, convicted of the same offense, sentenced to time served (approximately five months), and deported. He returned illegally and was found and arrested in the Southern District of Ohio in February 2019.
Ramos-Serrano pleaded guilty in April 2019 to one count of illegal reentry. Following service of the one-year prison sentence, Ramos-Serrano will likely be deported to Honduras. Returning illegally during the three-year period of supervised release imposed will constitute a violation of the terms and conditions of his release and may lead to additional sanctions beyond another criminal prosecution.
“He was sentenced to time served for each of his two prior convictions, then deported, and each time he returned illegally” Glassman said. “This time he’s going to prison for more than just time served, a fair and just sentence which promotes respect for the law.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by ICE, as well as First Assistant United States Attorney Vipal Patel, who is representing the United States in this case.
###
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for 30 Months for Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Izmir Koch, 34, of Huber Heights, Ohio, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for beating a man he believed to be Jewish outside of a Cincinnati restaurant.
Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; Benjamin C. Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence.
Koch was convicted after a trial on Dec. 17, 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.
On Feb. 4, 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.
After the incident, Koch, accompanied by his attorney, spoke voluntarily with the FBI. Koch falsely told the FBI that he was not involved in the assault and that he made no derogatory comments about Jews.
“Individuals should be able to live without fear of attack or intimidation based on their religious beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “Prosecuting hate crimes is a top priority for the Department of Justice and as this sentence today demonstrates, we will not back down from obtaining justice for victims of violence based on hate.”
“Hate-fueled violent crimes ripple through communities, making entire groups feel unsafe and unwelcome, spawning fear and anger,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “That is why investigating and prosecuting hate crimes is such a high priority. Every community – every person – is entitled to the equal protection of the laws.”
“The FBI aggressively investigates hate crime incidents and works closely with impacted communities,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Todd A. Wickerham. “Each day we strive to protect civil rights and hold accountable those who violate the rights of others.”
This case was investigated by the Cincinnati Division of the FBI. It was 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.
For more information about Department of Justice’s work to combat and prevent hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes: a one-stop portal with links to Department of Justice hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other organizations and individuals.
# # #
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for 30 Months for Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
Izmir Koch, 34, of Huber Heights, Ohio, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for beating a man he believed to be Jewish outside of a Cincinnati restaurant.
Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; Benjamin C. Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence.
Koch was convicted after a trial on Dec. 17, 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.
On Feb. 4, 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.
After the incident, Koch, accompanied by his attorney, spoke voluntarily with the FBI. Koch falsely told the FBI that he was not involved in the assault and that he made no derogatory comments about Jews.
“Individuals should be able to live without fear of attack or intimidation based on their religious beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “Prosecuting hate crimes is a top priority for the Department of Justice and as this sentence today demonstrates, we will not back down from obtaining justice for victims of violence based on hate.”
“Hate-fueled violent crimes ripple through communities, making entire groups feel unsafe and unwelcome, spawning fear and anger,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “That is why investigating and prosecuting hate crimes is such a high priority. Every community -- every person -- is entitled to the equal protection of the laws.”
"The FBI aggressively investigates hate crime incidents and works closely with impacted communities," stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Todd A. Wickerham. "Each day we strive to protect civil rights and hold accountable those who violate the rights of others."
This case was investigated by the Cincinnati Division of the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
For more information about Department of Justice’s work to combat and prevent hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes: a one-stop portal with links to Department of Justice hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other organizations and individuals.
Leader of Online Car Sales Scam Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The leader of an online car sales scam that cheated hundreds of victims around the country pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today and agreed to pay restitution of $9,262,238.90.
Terry J. Boutwell, 36, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, announced the plea entered before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.
Two co-conspirators, Tiffany A. Strobl, 39, of Columbus, Ohio, and Shalitha R. Schexnayder, 39, of Miami, Fla., have also entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing.
Court documents outline the scheme which began in 2015 and continued until the three were indicted in October 2018. The defendants were part of a network that attracted online customers through fraudulent postings for vehicle sales. They communicated with victims through email and telephone posing as employees of eBay, and used third parties to open bank accounts in the names of shell corporations that appeared to be affiliated with eBay. They instructed victims to wire funds to various third-party bank accounts they set up. They claimed to be affiliated with eBay’s Buyer Protection Program, when in fact, no such relationship existed.
“The accounts he controlled received more than $9 million from more than 800 victims around the country,” Glassman said. “Our efforts now will focus on doing as much as we can to collect the restitution and help the victims as the investigation continues.”
“The sophistication and brazenness of the defendant’s on-line car sales scam created havoc on innocent victims and deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.
Boutwell was arrested in January when the indictment was announced. Judge Sargus ordered him to remain in custody. The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine not to exceed $500,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes. The court will determine a date to sentence Boutwell and the others.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the assistance of United States Secret Service in Toledo, Ohio and Miami, Fla.; the FBI’s Baltimore field office; United States Postal Inspection Service in Detroit; New York State Police; the Canton, Ohio, Butler Village, Ohio, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, Bloomfield Township, Mich., Marlboro Township, New Jersey and Janesville, Wis. police departments; and the Walworth County, Wis. and Clarke County, Ala. sheriff’s offices. Assistant United States Attorney Noah Litton is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Columbus Men Charged with Internet Cafe Robberies Including One That Resulted in Deaths of OwnersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal criminal complaint unsealed today charges Dezhan Townsend, 20, with using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death in connection with the robbery of a Columbus internet café in which a husband and wife were murdered. A second man, Desjuan Harris, 24, is charged with robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with two other internet café robberies.
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, acting 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 the complaint, two suspects wearing hoodies entered Players Paradise at 3439 E. Broad Street in Columbus at 4:06 a.m. on January 20, 2019. The two positioned themselves near the office door. One suspect sat at a game as if he was playing it. When a female employee attempted to enter the office, the suspects attacked. The suspects were armed with handguns and immediately confronted an armed security guard. A suspect shot both the male security guard and the female employee, Joseph and Karen Arrington.
Townsend and Harris are charged with robbing Players Paradise on December 10, 2018 and another internet café, Planet Jackpot, at 1245 Alum Creek Drive on January 7, 2019.
Columbus SWAT officers arrested Townsend and Harris on Wednesday, July 3. The charges were unsealed today after the defendants appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chelsey M. Vascura, who ordered them held without bond.
“We will present the evidence gathered so far to a federal grand jury for a possible indictment against the defendants,” Glassman said. “If convicted, each man faces a possible life sentence for their crimes. The investigation is continuing.”
The criminal complaint charges Townsend with three counts of interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Harris is charged with two counts of violating the Hobbs Act and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
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.
A complaint merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Man Who Sought Asylum in United States Arrested for Installing Skimmers on Gas PumpsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Yosbel Ponce Bernal, 26, has been charged with using gas pump skimmers in Butler and Hamilton counties. Ponce is a Cuban national with a Florida address. He was arrested in Louisville, Ky. on Friday.
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 Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds announced the charges, which were unsealed Friday.
A skimmer placed inside a gas pump collects credit card information from victims using the pump. The skimmer is installed between the credit card reader and the other internal circuitry of the gas pump. The intended gas purchase will typically proceed without interruption of any kind or any notification to the victim or third party. A single gas station skimmer is capable of storing credit card information for hundreds of victims, and many skimmers are capable of storing approximately thousands of card numbers.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, in September 2018, the Butler County Auditor’s Office alerted the FBI to a skimmer in Fairfield, Ohio. The auditor’s office removed the skimmer and discovered information stored from 27 credit cards.
In October, camera surveillance of the gas pumps recorded Ponce opening the gas pump door and spending minutes allegedly installing a second skimming device deeper into the gas pump than the first skimmer had been. Ponce is recorded at the pump after midnight; the gas station closed at 11pm.
In November, skimmers were discovered on two gas pumps in Hamilton County. Video surveillance from the Hamilton County location also allegedly depicts Ponce.
Law enforcement officials tested a gas pump for fingerprints and matched two prints to Ponce. Ponce’s fingerprints are on record from previously applying for asylum in the United States.
Using a skimmer is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
"We appreciate the efforts of the FBI and United States Attorney's Office as we work together to combat this criminal activity in the region,” said Butler County Auditor Reynolds.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Butler County Auditor’s Office, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry, 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.
# # #
Findlay Market Vendor Convicted of $3.4 Million in Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A husband and wife and their Findlay Market vendor have all been convicted of food stamp fraud. A jury returned the verdict today of guilty on all 25 counts following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Anthony V. Mohatt, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General Investigations, Midwest Region, Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service and Michelle Thourot, Agent-in-Charge, Ohio Investigative Unit, announced the verdict.
A federal grand jury charged Busch’s Country Corner, Inc. and officials with charges related to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud in an indictment returned here in June 2018.
According to court documents and trial testimony, from April 2010 until May 2018, Busch’s Country Corner co-owner Michael Busch, his wife, Amanda Jo Busch, and his brother, Randall S. Busch, illegally exchanged cash for SNAP benefits.
The defendants caused more than 195,000 individual SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) transactions to be completed by Busch’s Country Corner, totaling more than $5.4 million. According to witness testimony at trial, approximately 64 percent, or $3.4 million, of those SNAP transactions were fraudulent.
Co-conspirators used an electronic point of sale device in order to process EBT transactions for cash. For example, one transaction included a beginning EBT balance of $1,300 and an ending balance of $11.
Michal and Amanda Busch and Busch’s Country Corner were each convicted on all counts, including conspiracy to steal government funds, submitting false claims, SNAP fraud and wire fraud.
“There is no substitute for trial by jury,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “After listening to the evidence attentively for two weeks, this jury rendered verdicts to ensure that the defendants did not get away with getting ahead by stealing taxpayer money.”
Randall Busch previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years of probation.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the USDA OIG, Secret Service and Ohio Investigative Unit, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Dwight Keller and Deputy Criminal Chief Laura Clemmens, who are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Former Police Officer Sentenced to Prison for Using Unreasonable ForceRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Franklin Township police officer was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for using excessive force as a law enforcement officer.
Robert Wells, 49, of Pataskala, Ohio, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. Wells was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.
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 Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge James L Graham.
Wells was charged by indictment in September 2018. According to the charging document, on May 1, 2018, while acting in his then official capacity as a Franklin County Township police officer, Wells kicked an individual in the head while the victim was lying handcuffed on the ground. This deprived the victim of his Constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer and resulted in bodily injury to the victim.
Additionally, Wells then made false and misleading statements in his report relating to the arrest of the victim in order to cover up the excessive force and create a false understanding of the circumstances surrounding the arrest and injury.
Wells pleaded guilty in December 2018.
“This result reflects the determination of the United States that the willful use of excessive force under color of state law not only won’t be tolerated in the Southern District of Ohio, it will be punished,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “The defendant’s conviction and sentence of imprisonment vindicates the interests of justice, including vindicating police officers, who have among the most dangerous and difficult and important jobs in society today. The defendant rightfully apologized in court today for tarnishing their badge.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Criminal Chief Kenneth L. Parker and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, who has been designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney.
# # #
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 4 Years for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Gregory Kilgore, 38, formerly of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 48 months in prison for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony 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 Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, on March 28, 2018, while on patrol in the parking lot of a high drug and violent crime area, Dayton Police officers observed Kilgore sitting inside a parked but running vehicle. Upon approaching the vehicle, officers could smell the odor of marijuana. Officers conducted a search of the vehicle and located marijuana, cocaine and a cocaine/fentanyl mixture. Officers also found a Ruger AR556 rifle with three magazines and 57 rounds of ammunition in total.
Kilgore’s past convictions include domestic violence, abduction, possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana, carrying a concealed weapon and having weapons under disability.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the Dayton Police Department and FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith, 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.
###
Ohio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Trying to Join ISISRead the Press Release
A Dayton, Ohio man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180 months in prison and 25 years of supervised release for attempting, and conspiring, to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Todd A. Wickerham of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division made the announcement.
“Alebbini was determined to travel overseas for the purpose of joining ISIS and engaging in violence in support of the foreign terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Notwithstanding pleas from others close to him, Alebbini declared that he is a terrorist and decided to move forward with his plan to join ISIS. Thanks to the great work of the agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are assigned to this case, Alebbini’s plans were thwarted and he is being held accountable for his crimes.”
“Alebbini was prepared to kill soldiers and citizens of the United States, the Kingdom of Jordan, and coalition partners fighting against ISIS. Indeed, Alebbini was prepared to kill any person who did not accept ISIS as the Islamic Caliphate,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “Prison is the right place for him.”
Laith Waleed Alebbini, 28, was convicted following a bench trial in November and December 2018 before U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
Alebbini attempted, and conspired, to provide material support and resources to ISIS in the form of personnel, namely himself.
Alebbini, a citizen of Jordan and a U.S. legal permanent resident, was arrested by the FBI on April 26, 2017, at the Cincinnati/Kentucky International Airport, as he approached the TSA security checkpoint.
Alebbini waived his right to trial by jury, and the case proceeded to trial before the Court. The evidence at trial showed that at the time of his arrest, Alebbini had a ticket and boarding pass in hand for a flight to Amnan, Jordan, with a connection in Istanbul, Turkey. The evidence also showed that Alebbini intended to forego the flight to Jordan and instead make his way from Turkey into Syria to join ISIS.
According to court documents and testimony, on April 20, 2017, during a six-hour conversation with a friend who tried to talk Alebbini out of traveling and joining ISIS, Alebbini told his friend: “The Islamic State is fighting a survival war . . . I, cousin, want to go to be an inghimasi soldier.”
As explained at trial, an “inghimasi soldier” is a particularly lethal type of suicide bomber – one who seeks to cause as much death and destruction as possible prior to detonation.
On April 26, 2017, about one hour before Alebbini arrived at the Cincinnati/Kentucky International Airport, several relatives pleaded with Alebbini not to join ISIS. Alebbini responded in three separate back-to-back text messages: “Do you think I am a criminal” “I am a terrorist” “I am mujahid.”
Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes officers and agents from the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Oakwood Police Department, Dayton Police Department, Cincinnati Police Department, Colerain Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, University of Cincinnati Police Department, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, West Chester Police Department, and Cincinnati State Police Department.
First Assistant Vipal J. Patel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case.
Local Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Trying to Join ISISRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Dayton man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180 months in prison and 25 years of supervised release for attempting, and conspiring, to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and Special Agent in Charge Todd A. Wickerham of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division made the announcement.
“Alebbini was prepared to kill soldiers and citizens of the United States, the Kingdom of Jordan, and coalition partners fighting against ISIS. Indeed, Alebbini was prepared to kill any person who did not accept ISIS as the Islamic Caliphate,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “Prison is the right place for him.”
“Alebbini was determined to travel overseas for the purpose of joining ISIS and engaging in violence in support of the foreign terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Notwithstanding pleas from others close to him, Alebbini declared that he is a terrorist and decided to move forward with his plan to join ISIS. Thanks to the great work of the agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are assigned to this case, Alebbini’s plans were thwarted and he is being held accountable for his crimes.”
Laith Waleed Alebbini, 28, was convicted following a bench trial in November and December 2018 before U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
Alebbini attempted, and conspired, to provide material support and resources to ISIS in the form of personnel, namely himself.
Alebbini, a citizen of Jordan and a U.S. legal permanent resident, was arrested by the FBI on April 26, 2017, at the Cincinnati/Kentucky International Airport, as he approached the TSA security checkpoint.
Alebbini waived his right to trial by jury, and the case proceeded to trial before the Court. The evidence at trial showed that at the time of his arrest, Alebbini had a ticket and boarding pass in hand for a flight to Amnan, Jordan, with a connection in Istanbul, Turkey. The evidence also showed that Alebbini intended to forego the flight to Jordan and instead make his way from Turkey into Syria to join ISIS.
According to court documents and testimony, on April 20, 2017, during a six-hour conversation with a friend who tried to talk Alebbini out of traveling and joining ISIS, Alebbini told his friend: “The Islamic State is fighting a survival war . . . I, cousin, want to go to be an inghimasi soldier.”
As explained at trial, an “inghimasi soldier” is a particularly lethal type of suicide bomber – one who seeks to cause as much death and destruction as possible prior to detonation.
On April 26, 2017, about one hour before Alebbini arrived at the Cincinnati/Kentucky International Airport, several relatives pleaded with Alebbini not to join ISIS. Alebbini responded in three separate back-to-back text messages: “Do you think I am a criminal” “I am a terrorist” “I am mujahid.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman and Assistant Attorney General Demers commended the investigation of this case by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes officers and agents from the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Oakwood Police Department, Dayton Police Department, Cincinnati Police Department, Colerain Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, University of Cincinnati Police Department, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, West Chester Police Department, and Cincinnati State Police Department.
First Assistant Vipal J. Patel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case.
# # #
Cincinnati Police Captain Charged FederallyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Captain with the Cincinnati Police Department was arrested yesterday afternoon on a charge of theft and bribery.
Michael Savard, 52, of Anderson Township, appeared in court today at 1pm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz. The case was unsealed at that time.
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 and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac announced the charge.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Savard is a 25-year veteran of the Cincinnati police force. He has served as a captain overseeing the Special Services Section for approximately two years and was a lieutenant for 14 years.
While under investigation by the IRS and Cincinnati Police for potential criminal offenses related to financial benefits received as a result of his employment with the Cincinnati Police Department, it is alleged that Savard asked for and received $5,000 from a sergeant within the police department in exchange for Savard’s promise to retire from the Cincinnati Police Department so that the sergeant could be promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
The sergeant was next in line on a promotion eligibility list that was due to expire this month. Unless promoted prior to the expiration of the promotion eligibility list, the sergeant would have to retake a civil service promotional exam and might then lose his currently-held top position on the promotion list.
It is alleged that Savard told the sergeant he was going to work out a deal to plead guilty to federal charges and was thinking of retiring in July. He allegedly told the sergeant he would retire earlier – in June, prior to the sergeant’s expiration on the promotion list – if the sergeant paid Savard $5,000.
Savard accepted the $5,000 in cash yesterday and was immediately arrested by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division, working in conjunction with the Cincinnati Police Department.
Theft and bribery is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation and Cincinnati Police Department, as well as Deputy Criminal Chief Karl P. Kadon and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Singer, 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.
We are unable to comment further on the federal investigation, as it is ongoing.
# # #
Westside Columbus Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Columbus, Ohio – A violent Westside drug trafficker was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 197 months in prison.
Keith “Butters” Drummond, 41, of Columbus, was sentenced for crimes related to trafficking narcotics and using firearms.
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 Columbus Interim Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence handed down today by Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
In November 2017, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Superseding Indictment against Drummond, charging him with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including over 28 grams of crack; possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Drummond pleaded guilty to all three charges in July 2018, on the day he was scheduled to stand trial.
According to court documents, the charges resulted from a years-long investigation by the Columbus Division of Police and ATF into Drummond for his drug trafficking and firearms activity on the west side of Columbus.
Beginning as early as 2011, Drummond operated several “trap houses” on the west side of Columbus where he routinely manufactured and sold crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and oxycodone. His primary trap house was located on North Guilford Avenue, in the “Bottoms” neighborhood. Drummond routinely enlisted drug addicts to work for him at that residence as a “security” force. He would arm these addicts with firearms and then instruct them to safeguard the house, the drugs and his drug proceeds.
Drummond also kept a firearm at his personal residence and in his vehicle. He was prohibited by law from possessing any firearms due to prior felony convictions for possession of drugs, domestic violence and felonious assault, as well as two prior convictions of misdemeanor domestic violence.
Drummond would often punish people who owed him money for drugs or did not satisfy his requirements as employees. This violence included physical restraint (whether being duct taped to a wall or locked in a dog cage), choking, pistol-whipping individuals to the point of fracturing their jaws, and sexual assault, including anally assaulting one woman with a broomstick.
“Drummond’s violence in connection with his drug trafficking was so pronounced that dozens of women and community members submitted letters for the Court’s consideration at sentencing. Most of these individuals were unwilling to share their identity with Drummond for fear of their own safety, so the Government culled those statements down to just six for the Court’s review,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “But those six statements tell quite a story: Beatings from Drummond for not selling enough drugs. Scouting out drug addicts on their payday to keep them hooked. Locking women in dog cages and beating them. And threatening, beating, and sexually assaulting women for buying their drugs from anyone else.”
“The defendant has a history of selling drugs, vicious physical assault, and the use of firearms to further his criminal enterprise, despite being prohibited from possessing guns,” stated Jonathan McPherson, ATF’s Special Agent in Charge for the Columbus Field Division. “He is exactly the kind of violent criminal who needs to be removed from our streets, and ATF will continue to work with our partners at the Columbus Division of Police on cases like this to make our community a safer place.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by ATF and the Columbus Division of Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton, who are representing the United States in this case.
###
Federal & Cincinnati Law Enforcement to Announce Arrest of Cincinnati Police CaptainRead the Press Release
*********** MEDIA ADVISORY ***********
FEDERAL & CINCINNATI LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ANNOUNCE ARREST OF CINCINNATI POLICE CAPTAIN
CINCINNATI – Tomorrow the government in conjunction with the Cincinnati Police Department will announce the arrest of a Cincinnati Police Captain, who is being charged federally.
The briefing will be held:
TOMORROW: FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2019
WHEN: 2:30 P.M.
WHERE: U.S. Attorney’s Office
Library
221 E. Fourth Street, 4th floor
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
WHO: U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman
William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation
Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac
Room available beginning at 2:15 P.M. No TV lighting will be available. ID will be required for entrance at Security on the fourth floor.
# # #
Central Ohio Identity Theft Ring Leader Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Kwame E. McCauley, 37, of Galena, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 60 months in prison for his role in stealing identities to obtain and use new and existing in-store lines of credit at well-known retailers.
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, Columbus Police Interim Chief Thomas Quinlan, Yvonne Dicristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service and other members of the Southern Ohio Financial Crimes Task Force announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
McCauley was the lead of five defendants charged in this case.
According to court documents, from January 2014 until January 2016, the group bought store merchandise after fraudulently obtaining new and using existing credit from retail stores. McCauley obtained victims’ social security numbers and dates of birth. Afterwards, he ran their credit history reports from websites like creditkarma.com.
McCauley provided false identification cards containing the victims’ information but actually bearing photographs of the co-defendants who were “shoppers.” The group would travel to various clothing and electronics retail stores in the Southern District of Ohio and elsewhere, including Indiana and Pennsylvania. Examples of the stores include Best Buy, Elder Beerman, Buckle, Menard’s, Meijer and Cabela’s.
The group would review the victims’ credit history reports and personal information prior to arrival at the retail stores so the defendants could answer any qualifying questions that the stores used to screen credit applicants. The group opened new and used existing lines of credit on approximately 80 separate occasions causing $150,000 of loss from the retailers.
The other defendants charged in this case include Deangelo D. Simms, 26, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio; Shirley M. Dillen, 43, of Westerville, Ohio; Julie E. Ring, 38, of Columbus, Ohio and Robert S. Tingler, 32, of Columbus, Ohio. Tingler has been sentenced to 24 months in prison and was ordered to pay approximately $7,400 in restitution. Dillen has been sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay approximately $4,300 in restitution. Ring has been sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay nearly $2,000 in restitution.
“The sentence handed down today highlights the seriousness of Kwame McCauley’s conduct,” said William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “The defendants in this case created havoc on the retailers and the individuals whom identities were stolen and used to open lines of credit.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS-CI, Columbus Police and other members of the Southern Ohio Financial Crimes Task Force, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J.C. Grey, who is prosecuting the case.
# # #
West Chester Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Role in Ohio Drug Ring that Sent Proceeds to MexicoRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A man helping orchestrate a methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin trafficking conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 180 months in prison.
A federal indictment unsealed in July 2018 charged Salvador Ramirez, 24, of West Chester, along with six other people with engaging in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Miami Valley and across southern and central Ohio.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Walter H Rice.
Ramirez, also known as “Listo,” personally oversaw the distribution of hundreds of thousands of dollars of methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin in Ohio. Ramirez would periodically travel to the western United States to obtain kilogram quantities of narcotics and distribute the drugs to local dealers in Ohio.
He did this on behalf of Eduardo Bonilla, who operated an international drug ring from his Ohio state prison cell from 2015 until June 2018 while serving a life sentence for murder.
Bonilla initially relied on former fellow inmates to run his operation outside of prison and send the proceeds to Mexico. State and federal authorities investigated and prosecuted those individuals, and Bonilla began conducting his illicit business through Ramirez.
The others charged in this case include:
- Tamara McQueen, 21, Hamilton
- Luiz Roberto Diaz-Magana, 29, Queretaro, Mexico
- Jesus Garcia, aka Jesse Garcia, 49, West Chester
- Joshua L. Leach, 34, Plain City Plain City
- Brandi Danyell Loy, aka Brandi Richey, 34, Plain City
- Takeea Trammell, 41, Dayton
The defendants are charged with manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine and money laundering.
In total, this and related cases included charges against 14 individuals and the seizure of more than 140 pounds of meth, seven kilograms of fentanyl, two kilograms of heroin and more than $130,000 in cash.
Glassman commended the investigation of the DEA and task force agencies, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent G. Tabacchi, who represented the United States in this case.
Task force agencies who investigated the cases include the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments in Monroe and Middletown.
# # #
Man Who Volunteered as Church Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Sexual Abuse of ChildrenRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Warren County man who met his victims through his volunteer work as a church bus driver pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court this morning to sexually abusing a minor under the age of 12.
A federal grand jury charged Jory Leedy, 49, of Franklin, Ohio, in April 2016. Leedy was scheduled to begin a jury trial 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 Field Division, Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil and other members of the Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations (RECI) Task Force announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black.
According to court documents, Leedy sexually abused at least two minor boys as young as seven and eight years old. Leedy met the minors through a religious organization in Dayton, where he volunteered as a bus driver.
The children rode the bus, along with their mother, to the ministry on Sunday. Thereafter, Leedy stopped by the residence to play with the boys and eat dinner with the family. Leedy stopped volunteering as a bus driver shortly after.
Leedy began going to the residence on a nightly basis. He began buying the minors clothes and games. Eventually, Leedy ingratiated himself into the family, taking the boys to church in Cincinnati and on trips to the zoo, Cincinnati Reds games and Kings Island. He began taking the boys on vacations out of state. For example, Leedy took the victims to religious concerts and to Disney World.
Leedy arranged for the purchase of a car for the family. He helped enroll the boys in a private school. Further, Leedy assisted the family in securing another home that was owned by a friend of his; Leedy paid for part of the rent.
Leedy had provided the victims’ family with a fake name. His true identity was discovered during an altercation with the victims’ father in which the police were called. Police advised the parents of Leedy’s true identity and that he was a registered sex offender.
The victims told police the abuse took place over the course of two years and occurred in different states, including Kentucky, Florida and New York.
In addition, Leedy admitted in court documents that between 1999 and 2001 he sexually abused a then-minor relative when he would take the boy on trips for sporting events.
The parties involved in this case have recommended a prison sentence of 30 years in prison. Judge Black will consider that recommendation at a future sentencing hearing.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy and Criminal Chief Kenneth L. Parker, who are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Hilliard Man Who Pretended to be Bounty Hunter & Federal Agent Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Kidnapping, Other CrimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shane Ryan Hammond, 27, of Hilliard, Ohio, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $48,000 restitution for impersonating a federal agent, kidnapping, wire fraud and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Michael B. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
According to court documents, from at least March 2016 until May 2017, Hammond owned and operated “Midwest Fugitive Task Force” located in Columbus. In this capacity, he was often referred to as Commander or Lieutenant Hammond and sought out employment opportunities as a bail recovery agent for himself and other employees.
Hammond was not actually licensed as a bounty hunter, nevertheless, on at least nine occasions, Hammond knowingly and unlawfully kidnapped a person for reward. All of these individuals but one were considered “bail skips” and Hammond had been hired by a bail bondsman in West Virginia to apprehend the individuals and return them to a designated jail facility for a monetary reward.
Hammond would often dress in an all-black tactical uniform with a black ballistic vest. He typically carried multiple handguns, throwing knives, a Taser and usually one or two law-enforcement-style badges with ‘SWAT’ shoulder patches and a large back patch reading ‘AGENT,’ but he was not a federal agent, or a law enforcement officer of any kind.
For example, in May 2017, Hammond kidnapped an individual outside of the individual’s grandmother’s home in Columbus. He pushed himself into the grandmother’s residence, heavily armed, and ran to the male individual with his AK47 up and pulled out his Taser (Hammond does not have any formal training with either of these weapons). He ordered the individual to the ground, kicked the individual’s drink and threatened the individual not to do “anything stupid” or he would get hurt.
As another example, when searching for a female in Canton, Ohio in September 2016, Hammond handcuffed the individual’s mother after forcibly entering the home and pointing a rifle at her. He indicated he was a Federal Bounty Hunter and told her she had the right to remain silent.
He then handcuffed the female’s father and said he was taking the father with him to help look for his daughter. Hammond reiterated that if the father did not go with him, he would take his wife to jail.
Hammond placed the handcuffed father into his vehicle and did not return him until the following morning – still in handcuffs. In fact, on the drive back, Hammond was pulled over for speeding and Hammond told the Trooper he was working for a federal agency.
Hammond routinely represented himself to others as a member of law enforcement, pretending to be a member of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, working with Homeland Security, a SWAT officer and a federal agent, generally.
For example, in March 2017 in the Cincinnati area, Hammond told a female “you realize lying to a federal agent is a crime” and then, “don’t lie to a federal agent, that’s four years in jail.” He then added, “Don’t get an attitude. I’m just letting you know if I come back and I find out you’re involved I’m going to arrest you, you got me.” Making false statements to an official of the United States is actually a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
In the same month, Hammond also visited an apartment complex in Jackson, Ohio and called one of the managers to explain that he had a warrant and was seeking a fugitive involved in the shooting of a Huntington, W.Va. police officer, although all of this statement was untrue. He told management he had called the Jackson Police and that the police would stay out of his way because he was a federal investigator and he knew what to do.
His false representations at the apartment complex led to the apartment management sharing H.U.D. files with Hammond and Hammond’s search of the apartment of an elderly female, to whom he identified himself as “Commander Hammond with the U.S. Government Fugitive Task Force.”
Hammond was charged by a Bill of Information in October 2017 and, in January 2018, failed to appear for his arraignment.
Through their efforts to locate Hammond, FBI agents uncovered additional criminal activity – namely, wire fraud and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
Hammond devised a scheme to defraud investors of more than $48,000, telling investors he had secured a government contract for $79 million to provide physical security to the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. Hammond represented that he needed start-up money for the business and legal costs until he would receive the $79 million a few months later.
One investor also allowed Hammond to borrow his Chevrolet truck. Hammond then re-registered the truck into his own name, stole it and drove it to West Virginia, where he was later arrested.
He pleaded guilty in June 2018 to a Superseding Bill of Information, which included one count each of kidnapping, impersonating an agent of the United States and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, and two counts of wire fraud. Hammond also pleaded guilty to one additional count of kidnapping, as charged by the Southern District of West Virginia in a Bill of Information.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight, who is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
U.S. Attorney, City Attorney, Federal & Local Law Enforcement to Announce Initiative Focused on Domestic Abusers with GunsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Today federal and local law enforcement officials will announce new cases being charged in federal court as part of an initiative to prevent individuals with a history of domestic violence from possessing firearms.
The briefing will be held:
TODAY: TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2019
WHEN: 1:30 P.M.
WHERE: U.S. Attorney’s Office
Main Conference Room
303 Marconi Blvd. Suite 200
Columbus, Ohio 43215
WHO: U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein
Roland Herndon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, ATF
Deputy Chief Timothy Becker, Columbus Division of Police
Room available beginning at 1:15 P.M. No TV lighting or multbox will be available. ID will be required for entrance at Security.
# # #
Federal and Local Law Enforcement Announce Cases as Part of Initiative to Hold Accountable Domestic Abusers with GunsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman announced today a new initiative in which federal and local prosecutors are working with law enforcement and domestic violence victim services agencies to hold accountable domestic abusers who illegally possess firearms.
As part of the initiative, U.S. Attorney Glassman, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced three cases indicted federally today. The cases charge three men with illegally possessing a firearm and/or ammunition after being convicted of domestic violence-related crimes.
A federal grand jury today charged Eldon G. Draper, 45, Stephon A. Moore, 30, and Brandon N. Zachariah, 26, all of Columbus, with possessing firearms and/or ammunition after being convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence and felony crimes in separate indictments returned here today.
According to court documents, on April 13, Draper possessed a Smith & Wesson .38 special firearm and five rounds of ammunition. He was previously convicted in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas of misdemeanor domestic violence and felonious assault, aggravated assault, arson, four offenses of aggravated arson, receipt of stolen property and theft.
Moore allegedly possessed a 9mm firearm and 16 rounds of ammunition on May 13. He was previously convicted in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas of misdemeanor domestic violence and felonious assault and attempted robbery.
According to Zachariah’s indictment and police reports, on March 20, he possessed a pistol and 22 rounds of ammunition. Zachariah was previously convicted in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas of felonious assault.
Possessing a firearm or ammunition as a convicted felon is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Individuals who have been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes or have an active domestic violence protection order are prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This initiative is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.
Moore’s case included investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
U.S. Attorney Glassman announced the domestic violence program as part of the Southern District of Ohio’s ongoing commitment to protecting people from intimate partner violence and strengthening the capacity of law enforcement and communities to respond to domestic violence.
The initiative is being implemented with the aim of enhancing collaborations among law enforcement agencies and domestic violence victim services providers, as well as identifying and prosecuting domestic violence abusers who possess guns.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of the three cases indicted today by ATF and the Columbus Division of Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J.C. Grey and Special Assistant United States Attorney Melanie Tobias with City Attorney Klein’s office, who are prosecuting the cases. U.S. Attorney Glassman also commended the partnership of Lutheran Social Services CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence, the Center for Family Safety and Healing at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Capital University’s Family Law Clinic.
Indictments merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.
# # #
Previously Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Jermichael Malcolm, 46, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
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, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck announced the plea entered into before U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, when agents executed a search warrant at Malcom’s home in March 2018, they discovered a firearm and a large capacity ammunition magazine.
Malcom had previously been convicted in Greene County Court of Common Pleas of aggravated trafficking and Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas of aggravated robbery involving a deadly weapon. Malcom had also been previously convicted federally in the Southern District of Ohio, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
Malcom pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, which is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, ATF and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hunt, who is representing the United States in this case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
# # #
Clermont County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Richard Lee Devito, 35, of Batavia, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for creating child pornography.
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 sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
Devito knowingly induced more than 25 minors to send him sexual or nude videos and photographs over the Internet. The minors were typically between the ages of eight and 12. He would often encourage the children to rub their genitalia and place objects up their vagina or anus.
For example, Devito induced an eight-year-old female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of making child pornography. Devito used the messaging app “ooVoo,” pretended to be a 13-year-old and persuaded the child to send him videos of her naked.
Between his two identified accounts on ooVoo, Devito had more than 1,300 pages of chats with minors. Devito exploited victims for months and pretended to be a child himself. His victims spanned the nation and internationally, and also included two minor girls in the greater Cincinnati area. In some instances, Devito first met his victims on the app “musical.ly.”
According to one parent’s victim impact statement: “The pictures were captured in my daughters’ bedroom. In a place that we were convinced was safe. Somehow things went from them making dorky lip syncing videos to something beyond my comprehension and I never saw it coming. He broke into our safe zone and he manipulated our girls and I never saw it coming. … He manipulated them. He stole their innocence.”
“The lasting damage of Devito’s crimes goes beyond the creation of sexually explicit videos and images of minor children,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “It damages relationships, hurts families, and alters the development of the victim children. Devito’s case should serve as an example that if you prey on children through the Internet, you will be identified, investigated, and prosecuted.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of the FBI and Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Timothy S. Mangan, who are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Springfield Federal Firearms Licensee Pleads Guilty to Falsifying RecordsRead the Press Release
DAYTON – James A. Mayhugh, Jr., 61, of Springfield, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to crimes related to falsifying firearms sales records for more than 200 firearm sales. Mayhugh lied in his records concerning the identity of the purchaser and then actually sold the firearms to unknown individuals on the black market.
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 plea entered into before U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
Mayhugh owned and operated Jim’s Sports in Springfield. According to court documents, ATF Industry Operation Investigators (IOI) noticed unusual trends in Mayhugh’s sales records. Identical firearm sales to an identical group of individuals had been recorded between 2008 and 2018. Also, while federal law required the purported purchaser to personally complete and sign forms before acquiring a firearm, each document instead bore Mayhugh’s handwriting.
While further reviewing Mayhugh’s records, ATF IOIs discovered one customer had died in 2014, even though Mayhugh’s records reflected gun purchases as recently as early 2018. Other customers had actually purchased from Mayhugh on one occasion 15 to 20 years ago, but records showed repeated buys in recent years.
Subsequent to a court-authorized search, agents discovered documents reflecting more than 200 firearm sales to fictitious customers.
Mayhugh pleaded guilty to willfully violating federal requirements to provide the name, age and address of firearms purchasers. This crime is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Mayhugh also agreed to surrender his federal firearms license and no longer operates a business.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF and Assistant United States Attorney Brent G. Tabacchi, who is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
6 Charged with Running Middletown Narcotics RingRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A grand jury has indicted six defendants in an alleged Middletown narcotics conspiracy.
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, Middletown Police Chief Rodney Muterspaw, and officials with the Butler County Sheriff's Office, Warren County Drug Task Force, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI Safe Street Task Force announced the charges that were unsealed today.
According to the indictment, the six individuals are part of a group that calls itself “All State” and is responsible for distributing more than 400 grams of fentanyl and more than 100 grams of heroin in Middletown.
Those charged include:
Name
Also Known As
Benwan A. Edwards
Marqui D. L. Conley
Key Man
Joseph L. Singletary, Jr.
Joker
Will D. Owens V
Hailey E. P. Meeks
Tyrese A. Robinson
Tye, Moneybags
It is alleged that Edwards and Conley served in leadership roles in the criminal organization. The other defendants allegedly served as sub-distributors and couriers of the drugs, and at times, as the group’s “enforcers.”
The indictment details more than 40 alleged specific drug transactions between October 2018 and May 2019. Each of the transactions included $400 to $2,600 in narcotics sales.
“The indictment alleges not only a narcotics conspiracy, but a violent one,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “According to the indictment’s allegations, certain co-conspirators used and brandished firearms to facilitate their drug trafficking business, intimidate rivals, and punish anyone who stood in their way.”
In January 2019, Edwards, Conley and another person allegedly discussed a murder-for-hire during a drug transaction.
In the same month, Edwards allegedly stated, “I got to this level from staying low and getting n***** knocked the f*** off for stepping in my lane.
The 38-count indictment charges each of the defendants with participating in a narcotics conspiracy. Other charges include possessing and distributing narcotics, as well as using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
The narcotics conspiracy is punishable by 10 years up to life in prison.
The government seeks to forfeit 19 vehicles – including a Maserati, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz and BMW – at least nine firearms and nearly $12,000 in cash in this case.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation of this case by the FBI, Middletown Police, Butler County Sheriff's Office, Warren County Drug Task Force, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI Safe Street Task Force, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Karl P. Kadon, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Celebrity Business Manager Sentenced to 89 Months in Prison for Defrauding Clients, Bankruptcy and Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A business manager was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today for crimes related to a $7.9 million scheme to defraud his celebrity clients.
Kevin R. Foster, 43, of Montclair, N.J., was sentenced to 89 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $7.9 million in restitution.
In August 2018, a jury convicted Foster of 16 charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion 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, and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
This case stems from the prior prosecution of Thomas E. Jackson and Preston J. Harrison, who collected approximately $9 million from investors under false pretenses to start and market the sports beverage “OXYwater” through their company, Imperial Integrative Health Research and Development (“Imperial”). The two were convicted by a federal jury in March 2015 of multiple wire fraud, money laundering and tax fraud charges.
Foster, as the principal of his management/accounting firm, Foster & Firm, Inc., and as business manager for Shaffer Smith (“Ne-Yo”), induced Smith to invest $2 million into OXYwater under false representations. Unbeknownst to Smith, Foster invested an additional $1.5 million of Smith’s money into the product without his consent and fraudulently took out $1.4 million in lines of credit under Smith’s name by forging his signature.
Foster also defrauded a second celebrity client, Brian McKnight, as a way to secure money to help keep Imperial solvent.
Ne-Yo and McKnight agreed to invest in the company, not knowing that Foster served as an officer/controller of Imperial. Foster withdrew more money from his victims’ accounts than they had authorized, and transferred some of it to one of Imperial’s business associates in order to help keep Imperial afloat. Foster also used the stolen funds to enjoy a lavish lifestyle, with luxury cars – including a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, and Mercedes – a personal driver, extravagant suits and jewelry, season tickets to the New York Giants, courtside season tickets to the New York Knicks, and Super Bowl tickets.
Foster continued to divert funds from Ne-Yo and McKnight, unbeknownst to them, until Imperial went into receivership. Foster then filed for bankruptcy relief on behalf of Imperial in order to claim himself as the majority owner, and made multiple false and misleading statements under oath during his bankruptcy deposition.
In addition, Foster failed to report on his 2012 and 2013 tax returns the millions of dollars that he stole from Ne-Yo and McKnight. He also claimed millions of dollars in bogus deductions in order to further reduce his tax liability.
“Foster deceived his victims into believing they were investing in a profitable sports beverage company when, in reality, he was using their money as a personal slush fund for his lavish lifestyle,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “His ongoing and systematic deception also included stealing millions of dollars of additional funds. Not only did Foster betray the trust of his clients who believed he would act in their best interest, but he also used his accounting expertise to fraudulently report his income and live a virtually tax-free life.”
“Today’s sentencing marks the successful end of an investigation that uncovered an investment fraud scheme laced with a web of financial lies that generated millions of dollars through false promises and deceit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge William Cheung of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) Cincinnati Field Office. “When you knowingly mix deceit and trickery into the financial well-being of individuals, you create a recipe for devastation that could last a lifetime.”
Foster was charged in an original, seven-count indictment in July 2016. A superseding indictment containing 10 counts was returned in November 2017. The final, second superseding indictment added six more charges in May 2018.
Foster’s restitution includes more than $1.4 million to the IRS.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation and FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica H. Kim who is prosecuting the case.
# # #
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Daryl Ian Evans, 36, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
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 sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, Dayton Police found Evans in possession of four firearms while executing a search warrant on Eleanor Street in Dayton in January 2018.
Evans possessed the firearms in connection with drug trafficking. Police also found heroin, cocaine, marijuana and $10,000 in cash at the residence.
Evans had been previously convicted in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court for attempted possession of cocaine and domestic violence.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by the FBI and Dayton Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hunt, who is representing the United States in this case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
###
Jury Convicts Columbus Man of Six Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A jury has convicted Glenn Marcell Madison, Jr., 29, of Columbus, 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 verdict returned yesterday evening.
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.
###
Texas Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Orchestrating Chicago-to-Dayton Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Robert W. Stroud, 45, of Houston, Texas was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 12 years in prison for crimes related to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and violating supervised release from an earlier conviction.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced the sentence handed down on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, from between September 2016 and June 2017, Stroud conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute more than 15 kilograms of cocaine in the Southern District of Ohio and elsewhere. Among his acts, on June 15, 2017, Stroud coordinated with a supplier to obtain nearly five kilograms of cocaine near Chicago.
In furtherance of the scheme, co-defendant Jordan Smith drove from Dayton to Bolingbrook, Ill. on June 15, 2017, and thereafter met with the supplier at Stroud’s direction and with money provided by Stroud. Smith gave the money to the supplier, and in return Smith took possession of the roughly five kilograms of cocaine. Police seized the drugs a short time later when they conducted a traffic stop of Smith in Illinois.
Stroud committed this offense while serving a term of supervised release arising from a 2009 firearm conviction in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. His aggregate 12 year prison sentence is based upon an 11 year prison sentence for the new conspiracy offense, and one additional year for the supervised release violation. Judge Rice also imposed a $10,000 fine.
Co-defendants Jordan Smith and Kenneth Thompkins have also pleaded guilty in relation to this case and await sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by the DEA, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Hunter and Andrew J. Hunt, who represent the United States in this case.
###
The Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Discrimination by Owners and Developers of 82 Apartment Complexes in 13 StatesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio today announced the filing of a lawsuit against Ohio-based Miller-Valentine Operations Inc. and affiliated companies, owners, developers and builders of 82 multifamily housing complexes located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed to design and construct housing units and related facilities to make them accessible to persons with disabilities in compliance with the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The 82 complexes contain more than 3,000 units that are required by the FHA to have accessible features, and most contain public spaces that are required to comply with the ADA.
According to the government’s complaint, the defendants built many of the complexes with the assistance of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits or with the financial assistance of other federal government programs.
“For over two decades federal laws have required multifamily housing complexes to be built with accessible features,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the rights of persons with disabilities to equal access to housing opportunities, including accessible dwellings and related facilities.”
“We’re in the business of enforcing federal civil rights laws to their fullest extent,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “It doesn’t matter to us whether the defendant is an individual in a single neighborhood or, as here, a company operating in many states. The complaint that the United States filed today alleges not only that Miller-Valentine designed and built multi-family housing complexes that are not accessible to people with disabilities, but also that Miller-Valentine took public money to build those complexes and yet still built them such that some citizens wouldn’t be able to live there.”
The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, alleges that the 82 properties have significant accessibility barriers, including steps leading to building entrances; non-existent or excessively sloped pedestrian routes from apartment units to site amenities (e.g., picnic areas, dumpsters, clubhouse/leasing offices); inaccessible parking; inaccessible bathrooms and kitchens; inaccessible door hardware; and insufficient maneuvering space at unit entrances and entrances to common use areas that make those entrances inaccessible to many people with disabilities.
The lawsuit seeks an order (1) requiring the defendants to bring the properties into compliance with the FHA and the ADA, (2) requiring the defendants to pay monetary damages to persons harmed by the lack of accessibility and civil penalties to the United States to vindicate the public interest, and (3) prohibiting the defendants from designing or constructing future residential properties in a manner that discriminates against persons with disabilities. The complexes at issue are:
Illinois
- Twin Lakes Senior Villas, Rantoul, IL
Indiana
- Honey Creek, Greenwood, IN
- Mill Pond, Muncie, IN
- Summit Pointe, Lawrenceburg, IN
- Waterbury Apartments, Decatur, IN
Iowa
- Meadow Vista Senior Villas, Altoona, IA
Kansas
- Galena Estates, Galena, KS
Kentucky
- Weaver Farm Apartments, Florence, KY
Missouri
- Hampshire Landing, Joplin, MO
North Carolina
- Madison Place Senior, Gastonia, NC
- Pinecrest Apartments, Walkertown, NC
- River Crossing, Charlotte, NC
- The Enclave at Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem, NC
- The Landings at Steele Creek I, Charlotte, NC
- The Landings at Steele Creek II, Charlotte, NC
- Twin Cedars I, Hickory, NC
- Twin Cedars II, Hickory, NC
- Villas at Twin Cedars, Hickory, NC
Ohio
- Aspen Grove Apartments, Middletown, OH
- Bent Tree Apartments I, Piqua, OH
- Bent Tree Apartments II, Piqua, OH
- Breckenridge Apartments, Findlay, OH
- Bridge Street Landing, Chillicothe, OH
- Brookdale Trillium Crossing, Columbus, OH
- Brookstone Apartments, Bellefontaine, OH
- Carriage Trails Senior Villas, Huber Heights, OH
- Cedar Trail, Bellbrook, OH
- Cedar Wood Apartments, Mansfield, OH
- Cobblegate Square Apartments, Moraine, OH
- Deerfield Crossing, Lebanon, OH
- Eagles Point Apartments, Kenton, OH
- Faith Community Housing, Crestline, OH
- Fox Run, Trotwood, OH
- Glen Arbors Apartments, Napoleon, OH
- Harbour Cove Apartments, Cincinnati, OH
- Harmony Senior Village, Williamsburg, OH
- Holly Hills Apartments, Jackson, OH
- Hoover Place, Dayton, OH
- Hunter’s Oak Apartments, Greenville, OH
- Indian Trace I, Oxford, OH
- Indian Trace II, Oxford, OH
- Lake Towne Senior, Walbridge, OH
- Lofts at Hoover, Dayton, OH
- Lofts at One West High Street, Oxford, OH
- Lyons Place I, Dayton, OH
- Lyons Place II, Dayton, OH
- Mallard Glen, Amelia, OH
- Mallard Landing, Marion, OH
- Meadow Creek Apartments, Bryan, OH
- Meadow View South, Springboro, OH
- Oak Wood Apartments, Lexington, OH
- Pheasant Run Senior, Dayton, OH
- Pine Ridge, Logan, OH
- Quail Run Apartments, Van Wert, OH
- Queen Esther’s Village, Canton, OH
- Riverside Landing at Delaware Place, Delaware, OH
- Riverview Bluffs, New Richmond, OH
- Sandhurst, Zanesville, OH
- Scioto Woods I, Chillicothe, OH
- Scioto Woods II, Chillicothe, OH
- Siena Village Senior Living, Dayton, OH
- St. Bernard Commons, St. Bernard, OH
- St. Rita’s Senior Housing, Garfield Heights, OH
- Stone Creek Apartments, Moraine, OH
- Sycamore Creek Apartments, Sidney, OH
- Timber Glen II, Batavia, OH
- Timber Ridge Apartments, Dayton, OH
- Timberlake Apartments, Vandalia, OH
- Walnut Run Senior Villas, Cortland, OH
- Waterstone Landing, Perrysburg, OH
- Whitehouse Square Senior Villas, Whitehouse, OH
- Wind Ridge Apartments, Tipp City, OH
- Windsor Place, Beavercreek, OH
- Wright Place Apartments, Xenia, OH
Oklahoma
- Fairway Breeze Apartments, El Reno, OK
- Reserve at Spencer, Spencer, OK
Pennsylvania
- Allegheny Pointe, Apollo, PA
- Walkers Ridge Apartments, Greensburg, PA
Texas
- Gallatin Park Apartments, Gallatin, TX
- Oak Ridge Apartments, Nolanville, TX
- Silversage Point at Western Center, Fort Worth, TX
West Virginia
- Reserve at Oak Spring, Clarksburg, WV
Anyone with information about the inaccessible conditions at these properties should call the Department of Justice at 1-800-896-7743, and follow the prompts to enter mailbox number 9996, or send an e-mail to [email protected].
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. Among other things, it requires all multifamily housing constructed after March 13, 1991, to have basic accessibility features, including accessible routes without steps or steep slopes to all ground-floor units. Enacted in 1990, the ADA requires, among other things, that places of public accommodation -- such as rental offices -- at multifamily housing complexes designed and constructed for first occupancy after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt.
The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct; the allegations must be proven in court.
Local Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Federal FundsRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Cynthia A. Faulkner, 34, of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining food card benefits and submitting false income tax documents.
Faulkner pleaded guilty in January to three counts of making a false document, two counts of aiding in the filing of a false income tax return and one count of misprision of a felony.
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, Anthony V. Mohatt, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General Investigations, Midwest Region, and Brad Geary, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General announced the sentence imposed yesterday by U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to court documents, Faulkner made false statements on her April 2013 application to receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. As part of her request to reapply for cash and food assistance, Faulkner misrepresented the cost of her rental residence in Mason, Ohio, for which she paid more than $2,000 per month.
On a similar subsequent application in 2014, Faulkner falsely reported her and her husband’s total gross income as approximately $36,000. In fact, their total gross income for that period was nearly $91,000.
Faulkner also aided in the filing of materially false income tax returns by underreporting business receipts by hundreds of thousands of dollars over tax years 2011 and 2012.
Further, Faulkner had first-hand knowledge of a bank fraud scheme and failed to report it to authorities. That scheme involved Capital Group Properties and Consultants Corp of Mason and Cincinnati, Ohio, and National Appraisal Sources, LLC of Cincinnati, Ohio, which were both co-owned by Faulkner. The scheme included receiving payments for fraudulent real estate appraisals.
During her federal case, Faulkner submitted false documents to the Court in hopes of obtaining a continuance for a court hearing. In these bogus documents, she informed the Court she had received a hysterectomy and provided a false patient medical discharge summary from the Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Fla. In fact, Faulkner underwent no such surgery.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation, USDA OIG and HUD OIG, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Dwight Keller, who is prosecuting the case.
# # #
Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Alleging Violations of the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act in 82 Apartment Complexes in 13 StatesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio today announced the filing of a lawsuit against Ohio-based Miller-Valentine Operations Inc. and affiliated companies, owners, developers and builders of 82 multifamily housing complexes located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed to design and construct housing units and related facilities to make them accessible to persons with disabilities in compliance with the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The 82 complexes contain more than 3,000 units that are required by the FHA to have accessible features, and most contain public spaces that are required to comply with the ADA.
According to the government’s complaint, the defendants built many of the complexes with the assistance of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits or with the financial assistance of other federal government programs.
“For over two decades federal laws have required multifamily housing complexes to be built with accessible features,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the rights of persons with disabilities to equal access to housing opportunities, including accessible dwellings and related facilities.”
“We’re in the business of enforcing federal civil rights laws to their fullest extent,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman “It doesn’t matter to us whether the defendant is an individual in a single neighborhood or, as here, a company operating in many states. The complaint that the United States filed today alleges not only that Miller-Valentine designed and built multi-family housing complexes that are not accessible to people with disabilities, but also that Miller-Valentine took public money to build those complexes and yet still built them such that some citizens wouldn’t be able to live there.”
The lawsuit, which was filed in Cincinnati today, alleges that the 82 properties have significant accessibility barriers, including steps leading to building entrances; non-existent or excessively sloped pedestrian routes from apartment units to site amenities (e.g., picnic areas, dumpsters, clubhouse/leasing offices); inaccessible parking; inaccessible bathrooms and kitchens; inaccessible door hardware; and insufficient maneuvering space at unit entrances and entrances to common use areas that make those entrances inaccessible to many people with disabilities.
The lawsuit seeks an order (1) requiring the defendants to bring the properties into compliance with the FHA and the ADA, (2) requiring the defendants to pay monetary damages to persons harmed by the lack of accessibility and civil penalties to the United States to vindicate the public interest, and (3) prohibiting the defendants from designing or constructing future residential properties in a manner that discriminates against persons with disabilities.
The complexes at issue are:
Ohio
- Aspen Grove Apartments, Middletown
- Bent Tree Apartments I, Piqua
- Bent Tree Apartments II, Piqua
- Breckenridge Apartments, Findlay
- Bridge Street Landing, Chillicothe
- Brookdale Trillium Crossing, Columbus
- Brookstone Apartments, Bellefontaine
- Carriage Trails Senior Villas, Huber Heights
- Cedar Trail, Bellbrook
- Cedar Wood Apartments, Mansfield
- Cobblegate Square Apartments, Moraine
- Deerfield Crossing, Lebanon
- Eagles Point Apartments, Kenton
- Faith Community Housing, Crestline
- Fox Run, Trotwood
- Glen Arbors Apartments, Napoleon
- Harbour Cove Apartments, Cincinnati
- Harmony Senior Village, Williamsburg
- Holly Hills Apartments, Jackson
- Hoover Place, Dayton
- Hunter’s Oak Apartments, Greenville
- Indian Trace I, Oxford
- Indian Trace II, Oxford
- Lake Towne Senior, Walbridge
- Lofts at Hoover, Dayton
- Lofts at One West High Street, Oxford
- Lyons Place I, Dayton
- Lyons Place II, Dayton
- Mallard Glen, Amelia
- Mallard Landing, Marion
- Meadow Creek Apartments, Bryan
- Meadow View South, Springboro
- Oak Wood Apartments, Lexington
- Pheasant Run Senior, Dayton
- Pine Ridge, Logan
- Quail Run Apartments, Van Wert
- Queen Esther’s Village, Canton
- Riverside Landing at Delaware Place, Delaware
- Riverview Bluffs, New Richmond
- Sandhurst, Zanesville
- Scioto Woods I, Chillicothe
- Scioto Woods II, Chillicothe
- Siena Village Senior Living, Dayton
- St. Bernard Commons, St. Bernard
- St. Rita’s Senior Housing, Garfield Heights
- Stone Creek Apartments, Moraine
- Sycamore Creek Apartments, Sidney
- Timber Glen II, Batavia
- Timber Ridge Apartments, Dayton
- Timberlake Apartments, Vandalia
- Walnut Run Senior Villas, Cortland
- Waterstone Landing, Perrysburg
- Whitehouse Square Senior Villas, Whitehouse
- Wind Ridge Apartments, Tipp City
- Windsor Place, Beavercreek
- Wright Place Apartments, Xenia
Other states
- Allegheny Pointe, Apollo, Pa.
- Fairway Breeze Apartments, El Reno, Okla.
- Galena Estates, Galena, Kan.
- Gallatin Park Apartments, Gallatin, Texas
- Hampshire Landing, Joplin, Mo.
- Honey Creek, Greenwood, Ind.
- Madison Place Senior, Gastonia, N.C.
- Meadow Vista Senior Villas, Altoona, Iowa
- Mill Pond, Muncie, Ind.
- Oak Ridge Apartments, Nolanville, Texas
- Pinecrest Apartments, Walkertown, N.C.
- Reserve at Oak Spring, Clarksburg, W.Va.
- Reserve at Spencer, Spencer, Okla.
- River Crossing, Charlotte, N.C.
- Silversage Point at Western Center, Fort Worth, Texas
- Summit Pointe, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
- The Enclave at Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem, N.C.
- The Landings at Steele Creek I, Charlotte, N.C.
- The Landings at Steele Creek II, Charlotte, N.C.
- Twin Cedars I, Hickory, N.C.
- Twin Cedars II, Hickory, N.C.
- Twin Lakes Senior Villas, Rantoul, Ill.
- Villas at Twin Cedars, Hickory, N.C.
- Walkers Ridge Apartments, Greensburg, Pa.
- Waterbury Apartments, Decatur, Ind.
- Weaver Farm Apartments, Florence, Ky
Anyone with information about the inaccessible conditions at these properties should call the Department of Justice at 1-800-896-7743, and follow the prompts to enter mailbox number 9996, or send an e-mail to [email protected].
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. Among other things, it requires all multifamily housing constructed after March 13, 1991, to have basic accessibility features, including accessible routes without steps or steep slopes to all ground-floor units. Enacted in 1990, the ADA requires, among other things, that places of public accommodation -- such as rental offices -- at multifamily housing complexes designed and constructed for first occupancy after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt.
The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct; the allegations must be proven in court.
# # #
U.S. Attorney Announces Indictments for Gun and Drug Crimes in Washington CountyRead the Press Release
MARIETTA, Ohio – Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, today announced three indictments against alleged drug dealers in Marietta and Washington County.
Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Marietta Police Chief Rodney Hupp, Washington County Sheriff Larry R. Mincks, Sr., Rocky Nelson, Executive Director, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OCIC), and officials in the Major Crimes Task Force joined U.S. Attorney Glassman in announcing the charges.
The first indictment charges Andrew Lee McCarty, 30, with conspiracy and illegal distribution of heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine. The crime has a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.
The second indictment charges Darren M. Edwards, 54, with unlawful possession and distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, and illegal possession of a firearm. If convicted, Edwards faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison.
The third indictment charges Darren C. Dunkle, 43, with possession and distribution of methamphetamine. That crime is punishable by at least five years and up to 40 years in prison.
Agents and officers arrested Dunkle and Edwards last week. McCarty was transferred into federal custody today. They will be taken to Columbus to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigations by the DEA, ATF, Marietta Police, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, OCIC and the agencies participating in the Major Crimes Task Force. Those agencies include the Belpre Police Department, Marietta Police Department, McConnelsville Police Department, Morgan County Prosecutor’s Office, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Noble County Prosecutor’s Office, Noble County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Glassman also commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Kelley, who is representing the United States in these cases.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Defendant Pleads Guilty in New Case Associated with Online Romance Money Laundering ScamRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A second case has been charged in the Southern District of Ohio related to an online romance money laundering scam.
Eric Y. Banahene, 36, of Columbus, Ohio, offered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court today for conspiring to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering (each punishable by up to 20 years in prison), as well as transactional money laundering (punishable by up to 10 years in prison).
Banahene admitted that he conspired with others to launder the proceeds of online romance scams and agreed to pay approximately $629,000 in restitution.
Six of eight Central Ohio defendants originally charged on Valentine’s Day last year have also offered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court. Two of the defendants remain fugitives.
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, Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Division, and Angie Salazar, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced the pleas offered today before Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King.
Those originally charged in the conspiracy include: Kwabena M. Bonsu, Kwasi A. Oppong, Kwame Ansah, John Y. Amoah, Samuel Antwi, King Faisal Hamidu, Nkosiyoxoxo Msuthu and Cynthia Appiagyei.
Ansah and Antwi are at-large.
According to court documents, individuals committing fraud created several profiles on online dating sites. They then contacted men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and other countries with whom they cultivated a sense of affection, and often, romance.
After establishing relationships, perpetrators of the romance scams requested money, typically for investment or need-based reasons and provided account information and directions for where money should be sent. In part, these accounts were controlled by the defendants. The funds were not used for the investment or need-based reasons provided.
Defendants laundered the funds from the scheme, using companies and bank accounts in their control. In furtherance of the scheme, the co-conspirators created several companies, some of which were shell companies, to help attempt to hide the true nature of their proceeds. They withdrew the proceeds in cash, wired funds to their coconspirators and to other accounts, and used the fraud proceeds to purchase salvaged vehicles sold online. The cars were commonly exported to Ghana.
The purchase and shipment of vehicles helped conceal the fact that members of the conspiracy were sending proceeds of romance fraud overseas. Some members of the conspiracy found people in Ghana who wanted to purchase vehicles. The people in Ghana who wanted the cars would pay the perpetrators of the romance fraud scheme in Ghana. Under this method, money did not have to be wired overseas, which would have risked attracting the scrutiny of financial institutions.
Banahene admitted to conspiring with Bonsu and others to launder more than $629,031.
Defendants originally charged in the conspiracy admitted that they collectively laundered more than $3.3 million in proceeds from romance scams.
“These defendants helped conceal the wrongdoing of those who preyed on men and women from throughout the U.S., Canada, and abroad through the ploy of intimacy when the bottom line is all they really wanted was their money,” stated William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “This case demonstrates how the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement will band together to help put an end to criminal behavior of those who prey on individuals for their personal financial gain. IRS criminal investigators will continue to use their financial expertise to identify and trace laundered funds in these types of fraud schemes.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and HSI, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate, who is prosecuting the case.
# # #
Two Men Plead Guilty to $2.6M Auto Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio man and a Texas man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to crimes related to an auto-loan scheme in Texas and Columbus, Ohio that netted more than $2.6 million in fraudulent loans from at least nine financial institutions.
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 and Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the pleas entered into yesterday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents, from at least August 2014 through April 2018, Watson and Johnson recruited people who were qualified for membership in eligibility-based financial institutions like USAA, Navy Federal Credit Union and Pentagon Federal Credit Union to create accounts at those institutions.
Albert Watson, 37, of Columbus, Ohio, and Rassaun E. Johnson, 46, of Texas, then caused fraudulent loan applications to be submitted to the financial institutions.
Initially, the defendants simply inflated the sales price of actual vehicle sales to pocket the difference. Eventually, loan applications were submitted when there was no actual transfer of vehicle.
In many cases, multiple fraudulent auto loan applications were submitted on a single vehicle, with no intention that the vehicle’s ownership would transfer in accordance with the information submitted on the auto loan applications. The loans obtained were as large as $40,000.
In total, the financial institutions funded at least $2,680,423.26 million in loans that Watson and Johnson and others obtained by fraud.
Watson and Johnson each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud (punishable by up to 30 years in prison) and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering (punishable by up to 20 years in prison).
As part of their pleas, they have agreed to pay the more than $2.6 million in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and U.S. Secret Service, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate, who is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Grand Jury Indicts Inmate for Mailing Threats to Former Ohio Attorney General & Prisons Director, Judges, NewspapersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio inmate has been charged federally for writing at least 15 threatening letters containing powder. In some of the letters, he allegedly claimed the powder was anthrax or fentanyl or threatened the use of explosive devices.
Sean Heisa, 35, was indicted by a grand jury yesterday on two counts of making false information or hoaxes and 13 counts of mailing threatening communications.
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 July 2017 to July 2018, Heisa mailed threatening letters to various officials throughout the state of Ohio.
Heisa mailed a letter to the city manager of Painesville, Ohio and claimed powder contained within the envelope was anthrax. Likewise, Heisa mailed a second letter that month to a magistrate judge in Whitehall, Ohio, again claiming the powder contained within the letter was anthrax.
Heisa also allegedly threatened via letter officials within the Coshocton Municipal Courthouse, Franklin County Common Pleas Court and then Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine through threatened exposure to anthrax and the use of explosive devices.
Other letters threatened to injure recipients – including the former Ohio prisons director, the Columbus Dispatch, the Circleville Herald and The Ohio State University – by exposure to fentanyl.
Heisa was charged by criminal complaint in December 2018 and arrested in January 2019.
Creating false information/hoaxes and mailing threatening communications are each federal crimes punishable by up to five years in prison
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Commercial Truck Driver Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge that Carries Potential of 10 Years up to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Michael D. Nailen, 54, of Glendale, Ariz. pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angie Salazaar, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck, Col. Richard S. Fambro, Superintendent, Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Task Force announced the plea entered into before U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, Nailen worked with others to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, 100 grams of fentanyl analogue, one kilogram of heroin and five kilograms of cocaine to Dayton, Ohio and other places throughout the eastern United States.
Nailen worked as a commercial truck driver, and when traveling for work, he permitted other individuals to hide kilogram quantities of controlled substances and bulk amounts of cash in his tractor trailer.
Consistent with this scheme, in December 2018, Nailen met Marco Gonzalez in Dayton at a local shopping center, where he gave Gonzalez a box containing controlled substances. Nailen understood that Gonzalez planned to deliver the package to local drug dealers in Dayton. Nailen and Gonzalez repeated this process in Columbus as well.
Nailen still had hidden within his tractor trailer (which was also carrying food products) the following controlled substances – namely more than: 23 kilograms of fentanyl; six kilograms of heroin; two kilograms of fentanyl analogue and five kilograms of cocaine. Before he and Gonzalez could deliver these additional drugs to other cities in the eastern United States, law enforcement discovered the contraband.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty to the same narcotics crime as Nailen. Both men are scheduled for sentencing in August.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by HSI, the Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Force, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Brent Tabacchi, who is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Westerville Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting Five Year OldRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Westerville man is being arraigned this afternoon on charges related to creating child pornography of his alleged sexual abuse of a five year old.
Christopher M. Sammons, 26, is scheduled for arraignment at 2:30pm before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Westerville Acting Police Chief Charles Chandler, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and other members of the FBI Crimes Against Children Task Force announced the charges.
According to the court documents, on March 11, an undercover FBI agent in Little Rock, Ark. received a message from Sammons regarding sexual interest in children.
Throughout their conversations, it is alleged that Sammons encouraged the undercover agent to “just make some home made stuff” when discussing the availability of child pornography.
Sammons detailed sexually abusing a six-year-old victim and also allegedly offered to “share her next time if you’re interested in a long term thing.” It is alleged that Sammons sent the agent child pornography files and suggested plans for he and the agent to exchange videos of them sexually abusing minors.
Based on IP address information, the investigative lead was forwarded to FBI Columbus and a Task Force Officer here began communicating with Sammons.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint in this case, Sammons told the task force officer he had been sexually abusing the victim for a year.
Sammons was charged by criminal complaint on April 5 and moved from local to federal custody on April 8.
A grand jury indicted him on April 23, charging him with one count of sexually exploiting a minor (15 to 30 years in prison), two counts of making a notice for child pornography (15 to 30 years in prison) and one count of distributing child pornography (five to 20 years in prison).
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Hill and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rausch, Director, Franklin County Special Victim’s Unit, who is prosecuting the case.
Criminal complaints and indictments merely contain allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Jury Convicts Doctor of Health Care Fraud, Distributing Controlled Substances through Pain Cream Scheme and Suboxone ClinicRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A jury has convicted a Central Ohio doctor with charges related to a health care fraud scheme that included marketing prescription creams in Sav-a-Lot and low-income neighborhoods and persistently mailing those creams to Medicaid customers, as well as prescribing and distributing Suboxone without medical necessity.
Bernard Oppong, 60, of Blacklick, Ohio was convicted on five counts following a trial that began on April 22 before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
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, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Steven W. Schierholt, Executive Director, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy announced the conviction.
According to court documents and testimony at trial, from January 2013 until April 2017, Oppong committed health care fraud.
Oppong was employed as a doctor at Health and Wellness Medical Center located on Perimeter Drive in Dublin. The center is affiliated with Health and Wellness Pharmacy on Blazer Parkway in Dublin. Co-defendants also previously operated a pharmacy location within Sav-a-Lot on Mock Road in Columbus.
Oppong and others sought to enrich themselves by billing for compound creams that were either not provided or were not medically necessary, billing for counseling services that were not provided, billing for individual counseling sessions that actually occurred in a group setting and billing for counseling services performed by an unqualified individual when there was no proper supervising physician.
Compound Creams
Oppong and others prescribed and Medicaid was billed for compound creams to treat pain, scarring and acne. Health and Wellness Pharmacy billed Medicaid $3 million for the creams, and Oppong was the ordering provider for more than half a million dollars of the claims.
For example, between January 2014 and April 2015, Health and Wellness Pharmacy submitted 1,436 claims for one compound cream, known as VersabaseA. The pharmacy with the second-highest amount of claims for that cream in that time only submitted 202 claims.
During the first quarter of 2015, Health and Wellness would sometimes bill for less than 10 prescriptions per day, and on other days it would bill for as many as 477 prescriptions. It also billed for filling prescriptions on Saturdays and Sundays when the pharmacy was not open.
Defendants billed for the creams with no medical necessity, as patients never requested the creams, were never actually prescribed them and had never met with Oppong.
The pharmacy marketed the compound creams at Clinic 5 (a Suboxone clinic), Sav-a-Lot and through a mobile van unit.
Patients with CareSource were targeted and told they were receiving free samples of pain cream. Then they began to receive more cream in the mail without requesting more. These were also billed to CareSource.
Customers at Sav-a-Lot and in low-income neighborhoods were asked to fill out a survey asking about any conditions that they suffered from. Then, they would receive the compound creams in the mail every month, even when customers directed the co-conspirators to stop sending them. Many of these customers never met with a doctor, nor did they know Oppong, the prescribing physician.
Suboxone
Oppong was registered through the DEA to prescribe the drug addiction treatment Suboxone to up to 275 patients at any one given time.
Health and Wellness Medical Center submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were never rendered to patients.
Specifically, patients indicated they would sit in a room with a timer. When the timer went off, they were allowed to leave and receive their Suboxone prescription, which was written by Oppong and co-conspirators. No counseling services were provided during this time. Some patients reported coloring in coloring books during the time they were in the room.
Oppong pre-signed prescriptions for Suboxone and left them at the medical center for anyone to distribute. Prescriptions were issued to patients who had repeatedly failed urine tests.
The medical center treated patients paying with cash differently than those with insurance. The patients paying with cash only had appointments every two weeks or once a month, and paid $300. Insured patients had appointments three times a week. Cash-paying patients were only required to attend 15 to 30 minutes of counseling, while insured patients were required to stay for one hour.
Oppong and co-defendants averaged more than 150 patients per day.
Oppong was convicted of one count of executing a health care fraud scheme (punishable by up to 10 years in prison), as well as three counts of making false health care statements (five years per count) and one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (15 years).
Co-defendants
Hilliard couple Darrell L. Bryant, 43, and Gifty Kusi, 34, were convicted by a jury in December 2018 of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud following a two-week trial before Judge Marbley.
A final defendant Jornel Rivera, 54, of Dublin, pleaded guilty in May 2018 to making false statements related to health care matters. Rivera served as the Medical Director of Health and Wellness Medical Center.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, HHS-OIG, FBI and DEA, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth F. Affeldt and Maritsa A. Flaherty, who are prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Flaherty represents the unit in the Southern District of Ohio, which is one of 12 Districts to receive funding for such a prosecutor.
# # #
Dayton Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Brookville Rite AidRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Dayton man has pleaded guilty to charges related to robbing a Rite Aid in Brookville in July 2018.
David Allen Antonio Flemings, Jr., 22, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to robbery and possessing oxycodone.
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 Brookville Police Chief Douglas Jerome announced the pleas entered into before U.S. District Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents, Flemings robbed the Rite Aid on N. Wolfcreek in Brookville, Ohio on July 5, 2018.
Flemings approached the pharmacy counter and presented the pharmacy technician with a note that said, “Put Note Back In the Bag. This a armed Robbery. These are the Government pills, not yours or worth your life. I’m willing to kill. Don’t push no silent alarms. Fill 2 bags.” The note also listed specific medications for the pharmacy to provide.
The pharmacist and pharmacy technician each noticed that the note was torn from page 78 of the book titled Common Sense Parenting.
Pharmacy workers complied with the demand for pills and Flemings fled the pharmacy with the narcotics.
The note remained at the pharmacy, though, and was later collected as evidence and submitted to the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory for fingerprinting. The fingerprint results were a match to Flemings.
Robbery and possessing oxycodone with the intent to distribute it are each crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the ATF and Brookville Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Bosley and Kelly A. Norris, who are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Federal & State Officials to Announce Charges Against Current Dayton City Official, Former City CommissionerRead the Press Release
Dayton – Today the government is unsealing indictments charging current and former city officials, as well as local businessmen, with crimes related to corruption and fraud. Today’s announcement involves four Dayton men.
The briefing will be held:
TODAY: TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019
WHEN: 1 P.M.
WHERE: Walter H. Rice Federal Building
First Floor
200 W. 2nd St.
Dayton, Ohio 45402
WHO: U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joe Deters, FBI
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost
Auditor of State Office
Room available beginning at 12:45 P.M. No TV lighting or multbox will be available. ID will be required for entrance at Security.
# # #
Current City Official, Former Dayton City Commissioner Among Those Charged with FraudRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A federal grand jury here has returned indictments against a former Dayton city commissioner, a current city official and two Dayton businessmen, charging them with fraud and public corruption.
The indictments charge:
- Joey Williams, former Dayton City Commissioner, with bribery as a government official,
- Roshawn Winburn, current Director of Dayton’s Minority Business Assistance Center, with wire fraud and public corruption,
- Clayton Luckie, businessman, with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud,
- Brian Higgins, businessman, with wire fraud.
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 the indictments.
“The grand jury alleges that Winburn devised a scheme that deprived the people of Dayton of their right to the honest and faithful services of its public officials through bribery and the concealment of material facts and information regarding minority-owned, woman-owned and small disadvantaged businesses,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. He noted that the investigation is continuing.
Williams is charged with soliciting bribes worth more than $5,000 as a government employee.
Williams served as an elected commissioner of the City of Dayton from 2001 until 2018. In 2015, Williams allegedly 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.
It is alleged that Williams accepted more than $50,000 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 allegedly demanded the individual create a fake invoice, falsely reflecting that Williams had personally paid the individual more than $50,000 for the home improvement project.
The grand jury charged Luckie with devising a fraudulent scheme to take advantage of programs offered by the federal and state governments to help disadvantaged businesses.
Luckie allegedly purported himself as affiliated with and authorized to speak on behalf of a disadvantaged business that provided administrative support services. He allegedly approached the owner of a demolition company in 2016 or early 2017 and offered Luckie’s company’s certification to help secure a demolition project from the City of Dayton.
He allegedly ordered magnetic signs with his company’s name on it to put on the side of trucks belonging to the actual demolition company. He is accused of sending false invoices for thousands of dollars to the City of Dayton.
Higgins is charged with filing a fraudulent insurance claim in connection with water damage to the Meeker Residence, an 8,000 square-foot house in Dayton. It is alleged that Higgins received more than $100,000 in insurance claims that he used for his personal benefit rather than to repair water damage that occurred from a 600-gallon fish tank.
Higgins allegedly submitted invoices and repair cost estimates from a construction vendor to the insurance company in order to obtain money. According to the indictment, the vendor documents were false and misrepresented the status of repair work at the Meeker Residence.
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.
Indictments merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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.
# # #
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Christopher Watson, 29, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 42 months in prison followed by three years of court supervision for illegally possessing a firearm.
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, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck and agencies participating in the FBI Safe Streets Task Force announced the sentence handed down Wednesday, April 24 by U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to the Statement of Facts in this case, task force officers searched a house in west Dayton in March 2018 and found a loaded 9mm handgun holding 16 rounds of ammunition in a bedroom. Investigators determined that the gun belonged to Watson. Because Watson had been convicted of felony drug possession in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court in May 2011, he was prohibited from having a firearm or ammunition. Watson pleaded guilty in January 2019 to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the Safe Streets Task Force, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Hunt, who represented the United States in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Justice Department reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
###
Columbus Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank Robbery in WhitehallRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Robert K. Mason, 42, of Columbus, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to robbing a bank in Whitehall, pistol-whipping two of the bank’s employees while demanding money, and conspiring with his girlfriend to hide the gun he used in the robbery.
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, Columbus Division of Police Acting Chief Tom Quinlan, and Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen announced the plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Mason pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, punishable by up to 25 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence, which carries a minimum punishment of seven years and up to life in prison, and one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
In a statement of facts in the plea agreement, Mason admitted that he robbed the Huntington Bank at 4550 East Broad Street on September 26, 2018. Mason walked in the bank, lifted his shirt to show that he had a gun, pulled the handgun and ordered customers to the floor. Mason vaulted the counter and demanded money from the tellers, hitting two of them with the gun when he became frustrated at the speed of the employees.
Mason ran out the front door and escaped in a car driven by his girlfriend, Bretta L. Nallen. Whitehall police arrested Mason on October 31. While he was in custody, he called Nallen and told her to get rid of the gun. Nallen is facing charges of being an accessory to the crime and evidence tampering.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by law enforcement and assistant U.S. attorneys David DeVillers and Courter Shimeall, who are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Ohio Man Who Allegedly Pretended to be Missing Illinois Boy Indicted by Grand JuryRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – An Ohio man who pretended to be a missing Illinois boy has been indicted by a grand jury with charges related to making false statements to federal agents and aggravated identity theft.
A federal grand jury here indicted Brian Michael Rini, 23, formerly of Medina, Ohio, yesterday. The indictment was filed this morning. Rini is scheduled for arraignment on the indictment at 1:30pm tomorrow before 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, Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville, Ky. Division, Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac, Newport Police Chief Thomas Collins, Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco, Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil and officials with the Aurora, Ill. Police Department announced the new charges.
Rini was charged by criminal complaint on April 6 with one count of making false statements. Today’s indictment includes two counts of making false statements and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Newport, Ky. police officers responded to a call on Wednesday in which the caller described Rini as wandering the street, looking confused and in need of assistance.
Rini allegedly told officers his name was Timmothy Pitzen and that he was abducted when he was six years old and he “just wanted to go home.”
Local authorities confirmed that Timmothy’s name was associated with a missing and possibly abducted child. Specifically, in 2011, Timmothy, then six years old, went missing from Aurora, Ill. Timmothy was picked up at his school by his mother and a few days later, his mother was found deceased in a Rockford, Ill. hotel room.
Several notes were found in the hotel room that claimed Timmothy was with people who loved him and would take care of him. The notes also stated he would never be found.
Posing as Timmothy, Rini allegedly claimed he had recently escaped from a hotel room in which two men had been holding him captive. He said he had been sexually and physically abused for years while in captivity and that he was having abdominal pain.
Rini was transferred to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Emergency Room because of the complaint of abdominal pain, and there, FBI task force officers met with Rini to potentially investigate sex trafficking and crimes against children. FBI special agents and a detective from the Aurora, Ill. police department also spoke with Rini.
It is alleged that Rini continued to claim to be Timmothy throughout conversations in the hospital.
Rini refused to provide his fingerprints to investigators at Children’s Hospital; however, eventually, he agreed to submit a buccal swab for DNA testing.
DNA test results confirmed Rini’s identity. As a known felon, Rini’s DNA was known to the FBI. Ohio Department of Corrections records indicate Rini was released from an Ohio prison on March 7, 2019.
Once law enforcement officers confronted Rini about his true identity, Rini immediately stated he was not Timmothy Pitzen. He allegedly said he watched a story about Timmothy on 20/20 and stated he wanted to get away from his only family. When questioned further, it is alleged that Rini stated “he wished he had a father like Timmothy’s.”
Further investigation by the FBI found that Rini had allegedly portrayed himself as a juvenile sex trafficking victim on two prior occasions. In those instances, he was only identified once he was fingerprinted.
Making false statements to federal agents is a federal crime punishable by eight years in this case. Aggravated identify theft carries a mandatory additional two year sentence.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Christy L. Muncy are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #