Southern District of Ohio
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Columbus Man Sentenced for Role in “Craigslist” RobberiesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Raphael D. Person Jr., 31, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to a total of 506 months in prison and ordered to pay a total of $23,900 in restitution for his role in a conspiracy to rob two people who had posted vehicles for sale on Craigslist. Person helped plan the robberies and fired a gun during each one.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Middletown Police Chief Rodney Muterspaw, and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the sentence handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham.
A jury convicted Person on October 30, 2015 following a four-day trial of one count of conspiracy, two counts of armed robbery and two counts of discharging a firearm in connection with the robberies. One robbery occurred in Columbus in December 2011. The second one happened in Middletown, Ohio in February 2012.
The government presented evidence and witnesses testified that Person and three others arranged to meet people who had posted cars for sale, bought the cars, then robbed the victims of the money after the purchases were finished. Witnesses testified that Person suggested that the conspirators rob the victims following the sales and that Person was the one who discharged a gun in both robberies.
“During the trial, victims testified that they were afraid for their lives during the robberies,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “A lengthy prison term helps bring justice to the victims, and that’s the outcome we received in this case.”
A grand jury indicted Person and co-defendant Mickey L. Velazquez, 31 of Columbus on September 26, 2013 on the five crimes. Velazquez pleaded guilty on January 6, 2015 and was sentenced on June 12, 2015 to 360 months in prison. Two other Columbus men, Ricardo Valazquez-Flores, 25 and Jonathan Flores Oquendo, 24, pleaded guilty to the same crimes prior to the indictment. Valazquez-Flores was sentenced on May 24, 2013 to 204 months in prison, and Oquendo was sentenced on January 3, 2104 to 336 months in prison.
Person must serve more than 42 years in prison in this case consecutive to another prison sentence of 41 years to life imposed in Franklin County, Ohio, where he was convicted of committing murder during a May 2012 home invasion.
Person was arrested by Dooly County Sheriff’s deputies near Vienna, Georgia on September 21, 2013. He has been in custody since his arrest.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by law enforcement, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Bosley and Timothy D. Prichard, who represented the United States in this case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank Robberies in Columbus and SpringfieldRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lawrence W. Bell, Jr., 30, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to robbing two financial institutions two weeks apart in 2015 and brandishing a pistol during each robbery.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, Reynoldsburg Police Chief Jim O’Neill, and Springfield Police Chief Stephen P. Moody, announced the guilty pleas entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Bell pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 288 months in prison. Judge Sargus will schedule a date for sentencing.
Testimony presented during the plea hearing attested that Bell robbed the First Service Credit Union on East Main Street in Reynoldsburg on June 17, 2015 and brandished a pistol at tellers. On June 30, 2015, Bell robbed the Fifth Third Bank on South Tuttle Road in Springfield.
Bell was arrested in South Carolina on January 7, 2016 and has been in custody since his arrest.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by law enforcement, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Prichard and David Bosley, who are representing the U.S. in this case.
Man Convicted of Distrubuting Child Pornography Sentenced to 210 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Demian Pina, 35, of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced to 210 months in prison for distributing child pornography in 2012 while he was under federal investigation for sharing child pornography dating back to 2010.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, and members of the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
A jury convicted Pina following a four-day trial in June 2015 of five counts of distribution of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. Testimony and evidence presented by the government during the trial showed that Pina was making child pornography images and videos available through a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Many of the images and video files depicted graphic child sex abuse.
“The victims in these matters are children, who lack the ability, power and strength to protect themselves from harm,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “They are often abused by people they trust the most: a parent, a family member, a trusted friend. People who distribute child pornography ensure their abuse lives on by trading the images of the worst moments of their young lives.”
Law enforcement began investigating Pina in 2010, searched his home and seized computer items in 2011. While that investigation was underway, Pina bought more computers and continued distributing child pornography.
After he completes his prison sentence, Pina will be under court supervision for 20 years. During that time, he will be required to register as a sex offender anywhere he lives, works or goes to school.
Agents arrested Pina after a grand jury indicted him in February 2014. He has been in custody since his arrest.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and agencies in the Ohio ICAC, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Christy Muncy and Alex R. Sistla, who represented the United States.
Former College Professor Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Holt Parker, 59, of Cincinnati pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to one count of possession of child pornography, admitting that he attempted to destroy a thumb drive containing nearly 1,000 video files, the majority of which depicted child pornography that he had downloaded from the Internet.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black.
According to court documents, FBI agents executed a search warrant at his home in the Clifton neighborhood on March 15, 2016. Agents seized a laptop computer and a damaged thumb drive. Parker told agents that when he realized law enforcement officers were searching his house, he attempted to destroy the thumb drive because he had recently downloaded hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. Forensic analysis confirmed that the drive contained video files and images, including an image of an infant.
The plea agreement concludes that an appropriate sentence would be a prison term of at least 36 months but no more than 96 months. The agreement also asks the court to impose a $5,000 special assessment, a fine, restitution and a term of supervised release as determined by the court.
“Child pornography is dangerous contraband, and possessing it is a serious crime. Prosecuting cases like this reflects our commitment to using all the tools at our disposal to protect the most vulnerable,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said.
Judge Black will schedule sentencing following an investigation by the court. Parker, a former University of Cincinnati professor, remains free on bond, but is prohibited from having any access to computers or children.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Healey, who is representing the United States in this case.
Riverside Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Frederick McAdoo, 57, of Riverside, Ohio was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 30 months in prison for possessing more than 100 video files and more than 350 images of child pornography depicting victims as young as five years old.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to court documents, McAdoo accumulated and shared the digital images and videos for nine years, beginning in 2005. FBI agents patrolling the Internet in 2014 found the images in a file-sharing website and tracked them to McAdoo’s residence.
Investigators seized 11 hard drives, four computers, and more than 200 pieces of digital storage media during the investigation.
McAdoo will be notified when he is to surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence. After completing his time in prison, McAdoo will remain under court supervision for five years. While under court supervision, he must register as a sex offender anywhere that he lives, works or goes to school. Monitoring software will be installed on all of his computers. His computer use will be restricted and he must disclose any contact he has with minors.
McAdoo pleaded guilty on May 13, 2016 to one count of possession of child pornography.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Alex R. Sistla, who is representing the United States in this case.
Third Defendant in Fraud Scheme Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Richard Morin, 48, of Portland, Connecticut pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to one count of conspiracy, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison, for his role in a scheme that defrauded a Columbus-based company out of between $250,000 and $1,500,000 over the course of a year.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the plea entered before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
Morin is the final defendant to plead guilty in connection with the fraud. On August 16, 2016, Frank Damico, 52, of Sunbury, Ohio pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Jolson to defrauding Damico’s employer by working for both his employer and a competitor at the same time and using a hunting buddy’s name to hide the fact that he was working for the two competing companies simultaneously.
Damico pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and one count of subornation of perjury, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to a statement of facts presented during Damico’s hearing, Damico was national service manager for Cranel, Inc., a Columbus company that sells and services imaging equipment. In November 2011, Damico agreed to go into business with Morin, who owned Pro Image, a Connecticut company and competitor of Cranel’s. Damico transferred Cranel company documents containing trade secrets and confidential customer data to Pro Image.
Early in 2012, Damico asked Morin set up a Pro Image email account under the name of Josh Fetter, whom court documents describe as a hunting buddy of Damico’s. Fetter agreed after the fact to allow his name to be used, and has admitted to lying to FBI agents and a federal grand jury during the investigation of the fraud.
As “Josh Fetter”, Damico emailed and called existing Cranel customers in other states, persuading approximately 12 of them either switching their business to Pro Image or seeking much lower prices from Cranel.
Fetter, 32, of Ashley, Ohio pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on June 29, 2016 to one count of criminal contempt and is awaiting sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Deborah A. Solove, who is representing the United States in this case.
Jackson County Man Sentenced for Illegally Purchasing Native American Human RemainsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mark M. Beatty, 57, of Wellston, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for violating the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act by purchasing human remains of Native Americans. The case is the first criminal enforcement of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in the Southern District of Ohio.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, Jackson County Sheriff Tedd E. Frazier and Rick Perkins, Chief Ranger, National Park Service at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, announced the sentence handed down today by Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Beatty was sentenced today to serve three years of probation including three months of home confinement, pay a $3,500 fine and pay $1,000 in restitution to the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, to be used for re-burial of the Native American remains. The remains will be transferred to the federally recognized tribes who have assisted with this case, and re-buried in Ohio at an undisclosed location and in private once all the court proceedings are completed.
Beatty also agreed to publish an advertisement in a circulation warning others not to engage in illegal excavation of Native American bones and artifacts. He was also sentenced to perform 100 hours of community service for a program that protects or promotes the interests of Native Americans.
According to court documents, a witness saw people digging in a rock shelter on property on Sour Run Road in Jackson County, Ohio in November 2012 and chased them off. They left behind shovels, dirt sifters, buckets and trash. Sheriff Frazier’s investigators confirmed that three Wellston men – David E. Skeens, 40, Brian K. Skeens, 49, and Toby Lee Thacker, 56 – had been digging on the property and had unburied human remains and artifacts§ . Beatty pleaded guilty in August 2015 to illegally buying those remains.
An anthropologist confirmed that the human remains were consistent with Native Americans, specifically identifiable by cradle boarding, a cultural activity used only by Native American Indians in North America. The identity of the remains was also confirmed by an archeologist, who verified that rock shelters were used extensively for burials in Southern Ohio and specifically in Jackson County. DNA testing confirmed a direct connection between tribes living thousands of years ago to present day Native Americans.
David Skeens was sentenced on July 21, 2016 to 30 days’ incarceration followed by a year of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to one count of illegal trafficking of Native American remains. Brian Skeens and Thacker have pleaded guilty to the same charge but have not yet been sentenced.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of the Interior, and the participation from an archeologist from Wayne National Forest and researchers from Ohio University, The Ohio State University, Washington State University and the FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys J. Michael Marous and Brian Martinez, who are representing the United States in this case.
Columbus Gang Members Pleads Guilty to Rackteering, Takes Responsibility for 2 MurdersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lance Reynolds, 33, of Columbus, Ohio pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of racketeering conspiracy in connection with a case involving the organized criminal enterprise known as the Short North Posse.
As part of his plea, he took responsibility for two previously unsolved murders: the deaths of Quincy Battle on March 24, 2010 in Columbus and Shane McCuen on March 11, 2008 in Zanesville.
Reynolds was originally one of three defendants scheduled for a third trial in this case, which is to begin on September 26. DeShawn Smith and Johnathan Holt remain scheduled for trial.
Reynolds’ plea contains a recommended sentencing range of 30 to 35 years in prison.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
A total of 20 individuals were indicted in the racketeering case with charges that included murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, witness tampering, extortion and robbery.
A United States District Court jury convicted five co-defendants of racketeering and murder in June. After a two-month trial, the group of defendants was convicted on all counts, which accounted for 10 of 14 previously unsolved murders. Defendants previously scheduled for a second trial have pleaded guilty to racketeering charges.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the two-year long investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott’s Office, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office, Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx, Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt, Muskingum County Prosecutor D. Michael Haddox, Ross County Prosecutor Matthew S. Schmidt, law enforcement leaders from those counties, officials of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers, Kevin Kelley and Brian Martinez, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe of Franklin County Prosecutor O’Brien’s Office, who are prosecuting the case.
Air Conditioner Thief Sentenced for Violating Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shannon Wayne Harrold, 48, of Glenford, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 54 months in prison and ordered to pay $29,045 in restitution for violating the Clean Air Act by cutting the tubing on air conditioning units he was stealing, which released a regulated refrigerant into the environment.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jeffery Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
According to court documents, in August and September 2015, Harrold engaged in a scheme to steal air conditioner units in order to sell the copper and parts from the units at scrap yards. He targeted suburbs in Central Ohio, stealing several units and dismantling them on site. Harrold was arrested on September 18, 2015 following a high-speed chase with the police, during which Harrold drove through several residential neighborhoods at more than 90 miles per hour.
“The defendant’s actions hurt businesses financially and put human health at risk,” Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said. “We helped investigate the case and we’ll continue to work with our task force partners on others like it to protect Ohioans.”
“Refrigerants deplete the ozone layer which protects people from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation such as skin cancer, so it’s imperative that they are handled properly and in accordance with the law,” said Jeffrey Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Ohio. “Through the illegal venting of refrigerants and the sale of stolen air conditioner parts, the defendant violated the Clean Air Act, which protects public health and clean air. EPA and its law enforcement partners are committed to the investigation and prosecution of illegal conduct that jeopardizes public safety.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the U.S. EPA, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Westerville Police Department, Whitehall Police Department, Gahanna Police Department, Ohio EPA and Columbus Division of Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorney J. Michael Marous and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather B. Robinson and Brad J. Beeson, who are representing the United States in this case.
Great American Tower Shooter Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Rayshaun L. Herald, 23, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac announced the plea entered into before U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
Herald was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 16 of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Specifically, he possessed a loaded 9mm after having been convicted for trafficking in cocaine and having weapons while under disability.
Investigators linked Herald to shootings in Walnut Hills in May 2015 and The Great American Tower at Queen City Square in January 2015 through the use of a national database called the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).
Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the ATF and Cincinnati Police and assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team, as well as Criminal Chief Kenneth L. Parker, who is representing the United States in this case.
Cincinnati-Area Man Pleads Guilty to Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Christopher Lee Cornell, 22, of Green Township, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to one count of attempting to kill government employees, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman of the Southern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Angela L. Byers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division. Cornell pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith of the Southern District of Ohio.
Cornell was originally charged by an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Jan. 21, 2015. On May 7, 2015, Cornell was additionally charged by superseding indictment with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to the plea agreement, from on or about August 2014 through January 2015, Cornell plotted, planned and attempted to travel to Washington, D.C., in order to attack the U.S. Capitol during the State of the Union Address on January 20, 2015.
Cornell admitted that he conducted online research of weapons, the construction of bombs, the U.S. Capitol and other potential targets in the Washington, D.C., area. Cornell intended to kill officers and employees of the United States, and possessed two semi-automatic rifles and approximately 600 rounds of ammunition, according to the plea agreement.
The defendant admitted that his planned attack on the U.S. Capitol was an attempt to provide material support and resources – both personnel and services – to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The material support count carries a potential maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Attempted murder of government employees and officials is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of an attempted crime of violence is a crime punishable by a mandatory sentence of five years up to life in prison.
Cornell was arrested on Jan. 14, 2015, by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). After his arrest, he posted statements online that included a call for others to join him in violent jihad against the United States and its citizens on behalf of ISIL, according to his admissions in the plea agreement.
The JTTF is made up of officers and agents from the Cincinnati Police Department, Colerain, Police Department, Dayton Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, University of Cincinnati Police Department, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, FBI, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, West Chester Police Department and Xenia Police Department.
Assistant Attorney General Carlin and Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the JTTF for its investigation of this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Mangan and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Trump Rally Fence Jumper Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to 1 Year ProbationRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Thomas DiMassimo, 22, of Powder Springs, Ga., pleaded guilty and was sentenced in U.S. District Court yesterday to one year probation for jumping the stage during a political rally in Vandalia, Ohio on March 12.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Mark Porter, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the plea and sentence.
DiMassimo was charged for entering and remaining in a restricted area where a person protected by the Secret Service was temporarily visiting, without lawful authority to do so, which is a misdemeanor offense.
DiMassimo was also banned from attending at any Republican Presidential event.
"Now as much as ever, it's crucial that people respect the political process,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “That includes expressing support or opposition for candidates within the confines of laws that are designed to guarantee everyone's safety. Yesterday's guilty plea and the magistrate judge's carefully crafted sentence reflect that respect."
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the response by the U.S. Secret Service, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Sheila G. Lafferty and Brent Tabacchi, who are representing the United States in this case.
Columbus Businessman Sentenced to 142 Months for Wire Fraud, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – David H. DeMathews, 63, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 142 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $730,000 in restitution for one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
DeMathews used his positions as Director of National Accounts and Executive Vice President of American Escrow and Title Services, Inc. (AETS), and President of DEMCO Advisory Corporation (DEMCO) to execute a financial fraud scheme.
DeMathews told some victims he would invest their money in the construction of multi-million dollar buildings that were supposed to generate repayment to the investors. He promised some victims he would invest their money in Starbucks franchise opportunities in Central America, hospital projects in Panama and Nicaragua, and a water treatment plant in Florida.
He also used some victims’ investments to make partial repayments to other victims, in order to convince those victims that AETS and DEMCO were generating income, and to encourage those victims to make additional investments in AETS and DEMCO.
From 2009 through April 2014, DeMathews had no legitimate income of any kind. He received approximately $911,000 for the purpose of executing his scheme, and misappropriated those funds for primarily his personal use. Those personal expenditures included, but were not limited to: mortgage payments on two houses, numerous lavish big game hunting trips and other vacations to Europe and South Africa, expensive retail purchases, and effectively all of the defendant’s daily living expenses.
DeMathews also used the investors’ money to satisfy monthly restitution payment obligations ordered in the amount of approximately $3.7 million related to a federal criminal case in the Central District of California, in which he was convicted of multiple counts of loan and credit application fraud in April 2000.
“Mr. DeMathews is responsible not only for wiping away the financial resources of many families—the effects of which will be felt for years to come—but also for causing profound levels of stress and emotional injury,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “He preyed on vulnerable victims. For example, he induced a mentally incompetent woman to invest her engagement ring. Another victim was forced to surrender individual life insurance policies, before being diagnosed with cancer and learning that he did not have long to live and would be leaving his family with no means of financial stability.”
To carry out his most recent scheme, DeMathews fraudulently: created at least two shell companies; had business cards made; provided paperwork from foreign companies and governments that were written in different languages; continuously sent emails to the victims convincing them that he was traveling and working very hard to get the alleged projects secured; had others open bank accounts for him so that he never had any identifiable assets in his name; laundered victim money to pay his $200 monthly restitution obligation for his 2000 fraud conviction in the Central District of California; requested that Google suppress search results related to his prior federal convictions on similar charges so that his victims could not easily discover his past charges; advised victims that he was the President of DEMCO and doctored a letterhead to perpetrate his fraud and provided complex blueprints and similar documents to victims to convince them that he was working on specific projects.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2015 and pleaded guilty in March 2016.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica H. Kim, who is prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Defense Contractor of Mail Fraud, False ClaimsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A United States District Court jury convicted Stephan D. Boggs, 63, of Columbus with four counts of mail fraud and 21 counts of false claims.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Brian J. Reihms, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS), Central Field Office, announced the verdict reached yesterday, which was returned following a trial that began on July 11 before U.S. District Judge James L. Graham.
According to court documents and testimony, Boggs served as the president of Boggs & Associates, Inc., a Department of Defense (DoD) contractor who sold and supplied a variety of parts used by the military.
From approximately April 2010 through January 2014, the DoD issued purchase orders to Boggs & Associates for a variety of military parts and components used on various military weapons systems including aircraft, vehicles and vessels. The parts were required to meet certain military specifications. The majority of these parts are considered critical application items. A critical application item is defined as an item essential to weapon system performance or operation, or the preservation of life or safety of operating personnel, as determined by military services.
Boggs knowingly supplied non-conforming parts to the DoD through purchase orders issued by the Defense Logistics Agency.
The Agency’s testing center found that parts from 30 different purchase orders were non-conforming. Specifically, the parts were made from unauthorized substituted material, were dimensionally defective, used unauthorized inferior fittings, not heat treated properly, not plated properly and/or did not pass specified testing requirements.
During trial, the evidence showed that the inspection reports and certifications he signed and submitted to the government contained false and fraudulent representations.
“Contractors who provide defective and nonconforming parts place the reliability of U.S. military equipment in jeopardy,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “That in turn puts our men and women in uniform in danger. That’s why I think it’s crucial that contractors like Boggs are held accountable for their crimes, and the jury’s verdict does so.”
Mail fraud is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and each count of false claims carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by DCIS, and Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica W. Knight and J. Michael Marous, who prosecuted the case.
Former Retailer Employee Pleads Guilty in $3.5 Million SchemeRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Rudy Rampertab, 46, of Ocoee, Fla., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count each of mail fraud and money laundering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
According to court documents, Rampertab was an employee of Macy’s from 1988 until 2010. Beginning in 1998, Rampertab managed Macy’s distribution center in Carson, Calif. and supervised the transport of merchandise to centers throughout the country.
Starting in July 2010, Rampertab began diverting the shipment of goods to a co-conspirator who established several shipping companies. Ramptertab obtained approval for those companies to become third party vendors for Macy’s; however, Rampertab did not disclose his personal connection to the companies, which he helped operate. Rampertab also did not disclose to Macy’s that he personally profited from the operations of these vendors.
Between July and December 2010, the companies received more than $3.5 million in Macy’s shipping and packaging jobs. After paying expenses, they generated more than $900,000 in net profits from the diverted business.
Rampertab and his co-conspirator used the proceeds to purchase real estate and vehicles, including a 2010 Aston Martin costing $199,000.
Mail fraud is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and money laundering carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation and FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Tim Mangan, who is representing the United States in this case.
Celebrity Manager Charged with Wire Fraud, Money Laundering Related to OXYwater CaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged Kevin R. Foster, 40, of Montclair, N.J. with wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering in an indictment returned in Columbus.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the indictment returned today.
This case stems from the prior prosecution of Thomas E. Jackson and Preston J. Harrison, who raised approximately $9 million from investors under false pretenses to start and market the sports beverage “OXYwater.” The two were convicted by a jury of multiple wire fraud, money laundering, and tax fraud charges in March 2015.
This indictment alleges that Foster, the principal of his management/accounting firm, Foster & Firm, Inc., and who served as business manager for Shaffer Smith (“Ne-Yo”), induced Smith to invest $2 million into OXYwater under false representations. Foster served as an officer or controller of Imperial Integrative Health Research & Development, LLC in Westerville, Ohio with Jackson and Harrison. Foster did not disclose to Smith that he served as a controller for the company or that he would earn commission based on investments.
Unbeknownst to Smith, Foster allegedly 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. It is alleged that Foster received approximately $800,000 in finder’s fees based on Smith’s investments into OXYwater.
Foster was charged with three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of money laundering. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering are each crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Acting 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.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
West Chester Man Pleads Guilty to Plot to Attack U.S. Government OfficersRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Officials announced today the details of a national security case involving a plot to attack a U.S. military official and a local police station.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Angela L. Byers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Division, West Chester Police Chief Joel Herzog, Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Colonel Paul A. Pride and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac announced the unsealing of a bill of information and plea agreement related to Munir Abdulkader, 21, of West Chester, Ohio.
Under the plea agreement, Abdulkader has pleaded guilty to attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States, material support of a foreign terrorist organization and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Abdulkader was charged for his plot to attack and kill an employee of a U.S. military installation and then attack a local police station, all in the Southern District of Ohio.
According to the statement of facts admitted by Adbulkader at the plea hearing, beginning in at least July 2014 and continuing into 2015, Abdulkader expressed his support for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (“ISIL”) on Twitter accounts. From approximately March 2015 to mid-April 2015, Abdulkader began speaking with a Confidential Human Source (CHS) about his desire and intention to travel to Syria in order to join ISIL as a fighter.
During that same time, Abdulkader made plans and preparations to travel to Syria to join ISIL as a fighter. Namely, he secured a passport, saved money for the trip and researched the logistical details of traveling to Syria and joining ISIL. In late April, though, Abdulkader expressed concerns about the ability to travel and postponed his original departure date of May 2, 2015.
During May 2015, Abdulkader was in electronic communication with one or more individuals located overseas who he understood were members of ISIL. One of those individuals was a member of ISIL identified as Junaid Hussein. Through their communications, Junaid Hussein directed and encouraged Abdulkader to plan and execute a violent attack within the United States.
Abdulkader communicated with Junaid Hussein and the CHS about a plan to kill an identified military employee on account of his position with the United States government. The plan included abducting the employee at the employee’s home and filming the execution of the employee.
After killing the employee, Abdulkader planned to execute a violent attack on a police station in the Southern District of Ohio using firearms and Molotov cocktails.
In preparation for the attacks, Abdulkader took the following actions:
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Asked the CHS to purchase a vest for holding ammunition.
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On or about May 18, 2015, traveled to a police station in the Southern District of Ohio and conducted surveillance of the police station.
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On or about May 20, 2015, went to a shooting range, learned how to operate certain firearms and practiced shooting the firearms. Abdulkader also negotiated the purchase of a firearm, namely an AK-47 assault rifle, for $350.
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On May 21, 2015, provided funds for the purchase of an AK-47 assault rifle and took possession of the firearm.
Adbulkader was arrested on May 21, 2015 by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), after a controlled purchase and possession of the AK-47 assault rifle.
The defendant was charged by criminal complaint on May 22, 2015 and a bill of information was filed on March 2, 2016. Abdulkader pleaded guilty to the three charges in the information on March 24, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. The case was under seal until today.
Attempted murder of government employees and officials is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Material support of a foreign terrorist organization is a crime punishable by 15 years in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of an attempted crime of violence is a crime punishable by a mandatory sentence of five years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Carlin and Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the JTTF. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Mangan and Michael Dittoe of the Justice Department National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.
The JTTF is made up of officers and agents from the Cincinnati Police Department, Colerain Police Department, Dayton Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, University of Cincinnati Police Department, United States Air Force OSI, FBI, United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, United States Internal Revenue Service, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, West Chester Police Department and Xenia Police Department.
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Final Defendant Scheduled for Second Gang Trial Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Thomas A. Coates, 30, formerly of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to one count of racketeering conspiracy. Coates was originally scheduled to stand trial with Lance Green, who also pleaded guilty, on July 11 in the second of three trials involving the organized criminal enterprise known as the Short North Posse.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
A total of 20 individuals were indicted in the racketeering case with charges that included murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, witness tampering, extortion and robbery.
A United States District Court jury convicted five co-defendants of racketeering and murder earlier this month. After a two-month trial, the group of defendants was convicted on all counts, which accounted for 10 of 14 previously unsolved murders.
A final trial is currently scheduled to begin on September 26 for the remaining defendants.
Racketeering conspiracy is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the two-year long investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott’s Office, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office, Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx, Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt, Muskingum County Prosecutor D. Michael Haddox, Ross County Prosecutor Matthew S. Schmidt, law enforcement leaders from those counties, officials of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers, Kevin Kelley and Brian Martinez, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe of Franklin County Prosecutor O’Brien’s Office, who are prosecuting the case.
Cincinnati-Area Man Pleads Guilty to Plot to Attack U.S. Government OfficersRead the Press Release
Defendant was Directed to Launch Attacks by Deceased ISIL Recruiter Junaid Hussain
Munir Abdulkader, 21, of West Chester, Ohio, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States, providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Abdulkader was charged for his plot to kill an employee of a U.S. military installation and then attack a local police station, all in the Southern District of Ohio.
The unsealing today of the charges and plea agreement were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Angela Byers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Division.
According to the statement of facts admitted by Adbulkader as part of his guilty plea, beginning in at least July 2014 and continuing into 2015, Abdulkader expressed his support for ISIL on Twitter. From approximately March 2015 to mid-April 2015, Abdulkader began speaking with a confidential human source (CHS) about his desire and intention to travel to Syria in order to join ISIL, and then began making plans and preparations to travel overseas. He secured a passport, saved money for the trip and researched the necessary logistical details. However, in approximately late April 2015, Abdulkader expressed concerns about his ability to travel and postponed his original departure date of approximately May 2, 2015.
In May 2015, Abdulkader was in communication with one or more individuals located overseas who he understood were members of ISIL. One of the individuals was a member of ISIL identified as Junaid Hussein. Through these communications, Hussein directed and encouraged Abdulkader to plan and execute a violent attack within the United States. Abdulkader communicated with Hussein and the CHS about a plan to kill an identified military employee on account of his position with the U.S. government. The plan included abducting the employee at the employee’s home and filming the execution. After killing the employee, Abdulkader planned to perpetrate a violent attack on a police station in the Southern District of Ohio using firearms and Molotov cocktails.
In preparation for the attacks, Abdulkader asked the CHS to purchase a vest for holding ammunition. On or about May 18, 2015, Abdulkader conducted surveillance on a police station in the Southern District of Ohio. On or about May 20, 2015, Abdulkader went to a shooting range, learned how to operate certain firearms and practiced shooting the firearms. Abdulkader also negotiated the purchase of a firearm, an AK-47 assault rifle. On May 21, 2015, in a controlled purchase, Abdulkader bought the AK-47 assault rifle and was subsequently arrested.
Abdulkader was charged by complaint on May 22, 2015. An information was filed against Abdulkader on March 2, 2016, and he pleaded guilty to the three charges in the information on March 24, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett of the Southern District of Ohio.
Attempted murder of government employees and officials carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Material support of a foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of an attempted crime of violence carries a mandatory sentence of five years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Carlin and Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the JTTF. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Mangan and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Sherrod J. Dyer, 25, of Dayton, Ohio was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 58 months in prison for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl, Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, member agencies of the Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence, announced the sentence handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, Dayton Police approached Dyer as he exited a vehicle in the driveway of a Dayton home in January 2016. Dyer attempted to flee into the home but, as police apprehended him, a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm firearm fell from Dyer. Police found empty gel capsules and approximately 1.9 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture intended for distribution inside the vehicle in which Dyer had arrived.
At the time of this incident, Dyer had previously been convicted in 2011 of three counts of felony trafficking in heroin in Montgomery County, Ohio. Because his prior offenses were punishable by more than one year in prison, Dyer was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Dyer pleaded guilty on March 15, 2016 to a Bill of Information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by those involved in the Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Hunt, who represented the United States in this case.
Defendant Scheduled for Second Gang Trial Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and MurderRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lance Green, 36, formerly of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering. Green was scheduled to stand trial on July 11 in the second of three trials involving the organized criminal enterprise known as the Short North Posse.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
A total of 20 individuals were indicted in the racketeering case with charges that included murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, witness tampering, extortion and robbery.
A United States District Court jury convicted five co-defendants of racketeering and murder earlier this month. After a two-month trial, the group of defendants was convicted on all counts, which accounted for 10 of 14 previously unsolved murders.
A third trial is currently scheduled to begin on September 26 for the remaining defendants.
Racketeering conspiracy is a crime punishable by up to life in prison. Murder in aid of racketeering also carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the two-year long investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott’s Office, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office, Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx, Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt, Muskingum County Prosecutor D. Michael Haddox, Ross County Prosecutor Matthew S. Schmidt, law enforcement leaders from those counties, officials of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers, Kevin Kelley and Brian Martinez, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe of Franklin County Prosecutor O’Brien’s Office, who are prosecuting the case.
Clermont County Man Sentenced to 85 Years for Producing, Receiving, Possessing Child Pornography, Obscene Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI –David Guy, 61, of New Richmond, Ohio was sentenced to 1,020 months in prison for producing, receiving and possessing child pornography and obscene images of child sexual abuse. He was also sentenced to 20 years of supervised release.
A United States District Court jury convicted Guy in April of 11 counts of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children, one count of attempted production of child pornography, three counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Clermont County Sheriff Tim Rodenberg and other members of the Regional Electronic Computer Investigations Task Force including Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
Guy used Photoshop to create hundreds of visual depictions using 11 different minor victims by placing the children’s faces into images of very graphic adult and child pornography. In addition, Guy attempted to produce child pornography when he took a photo of one minor, posing the child on her hands and knees and exposing her bottom.
A search of computers seized from Guy’s residence revealed the extent of his child pornography collection. Guy’s images included depictions of the sexual bondage of children less than five years of age, bestiality, lascivious exhibition, among many other graphic and violent images.
According to court testimony, Guy claimed that the over 25,000 images of child pornography he received and possessed were inspiration for his art. He claimed, through counsel, that the hundreds of images of graphic child pornography he Photoshopped were merely art.
Guy also claimed that the government was to blame for attempting to censor his work, which was rebutted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Oakley during rebuttal.
The jury convicted Guy with the 16 counts he was charged with after less than an hour of deliberation.
“David Guy sought to escape responsibility for his horrific crimes against children by characterizing as ‘art’ the images of children that he produced,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “It is not art. It is the opposite of art. It is a horrible crime -- one that David Guy committed over and over, without remorse. Although the harm from Guy's crimes can never be undone, at least the community will be from safe from him committing any more for the next 85 years.”
Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by agents and officers of the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office, the Regional Electronic Computer Investigations Task Force, which is comprised of officers from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Cincinnati Police Department, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christy L. Muncy and Timothy D. Oakley, who prosecuted the case.
Columbus Gang Member Sentenced to 96 Months for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tysin L. Gordon, 30, of Columbus, was sentenced to 96 months in prison in connection with a racketeering case involving the organized criminal enterprise known as the Short North Posse.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
A total of 20 individuals were indicted in the racketeering case with charges that included murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, witness tampering, extortion and robbery.
Gordon pleaded guilty on January 15 to one count of racketeering conspiracy. He is the first defendant in this case to be sentenced.
A United States District Court jury convicted five co-defendants of racketeering and murder earlier this month. After a two-month trial, the group of defendants was convicted on all counts, which accounted for 10 of 14 previously unsolved murders.
A second trial is scheduled to begin on July 11 and a third trial is currently scheduled to begin on September 26 for the remaining defendants.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the two-year long investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott’s Office, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office, Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx, Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt, Muskingum County Prosecutor D. Michael Haddox, Ross County Prosecutor Matthew S. Schmidt, law enforcement leaders from those counties, officials of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers, Kevin Kelley and Brian Martinez, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe with Franklin County Prosecutor O’Brien’s Office, who are prosecuting the case.
Cincinnati Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking ChildrenRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged Malik D.M. Bell, 23, of Cincinnati, with sex trafficking of children, production of child pornography and transportation of minors in an indictment that was unsealed today.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division and West Chester Police Chief Joel Herzog announced the indictment, which was returned in March.
The indictment alleges that in April 2015, Bell caused a 15-year-old female victim to engage in a commercial sex act. He allegedly created an advertisement for the victim to engage in commercial sex and drove the victim from Kentucky to Ohio with the intent that the victim engage in prostitution.
Sex trafficking of children and transportation of minors are crimes punishable by a range of 10 years to life in prison. Production of child pornography carries a potential sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison.
Bell’s initial appearance occurred at 1:30pm today, at which time the case was unsealed.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and West Chester Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Former Fugitive Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Embezzling $8.7 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – James T. Hammes, 54, formerly of Lexington, Kentucky, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 96 months in prison. Hammes pleaded guilty in October 2015 to one count of wire fraud and agreed to pay nearly $7.7 million in restitution, specifically, approximately $6.7 million to G & J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers, Inc. and $1 million to Cincinnati Insurance Company.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
According to court documents, from about 1998 through February 2009, Hammes embezzled more than $8.7 million from his employer, G & J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers, Inc., a large, privately held manufacturer and distributor of Pepsi products that is headquartered in Cincinnati.
Hammes served as a controller for the company, and was responsible for all financial accounting and internal controls for his division, including supervising accounts payable to vendors for services provided to the company’s division.
The defendant set up phantom vendor accounts and manipulated monthly accounting reports, using a miscellaneous account to charge off fraudulent checks and then manipulating legitimate accounts to offset the amounts carried in the miscellaneous account.
The stolen money that Hammes invested and traded generated IRS 1099 forms. Hammes voluntarily made estimated tax payments to the IRS totaling at least $2.7 million using the funds that he stole from his employer. Despite making the estimated tax payments, he failed to file tax returns for multiple tax years.
Hammes was questioned about the issuance of possible fraudulent checks in February 2009, at which time he fled and spent the majority of six years as a fugitive hiking the Appalachian Trail and living under an alias, which belonged to a real person. Federal criminal charges were filed against Hammes and he was arrested in Virginia in May 2015, following a tip from a hiker who had seen the defendant’s story on television.
“Hammes embezzled a lot of money over a long period of time,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “As the district court recognized, his scheme was sophisticated; he abused the trust that his employer had placed in him; and sheer greed motivated him. Hammes followed up his crime by coldly abandoning his family without explanation or warning and running from the law for six years under someone else's name. But no one can run from justice forever, and today his lies were punished. Hammes more than earned every minute of the term of imprisonment that the district court imposed today.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI Cincinnati Division, with assistance from FBI- Richmond Division, FBI- Indianapolis Division, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service, as well as Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter and Criminal Chief Kenneth L. Parker, who are prosecuting the case.
Couple Agree to Plead Guilty to more than $1 Million in Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Riyad Altallaa, 51, and Muna Alnoubani, 49, both of Hilliard, each agreed to plead guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell announced today an unprecedented nationwide sweep led by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force in 36 federal districts, resulting in criminal and civil charges against 300 individuals, including 61 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving approximately $900 million in false billings. Twenty-two state Medicaid Fraud Control Units also participated in today’s arrests.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Lamont Pugh, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Kathy Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, announced the pleas filed today.
According to court documents, Altallaa and Alnoubani were owners of Columbus Home Health Care Services, LLC. The couple executed a fraud scheme in order to minimize expenses and maximize profits by fabricating aide training records to avoid the time and expense of training and to give the appearance that aides had completed the required training and were prepared to provide home health services to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
The defendants also had aides and nurses submit blank time sheets and nursing notes that the defendants completed with falsely inflated hours of service.
Finally, they had aides and nurses “split” their shifts on their timesheets and nursing notes to make it appear that services were provided in multiple shifts rather than one shift. Under Medicaid’s reimbursement policy, the initial hour of each shift is reimbursed at a rate that is approximately double the rate of subsequent hours.
Altallaa and Alnoubani each agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Altallaa also agreed to plead guilty to one count of money laundering. Each crime carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The couple used the fraud money to build a luxurious, $1 million home in Hilliard. As part of the plea agreements, they will forfeit that home.
“The detection, investigation and prosecution of individuals and entities who engage in committing criminal acts of fraud in the home health care arena, whether it be the Medicare or Medicaid program, is a top priority for the OIG” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region. “The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure that perpetrators of these fraud schemes are held accountable.”
Including today’s enforcement actions, nearly 1,200 individuals have been charged in national operations, which have involved more than $3.4 billion in fraudulent billings. Today’s announcement marks the second time that districts outside of Strike Force locations participated in a national sweep, and they accounted for 82 defendants charged in this effort.
The cases announced today are being prosecuted and investigated by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, along with Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices of the Southern District of Ohio, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Texas, Central District of California, Eastern District of Louisiana, Northern District of Texas, Northern District of Illinois and the Middle District of Florida; and agents from the FBI, HHS-OIG, Drug Enforcement Administration, DCIS and state Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, HHS-OIG Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and IRS Criminal Investigation, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth Affeldt and Special Assistant United States Attorney Maritsa Flaherty, who are representing the United States in this case.
Vice President of Local Drywall Company Indicted in Income Tax Fraud, False Statements CaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged Robert Porter, 52, of Westerville, Ohio with five counts of willfully filing a false income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and one count of making a false statement.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, James Vanderberg, Special Agent in Charge, the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, Brad Geary, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations announced the indictment that was returned yesterday.
The indictment alleges that Porter, Vice President of Porter Drywall, Inc., filed false personal income tax returns with the IRS for the 2009 through 2013 income tax years in which he omitted $236,064 in income.
In addition, it has been alleged that between June 2011 and December 2011, Porter, as a contractor for a HUD project, made false statements and representations relative to the filing of 29 false U.S. Department of Labor Forms (Forms WH-347). On the Forms, Porter attested to being in compliance with all federal, state, local and F.I.C.A. (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax laws with respect to the employees of Porter Drywall, Inc. who worked on the HUD project. Porter allegedly knew the information on the Forms was neither accurate nor complete.
Filing a false income tax return with the IRS is a crime punishable by up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, and making a false statement is a crime punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security Investigations, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Brown, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Monroe County Oil Company Owner Sentenced for Illegally Dumping 50 Gallons of Brine Water per WeekRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Donald E. Hercher, 67, of Sycamore Valley, Ohio was sentenced in U.S. District Court to a $70,000 fine, four days in prison and two years of probation for violating the Clean Water Act.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jeffrey Martinez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Craig W. Butler, Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents, the defendant owned Hercher Oil Company in Monroe County, which operates approximately 30 oil and gas wells. He was discharging approximately 50 gallons of oily brine water per week from oil and gas wells into a roadside ditch near Rias Run, which eventually flows into the Ohio River.
Hercher pleaded guilty on January 12 to unpermitted discharge under the Clean Water Act. He was also sentenced to pay $5,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and complete 104 hours of community service in Monroe County.
Hercher will be required to submit a statement to Southeast Ohio Oil and Gas Producers and Ohio Oil and Gas Association, cautioning others in the oil and gas industry to avoid taking similar actions. Likewise, he has been ordered to prepare an article to be published in at least three trade journals in which he educates the readers on the “Mississippian Exemption” and how it has no application to the Waterways of the United States.
Hercher must register all of his wells and ensure they are within compliance with state laws within 90 days.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the U.S. and Ohio EPA and BCI, as well as Assistant United States Attorney J. Michael Marous, who is representing the United States in this case.
Lebanon Man Arrested for Coercion and Enticement of MinorRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Michael Kirkwood, 59, of Lebanon, Ohio, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer announced today’s initial appearance in court.
According to the criminal complaint and affidavit in this case, Internet Crimes Against Children investigators received a complaint that a 13-year-old female was receiving inappropriate messages via Facebook from Kirkwood. An undercover detective began communicating with Kirkwood, who engaged in sexually explicit conversation and agreed to meet with who he thought was the 13-year-old girl at the Dayton Mall at Victoria’s Secret on June 8.
Kirkwood was arrested upon entering the mall and agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement. He stated he had chatted online with approximately 20 other female girls around the age of 13 and that he received and possessed child pornography on his home computer. A search of his residence also uncovered four pair of youth female underwear that appeared to have evidence of soiling.
Coercion and enticement of a minor is a crime punishable by 10 years to life in prison.
Kirkwood is scheduled for a detention hearing at 1:30pm on June 16 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael R. Merz.
If you have information related to this case, or believe you or others may have also been victimized by the same individual, please contact Detective Melanie Phelps with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 937-496-7191.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and HSI, and Assistant United States Attorneys Alex R. Sistla and Andrew J. Hunt, who are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Jury Convicts Columbus Gang Members of Racketeering, MurderRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A United States District Court jury convicted five Short North Posse gang members of racketeering and murder today following a two-month trial.
Robert B. Ledbetter, 37, Christopher A. Harris, 28, Rashad A. Liston, 26, Deounte Ussury, 31, and Clifford L. Robinson, 38, all of Columbus, were convicted on all counts, which accounted for 10 of 14 previously unsolved homicides. Each defendant faces up to life in prison.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the verdict reached today.
The defendants are five of 20 individuals who were indicted in October 2014 in a racketeering case, with charges that include murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, extortion and robbery.
Of the 20 total defendants, nine have pleaded guilty and one has died. The remaining five defendants are scheduled for trials on July 11 and September 26.
“These five men had perpetuated a multi-generational tradition of terrorizing Columbus neighborhoods through violence and intimidation,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “The verdict today has sent a clear message that their reign has ended and such behavior will not go unpunished.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the two-year investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott’s Office, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office, Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx, Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt, Muskingum County Prosecutor D. Michael Haddox, Ross County Prosecutor Matthew S. Schmidt, law enforcement leaders from those counties, and officials of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers, Kevin Kelley and Brian Martinez and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe with Franklin County Prosecutor O’Brien’s Office, who are representing the United States in this and the related cases.
Former Tech Products Operations Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzling SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cheryl L. Emerson-Chase, 52, of Powell, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the plea entered into before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Smith Terence P. Kemp.
According to the statement of facts presented in this case, Emerson-Chase was employed as the operations manager for PCM, Inc. (formerly known as SARCOM, Inc.), a direct marketer of technology products, services and solutions to businesses, governments, educational institutions and individual consumers.
Emerson-Chase was assigned primarily PCM’s account for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and handled the day-to-day operational sales relationship with Nationwide.
The defendant began to steal laptops and tablets from PCM that were intended for delivery to Nationwide and provided fictitious purchase orders to PCM’s employees, instructing them to create false internal sales orders in PCM’s computer system. The two companies identified at least 93 fake purchase orders created in connection with the scheme.
Emerson-Chase then used the ordered computers for her own use or the use of friends and family members, sold them directly to third parties, or delivered them to an associate to sell to third parties.
In total, Emerson-Chase stole more than 600 items of computer hardware having an aggregate value of nearly $597,000.
Wire fraud and money laundering are each crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica H. Kim, who is representing the United States in this case.
Former Tech Products Operations Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzling SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cheryl L. Emerson-Chase, 52, of Powell, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the plea entered into before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Smith Terence P. Kemp.
According to the statement of facts presented in this case, Emerson-Chase was employed as the operations manager for PCM, Inc. (formerly known as SARCOM, Inc.), a direct marketer of technology products, services and solutions to businesses, governments, educational institutions and individual consumers.
Emerson-Chase was assigned primarily PCM’s account for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and handled the day-to-day operational sales relationship with Nationwide.
The defendant began to steal laptops and tablets from PCM that were intended for delivery to Nationwide and provided fictitious purchase orders to PCM’s employees, instructing them to create false internal sales orders in PCM’s computer system. The two companies identified at least 93 fake purchase orders created in connection with the scheme.
Emerson-Chase then used the ordered computers for her own use or the use of friends and family members, sold them directly to third parties, or delivered them to an associate to sell to third parties.
In total, Emerson-Chase stole more than 600 items of computer hardware having an aggregate value of nearly $597,000.
Wire fraud and money laundering are each crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica H. Kim, who is representing the United States in this case.
Ohio Lobbyist Sentenced to 15 Months for Extortionate Role in Conduit Campaign Contribution SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Ohio lobbyist was sentenced today to 15 months for engaging in extortion in connection with a bribery and fraud scheme involving conduit contributions to the campaigns of elected officials.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman of the Southern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Angela L. Byers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division made the announcement.
John P. Raphael, 61, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson of the Southern District of Ohio. Raphael pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with a violation of the Hobbs Act on Oct. 15, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Raphael was a consultant and lobbyist based in Columbus. From March 2005 to February 2013, a red light camera enforcement company engaged Raphael to seek and obtain lucrative contracts with the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati, he admitted. During that time, according to admissions made in his plea, Raphael conveyed to the company specific solicitations for campaign contributions on behalf of elected officials in Columbus and Cincinnati, and repeatedly pressured and induced the company to make contributions by advising the company that it would lose its contracts if it did not.
Raphael admitted that, as a result of his actions, the company made over $70,000 in campaign contributions, which were funneled through Raphael in his own name and in the names of his family members, friends and business associates.
Karen L. Finley, the former CEO of the red light camera vendor, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and honest services wire and mail fraud.
The FBI Cincinnati Division’s Columbus Resident Agency investigated the case with the assistance of IRS-Criminal Investigations and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorney Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Michael Marous of the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Ohio Lobbyist Sentenced to 15 Months for Extortionate Role in Conduit Campaign Contribution SchemeRead the Press Release
An Ohio lobbyist was sentenced today to 15 months for engaging in extortion in connection with a bribery and fraud scheme involving conduit contributions to the campaigns of elected officials.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman of the Southern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Angela L. Byers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division made the announcement.
John P. Raphael, 61, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson of the Southern District of Ohio. Raphael pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with a violation of the Hobbs Act on Oct. 15, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Raphael was a consultant and lobbyist based in Columbus. From March 2005 to February 2013, a red light camera enforcement company engaged Raphael to seek and obtain lucrative contracts with the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati, he admitted. During that time, according to admissions made in his plea, Raphael conveyed to the company specific solicitations for campaign contributions on behalf of elected officials in Columbus and Cincinnati, and repeatedly pressured and induced the company to make contributions by advising the company that it would lose its contracts if it did not.
Raphael admitted that as a result of his actions, the company made over $70,000 in campaign contributions, which were funneled through Raphael in his own name and in the names of his family members, friends and business associates.
Karen L. Finley, the former CEO of the red light camera vendor, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and honest services wire and mail fraud.
The FBI Cincinnati Division’s Columbus Resident Agency investigated the case with the assistance of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorney Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Michael Marous of the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
‘Rapper’ Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Produce Child Pornography in His Music VideosRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Eric D. Chavis, 24, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and members of the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, including Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, announced the plea entered into before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to the indictment in this case, Chavis recruited minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct in his rap music videos. Chavis then posted those videos via the Internet on websites including Facebook.com, Pornhub.com, Youtube.com and Instagram.com.
He conspired with co-defendants Lamont D. Abbington, 30, of Kissimmee, Fla., Carlton S. Jackson, 30, of Toledo, and Mareekus E. Davis, 22, of Columbus, to record sexually explicit videos of at least three minor females. Chavis took an active role in directing the videos and actively distributed them on the various social media websites and sold DVDs of the videos from various pornography websites.
Chavis faces a sentencing range of 15 years up to 30 years in prison, as well as a term of supervised release of at least five years up to a lifetime of supervision.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force – which was formed in 2012 and is part of the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and which also includes authorities from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Columbus Division of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Powell Police Department and the Delaware County Prosecutor's Office – as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and Jessica H. Kim, who are representing the United States in this case.
Columbus Man Sentenced to more than 16 Years for Central Ohio Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Thomas E. Shaffer, 63, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 200 months in prison and five years of supervised release for robbery and armed robbery at six locations in Central Ohio.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs, Delaware County Sheriff Russell L. Martin, Gahanna Police Chief Dennis Murphy and Acting Worthington Police Chief Jerry L. Strait, Jr. announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents, Shaffer used a firearm during robberies at five restaurant/bars and one grocery store in Central Ohio. On March 15, 2014, he robbed The Pub on West Johnstown Road in Gahanna, Ohio. On May 3, 2014, he committed armed robbery at Halftime Tavern on Bethel Road in Columbus. Likewise, he took cash during a robbery on August 16, 2014 at Brew-Stirs on 23, located on Dillmont Drive in Columbus. The following month, he robbed the Lazy Chameleon on Presidential Parkway in Powell. On November 23, 2014, he committed armed robbery at Villa Nova on North High Street in Worthington. Finally, on December 7, 2014, Shaffer stole money from Aldi on Orange Center Drive in Lewis Center.
The defendant was indicted by a grand jury on April 16, 2015.
Shaffer pleaded guilty on October 30, 2015 to six counts of interference with interstate commerce by violence and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. He also agreed to forfeit his Smith and Wesson pistol.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by law enforcement, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David DeVillers and Brian J. Martinez, who are representing the United States in this case.
Employees of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio Honored by Department of Justice at Executive Office for United States Attorneys Director's Awards CeremonyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark T. D’Alessandro, Executive Assistant United States Attorney and Kimberly R. Robinson, Special Assistant United States Attorney, both employees of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, were two of 160 recipients recognized by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson at the 32nd annual Director’s Awards Ceremony today in Washington D.C.
The Southern District of Ohio was one of 33 districts represented at the ceremony which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.
In her prepared remarks, Deputy Attorney General Yates said, “The achievements being recognized today reflect the breadth of the department’s responsibilities, and some of our most significant challenges. From dismantling dangerous gangs, drug cartels and human trafficking operations to tackling political corruption, white-collar crimes, and international terrorism, these awardees have taken on our toughest cases. And the citizens of our country are safer because of their work.”
“We honor the truly talented and dedicated legal and administrative personnel in the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and our law enforcement partners who everyday touch lives in our communities, protect the American people, and work to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice,” said Director Wilkinson.
Mr. D’Alessandro was recognized for his many contributions to the management and success of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio. He has served as both a criminal and a civil Assistant United States Attorney, as well as Deputy Civil Chief, Civil Chief, First Assistant United States Attorney, and Executive Assistant United States Attorney. He has also served as a trusted resource for several United States Attorneys. His ability to quickly and expertly respond to the many unique and complex issues faced by the Southern District of Ohio is among his most distinguishing characteristics, as is his tireless dedication to the district.
Ms. Robinson was recognized for her outstanding contributions as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. Over the last two years, Ms. Robinson has served as sole or lead counsel for the United States in more than a dozen appeals, arguing two of them, and prevailing in every one that has been decided. This year, Ms. Robinson’s appellate advocacy resulted in the affirmance of four convictions and life sentences for drug distributions resulting in death, despite an intervening Supreme Court decision. The appeal followed a 35-day trial, and she handled it for the first time on remand from the Supreme Court. Ms. Robinson was also a member of a trial team that secured convictions on all counts against three defendants in a multi-week public corruption case this year.
“Mark D’Alessandro and Kim Robinson exemplify the excellence for which the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio strives in its pursuit and administration of justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman. “Each is tremendously deserving of this award, and I am thrilled to be able to join Deputy Attorney General Yates and Director Wilkinson in recognizing them today. It is a testament to the superior work of our office that both Mark and Kim are being recognized as among the most outstanding in the nation at what they do.”
EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.
U.S. Reaches ADA Settlement with Village of Byesville, OHIORead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The United States has reached a settlement agreement with the Village of Byesville, Ohio in Guernsey County after initiating a compliance review under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the settlement finalized last week.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio initiated a compliance review in the village after receiving a citizen complaint stating that many buildings and facilities in the village were inaccessible to individuals with disabilities.
Specifically, the review included: the Byesville Village Hall, sidewalks and curb cuts near the Village Hall, the Byesville Village Park and Byesville Water Treatment Plant. Based on its review, the United States concluded that qualified individuals with disabilities are excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of many of Byesville’s programs, services or activities.
The settlement agreement sets out general and specific remedies, which include making facilities readily accessible to individuals with disabilities, by making modifications to sidewalks, curb ramps, entry and internal doors, signage, door knobs, counters, maneuvering clearance, restrooms and the parking lot at Village Hall, among other things.
Changes to be made at the Village Park will include accessible parking spaces with signage, modifications to the vending machines and accessible routes to picnic tables, benches, drinking fountains, park shop, park pavilion and gazebo.
Remedies at the Water Treatment Plant include modifications to the restroom and parking lot spaces, slope and access.
“This settlement represents our commitment both to ensuring full compliance with the ADA and working cooperatively with local governments and businesses to guarantee that compliance, thereby ensuring equal access for all Americans,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said.
The agreement will remain in effect for three years and is effective immediately.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended Byesville Mayor Jay Jackson and Brennan Dudley, Village Administrator, for their cooperation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Stark and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah M. Wolfe, who are representing the United States in this matter. He also recognized the efforts of Department of Justice Division of Civil Rights Attorney Elizabeth Johnson and Department of Justice Architect Thomas Fodor.
Dayton Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Kidnapping and RobberyRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Shellie Woods, 42, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 300 months in prison for conspiracy to commit kidnapping as well as robbery.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division and Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl announced the sentence handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, between late 2011 and early 2012, Woods and several others worked together to rob businesses in Southern Ohio. The co-defendants include: Terrell Mabry, 46, of Dayton; Dion Gullatte, 43, of Dayton, and Eric Black, 39, of Dayton.
On November 10, 2011, they completed the robbery of St. Elizabeth pharmacy, a store in the Dayton area that sold prescription drugs. The four men unlawfully entered the home of an employee of the pharmacy and seized and restrained the employee and his wife before demanding that the employee provide them with security codes and keys necessary to gain access to the pharmacy.
Gullatte used the codes to steal hundreds of prescription pills, including oxycodone, from the pharmacy. He and Woods took the pills to a Dayton residence where they split the robbery proceeds with Black and Mabry.
On one other occasion, Woods, Gullatte and Mabry worked together with another person, Jason Brice, 29, of Columbus, to rob the US Bank on Gettysburg Avenue in Dayton. Again the defendants unlawfully entered the home of an employee, a bank teller, to hold her and her family hostage until she agreed to help them gain access to the bank’s vault.
They held the teller’s family hostage at her home for almost twenty-four hours before attempting to move the family to another location. The defendants ultimately instructed the teller to enter the bank and to request that the bank give her abductors money to secure the release of her family.
Woods pleaded guilty on June 23, 2015 to conspiracy to commit kidnapping as well as robbery. Brice was sentenced on December 16, 2014 to 124 months in prison and Mabry was sentenced yesterday to 168 months in prison for their roles in the scheme. Black and Gullatte are scheduled for sentencing in the coming weeks.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI and the Dayton Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Brent Tabacchi, who is representing the United States in this case.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 40 Months for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Gary Swisher, Jr., 44, of West Carrollton, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 40 months in prison for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Donald J. Soranno, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black.
According to court documents, in May, June and October of 2015, Swisher illegally sold multiple firearms to an individual in the Dayton area. When he possessed the firearms, he had been previously convicted of felony offenses – namely, aggravated burglary and felonious assault.
He pleaded guilty on December 30, 2015 to possession of a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony offense.
Swisher was also ordered to complete three years of supervised release and pay a $7,500 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by ATF, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hunt, who is representing the United States in this case.
Last of Six Defendants Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Las Vegas Oxycodone RingRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Rashod D. Todd, 28, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Timothy Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Christopher White, Assistant Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents, between 2012 and November 2015, Rashod Todd, Dajaun Brooks, Jordon Herring and Stephvon Covington conspired to possess and distribute Oxycodone from Las Vegas to Columbus, as well as conspiring to commit money laundering by concealing the source of the proceeds from the narcotics trafficking.
Todd obtained bulk amounts of Oxycodone from middle men. The Oxycodone was then transported and sold in Columbus for profit on the street to drug users. Todd frequently directed other members of the conspiracy to conceal the Oxycodone and cash inside containers before they were shipped through the U.S. mail. Additionally, on numerous occasions, Todd personally carried Oxycodone on commercial airline flights between Las Vegas and Columbus where the Oxycodone was distributed on the streets of Columbus through a network of individuals at Todd’s direction.
Todd attempted to conceal his illicit proceeds by depositing money into the bank accounts of other individuals. These cash deposits funded the purchase of airline tickets that enabled couriers to transport Oxycodone to Columbus and to transport bulk amounts of cash back to Todd in Las Vegas.
Todd pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
On March 16, 2016 Danny R. Williams, 29, and Sukita M. Williams, 43, both of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone and conspiracy to commit money laundering. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, since November 2012, the pair went to physicians to obtain fraudulent prescriptions and either arranged for others to do the same or used middlemen to obtain Oxycodone. Once they obtained bulk amounts of the drug, the pills were transported to Columbus via the mail or on commercial airlines to be sold on the street to drug users. In addition, the couple attempted to conceal their illicit proceeds by depositing money into bank accounts of other individuals.
On May 4, 2016 Joquline D. Harris, 28, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. A sentencing date has not been set.
Harris conducted financial transactions to funnel the proceeds of the illegal distribution of Oxycodone through two separate Ohio bank accounts opened by Sukita Williams, to bank accounts owned by Sukita Williams in Las Vegas. Harris further utilized the monies contained in these bank accounts and other illicit drug proceeds from Sukita Williams to purchase airline tickets for members of the drug trafficking organization to facilitate the transporting of Oxycodone and drug proceeds between Las Vegas and Columbus. In addition, Harris also utilized these illegal proceeds to make vehicle payments to a financial institution in Ohio for a vehicle that Sukita Williams operated in furtherance of drug and money laundering conspiracy.
On April 19, 2016, Dontonyo Courtney, 21, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone. A sentencing date has not been set.
Also, today, Alfred David James, Sr., 35, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone. A sentencing date has not been set.
“The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the very distribution of their illegal drugs. Without these ill-gotten gains, the traffickers could not finance their organizations,” said Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the DEA, IRS, USPIS and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), as well as OCDETF Chief Michael J. Hunter, who is representing the United States in this case.
Former Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More than $1M, Income Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Steven J. Porges, 52, of Park City, Utah pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count each of wire fraud and income tax evasion.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Cincinnati Field Division, announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
According to court documents, between 2007 and October 2014 Porges devised a scheme to defraud KAO Brands Company, now known as Kao USA Inc. (KAO), of money and property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses. As a result of his conduct, the defendant caused a loss to KAO of more than $1 million.
KAO, with its principal office located in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a manufacturer and supplier of beauty care products. KAO promotes its products through promotional offers, which often include using grocery store end caps to showcase its products. The company uses third-party vendors to advertise and place its promotional products.
Porges was employed by KAO as a National Account Manager beginning in 2002, until his termination on October 9, 2014. In that capacity, he negotiated with third-party vendors to secure shelf space for KAO's products in retail stores, and managed KAO's contracts with those vendors. Porges worked remotely from his home in Park City, Utah.
Porges purchased American Express gift cards, generally in the amount of $2,000 per card, from third-party vendors. The vendors sent the gifts cards and invoices directly to Porges’ home. Porges purchased the gift cards on the premise that he was acting on behalf of KAO to provide the gift cards to retailers as incentives to run KAO promotions. In reality, KAO did not authorize the purchase of the gift cards, and used the majority of the gift cards for personal expenses.
Porges altered the invoices by falsely representing on the invoices that he had purchased shelf space, end cap space and promotional offers instead of gift cards. At times, Porges instructed the vendors on what wording to use on the invoices. Porges then faxed or emailed the false invoices to KAO for payment. Based on the false invoices provided by Porges, KAO made payments directly to the vendors for what it believed were legitimate business expenses without knowledge that Porges had purchased gift cards for his own personal benefit.
Porges paid various personal expenses with the fraudulent proceeds, including electric bills, dry-cleaning, Starbucks purchases, vacations, airline and sporting event tickets and jewelry.
For each of the calendar years 2009 through 2014, Porges willfully attempted to evade the income taxes due on the money he took from KAO by filing false income tax returns which did not include the wire fraud proceeds he had received.
For those years, he claimed taxable income in the amount of $779,052 and that the amount of tax due and owing was $137,697. The investigation revealed that Porges knew his true taxable income tax was in the amount of $1,608,568, resulting in an additional tax due and owing of $256,577.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and income tax evasion is punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
"The IRS enforces the nation's tax laws, but also takes particular interest in cases where someone, for their own personal benefit, has taken what belonged to others,” said Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the IRS and FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Deborah D. Grimes, who is representing the United States in this case.
Cincinnati Woman Indicted for Embezzlement Scheme, Defrauding IRSRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged Angelia Zwick, a/k/a Angelia Strunk, 45, of Cincinnati, with one count of wire fraud and three counts of willfully filing a false income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and Mark Porter, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, announced the indictment that was returned today.
The indictment alleges that from approximately July 2009 through May 2013, Angelia Zwick worked for a Cincinnati employer and devised a scheme to defraud her employer by embezzling funds in excess of her authorized pay and compensation. Zwick allegedly wired the stolen funds from her employer’s bank account to a bank account for Amerihealth and Life Solutions, LLC (“Amerihealth”), a company owned by Zwick.
Zwick allegedly took the refunds intended for her employer’s clients and diverted those refunds into bank accounts controlled by Zwick in the amount of approximately $328,000.
It has been alleged that Zwick filed false income tax returns with the IRS for the 2010, 2011, and 2012 income tax years. For the 2010 income tax year, Zwick failed to report as income the funds she embezzled from her employer and she claimed false expenses for Amerihealth. For the 2011 and 2012 income tax years, Zwick claimed false expenses for Amerihealth.
“No matter what the source of income, all income is taxable,” said Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “The prosecution of individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes is a vital element of the IRS' enforcement strategy.”
Wire fraud is a crime punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, and filing a false income tax return with the IRS in a crime punishable by up to three years imprisonment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS and U.S. Secret Service, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Mangan, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
West Carrollton Woman Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison in Million Dollar Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Amy Scarpelli, 49, of West Carrollton was sentenced to 66 months in prison for embezzling more than $1 million from U.S. Bank between 2011 and 2014.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Mark Porter, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, Miamisburg Police Chief John Sedlak, and members of the Southern Ohio Electronic and Financial Crimes Task Force, announced the sentence imposed today by United States District Judge Walter H. Rice.
Scarpelli pleaded guilty on April 22, 2015 to a bill of information charging her with one count of embezzling more than $1 million from U.S. Bank while serving as manager of the Miamisburg branch. According to court documents, Scarpelli admitted to making fraudulent draws against a line of credit for a local business that previously held accounts at U.S. Bank. She wrote and cashed checks, covering her tracks by making false entries in the bank’s computer system. Scarpelli structured the transactions in amounts less than $50,000 to avoid the need for approval by a second bank employee, in further efforts to prevent detection of her scheme.
Court documents showed that Scarpelli used the stolen funds to purchase four cars, six motorcycles, three boats, two travel trailers, and a golf cart, in addition to several real estate purchases, all of which were forfeited as part of her plea agreement.
Scarpelli was ordered to pay $5.2 million in restitution and she must serve five years on supervised release following her prison term. She will also be required to pay back taxes on the unreported income from her embezzlement scheme.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by Secret Service agents and Miamisburg police investigators, and Assistant United States Attorneys Sheila Lafferty and Brent Tabacchi, who prosecuted the case.
Cincinnati Trio Sentenced to up to 25 Years for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Three Cincinnati men were sentenced in U.S. District Court yesterday for charges related to armed robbery.
Aaron Murray, 22, and Savoy Carpenter, 21 were each sentenced to 300 months in prison and James Crawford, 22, was sentenced to 54 months in prison.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentences handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott.
The agencies involved in the investigation include:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Cincinnati Police Department
Colerain Police Department
Covington Police Department
Hamilton County Police Association SWAT
Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office
Kenton County Sheriff’s Office
Sharonville Police Department
Springfield Township Police Department
Woodlawn Police Department
According to court documents, the three participated in the robbery of the Micro Center electronics store on Mosteller Road in Cincinnati on August 17, 2014, taking approximately $29,000. Specifically, Murray and Carpenter planned and performed the robbery. They mapped out escape routes and rode to the store together.
During the robbery, Murray ordered several customers and employees to the ground, pointed a firearm at the manager of the store and demanded that he take him to the safe. He ordered the manager to empty the contents of the safe into a black trash bag.
Upon fleeing the scene, Murray and Carpenter abandoned Carpenter’s car and ran into a nearby wooded area, where they called Crawford and asked that he come to their rescue. Murray gave Crawford $270 from the proceeds for picking them up and driving them to safety.
Murray also robbed Fifth Third Bank on Ferguson Road in Cincinnati at gunpoint on October 15, 2014, taking approximately $10,900.
Carpenter brandished a firearm while robbing the Family Dollar on Ferguson Road in Cincinnati on October 29, 2014. After an employee advised that he could not open the safe, Carpenter demanded the employee empty the cash register, and took $167 in cash. Nine days later, Carpenter robbed the same store by gunpoint again. During his second robbery at the store, he passed out shopping bags to customers and encouraged them to steal from the store as well. As he was approaching the store, an individual called 911 and Carpenter was apprehended after a brief foot chase.
“These were hostile takeover robberies that terrorized multiple victims,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “People who commit crimes like this should expect to end up spending a long time in federal prison. These are serious crimes that warrant the serious penalties that the district court meted out today.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by law enforcement, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Springer, who is representing the United States in this case.
Huber Heights Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Richard C. Webber, 54, of Huber Heights, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of possession of child pornography.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division and Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer announced the plea entered into today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon L. Ovington.
According to court documents, Webber used “Peer-to-Peer” software and file-sharing programs and applications – including ARES, LimeWire and NewsBin, as well as Windows – to obtain, download, view, possess with intent to distribute, share and transfer child pornography. Webber possessed videos depicting child pornography on a shared file folder on his home desktop computer and various storage devices in his home in Huber Heights. Upon executing a search warrant, investigators discovered more than 1,200 pictures and 170 video files of child pornography, including ones involving prepubescent minors.
Webber was charged on March 25, 2016 by a Bill of Information. Sentencing is set for 2pm on August 9 before U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice.
Possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors carries a potential maximum custodial sentence of 20 years in prison and at least five years up to a lifetime of supervised release. Webber will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hunt and First Assistant United States Attorney Vipal Patel, who are representing the United States in this case.
Columbus Man Sentenced to 160 Months in Connection with Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ramiro Nonato Mendoza, 39, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 160 months in prison for heroin and cocaine charges.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Timothy Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Paul Pride, Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Donald J. Soranno, Special Agent in Charge, Columbus Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott, announced the sentence handed down today by Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Mendoza was one of 22 individuals charged by a superseding indictment in April 2015. According to court documents, the group operated a drug trafficking ring that involved numerous kilograms of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana. The case also involved the illegal employment of unauthorized aliens and the possession of numerous firearms.
The defendants in this case attempted to launder their drug proceeds by purchasing vehicles, including a Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac Escalade, GMC Sierra and Acura TSX. More than $208,000 and 11 firearms were seized during federal search warrants in connection with this case.
Mendoza pleaded guilty on November 4, 2015 to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin and more than five kilograms of cocaine and one count of money laundering.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by law enforcement, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Prichard and David J. Bosley, who are representing the United States in this case.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
DAYTON – David Pate, 28, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 90 months in prison for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl, Donald J. Soranno, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, who are all members of the Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to court documents, on November 2, 2015, Dayton Police started to follow Pate as he operated a vehicle. Pate sped away and crashed into a fence before fleeing on foot. He was ultimately arrested and officers found a semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat of his vehicle. Pate had been convicted of felony offenses in 2009 and 2011, including trafficking in heroin and felonious assault.
He pleaded guilty on December 29, 2015 to a Bill of Information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by those involved in the Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Hunt, who is representing the United States in this case.
Columbus Man Sentenced for Filing False Tax Returns While in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Malek B. Aliane, 34, previously of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on one count each of mail fraud and presenting false claims to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, James Vanderberg, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and Assistant Inspector in Charge Christopher White of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Cincinnati Field Office, announced the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost.
Aliane was sentenced to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $90,297.26 in restitution to the IRS.
According to court documents, from 2013 through 2015, while in federal prison or on supervised release, Aliane filed false personal income tax returns, false personal amended income tax returns, and false corporate income tax returns with the IRS. He filed six returns in total which claimed false tax refunds through fraudulent federal income tax withholdings. Aliane created fictitious W-2 and 1099 forms setting forth large federal tax withholding amounts.
In 2013 and 2014, while in prison, Aliane mailed paper returns to the IRS. In 2015, while on supervised release, he electronically filed the returns.
Three false Forms 1040 and/or Forms 1040X for the tax years 2012, 2013 and 2014 claimed a total of $94,133.87 in bogus refunds. The other three were false Forms 1120 for Aliane’s business, MB Aliane Real Estate, LLC, for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 claiming $422,185.00 in false refunds.
Also, from February 1, 2015, through June 23, 2015, Aliane used personal identification information of other individuals in order to file false, fictitious and fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) applications with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) upon the purported employer account of JLB Financial Group.
On May 12, 2015, Aliane registered the fictitious employer account of JLB Financial Group with the ODJFS. This employer account was registered with backdated liability dates and no contributions having been paid. Seven individuals were listed as employees of JLB Financial Group with wages from the first quarter of 2014 through the first quarter of 2015; however, those seven individual employees were all incarcerated before and during the aforementioned wage period. None of them ever actually worked for JLB. Seven individual UI claims were filed on the business account, and the government contends that the potential unemployment benefits to be paid on those claims totals $77,168
“The schemes perpetrated by Mr. Aliane systematically defrauded the government and the taxpaying public,” said Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “At the IRS, protecting taxpayer money is a matter we take very seriously. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously pursue those who unjustly enrich themselves by preparing false claims for refunds.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the IRS-CI, Department of Labor and USPIS, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Brown, who is representing the United States in this case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Hosts Stakeholder Session to Celebrate Inaugural National Reentry WeekRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Office of Reentry and the Ohio Association of Local Reentry Coalitions, convened professional reentry stakeholders from across the District to discuss best practices and partnerships moving forward.
As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to strengthening the criminal justice system, the Department of Justice designated the week of April 24-30, 2016, as National Reentry Week. National Reentry Week events are taking place in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. U.S. Attorney’s Offices alone are hosting more than 200 events and Bureau of Prisons facilities are holding more than 370 events.
“Too often, justice-involved individuals who have paid their debt to society confront daunting obstacles to good jobs, decent housing, adequate health care, quality education, and even the right to vote,” said Attorney General Lynch. “National Reentry Week highlights the many ways that the Department of Justice – and the entire Obama Administration – is working to tear down the barriers that stand between returning citizens and a meaningful second chance – leading to brighter futures, stronger communities, and a more just and equal nation for all.”
More than 50 individuals representing 30 local, state and federal government agencies and service providers participated, including leadership from the U.S. District Court, Federal Probation Office, Governor John Kasich’s Office and Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown’s Office.
“Reentry is a matter of both public safety and justice, and we are committed to it,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “In this, as in so many areas, we are at our best when we collaborate, share information, and work together. Today’s session is a step forward in connecting the many worthy efforts at strengthening reentry in Ohio at the local, state, and federal levels. I am proud to work with all of these partners in support of making Ohio a safer and fairer place for all of our citizens, including those returning home after a term of incarceration.”
The group committed to building more effective partnerships moving forward between every level of government by formalizing information sharing and reconvening at least annually.
To join future efforts, contact Jennifer Thornton at [email protected].