Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Philadelphia Man Faces Federal Charges for Carjacking Mother and Daughter Outside Northeast Philadelphia Home Before SchoolRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Amir Harvey, 20, of Philadelphia, PA was arrested and charged by Criminal Complaint with carjacking and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with a carjacking incident which occurred in Northeast Philadelphia earlier this month.
As detailed in the Criminal Complaint, in the early morning hours of September 19, 2022, Philadelphia police officers respond to a report of a robbery in progress in the 8900 block of Maxwell Place, where the victim reported that her car had just been stolen by an armed individual as she and her teenage daughter were getting ready to leave to go to school. The victim stated that around 6:15 a.m., she started her vehicle using an application on her cell phone. A short time later, she and her daughter exited their house and walked to the car parked in the driveway in front of their home when they were approached by an armed individual, later identified as the defendant, who pointed a black handgun at their heads. The defendant allegedly took the keys to the vehicle out of the victim’s purse and sped away. The victim used the location tracking feature on her cell phone application and informed police, who responded to its location on the 2000 block of Griffith Street, about 2.5 miles from the victim’s residence. Using neighborhood video surveillance footage, investigators traced the movement of the victim’s vehicle and the defendant to a nearby apartment complex.
“Through the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, we are continuing to investigate, arrest and prosecute those responsible for the spate of carjackings we have seen in Philadelphia in recent months,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “As alleged, this defendant threatened the lives of a mother and daughter going about their daily morning routine. Carjacking is not game or a fun pastime, it is a serious federal crime with severe consequences.”
“When the Carjacking Task Force was established several months ago, this is exactly the type of crime we set out to investigate,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “As the Indictment alleges, this is a seriously violent crime with the lives of innocent victims being threatened. ATF and our local, state, and federal partners will continue to collaborate and seek justice for the victims of violent gun crimes like this.”
“While we are grateful that this dangerous individual has been taken into custody, the increase in the number of carjackings seen across our city and nation continues to be disturbing,” said Philadelphia Police Department Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. “Victims of carjackings have been spread across all demographics, and just as alarmingly, the demographics of the offenders have also been the same. Law enforcement refuses to tolerate this criminal behavior; and the PPD, along with our fellow Task Force partners, will not stop until we bring each and every offender to justice.”
The swift action to investigate and federally charge these defendants is the result of the newly formed Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, which is comprised of members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Unit; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Philadelphia Police Department. The goal of the Taskforce is to stem the wave of armed carjackings and violent crimes through investigative and enforcement techniques meant to identify and refer for federal prosecution all who terrorize innocent victims through commission of these offenses within Philadelphia and surrounding areas.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
South Carolina Man Sentenced to Almost Four Years in Prison for Consumer Electronics Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Rusmaldy Jimenez-Hiciano, 38, of Goose Creek, SC, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay full restitution of $536,000 and forfeiture of $461,000 by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl for his role in perpetrating a mail fraud scheme to steal high-end electronics from his former employer, Walmart.
In June 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud and admitted in court that he masterminded a scheme to steal and re-sell expensive electronics. In late 2017, the defendant, a long-time employee at Walmart’s Bethlehem, PA, distribution center, devised a plan to defraud the company by hiding certain high-end electronic merchandise when it came into the warehouse on delivery trucks; mailing that merchandise via FedEx to addresses in Allentown controlled by the defendant; selling the stolen goods; and sharing the proceeds with others.
“Jimenez-Hiciano stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of goods from his former employer,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Instead of doing the right thing and performing his job honestly, he took advantage of his position and his employer. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect innocent individuals and businesses from being victimized by financial fraud.”
“HSI and our partners in the Pennsylvania State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s office have struck another blow against criminals who use our commercial systems to commit crimes that damage our business infrastructure, slow our delivery systems, and ultimately harm consumers through higher prices,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Philadelphia office. “Crimes such as organized mail fraud schemes inflict severe and long-reaching damage to American consumers. Congratulations to the dedicated agents and prosecutors who worked on this investigation.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary E. Crawley.
Former U.S. Congressman and Philadelphia Political Operative Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Election FraudRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that former U.S. Congressman Michael “Ozzie” Myers, 79, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $100,000 in fines, with $10,000 of that due immediately, by United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond after pleading guilty to conspiracy to deprive voters of civil rights, bribery, obstruction of justice, falsification of voting records, conspiring to illegally vote in a federal election, and for orchestrating schemes to fraudulently stuff the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates in the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Pennsylvania elections. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody following today’s hearing.
In June 2022, the defendant admitted in court to bribing the Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division in South Philadelphia in a fraudulent scheme over several years. Myers admitted to bribing the election official to illegally add votes for certain candidates of their mutual political party in primary elections. Some of these candidates were individuals running for judicial office whose campaigns had hired Myers, and others were candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices that Myers favored for a variety of reasons. Myers would solicit payments from his clients in the form of cash or checks as “consulting fees,” and then use portions of these funds to pay election officials to tamper with election results.
Myers also admitted to conspiring to commit election fraud with another former Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 2nd Division in South Philadelphia. Myers’ accomplice was the de facto Judge of Elections and effectively ran the polling places in her division by installing close associates to serve as members of the Board of Elections. Myers admitted that he gave his accomplice directions to add votes to candidates supported by him, including candidates for judicial office whose campaigns actually hired Myers, and other candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices preferred by Myers for a variety of reasons.
“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If even one vote has been illegally cast or if the integrity of just one election official is compromised, it diminishes faith in process,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “This defendant used his position, knowledge of the process, and connections to fix elections for his preferred candidates, which demonstrates a truly flagrant disregard for the laws which govern our elections. He will now spend 30 months in prison as penalty for his crimes.”
“Protecting the legitimacy of elections is critical to ensuring the public’s trust in the process,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Through his actions, Ozzie Myers pointedly disdained both the will of Philadelphia voters and the rule of law. He’s now a federal felon twice over, heading back behind bars, with time to consider the great consequence of free and fair elections.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard P. Barrett, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Eric L. Gibson with assistance from Richard C. Pilger, the former Director of Elections Crimes Branch (retired), Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section, U.S. Department of Justice.
Final Co-Defendant in SEPTA Bribery and Fraud Scheme Case Sentenced to Three Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Steven Kish, 66, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to three years in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $259,019 in forfeiture and $353,488 in restitution by United States District Court Judge C. Darnell Jones. Defendant Kish was the most prolific of the numerous SEPTA managers who participated in a scheme to defraud SEPTA of approximately $900,000.
In January 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to theft from an organization receiving federal funds, money laundering, and wire fraud. From about 2013 through 2019, the defendant and other management-level employees working in SEPTA’s Bridges and Buildings Department (“BBD”), engaged in bribery and theft schemes with two SEPTA vendors. The BBD is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and renovating SEPTA facilities throughout the southeastern Pennsylvania region. To facilitate this work, SEPTA issued “procurement cards” (also known as P-Cards) to management-level employees working in the BBD. The P-Cards, which operate as SEPTA credit cards, are to be used for purchasing items needed for the legitimate work of the BBD.
In about 2013, a codefendant, who was the Senior Director of Maintenance at SEPTA, agreed with two other codefendants, who were SEPTA vendors, to exploit the P-Card system for their mutual benefit. The Senior Director solicited the vendors to provide him with regular cash payments of approximately $1,000 to $2,000 per month. In exchange for those payments, the vendors falsely billed SEPTA through the P-Card system for items that the vendor was not providing to SEPTA. The false charges to SEPTA covered the cash payments, plus a substantial additional amount to generate fraud proceeds for the vendor. As part of the corrupt deals with the vendors, the Senior Director encouraged other BBD managers, including Kish, the Director of Maintenance just below the Senior Director of Maintenance, to use and continue to use the vendors for SEPTA purchases, growing the vendors’ business with SEPTA.
The defendant separately asked both vendors to provide him with personal products and cash with the understanding that the vendors would use the SEPTA P-Cards to fraudulently bill SEPTA for those personal products and cash and generate additional fraud proceeds for the vendors. The total value of those items and the cash was approximately $259,000, resulting in approximately $353,488 in fraudulent billing to SEPTA. In particular, one of the vendors purchased for Kish approximately $215,000 in the form of gold bullion, gold coins, and other precious metals. The purchases included several American Gold Eagle Coins, Gold American Buffalo Coins, South African Gold Krugerrand Coins, Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coins, Royal Canadian Mint Gold Bars, and PAMP Suisse Gold Bars. Kish also obtained from the other vendor thousands of dollars in cash and personal products, such as a gas grill.
Then in June 2019, Kish attempted to conceal the scheme from authorities by having a different SEPTA manager purchase from eBay one of the gold coins (a Canadian Mint Gold Bar for approximately $4,272) that Kish had previously obtained from a vendor as part of the scheme. Kish then provided the coin to the vendor so that he could make it appear that he had purchased that coin for himself.
All of the other codefendants in this case, including the two vendors and other former SEPTA managers, were sentenced earlier this year.
“Philadelphians deserve public employees who do their jobs honestly, without gaming the system to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The defendant’s participation in this scheme was extensive, and as one of the highest-level managers in his department, he should have known better than to engage in this level of criminal behavior.”
SEPTA Inspector General, Denise S. Wolf, said: “SEPTA employees are hard-working and dedicated to providing our customers with safe and efficient public transportation. These bad actors were the unfortunate exception, and, through these criminal prosecutions, justice was ultimately served. The SEPTA Office of Inspector General appreciates its partnership with the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office in investigating this matter.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the SEPTA Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. SEPTA Office of Inspector General (OIG) launched an investigation after its internal auditors detected fraud, and subsequently the OIG shared its findings with the FBI.
Philadelphia Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm with an Extended Magazine While on Parole for RobberyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Tyree Little, 22, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty earlier this week, just before trial was scheduled to begin today, to illegally possessing a firearm with an extended magazine.
The charge stems from an incident in July 2021, during a vehicle stop for a traffic violation, when Philadelphia Police Officers observed a firearm with an extended magazine sticking out from under the driver’s seat of the defendant’s car, where the defendant was seated. Little pleaded guilty to possessing that firearm, which he was not able to lawfully possess due to a prior felony conviction for robbery.
The defendant was on state parole for the robbery at the time, and he was also a participant in the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Call-In Program. The PSN Call-In Program is a violence prevention and re-entry initiative coordinated by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Parole Field Services, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The program, which is part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy, has been in operation since 2013 and is designed to reduce violent crime and recidivism of individuals returning from state incarceration to the 1st, 3rd, 12th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 39th Police Districts in Philadelphia. Parolees attend a one-time meeting with law enforcement and community members imploring them refrain from violence and firearms possession. Law enforcement officials deliver a clear message of deterrence, warning parolees that if they continue to commit crime, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Following this meeting, parolees receive connections to resources to assist with their re-entry process into general society.
“Our Office is invested in the successful re-entry of previously convicted individuals to our communities for many reasons, chief among them is ensuring public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Once their debt to society has been paid and their sentence served, previously convicted individuals often require extra support and services to become productive citizens, which is why the PSN Call-In Program exists. But participants are made aware that if they don’t adhere to the terms of the program including refraining from committing additional crimes, they will face serious federal charges as a result.”
“ATF is determined to make our streets safer by working with our local, state, and federal partners,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “We are committed to identifying and prosecuting armed criminals, especially repeat offenders, and remove them from our communities.”
“The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and the Parole Field Services Department in particular sincerely appreciate the support and cooperation the U.S. Attorney’s Office has invested in this matter as well as in our ongoing partnership,” said Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Acting Secretary George Little. “Continued communication and collaboration between all levels of law enforcement is essential to building stronger, safer communities.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Highway Patrol, and is being prosecuted by AUSA Jeanine Linehan, Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit, and Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Shulman.
Bucks County Man Indicted on Federal Charges for Assaulting a Reproductive Healthcare Clinic EscortRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Mark Houck, 48, of Kintnersville, PA, was charged by Indictment with a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which makes it a federal crime to use force with the intent to injure, intimidate, and interfere with anyone because that person is a provider of reproductive health care. The defendant was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal court on these charges earlier today.
According to court documents, the defendant is alleged to have twice assaulted a man because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort. The charges stem from two separate incidents both on October 13, 2021, which occurred at the Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center on Locust Street in Philadelphia, where Houck allegedly assaulted the victim, a 72-year-old man, identified in the Indictment as “B.L.,” because B.L. was a volunteer escort at the reproductive health care clinic. In the first incident, B.L. was attempting to escort two patients exiting the clinic, when the defendant forcefully shoved B.L. to the ground. In the second incident, the defendant verbally confronted B.L. and forcefully shoved B.L. to the ground in front of the Planned Parenthood center, causing injuries to B.L. that required medical attention.
“Assault is always a serious offense, and under the FACE Act, if the victim is targeted because of their association with a reproductive healthcare clinic, it is a federal crime,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Our Office and the Department of Justice are committed to prosecuting crimes which threaten the safety and rights of all individuals.”
“Put simply, violence is never the answer,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “Violating the FACE Act by committing a physical assault is a serious crime for which the FBI will work to hold offenders accountable.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $350,000.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita Eve and DOJ Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Philadelphia VA Hospital Employee Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Stealing Almost $500,000 in Government FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Bruce Minor, 46, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to two years in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $462,256 restitution and forfeit the same amount by United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney for his scheme to embezzle money from his former employer, the Philadelphia Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).
In May 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds. The charge arose from his theft of approximately $487,000 in Veterans Affairs travel reimbursement funds, which he helped administer as part of his official duties as a travel clerk. In order to perpetrate the theft, Minor created fraudulent travel reimbursement claims in the names of at least three other VAMC employees and then diverted the fraudulently obtained funds into bank accounts he controlled. According to court documents, in an email to VAMC management, the defendant admitted to stealing approximately $13,000 in travel funds, though subsequent investigation showed that he stole upwards of $487,000 between December 2015 and September 2019.
“Americans – and especially the men and women who have served in uniform – deserve public employees who do their jobs honestly and with integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “This defendant selfishly took advantage of his position with the VA to commit fraud, cheating both the veterans who rely on VA programs and the taxpayers who fund those services.”
“This defendant deceitfully used his position at VA to steal funds to which he was not entitled,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “This illegal conduct compromises the integrity of VA programs and wastes funds that could otherwise be used for the benefit of our nation’s veterans. The VA OIG thanks the US Attorney’s Office for its commitment throughout this investigation.”
The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.
Brooklyn Man Indicted on Federal Charges for Kidnapping a Child from Reading, PARead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Duane Taylor, 47, of Brooklyn, New York, was charged by Indictment with kidnapping after abducting a minor child from her home in Reading, Pennsylvania, and transporting the child to his residence last month. The defendant made his initial appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on these charges earlier today.
According to court documents, on the morning of August 31, 2022, City of Reading Police officers responded to the victim’s home when the child’s mother reported her missing from her bedroom, where she had last seen her around 10:30 p.m. the evening prior before going to bed. After searching for the child, her mother observed the back door of her residence was wide open, and law enforcement found the chain lock on that door was broken. Investigators reviewed video surveillance footage from the home’s security system, which showed a person entering the living room area at approximately 2:00 a.m., and proceeding to the stairs leading to the second floor. A short time later, the victim is seen walking down those stairs and through the living room, followed by the person who was later identified as the defendant, whom the victim’s mother also stated was her former boyfriend. Reading investigators contacted the New York City Police Department, who traced the defendant to his residence in Brooklyn, but did not locate the victim there. The victim was located later that day when a citizen called 911 to report a child alone and asking for help because she had been kidnapped from Pennsylvania.
“On August 31, 2022, millions of people received notification of an Amber Alert for a missing child from Reading, PA. Thanks to the hard work of investigators in Pennsylvania and New York City, the alleged kidnapper was swiftly tracked down and the child was found and reunited with her mother,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “As any parent can understand, this was a terrifying situation for this family, and this defendant will now appear in federal court to answer to these charges.”
“Imagine one morning finding your home’s door broken open and your child’s bed empty,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “It’s a parent’s worst nightmare come true. We’re so thankful that this young victim was recovered safely, and for the great collaboration by law enforcement partners in locating and arresting her alleged abductor. Anyone who would harm a child like this is simply depraved and must be held accountable.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Reading Police Department, and the New York City Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sherri A. Stephan.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Contract Killer Pleads Guilty and Admits to Committing Six Murders and One Attempted Murder in PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ernest Pressley, 42, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Eduardo C. Robreno to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and four counts of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, in connection with Pressley’s role in murdering four victims in Philadelphia between 2017 and 2018, all in exchange for money. As part of the guilty plea, the defendant also admitted to his role in the killing of two other victims in 2016 and 2017, and the attempted murder of a woman in 2018. Charging documents and court filings detailing these crimes were unsealed today in connection with the plea hearing.
In late 2018, the Philadelphia Police Department joined with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate Pressley in connection with the murder of a victim known as S.S., who was shot to death in the parking lot of a Philadelphia apartment complex near 7400 Malvern Avenue in the early morning hours of September 1, 2018. The defendant was captured on video surveillance footage near the scene and in footage retrieved from a bar in Philadelphia the evening before, when he was with S.S. and several other men. Pressley was arrested in connection with this crime on September 7, 2018.
The ensuing investigation revealed that Pressley was responsible for other murders in Philadelphia, including the killings of two tow truck drivers who worked for the business A. Bob’s Towing on January 12 and 13, 2017. The defendant agreed to kill a tow truck driver known as K.F. in exchange for money, in order to prevent K.F. from testifying as a witness at an assault trial in Philadelphia. In an effort to distract law enforcement from the true motivation for K.F.’s murder and to make it appear as though it was connected to a feud between rival tow truck companies, Pressley selected at random one of K.F.’s co-workers, a victim known as E.R., and shot him to death as he left work on January 12, 2017, near 4500 Melrose Street. The next day, Pressley approached K.F. as he left his home and entered his tow truck, which was being driven by a co-worker, at which time Pressley opened fire, fatally striking K.F. and injuring his co-worker, who was shot several times in his lower body.
As the investigation developed further, Pressley was also identified as the person who shot a victim known as M.R. to death in Philadelphia on January 11, 2017, near the intersection of East Sharpnack and Baldwin Streets, while M.R. worked on his vehicle at a garage in the area.
During the guilty plea allocution before Judge Robreno earlier today, Pressley admitted that he murdered M.R., E.R., K.F., and S.S., in exchange for money and at the direction of a drug trafficker. Around the time of each crime, Pressley used his cellular phone to communicate with his co-conspirator to plan how and when each murder would be carried out. His use of a cell phone to facilitate each of the killings is a federal offense. Pressley’s conviction by way of his guilty plea carries a mandatory life sentence in prison.
Further, Pressley admitted to shooting a victim known as C.Y. to death on July 19, 2016, as C.Y. sat on the porch of a residence near 1500 West Olney Avenue in Philadelphia. The defendant also admitted to his role in providing the location of a man he knew was wanted dead by a Philadelphia drug trafficker, which later resulted in the death of a victim known as Y.H., who was killed as the result of mistaken identity near the intersection of 56th Street and Ithan Street on July 24, 2018. Finally, Pressley admitted that he attempted to kill a woman when he shot her in the arm as she arrived at her Philadelphia home on North Woodstock Street on July 9, 2018. While the woman survived a gunshot wound, she later discovered that her home had been ransacked and several items were stolen, including money and jewelry. Several hours later, Pressley was identified as having sold a Rolex watch belonging to the woman at a Philadelphia pawn shop.
“By his own admission, Ernest Pressley is an incredibly dangerous individual with no qualms about accepting money to calculatedly and cold-bloodedly murder anyone,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “With today’s guilty plea and thanks to the dedicated efforts of the investigators on this case, this defendant will now spend the rest of his life behind bars for these heinous crimes.”
“We’ve long known that much of Philadelphia’s violent crime is committed by a discrete group of chronic offenders,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Ernest Pressley is a case in point. Today, he’s admitted to murdering six people and trying to kill a seventh. He’s an obvious menace with zero respect for human life and the city is unequivocally safer with him behind bars. The FBI and Philadelphia Police Department are working in lockstep and bringing all our resources to bear, as we home in on these violent criminals leaving bodies in their wake.”
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.
Three Airline Employees Based at PHL International Airport Indicted for Reservation Skimming Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Taylor Thompson, 27; Tiana Fairfax, 29, both of Philadelphia, PA, and Theodore Robinson, 29, of Upper Darby, PA, were arrested and charged by Indictment with seven counts of wire fraud in connection with their scheme to defraud their employer, a national airline carrier, out of ticket fare revenue by recruiting customers to book inexpensive flights which they didn’t intend to use, upgrading those customers to more expensive flights which the customers actually wanted by using supervisors’ computer access codes, and then charging the customers a ‘commission’ and pocketing that money rather than charging the customer the full price of the upgraded flight.
The Indictment alleges that in 2017 and 2018, defendant Thompson was an employee in a supervisory role with a major U.S. airline headquartered in Florida, and defendants Fairfax and Robinson worked as customer service agents with the same airline. In those jobs, the defendants had access to the airline’s computerized reservation system and were able to book flight reservations; supervisors like Thompson had the ability to use a special code at their discretion to make changes in the reservation system without charging customers the additional costs associated with modified reservations. In general, if a passenger changed their itinerary, airline policy required that the passenger pay the full price of the modified itinerary, which was often more expensive than the itinerary that the passenger originally booked. Although supervisors had the ability to modify a reservation without assessing those charges, under Airline policy, those charges were only to be waived under extenuating circumstances, such as a death in the passenger's family.
In March 2018, Thompson allegedly approached another employee and co-schemer about participating in a scheme to skim money from airline fares, and asked that employee for access to their Cash App account in order to receive payments directly from customers. Thompson made money from the scheme by charging customers for whom she booked and modified a flight reservation more for the flight than the price of the original itinerary (that is, the amount that was paid to the airline), but less than the true cost of the new, modified itinerary. The defendant retained the additional amount paid to her by the customer as a commission for her services. Defendants Fairfax and Robinson allegedly joined the scheme by modifying flight reservations for customers without charging them the difference in cost by utilizing Thompson’s supervisory airline credentials. In 2018, when Thompson was terminated by the airline, a second co-schemer was approached to join the scheme in order to utilize their supervisory credentials in order to modify flight reservations.
According to the Indictment, between December 2017 and August 2018, all three defendants along with the two co-schemers modified more than 1,700 flight reservations without compensating the airline for the increased cost of those modified reservations, for a total loss to the airline of more than $283,000.
“As alleged, these defendants used access and privileges granted by virtue of their employment to cheat the airline reservation system and skim money off the top for themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute fraud schemes wherever they occur.”
“Supplementing your paycheck by scamming your employer is a criminally bad career move,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Fraud is never the ticket to lasting financial gain, as these defendants have now discovered. Instead, it’s landed them in court to answer for their alleged actions. The FBI stands ready to investigate financial crimes wherever they may occur.”
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fourth and Final Co-Defendant in Brutal West Philly Sex Trafficking Case Sentenced to 17 ½ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Rafael Robinson, 35, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to seventeen years and six months in prison, ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $459,000 restitution by United States District Judge C. Darnell Jones II, for sex trafficking of an adult by force.
The defendant is the fourth and final member of a brutal sex trafficking ring in West Philadelphia to be sentenced. According to court documents, the four defendants ran a strip club, known as “Club Passions,” and a brothel, known as “Passionate Touch,” at a leased property in the Mill Creek section of West Philadelphia. Along with his three co-defendants, the defendant engaged in acts of force, threats, fraud and coercion to cause a young woman referenced as “Person 1” in the second Superseding Indictment to engage in prostitution over the course of approximately three years, including subjecting her to repeated acts of sadistic torture.
The defendant and his co-defendant, Kevino Graham, were convicted by a jury on February 5, 2016. Graham was convicted of two counts of sex trafficking by force, and attempted sex trafficking by force, and was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Co-defendant Brian Wright pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 21 years and ten months in prison. Co-defendant Renato Teixeira pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison.
“The crimes committed in this case were truly horrific,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “And while the victims may never fully recover from the crimes committed against them, they can rest assured that these four perpetrators have now been brought to justice. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at all levels to relentlessly investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes.”
“The actions of Rafael Robinson and his co-defendants were unconscionable,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “While it’s gratifying to see the last member of this sex trafficking ring handed a lengthy term, no sentence can make up for the terrible physical and emotional harm these men inflicted. We hope those they victimized continue to heal with each new day that passes. Combatting sex trafficking remains squarely in the FBI’s sights, as we work to free victims from such cruel and calculating exploitation and to hold accountable the ruthless criminals who would engage in such heinous acts.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan.
Armed Robber Indicted for Three Robberies in the Same Night Along Route 1 Corridor in PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA –United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Saifuddin Hasan, 21, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with three counts of Hobbs Act Robbery in connection with three armed robberies which all occurred on the same night in December 2021, in Montgomery County and Philadelphia.
The Indictment alleges that on the night of December 5, 2021, the defendant entered a 7-Eleven convenience store on City Avenue in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and brandished a firearm as he committed his first robbery. Then, according to the Indictment, Hasan drove east bound to a Lukoil gas station on City Avenue and committed his second armed robbery. The defendant capped off his night of violence by continuing in his vehicle eastbound on Route 1 into the Hunting Park section of North Philadelphia and allegedly committed an armed robbery of a 7-Eleven convenience store at Wyoming and Rising Sun Avenues. Philadelphia police officers pursued and arrested Hasan after this third armed robbery.
“As alleged, this defendant brandished a firearm in the faces of convenience store and gas station employees simply doing their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The charges in this Indictment demonstrate that our Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting violent crime.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated and charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Miller and Special Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Zabel.
Philadelphia Pharmacy Pays $200,000 to Resolve Allegations of Failing to Maintain Proper Inventory and Documentation of Its Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Northeast Discount Pharmacy will pay $200,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with various record-keeping requirements for controlled substances.
Northeast Discount Pharmacy, a Philadelphia pharmacy wholly owned by pharmacist Patrick Assifuah, is a registered retail pharmacy authorized to purchase and dispense Schedule II-V controlled substances. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that between April 2018 and January 2021, Northeast Discount Pharmacy failed to maintain complete and accurate electronic records of controlled substances, and to prepare appropriate Drug Enforcement Administration forms. For example, the settlement resolves allegations that Northeast Discount Pharmacy failed to maintain appropriate inventories of controlled substances including Endocet 10/235mg (Percocet 10/325mg and Oxycodone 10/325mg), Oxycodone 5mg, Oxycodone 15 mg, and Oxycodone 30mg.
In addition to the $200,000 penalty, Northeast Discount Pharmacy is also now subject to a number of monitoring requirements, including reporting of controlled substance purchasing, dispensing, and prescribing to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as sharing Standard Operating Procedures pertaining to all aspects of purchasing, storing, and distributing controlled substances.
“Controlled substances, especially opioids, pose extraordinary risks to our communities in this district,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “When pharmacies are granted the privilege of purchasing controlled substances, they also accept the significant responsibility of ensuring that controlled substances are used for a legitimate medical purpose and generating the records necessary for accountability and transparency. When this does not happen, we will work with our law enforcement partners, use all available enforcement tools, and hold these pharmacies responsible.”
“Pharmacies are entrusted with the dispensing of powerful prescription painkillers such as oxycodone and Percocet. With that responsibility comes the obligation to properly safeguard and account for these same drugs,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Civil settlements and the monitoring requirements imposed against Northeast Discount Pharmacy help to ensure that these safeguards are met.”
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Field Division. For the United States Attorney’s Office, Assistant United States Attorney Deborah W. Frey and former Assistant United States Attorney P.J. Koob handled the investigation and settlement.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Allentown Man Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Manufacturing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Luis Perez Rodriguez, 34, of Allentown, PA, was sentenced to 120 years of in prison and a lifetime of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson for his convictions on multiple child exploitation offenses.
In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to four counts each of manufacturing and distributing child pornography. The charges stemmed from Rodriguez’ sexual abuse of two pre-pubescent children, aged 3 and 10 years old, and his recording of the abuse of each child. The defendant then distributed those images and videos over the internet to groups of other child sex offenders, and encouraged those offenders to redistribute them further to even more people on the internet. The defendant also solicited tips on what kind of child exploitation images to produce from other members of chat groups focused on creating such horrific illicit material. The videos and images not only depicted Rodriguez’ sexual abuse of each child, but also showed the faces of each child victim. The defendant was arrested in May 2020, shortly after distributing the child exploitation images to an online chat where one of the participants was an undercover FBI agent.
“Rodriguez sexually assaulted two very young children and then distributed images of those assaults online, where they will exist indefinitely,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “For that depravity, this defendant will now spend more than a lifetime in prison; securely confined and unable to victimize any more children. Our Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to doing the difficult work of investigating and prosecuting these heinous crimes in order to hold people like Rodriguez accountable.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Jones.
Philadelphia Man Admits to Unlawful Possession of Firearm Recovered After High-Speed Chase Resulting in Multi-Car Crash in North PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Khaseem White, 24, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Karen Marston to the charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On May 4, 2021, Philadelphia Police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the defendant and his associate, who was driving. When officers approached, White and his associate suddenly made a U-turn and drove off at a high rate of speed, resulting in a car accident involving at least six cars. There was substantial damage to the defendant’s car and several others. An officer then saw the defendant climb out of his car and cross the street. When the officer caught up to White, the officer saw a black handgun with an extended magazine laying on the ground near him.
As part of the investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, agents discovered videos of the defendant holding a similar firearm with an extended magazine as the one recovered near White, including in a music video posted to his social media account. Agents also learned that the defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of a felony offense.
“Our Office is committed to prosecuting those who commit violent crimes including illegally possessing firearms, which is a federal crime” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “In this case, a previously convicted felon illegally possessed a loaded firearm, which presents a clear danger to our community that is struggling under a surge of violent gun crime.”
“This investigation is a result of our outstanding partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Convicted felons who carry firearms pose a serious risk to public safety. ATF will continue to aggressively pursue these investigations and work with our law enforcement partners to remove violent criminals from our communities.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang.
Nigerian Man Indicted and Wanted for Defrauding New York State Out of More than $30 Million by Posing as Ventilator Seller During Height of the COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Chidozie Collins Obasi, 29, of Nigeria, was charged by Indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, and 16 counts of wire fraud, all stemming from a complicated, evolving fraud scheme that initially targeted Americans through a spam email campaign offering illegitimate “work from home” jobs, and then during the COVID-19 pandemic shifted to targeting U.S. hospitals and medical systems by offering non-existent ventilators for sale beginning in March 2020, and finally shifted again in June 2020 to using stolen identity information of American citizens to apply for and obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EID Loans”). The Indictment alleges that Obasi perpetrated this fraud from Nigeria, with the help of co-conspirators in Canada and elsewhere. The defendant and his co-conspirators are alleged to have obtained more than $31,000,000 through this multi-faceted fraud scheme, with the overwhelming majority of that money – more than $30 million – coming from the State of New York for the intended purchase of ventilators.
The scheme alleged in the Indictment began in September 2018, with a spam email campaign that offered phony “work from home” jobs. When a person responded to the phony job offer, Obasi or a co-conspirator posed as a representative of a legitimate company, often a supposed medical equipment supplier based outside the United States, and offered the person a job as the company’s U.S. representative with responsibilities including collecting on outstanding invoices. A co-conspirator in Canada then sent the new “employee” counterfeit checks purportedly from customers of the company, and the new “employee” deposited the checks, took a commission, and wired the rest of the money to a foreign bank account ostensibly owned by the fake company. As alleged in the Indictment, Obasi and his co-conspirators obtained more than $1 million in this manner.
The Indictment further alleges that in approximately March 2020, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and ventilators were in high demand, Obasi posed as a representative of an Indonesian-based medical supply company offering ventilators for sale, and claimed to have a large stockpile of ventilators manufactured by a German company whose headquarters was in Telford, PA. The defendant allegedly convinced a medical equipment broker in the U.S. to broker sales of these non-existent ventilators, and ultimately deceived the State of New York into wiring more than $30 million for the purchase of ventilators that did not exist. Obasi continued to target other potential customers with this same scam, including hospitals.
Later, in approximately June 2020, the Indictment alleges that Obasi and his co-conspirators took advantage of the EID Loan program by using stolen identities of U.S. citizens to apply for and obtain more than $135,000 in EID Loan proceeds.
Obasi is presently a fugitive, and the United States is seeking to locate and arrest him. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should contact their local FBI Office.
If caught and convicted, Obasi faces a maximum sentence of 621 years in prison, a five-year period of supervised release, and a $5,750,000 fine. Obasi also will be required to make full restitution of the more than $31,000,000 that he obtained by fraud.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.
An Indictment, Information, or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bucks County Man Charged with Causing More Than $1.5 Million in Damage to Decommissioned Power Plants Across Philadelphia Region by Stealing Copper Wire to Sell for ScrapRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Michael Garrison, 43, of Croydon, PA, was charged by Information with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to destroy an energy facility, eight counts of wire fraud, two counts of destruction of an energy facility, and one count of filing a false tax return.
The Information alleges that starting in 2018 and continuing until August 2021, Garrison broke into shuttered coal-fired power plants that had been decommissioned, including Titus Station in Berks County, Cromby Station in Chester County, Southward Generating Station in Philadelphia, and the Gould Street Generating Station in Baltimore, Maryland, in order to steal copper wire and other metal, which he then sold to scrap yards in Philadelphia. The Information further alleges that between January 2020 and August 2021, Garrison sold stolen scrap on approximately 175 separate occasions to a Philadelphia scrap yard, for which he was paid more than $117,000. But the payment the defendant received paled in comparison to the damage he caused to the power plants. For example, the Information alleges that in the summer of 2021 alone, Garrison caused more than $1.5 million worth of damage to Titus Station in order to expose and pull the copper wire and other metal that he stole from that facility. As set forth in the Information, Garrison is also charged with filing a false 2020 U.S. Income Tax Return that failed to declare the more than $62,000 he was paid that year from the Philadelphia scrap yard.
“Stealing or vandalizing energy facilities – operational or not – is a federal offense which will be vigorously prosecuted by our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Romero.
“Brazenly breaking into and damaging a power facility — for any reason — is unacceptable,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “It’s imperative to hold perpetrators accountable for their destruction and, in doing so, we seek to also deter others from committing such a serious federal crime.”
“No matter the source, all income is taxable,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Mr. Garrison is alleged to have earned a living by stealing. Income derived from theft is taxable and IRS-CI remain committed to investigating these types of crimes. “
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael S. Lowe and Judy Smith.
An Indictment, Information, or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Large Scale Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to over 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Manuel Lopez Avitia, 45, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 15 years and one month in prison, and five years of supervised release, by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for numerous narcotics offenses.
In March 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and two counts of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and aiding and abetting. The charges stemmed from the defendant’s role as the leader of a nationwide fentanyl trafficking organization, which distributed approximately 27 kilograms of fentanyl in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from at least one known stash house in Whitehall Township, PA, and other locations across the country, from May 2017 to March 2019.
“Drug addiction and the distribution operations that enable it are at epidemic levels in Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading and other cities and towns across our District, so we are aggressively prosecuting those responsible for the surge,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Lopez-Avitia and others associated with this organization pumped large quantities of deadly fentanyl into neighborhoods across the country, putting many people’s lives at risk. We want to thank our law enforcement partners in this case for their hard work and dedication.”
“Lopez-Avitia was responsible for trafficking 27 kilograms of fentanyl across our region and the country over a two-year period where illicit fentanyl ravaged our communities,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Illicit fentanyl continues to plague our streets today; Lopez-Avitia rightly deserves this lengthy federal prison sentence for his drug-trafficking activities.”
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bensalem Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis A. Weber.
United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero Names Ebony Wortham, Esq. to New Community Engagement Leadership PositionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that Ebony Wortham, Esq., has been named Executive United States Attorney for Community Engagement for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The EUSA is a newly created role which will focus on creating partnerships in communities across the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with an emphasis on education and crime prevention, particularly in those communities struggling with high rates of violent crime, opioid abuse, and the legacy of generations of systemic exclusion from education, healthcare, housing and employment.
“Ebony’s experience and acumen as a former prosecutor, law enforcement partner and community advocate exceeds the demanding vision I had in mind when creating this new position in our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “My goal for the community outreach efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under Ebony’s leadership, is that we become a consistent, trusted presence in the communities we serve – which will ultimately lead to lasting, meaningful impact on our District and its people.”
“I am honored and humbled to have been selected to serve as Executive U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement,” said Ms. Wortham. “Throughout my life and career, I have sought opportunities to work collaboratively with community stakeholders and system partners to promote public safety and to improve the life chances of individuals, youth and families. In this new role, I look forward to continuing to learn from – and partner with – organizations, leaders, and citizens across our region, as we work collectively on solutions to strengthen and transform our neighborhoods.
“Historically, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has been a critical partner in helping to galvanize the broader community around a larger strategic vision for public safety and well-being,” continued Ms. Wortham. “This position will provide me with the opportunity to work with my incredible colleagues within the U.S. Attorney’s Office to build on that extraordinary legacy as we implement U.S. Attorney Romero’s bold and dynamic strategic vision for community engagement.”
Ms. Wortham most recently served as a Senior Managing Consultant with the Center for Justice and Safety Finance within PFM’s Management and Budget Consulting Practice, where she worked with state and local government clients around the country to create operational and procedural efficiencies in their work. Prior to joining PFM, she was a 15-year veteran of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where she served as its Director of Juvenile Justice Policy and Prevention in addition to her work prosecuting cases. Ms. Wortham has deep roots in the community as a lifelong Philadelphian and remains engaged in numerous organizations and across a variety of programs and fields, focused on improving relationships between youth and law enforcement; reducing and preventing gun violence; providing social services, mentoring, job training, college preparatory and life skills; and advocating for trauma-informed practices.
Ms. Wortham is a graduate of Central High School of Philadelphia (256). She received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Temple University; a law degree from Widener University School of Law; a master’s degree in Organizational Development and Leadership from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine; and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Fels Institute of Government of the University of Pennsylvania.
Bucks County Drug Trafficker Convicted of Multiple Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Matt “Mack” Jones, 39, of Bensalem, PA, was convicted at trial of multiple narcotics offenses including distribution of heroin and conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In January 2018, New Jersey State Police, the Philadelphia DEA, New Jersey (Camden) DEA, and the Philadelphia Police Department began a joint investigation of the defendant and other co-conspirators related to a drug trafficking operation. Investigators learned that the defendant was a supplier of heroin, and would use female associates as couriers to deliver bags of heroin to customers. Phone records, text messages, and physical surveillance confirmed the defendant’s participation in the conspiracy to distribute and deliver substantial amounts of heroin throughout the Philadelphia region.
The investigation progressed from controlled purchases of heroin from the defendant and his co-conspirators, to the eventual seizure of substantial amounts of fentanyl-laced heroin, narcotics adulterants, drug paraphernalia, and multiple stolen firearms from an apartment used by the defendant and his coconspirators to store and distribute drugs. All told, the narcotics conspiracy was responsible for distributing over a half kilogram of heroin and/or fentanyl.
“Drug addiction and the distribution operations that enable it are at epidemic levels in Philadelphia, and the federal government is aggressively prosecuting those responsible for the surge,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Jones and other members of this conspiracy pumped large quantities of narcotics into our communities, putting many people’s lives at risk. We want to thank our law enforcement partners in this case for their hard work and dedication.”
The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Philadelphia Police Department, New Jersey State Police, the Bensalem Township Police, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Metcalf.
Two North Carolina Men and One Woman from South Carolina Charged with Illegally Trafficking 50+ Firearms into PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Najee Cunningham, 31, and James Cunningham, 27, both of Wilmington, North Carolina, and Rickia Adams, 24, of Marion, South Carolina, were charged by Indictment with multiple firearms offenses related to their scheme to illegally traffic guns across state lines from the southern United States into Philadelphia, a large northeastern city, a fact pattern which is commonly known as the “iron pipeline.” Specifically, all three defendants were charged with conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Beginning in 2021, ATF Special Agents identified multiple firearms recovered in the City of Philadelphia, many connected to shootings, homicides, and illegal gun possession cases, that had been purchased by the same individuals in Ohio, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The short time frame between the purchase of the firearm and recovery in Philadelphia (known as the “time to crime” period) indicated that the weapons may have been trafficked into the city – a city that experienced the highest number of homicides in recorded history last year and is on track to outpace that number this year. In this case, the shortest “time to crime” alleged in the Indictment is just one day from the date of purchase in another state to the recovery of the firearm in Philadelphia, in connection with a crime. The Indictment also alleges that the defendants purchased more than 50 firearms over the course of a year and transported them to Philadelphia for sale on the black market. To date, at least 25 of those firearms have been recovered in the greater Philadelphia area.
“Stopping the gun violence ravaging our city and supporting the work of the Philadelphia Police Department is a top priority for our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Earlier this year, the Justice Department announced strategies to fight violent crime, including cracking down on firearms trafficking and the ‘iron pipeline’ – the illegal flow of guns sold in mostly southern states, transported up the East Coast, and found at crime scenes in northeastern cities like ours. This Indictment, one of several announced just this year, shows that we are committed and determined to focus our resources on this problem.”
“Stemming the illegal flow of firearms into our city will always be at the forefront of our mission,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF and our dedicated partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to using all tools available, to include the use of crime gun intelligence data, to make sure those engaged in trafficking firearms into the Commonwealth are held accountable.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Martin.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Essilor Agrees to Pay $16.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Paying KickbacksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced a $16.4 million civil settlement with Essilor International, Essilor of America, Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America, Inc., and Essilor Instruments USA (collectively, “Essilor”), headquartered in Dallas, Texas, to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Essilor manufactures, markets, and distributes optical lenses and equipment used to produce optical lenses. The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
The United States alleges that between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2016, Essilor knowingly and willfully offered or paid remuneration to eye care providers, such as optometrists and ophthalmologists, to induce those providers to order and purchase Essilor products for their patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Specifically, the United States contends that Essilor, through its Strategic Alliance, Practice Builder Loyalty, Practice Builder Elite, and Growth Financing programs (collectively, “Threshold Programs”) knowingly and willfully offered or paid unlawful remuneration to providers to induce providers to order and purchase Essilor products and knowingly caused providers to submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for Essilor products that were tainted by kickbacks that Essilor offered or paid to providers enrolled in Threshold Programs.
“Our healthcare system is predicated on providers making decisions solely in the best interest of the patient,” said United States Attorney Romero. “Kickbacks threaten to corrupt that decision-making. The United States Attorney’s Office stands ready to pursue anyone who fails to abide by the rules that ensure our system functions as it should.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Laura Thompson, Lisa Brez, and Christie Rudolph, former Essilor district sales managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Laura Thompson & Lisa Brez v. Essilor Int’l, No. 3:15-CV-2853-C (N.D. Tex.) and United States ex rel. Christie Rudolph v. Essilor Labs. of Am., Inc., No. 16-CV-0537 (WB) (E.D. Pa.).
“We sincerely thank Ms. Thompson, Ms. Brez, and Ms. Rudolph. Without the willingness of relators to shed light on allegations of fraud, preserving government program funds would be far more challenging.” said U.S. Attorney Romero.
In connection with the settlement, Essilor entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The CIA requires, among other things, that Essilor hire an Independent Review Organization to review its systems, policies, processes, and procedures for ensuring that any discounts, rebates, or other reductions in price offered to providers comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute. The CIA also requires Essilor to put in place new written review and approval process to ensure all existing and new discount arrangements comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute.
“Kickback schemes can impact medical judgment, eroding the trust of both patients and taxpayers,” said Lisa M. Re, Acting Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Essilor’s Corporate Integrity Agreement is intended to establish policies and practices so it complies with the Anti-Kickback Statute moving forward.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. For the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Kaufman and auditor Dawn Wiggins.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Philadelphia Pharmacy and Owner Who Pled Guilty Agree to Resolve Civil Fraud and Controlled Substance Liability for over $4 MillionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that the United States filed a proposed civil judgment with Philadelphia-based Spivack, Inc., previously operating under the name Verree Pharmacy, and owner-pharmacist Mitchell Spivack, to resolve allegations that they engaged in a years-long practice of illegally dispensing opioids and other controlled substances, and systematic health care fraud. The United States filed the related lawsuit against them and other employees of the pharmacy earlier this year. The pharmacy and Spivack have agreed, subject to court approval, to pay over $4.1 million to resolve their civil liability under the Controlled Substances Act, False Claims Act, and forfeiture. The proposed judgment would also permanently ban them from ever dispensing controlled substances in the future.
The culmination of a multi-year federal-state investigation, the previously-filed complaint alleged that Verree Pharmacy, its pharmacist and owner Mitchell Spivack, and other employees of Verree, had a responsibility to dispense opioids and other controlled substances only when appropriate. Instead, the United States alleged that the pharmacy and Spivack dispensed the drugs, even when faced with numerous red flags suggestive of diversion—such as opioids in extreme doses, dangerous combinations of opioids and other “cocktail” drugs preferred by those addicted, excessive cash payments for the drugs, blatantly forged prescriptions, and other signs that the pills were being diverted for illegal purposes. The complaint alleged that Verree—which was the top retail pharmacy purchasing oxycodone in Pennsylvania—has been a nationwide and regional outlier in its deviant purchasing, dispensing, and billing of controlled substances. To avoid scrutiny from the drug distributors that sold them the pills, Verree through Spivack allegedly made false statements to maintain the façade of legitimacy and keep the pharmacy stocked with these pills critical to their profits. Behind that façade, the complaint alleged that Spivack drew millions of dollars from the pharmacy while the public suffered the consequences.
The United States’ complaint alleged that Verree and Spivack were also engaged in an expansive health care fraud scheme involving fraudulent billings for drugs not actually dispensed. The alleged cornerstone of the scheme was a code used by the pharmacy employees in their internal computer system: “BBDF” or “Bill But Don’t Fill.” Verree, Spivack, and their co-conspirators allegedly used BBDF as a means to cover their losses on other drugs and further line their pockets with illicit profits by falsely claiming to insurers, including Medicare, that they had dispensed a drug to a patient, when in fact they had not. According to the complaint, this sophisticated fraud—which one of the employees admitted to investigators—resulted in significant damages to Medicare and other federal programs.
The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and damages on Verree, Spivack, and the other pharmacy employee defendants under the Controlled Substances Act, False Claims Act, and civil forfeiture.
The pharmacy and Spivack agreed to resolve this civil liability under terms outlined in the proposed consent judgment, if accepted by the court. Among other things, the pharmacy and Spivack would pay over $4.1 million in civil damages and penalties under the False Claims Act, Controlled Substances Act, and in civil forfeiture, along with the approximately $500,000 Spivack agreed to pay in criminal restitution and criminal forfeiture. The proposed resolution would also permanently prevent the pharmacy and Spivack from prescribing, distributing, or dispensing any controlled substances in the future, and prevents them from ever seeking another controlled substance registration from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The resolution would also impose a 22-year exclusion on the pharmacy and Spivack from Medicare and Medicaid.
The civil complaint relates to criminal charges that were previously filed against Mitchell Spivack. On May 31, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a one-count criminal information against Spivack for conspiracy to defraud the United States based on allegations similar to those in the civil litigation. Spivack pled guilty to that charge on June 29, 2022.
“Pharmacies and pharmacists who engage in illegal dispensing of opioids devastate their communities and worsen our country’s opioid epidemic” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Providers who abuse Medicare and other federal health care programs by taking money with false billings also steal precious resources from programs critical to the health of our seniors and other citizens. This Office is committed to investigating and holding accountable those providers who violate their controlled substance and health care billing obligations. Our Office deeply appreciates our partnership with the DEA, HHS-OIG, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in pursuing these cases.”
“In a city that has been so adversely and disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic, Verree Pharmacy was the top retail pharmacy purchasing oxycodone in the entire state of Pennsylvania,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Spivack and Verree Pharmacy routinely demonstrated total disregard for their professional and ethical obligations, and improperly dispensed powerful painkillers when numerous warning signs were present.”
“The Medicare and Medicaid Programs provide vital prescription drug services to their beneficiaries,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Pharmacies are required to only bill for prescriptions and products they actually provide to their patients. HHS-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the DEA to investigate allegations of fraudulent insurance billings.”
“We know that nearly 80% of those who use heroin first started with misusing a prescription opioid,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “Today, this pharmacy and their owner took a critical step in resolving the civil suit against them for allegedly filling prescriptions outside of medical standards for the highly addictive drug oxycodone. In addition to the owner’s criminal plea, this civil settlement will get them out of the drug business for good. The opioid crisis killed 5,438 Pennsylvanians last year – and we can’t afford to lose one more life. Pharmacies and medical professionals have a responsibility under the law to dispense these drugs only when appropriate.”
If the public has any information regarding Verree Pharmacy or any other health care fraud allegation, individuals should contact the HHS-OIG hotline at 800-HHS-TIPS.
The case is being investigated by the Philadelphia Field Division of the DEA, the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation, HHS-OIG, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, with additional assistance from the HHS-OIG Office of Audit Services, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, the Defense Health Agency, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The civil investigation and litigation are being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony D. Scicchitano and Sarah L. Grieb and auditors Dawn Wiggins and George Niedzwicki. The related criminal charges are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney M. Beth Leahy and Special Assistant United States Attorney Linda Montag from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.
Except for what has been admitted in the criminal proceeding, the complaints in the civil litigation contain allegations only that the United States must prove if the case proceeds to trial. The proposed consent judgment would resolve any alleged civil liability as to Spivack, Inc. d/b/a Verree Pharmacy and Mitchell Spivack. The United States’ civil litigation against the remaining pharmacy employee defendants remains ongoing.
Philadelphia Fentanyl Supplier Charged by Superseding Indictment with Attempted Murder After Attempting to Evade Law Enforcement, Firing at OfficerRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Natanael Alberto Montas, 33, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Superseding Indictment with attempted murder and assault of a federal officer, and multiple firearms and narcotics offenses, all stemming from his leadership of a fentanyl trafficking organization operating primarily in the Kensington section of Phildelphia. Kirsis Francisca Caceres, 36, also of Philadelphia, PA, was also charged with narcotics offenses for her role in the organization.
According to the Superseding Indictment, Montas was the leader of a drug trafficking group (DTG) that obtained bulk quantities of fentanyl to package and re-distribute the drugs to street-level organizations. In this role, Montas allegedly oversaw the entire operation, which included maintaining stash houses in Philadelphia which were utilized to mix, cut, and package the narcotics for resale to street-level dealers. Caceres and others in the DTG followed the direction of Montas, utilizing stamps to market and identify their product with names like ‘Walgreens,’ ‘F150,’ ‘RedBull,’ ‘Polo,’ ‘Monster,’ and others. Further, Montas maintained firearms at his disposal to protect himself and his drug trafficking business.
After several weeks of surveillance by law enforcement, in March 2021, investigators approached a vehicle being driven by Montas in which they believed he was transporting illegal narcotics. In an effort to evade officers, Montas led police on a high-speed chase through the narrow streets of Philadelphia’s Mayfair neighborhood, driving around stopped vehicles until he could no longer navigate on the roads, and ultimately fled on foot through backyards and alleyways. When he was confronted by a federal task force officer in pursuit, Montas allegedly fired a shot at the officer, which fortunately missed. As the officer took cover, Montas fired three more shots before breaking into a private residence occupied by a woman and two children, where he was ultimately apprehended. Montas, Caceres and others in the DTG were eventually apprehended following this dramatic series of events.
“Fentanyl is one of the deadliest narcotics flooding the streets of our country; Montas and the operation he directed made sure there was a steady supply of it right here in Philadelphia,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “And his danger to the community did not end there: he directly threatened the lives of dozens of people when he fled from law enforcement, and is now charged with attempting to take the life of a federal officer. We will continue to work with our federal and local law enforcement partners to get dangerous criminals like this defendant off the streets.”
“Let this indictment serve as a crystal clear message that any acts of violence committed against a federal agent will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “As if Montas and Caceres’ alleged distribution of illicit fentanyl wasn’t dangerous enough to the community, they allegedly stock-piled numerous firearms in furtherance of their drug-trafficking activities. Montas’ alleged shooting at a task force officer assigned to our office will not be without a severe consequence.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Grenell and Erica Kivitz.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Felon Convicted of State Carjacking and Sexual Assault Offenses Indicted on Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Aasim Harps-Busbee, 22, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon. The charges stem from a series of documented posts on social media and an incident during which the defendant was found in possession of ammunition.
According to the Indictment and other court documents filed in this case, on May 25, 2022, the defendant was convicted of state charges of carjacking and statutory sexual assault, in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. Both offenses are felonies and punishable by more than one year in jail, thus rendering the defendant ineligible to possess firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Between July 6 and July 11, 2022, Harps-Busbee allegedly posted pictures to social media accounts that included a firearm and an offer to sell a firearm to any willing buyer for a specified price. When PPD and ATF initially located the defendant on July 11, 2022, he was not in possession of a firearm; however, he was in possession of six rounds of ammunition. Harps-Busbee later admitted to investigators that he possessed the firearm that he posted pictures of on social media. The defendant was arrested on July 19, 2022, and was detained pending trial.
“Being a felon in possession of a firearm, ammunition, or both are all serious offenses, particularly in a city like Philadelphia where violent crime and gun violence are significant problems,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Our Office is determined to continue doing everything we can to reduce gun violence in our city by investigating and arresting criminals like Harps-Busbee so they remain off the streets for a long time.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Felon Sentenced to over 4 ½ Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm During June 2020 Civil UnrestRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Steven Pennycooke, 36, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine by United States District Court Judge John M. Gallagher for being a previously convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm in connection with looting during a period of civil unrest and mandatory curfew in the City of Philadelphia in Spring 2020.
In April 2022, the defendant was convicted after trial of a single count of possession of a firearm by a felon. In June 2020, Philadelphia Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting that two men were seen pushing a looted ATM down a street in West Philadelphia. When the officers approached the block indicated in the call, they observed two men standing in the street less than a half a block away from a looted ATM loaded onto a cart. When the officers got closer to the suspects, they observed the defendant throw something into a vehicle; and one of the officers looked through the vehicle’s window and observed a firearm in the backseat. According to court documents, after both suspects were taken into custody, the defendant’s companion told police that they were both carrying firearms because, “they purging out here,” and because the defendant had recently been shot while at a gas station. As a previously convicted felon in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2011, Pennycooke was prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
“The crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm is a serious offense, particularly in Philadelphia where gun violence has been and continues to be our city’s most pressing threat to public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Repeat offenders like this defendant, who knowingly illegally carry handguns, are actively contributing to the dangerous circumstances on our streets, and our Office is doing all we can to combat and deter that criminal activity.”
“Gun violence has claimed and affected far too many lives in this city, so every illegal weapon taken off the street is a step in the right direction,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Philadelphia police discovered an armed Steven Pennycooke out and about amidst looting and unrest. This was someone who’d done time for a violent assault with a firearm. He wasn’t permitted to have a gun, he knew it, and he tried to hide it, so back behind bars he goes — in federal prison. The FBI and PPD will continue to work together to lock up criminals who refuse to respect the law. We’ve got to make Philadelphia safer all around.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra Lastowski and Derek Hines.
Former Investment Adviser Sentenced to Five Years for Defrauding his Clients of More than $7 MillionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Lee D. Weiss, 51, of Roslyn, NY, and Newton, MA, was sentenced today to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $7.5 million in restitution and a $250,000 fine for his conviction of investment adviser fraud. The charges arose from Weiss’ multi-year investment scam that targeted his own clients and caused investor losses of more than $7 million.
In March 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to investment adviser fraud in connection with this scheme to defraud his clients. Weiss was the principal of Family Endowment Partners, LP, an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which had an office in West Chester, PA, before it was closed by order of the SEC. The defendant used his position to fleece his own clients of millions of dollars through purported investments in a now-defunct Florida tobacco company and a series of private securities offerings. Weiss told his clients that their money would be used for investment purposes when, in fact, he diverted it to make Ponzi payments and to fund his lifestyle, and further told his clients that they were making money when their funds had already been misappropriated. Weiss continued to lie to them about the value of their investments to prevent them from learning of his thefts and to convince them to continue paying him fees for “managing” their money.
“Honesty, integrity, and trust all play a critical role in the relationship between a financial advisor and a client; when the advisor corrupts that relationship, the damage done to the financial security of the client can be catastrophic,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The end result is as devastating and traumatic as if the victim had been robbed at gunpoint, and therefore we take it just as seriously. We will continue to hold accountable those who, like Mr. Weiss, commit life-shattering financial crimes.”
“Lee Weiss’s clients expected him to invest their money responsibly and he had a fiduciary duty to do so. Instead, he misappropriated millions for his and his company’s purposes,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “He used their funds for everything from car payments, to country club fees, to payouts to previous investors. Justice demands that financial fraudsters like Weiss be held accountable for their crimes and today’s sentencing ensures that.”
“The Postal Inspection Service has a long history of investigating investment frauds,” said Damon Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service. “Today, Lee Weiss was sentenced for stealing millions of dollars from his clients, clients who had trusted him to invest their money in safe, blue-chip investments. Through a web of corporate entities, Mr. Weiss hid the reality of his investment strategy and his failing business and stole his clients’ money to cover his own losses and continue living well. Thanks to the hard work of the Postal Inspectors, special agents from the FBI and the Assistant United States Attorneys, Mr. Weiss has been held accountable for his deceitful practices.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Shapiro and Nancy E. Potts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciates the substantial assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in this matter.
Retired New Jersey Doctor Convicted at Trial of Selling Toxic Chemical as Weight-loss DrugRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that William Merlino, 85, of Mays Landing, NJ, was convicted at trial of selling misbranded drugs online, arising from his scheme to sell a toxic industrial chemical as a weight-loss drug which he manufactured in a lab in his home.
In December 2019, the defendant was charged with one count of introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce in connection with operating a business through which he packaged and sold Dinitriophenol (DNP) for human consumption from at least November 2017 until March 2019. In the 1930s, before the law required drugs to be proven safe before they were marketed, DNP was used as a weight-loss drug despite significant negative side effects, including dehydration, cataracts, liver damage, and death. The chemical has never been approved for human consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but has a variety of industrial/commercial uses, such as herbicides, dyes, and wood preservatives. Using Twitter to advertise, eBay to sell, and email to communicate with clients, Merlino earned approximately $54,000 from clients in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. through the sale of this drug. During trial, a witness from the shipping service the defendant used to ship the drug to customers testified that they referred to Merlino among their colleagues as ‘the yellow man,’ due to the fact that every time he would bring in a package to ship, he would have yellow dust from the chemical on his skin, nails and clothes.
After a year-long investigation by the FDA, investigators served a search warrant at the defendant’s residence, where they found bulk DNP, packaging and encapsulating materials, and a pill press. Subsequently, while awaiting trial on this charge, Merlino faked a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in order to attempt to avoid trial; the jury heard evidence that the defendant altered a doctor’s letter and his medical records. As a result, the defendant is now separately facing obstruction of justice charges related to these fraudulent submissions to the court.
“The United States sets standards for the foods and drugs we ingest in order to keep American consumers and patients safe,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The defendant knowingly skirted our country’s regulations by marketing an unsafe chemical to people hoping for a quick and easy solution. This scheme put many people’s health and safety at risk. We urge everyone to refrain from ingesting DNP for any reason.”
“The distribution of misbranded, unapproved and dangerous drugs in the U.S. marketplace puts consumers’ health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public health.”
“The Postal Service has no interest in being the unwitting accomplice to anyone using the U.S. Mail to distribute contraband or other harmful substances,” said Damon Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “One of the Inspection Service’s key objectives is to rid the mail of illegal and dangerous substances that at best fleece our fellow citizens, and at worst, cause serious harm. William Merlino is no different than the snake oil salesmen from a century ago. Thanks to hard work of the Inspectors, Special Agents from the FDA and an Assistant United States Attorney’s Office, a jury saw through Merlino’s lies and held him accountable.”
The case was investigated by U.S. Food & Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, U. S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joan Burnes
Newark, DE Man Pleads Guilty to Prescription Fraud Charges Just Before TrialRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Maurice Bertrand, 34, of Newark, DE, pleaded guilty just before jury selection was set to begin for trial in front of United States District Court Judge Harvey Bartle III, to one count of fraudulently obtaining oxycodone, and one count of attempting to fraudulently obtain oxycodone.
In September 2019, the defendant was charged in connection with his scheme to present forged prescriptions written under the name of a Center City doctor whom he had never met at a Marcus Hook area pharmacy. Evidence which would have been presented at trial would have shown that in May 2019, Bertrand obtained 90 oxycodone tablets, and in June 2019, he was intercepted by law enforcement while attempting to obtain 120 oxycodone tablets.
The charges against Bertrand and 12 other defendants were originally announced as part of the formation of the Newark/Philadelphia Regional Medicare Fraud Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey. The Strike Force focuses its efforts on aggressively investigating and prosecuting complex cases involving patient harm, large financial loss, and the illegal prescribing and distribution of opioids and other dangerous narcotics. Bertrand is the last of the 13 total defendants to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with this investigation and faces up to eight years in prison.
“Stopping prescription fraud in order to stem the tide of illegal opioid distribution and addiction in our District is a top priority for our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “This thirteenth and final conviction in this investigation demonstrates our commitment to cutting off the supply of addictive drugs diverted to the streets in order to keep our communities safe.”
These cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Easttown Township Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Troyer.
Delaware County Man Sentenced to over 1 ½ Years in Prison for CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Karanjot Singh, 25, of Upper Darby, PA, was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for cyberstalking a woman online for the better part of a year.
Beginning in March 2020 and continuing for more than 9 months, the defendant stalked a woman online by sending in excess of 100 sexually violent and threatening text messages to her. The defendant terrorized her repeatedly, messaging her at all hours of the day and night with escalating threats to rape and murder her and her family members. In order to disguise his true identity and as part of the course of his harassment of the victim, the defendant used multiple cell phone applications that allowed him to create numerous anonymous phone numbers. Following an intensive investigation, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation ultimately traced each of the “anonymous” phone numbers and linked them to the defendant, after which he was arrested.
“This defendant used his words as weapons, sending threatening messages and personal information to reinforce the targeted bullying of his victim,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “His behavior very well could have escalated, which is why sending threatening communications is a crime, and why our Office and our partners take threats so seriously.”
“Singh was strategic in his cyber torment of his victim,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “His actions were intended to inflict emotional harm and the fear of physical violence and that’s exactly what they did. Cyberstalking is a serious crime, and you can be sure the FBI will work to unmask and hold accountable anyone who uses today’s technology in such a vile way.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony J. Carissimi.
Alaska Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Threatening Attack on Lafayette College in Northampton CountyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Gavin Lee Casdorph, 23, of Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay over $7,700 in restitution and a $1,000 fine by United States District Court Judge Edward G. Smith for making false threats against Lafayette College in Easton, PA.
In April 2020, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of willfully making false threats in connection with claims he made online stating he planned to detonate several bombs across the Lafayette College campus. In 2018, while using the handle “BdanJafarSaleem.,” Casdorph posted on Twitter that he planned to bomb multiple locations on campus and pledged allegiance to ISIS. He included with his Twitter post an image of the ISIS flag and a photograph of several firearms. The defendant also sent a mass email to members of the College’s admissions staff containing similar disturbing threats and imagery.
Investigators quickly determined that the bomb threats were a hoax, and arrested Casdorph in Anchorage, Alaska in December 2018.
“This defendant thought he could make threats from the other side of the continent with impunity, but the dedicated agents of the FBI on this case proved him wrong,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Threats of mass violence and destruction, especially on school campuses or any public place, are taken extremely seriously by our Office and our federal partners. As was the case here, we will not stop until the culprits are identified, arrested and brought to justice.”
“The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, as Gavin Casdorph learned the hard way,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “I hope today’s sentencing sends a message that hoax threats aren’t a joke, they’re a crime. Please don’t let keyboard courage short-circuit your future. Anyone who tries something like this shouldn’t be surprised when the FBI rolls up at your front door.”
This case was investigated by the Lafayette College Department of Public Safety, Easton Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Philadelphia and Anchorage Divisions. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph LaBar. Additional assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Eleven Years for 2018 South Philadelphia Home Invasion Robbery and Assault of Owners’ Teenage DaughterRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Shaquan Johnson, 23, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 11 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,000,000 in restitution by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick for his participation in a home invasion robbery during which the defendant and his accomplices victimized the homeowners’ teenage daughter and stole approximately $1 million in currency and jewelry, and for smuggling contraband into federal prison while he was detained for the robbery.
In March 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act Robbery and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a violent crime in connection with the robbery incident in August 2018. According to court documents, Johnson and three co-defendants victimized the 17-year-old girl in her home while stealing the cash and valuables owned by her parents. Specifically, while she lay sleeping around midnight, the men entered her bedroom, pulled her from her bed, and struck her several times. They then held her at gunpoint and robbed her family of their life savings—the proceeds of their restaurant business a block-and-a-half away on Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia.
Further, while detained for the robbery charge in the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, the defendant was charged with using an infant to illegally bring narcotics and a cell phone into the prison. In March 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining contraband in prison.
“Mr. Johnson and his accomplices not only victimized a family by violating the sanctity of their home and stealing the life savings for which they worked very hard, they also physically assaulted their daughter while they thought she was safely at home in her bed,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “I imagine it will take many years for this family to feel whole and secure again. Spending more than a decade in prison will give the defendant some time to reflect on the damage his crimes caused, and serve as a warning to others who might be considering engaging in similar behavior.”
“Thanks to the diligent work of the investigators and prosecutors assigned to this case, the victims finally have justice for this horrific crime,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF works tirelessly with the Philadelphia Police Department and United States Attorney’s Office to keep the public safe from this type of violence. Today, the community is safer knowing this violent individual will be behind bars for a long time.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Carissimi and Sarah Damiani.
Montgomery County Skilled Nursing Facility to Pay More than $819,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Arising from Billing of Rehabilitation TherapyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Old Man’s Home of Philadelphia d/b/a Saunders House will pay $819,640 to settle claims that the skilled nursing facility provided medically unnecessary rehabilitation therapy to residents to maximize revenue, and without prioritizing clinical needs. Saunders House is located in Wynnewood, PA.
The settlement resolves allegations in a whistleblower complaint filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions allow private citizens to bring civil actions on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The whistleblower, a physical therapist assistant who provided physical therapy services at Saunders House through his employment with a contracted therapy provider, generally alleged that Saunders House overbilled federal healthcare programs such as Medicare for therapy services. He alleged that Saunders House: (a) overbilled federal healthcare programs such as Medicare for therapy services provided; (b) billed for services not provided; (c) billed for unreasonable, unnecessary, and sometimes harmful therapy; and (d) allowed the therapy provider to manipulate clinical services to maximize billing.
During the relevant time period, Medicare Part A paid for services rendered to a beneficiary in a skilled nursing facility at a daily rate based, in part, on a Resource Utilization Group (RUG) to which the beneficiary is assigned. Each distinct RUG was intended to reflect the anticipated costs associated with providing nursing and rehabilitation services to beneficiaries with similar characteristics or resource needs. The highest reimbursement level was Ultra High or RU. The resolution is based on claims that Saunders House caused the submission of false claims for Ultra High RUG therapy levels despite evidence that the RU level of therapy was not reasonable or necessary for the respective patients.
“Focusing on profits over the needs of individual patients violates the public trust and creates a potential for harm of some of the most vulnerable among us,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “It also shifts taxpayers’ funds away from the vital services of law-abiding therapy providers. We thank the whistleblower for helping to make the government aware of these allegations. We also thank Saunders House for fully cooperating with the government’s investigation—that cooperation was taken into account when determining an appropriate resolution of these allegations.”
“Protecting the integrity of our Medicare program is of the utmost importance,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “Patients need to depend on the decisions made by their health care providers and know those decisions are made to improve their conditions and not to increase providers’ individual profits. HHS-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate allegations of fraudulent actions.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Landon Y. Jones III and Elizabeth L. Coyne handled the case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from auditor Dawn Wiggins, and worked with Albert Mayer, Trial Attorney, of the Civil Fraud Section of the Department of Justice. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
The Department of Justice, committed to protecting our nation’s seniors through its Elder Justice Initiative, works in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to support the efforts of state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, and other elder justice professionals to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation, with the development of training, resources and information. Learn more about the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
The case is docketed as United States et al. ex rel. Carson v. Select Rehabilitation, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 15-5708 (E.D. Pa.). The settled civil claims are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability.
Center City Steakhouse Enters into Agreement with the Government to Resolve ADA Compliance IssuesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced an agreement with Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in Philadelphia to resolve the Department of Justice review of the restaurant for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The government inspected the restaurant for ADA compliance as part of its review of 25 Philadelphia restaurants launched by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2015. These restaurants were not reviewed in response to any specific complaint.
Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (“Del Frisco’s”) entered into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement to resolve the government’s ADA compliance review of its Philadelphia Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse location on Chestnut Street. Designed and built in what was a nearly empty space in 2008, the restaurant was found to have a number of architectural barriers that violate the ADA, which President George H.W. Bush signed into law 32 years ago this week.
The agreement announced today requires the restaurant to take steps to remove specific barriers to accessibility identified by the Department of Justice during its inspection. The agreement also requires Del Frisco’s to identify and correct violations of the ADA that may exist in each of its other locations nationwide, including 16 Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse restaurants and 17 Del Frisco’s Grille locations.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated this compliance review to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to area restaurants to the full extent guaranteed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The agreement announced today furthers that important goal,” said Romero. “Restaurants and other businesses must comply with the applicable accessibility provisions of the ADA. If they do not, we will continue to take all practical steps within our power to enforce compliance, including litigation if necessary.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has a proud history of prioritizing civil rights enforcement and the ADA in particular; it has continued that tradition in recent efforts. For example, in February 2020, the Office began a review of all polling places in the District to ensure compliance with the ADA in advance of the November election. In April 2019, in response to an investigation initiated by the Office, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Inc., executed a settlement agreement in which it agreed to address barriers to access for individuals who use wheelchairs in Jefferson’s radiology outpatient clinic. After a lengthy investigation, in March 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Education signed a settlement agreement to address alleged discrimination against students with disabilities in its alternate education programs. In a March 2018 settlement agreement, Allergy & Asthma Specialists, P.C. agreed to fix barriers to access for deaf individuals at its Jenkintown facility.
The ADA compliance review of Del Frisco’s was handled by U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, previously the Civil Rights Coordinator for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, former Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Crutchlow, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren DeBruicker.
For resources on ADA compliance, visit www.ada.gov. To report a suspected violation of the ADA, visit www.ada.gov and click “File an ADA Complaint,” or email the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania at [email protected].
Philadelphia Woman Sentenced 2 ½ Years in Prison After Pleading Guilty in Connection with Arson of Two Police Cars During 2020 ProtestsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Lore Elisabeth Blumenthal, 35, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison (30 months), two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay more than $95,000 restitution by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick in connection with the arson of two Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) vehicles during the Spring 2020 civil unrest in Philadelphia.
In June 2020, the defendant was charged by criminal complaint following investigations into multiple arsons of law enforcement vehicles during the protests that occurred in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. The charges stemmed from incidents which occurred on May 30, 2020, during which Blumenthal set fire to two PPD vehicles that were parked on the north side of Philadelphia City Hall. In March 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of obstructing, impeding and interfering with law enforcement officers engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties during the commission of a civil disorder.
“Now that several of those arrested in Philadelphia in connection with arsons during the 2020 racial justice protests have been sentenced in federal court, it is important to reflect on the gravity of what happened in our city and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We witnessed a movement that spurred thousands of people to take to the streets to peacefully protest unequal treatment under the law, but some saw it as an opportunity to commit violent, destructive crimes that endangered the lives of many, and ultimately robbed taxpayer-funded resources from the mission of protecting the public. That is unacceptable, and our Office will continue to work to ensure that all Americans can safely and freely exercise their First Amendment rights, while holding accountable those who would hijack peaceful protests for their own violent and selfish ends.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message—when you are intent on conducting a violent act that breaks federal law, ATF and our law enforcement partners will make sure you are held accountable,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This type of violent behavior puts our entire community in danger, so the outcome of this investigation is a small victory for all citizens of the Commonwealth.”
“Peacefully protesting is protected activity. Purposeful arson and destruction of property — those are crimes,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “The actions of Lore Elisabeth Blumenthal and others who similarly crossed the line endangered law enforcement and countless bystanders alike, and proved a huge distraction from the message carried by protesters seeking social justice. There are productive ways to express your anger and desire for change, but violence will never be one of them.”
“Investigative successes like this are a testament to the interagency cooperation being practiced by partnering agencies united in the common goal of ensuring our national security and keeping our communities safe,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Philadelphia Field Office. “I am exceptionally proud of how HSI Philadelphia’s Special Agents and Analysts teamed together with our federal, state and local partners in this case, utilizing technology and collaboration to bring the defendant to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office, with assistance from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Felon Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison After Conviction for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Kevin Jamelle Archie, 40, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky for illegally possessing a loaded firearm.
In May 2019, the defendant was convicted after trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges stemmed from an incident in September 2016, when Philadelphia Police officers responded to a 911 call for a person with a gun in the area of Frankford Avenue and Pacific Street in the Harrowgate section of lower Northeast Philadelphia. Officers approached Archie when they saw him drop a black metallic object near the wheel well of a parked car and heard the object hit the ground. The officers recovered a firearm loaded with ten rounds of ammunition, and subsequently arrested the defendant. At the time of his arrest, Archie had previously been convicted of a felony – possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances – which barred him from legally possessing a firearm.
“This is the second such sentence handed down today in two different, unrelated cases that are strikingly similar: both defendants were convicted by juries of the charge of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, both incidents occurred in a particularly violent section of the city, and both defendants attempted to discard the firearms they were carrying so as not to be caught by police,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “These cases are noteworthy even if they appear to be simple at first glance because they demonstrate our commitment to fighting violent crime by targeting the most dangerous, repeat offenders.”
“There is no place in our community for firearms to be in the hands of convicted felons,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “ATF will always remain steadfast in our efforts to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and reduce violent crime. Identifying, investigating, and incarcerating armed felons that threaten the safety of the community is at the forefront of our efforts to combat gun crime.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tom Zaleski.
Philadelphia Felon Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison After Conviction for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Asa Jackson, 40, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney for illegally possessing a loaded firearm.
In March 2022, a jury convicted Jackson of unlawfully possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony. The charges stemmed from an incident in May 2020 in the Harrowgate section of Philadelphia during which Philadelphia Police officers responded to a 911 call that someone had assaulted two women inside a Frankford Avenue corner store and threatened them with a firearm. When officers arrived, they observed a man one block away who fit the description in the call, later identified as Jackson. When Jackson saw the police, he ducked between two parked vehicles and dropped the firearm to the ground. Police apprehended Jackson and recovered a loaded pistol. At the time of his arrest, Archie had previously been convicted of a felony which barred him from legally possessing a firearm.
“Reducing violent crime – especially gun crime – is a priority for our Office, and deterring individuals from illegally carrying weapons on the streets of Philadelphia is part of our strategy,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We are committed to working with the Philadelphia Police Department and other law enforcement partners to target the most dangerous, repeat offenders and bring them to justice.”
“This sentence ensures that a violent criminal is taken off the streets for a long time,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Keeping our communities safe from violent felons like Jackson will always be our top priority. This outcome highlights the value of the collaborative effort with our local, state, and federal partners to reduce violent crime.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright.
Philadelphia Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Counterfeit Pill Operation, Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that DeWitt Drayton, 46, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and five years of supervised release by United States Senior District Court Judge Anita B. Brody for manufacturing counterfeit pills using controlled substances, including methamphetamine, and for unlawfully possessing three firearms.
In March 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. The defendant was charged with these offenses after federal investigators executed a search warrant at his home and uncovered what can be described only as a drug lab. This included multiple pill press machines and other supplies, which the defendant had been using to manufacture counterfeit prescription painkillers using a variety of narcotics, including fentanyl and the horse tranquilizer Xylazine, as well as methamphetamine-laced ecstasy pills. Investigators recovered thousands of pills, which the defendant had manufactured, and which were destined for sale on the streets of Philadelphia. The discovery of these items was not surprising, as federal authorities had been tracking the defendant’s purchases of pill-making supplies from China and elsewhere.
Agents also executed a search warrant at a property in New Jersey used by the defendant, and between the two properties, they recovered three firearms, two of which had obliterated serial numbers, and all of which the defendant was prohibited from possessing given his criminal history.
“Drug distribution and gun violence are an epidemic in Philadelphia and the federal government is aggressively prosecuting both in order to get dangerous, repeat offenders like this defendant off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “DeWitt Drayton was a large-scale drug manufacturer and illegally possessed multiple firearms to protect his business, which are both offenses that put our community and the people who live here at risk. We want to thank our law enforcement partners in this case, the DEA and HSI, for their hard work and dedication.”
“Drayton was responsible for manufacturing and distributing fake opioid pills containing illicit fentanyl and fake stimulant pills containing methamphetamine out of a house in the heart of the Kensington section of Philadelphia,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “The current overdose crisis is largely driven by criminals like Drayton who flooded our streets with fentanyl-laced fake pills. Learn more about the dangers of fake pills through our One Pill Can Kill public awareness campaign, which can be accessed at www.dea.gov/onepill.”
“This sentencing demonstrates how Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia Cyber Crime Investigations Task Force (C2iTF) working hand in hand with partners from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Philadelphia Police Department, Customs and Border Protection and the Pennsylvania State Police actively seeks to hold accountable criminals whose actions harm Americans,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Philadelphia Field Office. “Methamphetamine and illicit firearms are significant contributors to public safety concerns, and we will continue to dismantle criminal organizations which prey upon our communities.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Stengel.
Justice Department, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Three State Attorneys General Reach Settlements with Trident Mortgage Company to Resolve Lending Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that the Department of Justice, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the Attorneys General of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware announced today agreements to resolve allegations that Trident Mortgage Company (Trident), which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., engaged in a pattern or practice of lending discrimination by “redlining” in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, including neighborhoods in Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington. This resolution represents the Justice Department’s first redlining settlement against a mortgage company and is the second-largest redlining settlement in Justice Department history.
“Redlining” is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in certain communities or postal zip codes because of the race, color, or national origin of persons residing there. Under a proposed federal consent order, which is subject to court approval and was filed in conjunction with a complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Trident has agreed to invest over $20 million to increase credit opportunities in neighborhoods of color in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Trident will also pay a civil money penalty of $4 million.
The complaint filed in federal court alleges that: (1) Trident violated the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibit financial institutions from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin in their mortgage lending services; (2) Trident further violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act, which prohibits offering or providing to a consumer any financial product or service not in conformity with federal consumer financial law; (3) from at least 2015 to 2019, Trident failed to provide mortgage lending services to neighborhoods of color in the Philadelphia metropolitan area; (4) Trident concentrated its offices in majority-white neighborhoods; (5) Trident failed to direct its loan officers to serve—and its loan officers did not serve—the credit needs of neighborhoods of color; (6) Trident’s outreach and marketing avoided those neighborhoods; and (7) Trident’s loan officers and other employees sent and received work e-mails containing racial slurs and messages referring to communities of color as “ghetto.”
The $20 million that Trident agrees, under the proposed consent order, to invest to increase credit opportunities for residents of neighborhoods of color in the Philadelphia metropolitan area includes at least: $18.4 million in a loan subsidy fund; $750,000 for development of community partnerships to provide services that increase access to residential mortgage credit; $875,000 for advertising and outreach; and $375,000 for consumer financial education.
Because Trident is no longer lending, it will contract with another lender to provide loan subsidies and services to the “redlined” communities and will ensure that the lender: maintains at least four mortgage loan officers dedicated to serving neighborhoods of color in and around Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington; maintains at least four office locations in those neighborhoods; and employs a full-time manager of community lending who will oversee the continued development of lending in neighborhoods of color in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Separately, Trident has also entered into agreements with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the States of New Jersey and Delaware. Under those agreements, which resolve allegations against both Trident and Fox & Roach LP (a real estate affiliate of Trident): Trident will reimburse Pennsylvania and New Jersey for costs that they incurred in conducting their investigations; and Fox & Roach will invest $150,000 in marketing to communities of color in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
“For far too many years, Philadelphia’s Black, Latino, and other communities of color have lacked equal access to lending and legal deed ownership. These historically redlined areas of Philadelphia continue to experience disproportionate amounts of poverty, poor health outcomes, limited educational attainment, unemployment, and violent crime,” U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero said. “I am pleased that my office could support the Attorney General’s Combatting Redlining Initiative through this resolution, and I look forward to our continued partnership with the Civil Rights Division.”
“Last fall, I announced the Department’s Combatting Redlining Initiative and promised that we would mobilize resources to make fair access to credit a reality in underserved neighborhoods across our country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As demonstrated by today’s historic announcement, we are increasing our coordination with federal financial regulatory agencies and state Attorneys General to combat the modern-day redlining that has unlawfully plagued communities of color.”
“This settlement is a stark reminder that redlining is not a problem from a bygone era. Trident’s unlawful redlining activity denied communities of color equal access to residential mortgages, stripped them of the opportunity to build wealth and devalued properties in their neighborhoods,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement ensures that significant lending resources will be infused into neighborhoods of color in and around Philadelphia that have historically experienced racial discrimination. Along with our federal and state law enforcement partners, we are sending a powerful message to lenders that they will be held accountable when they run afoul of our fair lending laws.”
“Trident illegally redlined neighborhoods in the Philadelphia area, excluding qualified families seeking to own a home,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “With housing costs so high, it is critical that illegal discrimination does not put homeownership even further out of reach.”
This settlement is part of the U.S. Attorney General’s Combatting Redlining Initiative, announced in October 2021 and aimed at coordinating agencies’ enforcement efforts to address this persistent form of discrimination against communities of color. The Initiative is expanding the Justice Department’s reach by strengthening partnerships with U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, with regulatory partners like CFPB, and with partners in States’ attorney general offices.
The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the CFPB jointly investigated the matter, with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The investigation was coordinated closely with the attorneys general of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the States of New Jersey and Delaware.
A copy of the complaint, as well as additional information about the Justice Department’s fair lending enforcement, can be found at www.justice.gov/fairhousing. Individuals may report lending discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online.
Citizens in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who believe that they may have been victims of lending discrimination may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania at 215-861-8200 or 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250, Philadelphia, PA 19106, ATTN: Civil Division Chief Gregory David.
Reading Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Travelling to his Native Dominican Republic to Engage in Illicit Sex with a Child for YearsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Valentin Ortiz, 73, of Reading, PA, was sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $10,000 restitution by United States District Court Judge John M. Gallagher for repeatedly traveling to the Dominican Republic to engage in a sexual relationship with a 12 year old child, with whom he eventually fathered two children.
In November 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of travel in foreign commerce with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and two counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. The charges arose from an investigation which began when the defendant, a naturalized United States citizen, applied to bring his spouse to the U.S. by filing paperwork with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in June 2018. The defendant listed August 2013 as the date of their marriage, when his spouse and victim was 18 and he was 65 years old. Investigators discovered that beginning in 2007, when the defendant was 59 and the victim was just 12 years old, he pursued and maintained a sexual relationship with her when he traveled to the Dominican Republic. This ongoing illicit sexual relationship led to the victim becoming pregnant with their two children, when she was 13 and 15 years old, respectively.
“Valentin Ortiz is a sexual predator who targeted a very young and vulnerable victim, travelling internationally so he could prey on this child without the same legal consequences as he might face in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But as a U.S. citizen, he is prohibited from engaging in such abhorrent conduct abroad, and accordingly, he has now been held accountable for his crimes.”
“Catching international predators requires international reach. When it comes to these types of cases, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is a premier U.S. government agency working to track, arrest, and convict these appalling criminals,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Philadelphia Field Office. “This case shows how HSI Philadelphia, along with our colleagues in the Dominican Republic, collaborated closely and stopped at nothing in pursuit of a dangerous sexual predator of children.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.
Delaware County Pharmacy and Owner-Pharmacist Agree to Pay $750k and Never Again Dispense Controlled Substances to Resolve Civil Allegations of Sex-for-Pills SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that the United States filed a civil lawsuit against Murray-Overhill Pharmacy, Inc., located in Media, PA, and its co-owner pharmacist Martin Brian, alleging a years-long practice of illegal dispensing and distribution of opioid and other controlled substances as part of a sex-for-pills scheme. At the same time the civil suit was filed, the United States also filed a proposed consent judgment that, subject to the court’s approval, would resolve the lawsuit. The consent judgment would require Murray-Overhill Pharmacy and Brian to pay $750,000 in civil penalties under the Controlled Substances Act and would permanently prohibit them from dispensing controlled substances or obtaining another controlled substance registration in the future.
In the civil complaint, the United States alleged that Murray-Overhill Pharmacy, Inc., through its pharmacist and co-owner Martin Brian, exploited its access to controlled substances and engaged in a scheme of pills-for-sex with multiple individuals. The United States alleged that police arrived at the rear of the pharmacy due to a report of an unconscious male and female in a car, which contained drug paraphernalia. The complaint alleges that another woman exited the back of the pharmacy followed by Brian, with the woman and Brian initially claiming she came to the pharmacy from Maryland—on a Sunday when the pharmacy was closed—to show pictures of her children. According to the United States’ allegations, additional investigation revealed that the woman received oxycodone and alprazolam from Brian for sexual acts on several occasions over the prior year, without any legitimate prescription.
The complaint also alleges that Brian and Murray-Overhill engaged in a similar pills-for-sex scheme with another woman. Brian allegedly gave the woman bottles of oxycodone and alprazolam from Murray-Overhill multiple times a week without a prescription in exchange for sex acts. The complaint further alleges that additional evidence confirmed the schemes with these individuals, with over a hundred thousand missing pills of opioids and other controlled substances.
Murray-Overhill has already surrendered its pharmacy registration to the DEA. Murray-Overhill Pharmacy and Brian further agreed to resolve their civil liability under terms outlined in the proposed consent judgment, if accepted by the court. Among other things, Murray-Overhill and Brian would pay $750,000 in civil penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. The proposed resolution would also permanently prevent Brian from distributing or dispensing any controlled substances in the future and prevent Murray-Overhill Pharmacy from ever applying for a new controlled substance registration from the DEA.
The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office previously filed criminal charges against Brian for the same conduct.
“This case illustrates that the opioid epidemic continues to damage our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “This Office will never allow pharmacies and pharmacists, who held positions of trust, to take advantage of their access to controlled substances at the expense of those in our communities addicted to controlled substances.”
“The allegations against Brian that he repeatedly distributed powerful painkillers and other controlled substances in exchange for sexual acts are repulsive and demonstrate Brian’s total disregard for his legal and ethical responsibilities as a pharmacist,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “The DEA, working with its partners such as the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, the Media Borough Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Department of State, will aggressively pursue rogue pharmacists like Brian who are responsible for contributing to the opioid epidemic.”
“This case hits very close to home, involving as it does a pharmacy only a block from the courthouse. While the 81-year old pharmacist maintained a facade of respectability, in trading drugs for sex, he was no better than a dealer selling drugs on a street corner. The public should understand that the law enforcement community is committed to going after the dealers – whoever they may be, and wherever we may find them,” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.
The case is being investigated by the Philadelphia Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, the Media Borough Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation. The civil investigation, litigation, and proposed resolution are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony D. Scicchitano and auditor Dawn Wiggins, and was also handled by former Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Koob, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Anthony St. Joseph.
The complaint contains allegations only that the United States must prove if the case proceeds to trial. The proposed consent judgment would resolve any alleged civil liability.
Three Philadelphia-Area Men Charged in Connection with Scheme to Wash and Alter Checks Stolen from USPS Collection BoxesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Naod Tsegay, 22, of Collingdale, PA; Fode Bangoura, 20, of Philadelphia, PA; and Zyier Williams, 19, also of Philadelphia, PA, were arrested and charged by Indictment with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen United States Postal Service (USPS) keys, and possession of stolen mail. The charges arise from the defendants’ alleged scheme to fraudulently alter and deposit personal and business checks that had been stolen from the U.S. mail.
The Indictment alleges that between March and June 2021, Tsegay and his co-defendants recruited individuals to provide their bank account and debit card information, and then used those recruits’ bank accounts to deposit checks that had been stolen from blue USPS collection boxes located throughout the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Each of the victims confirmed that they placed their checks in the mail at various blue collection boxes near their homes but their checks never reached the intended recipients. According to the Indictment, after altering the checks by changing the designated payees and increasing the dollar amount of the checks—often from a nominal sum to a payment of several thousand dollars—Tsegay allegedly deposited the stolen checks into the recruits’ bank accounts and later withdrew or attempted to withdraw the fraudulently deposited funds. The Indictment further alleges that Tsegay was ultimately found in unlawful possession of dozens of checks and money orders stolen from USPS collection boxes, as well as two Arrow Keys—keys belonging to USPS that are used by Postal employees to access blue collection boxes throughout the District. The total amount stolen or attempted stolen as a result of the defendants’ scheme exceeded $200,000.
“The United States Postal Service provides an essential service to nearly every citizen, often conveying income, bills and expenses which are the basis of many livelihoods,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “If you choose to tamper with or steal U.S. mail for any reason, you can be assured that the federal government will conduct an intense investigation and aggressive prosecution, as we intend to in this case.”
“The United States Postal Inspection Service investigates many different crimes that affect the Postal Service, its customers, or that use the mail in the commission of the crime,” said Damon Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division. “One of its original missions however, was to investigate the theft of mail. When folks use the mail to pay bills, send birthday cards, send business documents, or simply hope to receive a new pair of shoes that were ordered online, they should do so without fear that those items might be stolen. We have been working, and will continue to work, to identify, investigate, arrest, and support the prosecution of those responsible for stealing mail and shaking our collective trust in the mail system. I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office and the numerous local police departments for working with us to bring these charges against these three individuals.”
If convicted, the defendants face mandatory terms of imprisonment and a fine of at least $1 million.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Yeadon Borough Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Philadelphia Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that William Watts, Sr., 56, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky to the charges of receiving and possessing child pornography.
In June 2022, the defendant was charged by Information with child exploitation offenses. The FBI arrested the defendant in October 2021 after investigating a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was a police officer in Philadelphia’s First Police District and had amassed a collection of hundreds of images of child pornography between his online accounts and electronic devices. Watts has since resigned his position with the Department, and as a result of his conviction, he faces a sentence of up to forty years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and mandatory restitution of at least $3,000 per child victim, and other fines and penalties. Watts remains incarcerated at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia pending sentencing.
“Watts has admitted to seeking out videos of children being abused for his own gratification – thus adding to the demand for these types of images to be produced and more children to be victimized,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Our Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to doing the difficult work of investigating and prosecuting these heinous crimes in order to hold people like this defendant accountable, no matter their position in the community or occupation.”
“That William Watts repeatedly broke the law while sworn to uphold it is disappointing,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “That he was collecting images of children being sexually abused is disturbing. All those who seek out this despicable material are perpetuating the victimization of innocent children. That’s why the FBI so doggedly pursues these cases. Protecting kids from this physical and emotional trauma is our priority.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.
Former Federal Inmate Sentenced to Nearly Three Years for Fraudulently Collecting PUA Funds on Behalf of Incarcerated IndividualsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA –United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Brandon Segers, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $142,069 in restitution for fraudulently applying for and obtaining emergency unemployment benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Segers and others submitted false applications claiming that prison inmates lost employment as a result of the pandemic, and false weekly certifications that inmates were available to work full-time despite their incarceration.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law. The CARES Act created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which provides unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits, including individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligibility to receive weekly PUA benefits is predicated on an applicant’s unemployment for reasons related to the pandemic, and it requires that the applicant was able to work each day and, if offered a job, would have been able to accept it. Once an applicant is approved to receive benefits, the applicant is required to submit weekly certifications indicating that he or she: was ready, willing and able to work each day; was seeking full time employment; did not refuse any job offers or referrals; and had reported any employment during the week and the gross pay or other payments received.
In April 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and theft of government money. As part of his guilty plea, Segers acknowledged that applications were filed on behalf of inmates who did not lose their job due to COVID. Co-defendant and incarcerated individual, Michael Matthews, transmitted the necessary inmate information for the filing of PUA applications to Segers, a former federal inmate who was previously incarcerated with Matthews, via phone and email. Segers would then file the fraudulent applications and weekly certifications in the name of Matthews and other inmates Matthews provided. Segers compensated Matthews for providing the inmate information by depositing money into his federal prison commissary account. Matthews previously pleaded guilty to related charges and is due to be sentenced on July 22, 2022. Co-defendant Dionne Segers’ case is pending.
“Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and small business loan funds are intended to help working Americans and small business owners continue to pay their bills and make ends meet, even when revenues have dropped dramatically due to the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Thieves who attempt to take these funds are taking advantage of others’ misfortune – ripping them off while also ripping off all taxpayers who fund the program. Segers and Matthews fraudulently obtained thousands of dollars in funds that could have helped struggling businesses and individuals.”
“Today, Brandon Segers has been held accountable for using deceit and fraud to line his pockets with PUA funds,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “This is a warning to those out there who think the PUA program is a slush fund. IRS CI, along with our partners, remains committed to investigating those who fraudulently target the PUA program.”
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni.
Two Senior SEPTA Maintenance Managers and Additional Co-Defendant Sentenced for Bribery and Fraud Scheme Against the AuthorityRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that David Abell, 73, of Chincoteague Island, VA, and Rodney Martinez, 51, of Blackwood, NJ, were sentenced today by United States District Court Judge C. Darnell Jones for bribery and fraud offenses in connection with a scheme to defraud SEPTA of approximately $900,000. Abell was sentenced to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay over $213,000 restitution and to forfeit nearly $96,300. Martinez was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $292,000 restitution and to forfeit nearly $144,300. Both defendants had pleaded guilty to charges of federal program bribery and federal program theft -- Abell in November 2021 and Martinez in December 2021.
From about 2013 through 2019, management-level employees working in SEPTA’s Bridges and Buildings Department (“BBD”) including Abell, Martinez and Peter Brauner, 59, of Kintersville, PA, engaged in bribery and theft schemes with two SEPTA vendors. The BBD is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and renovating SEPTA facilities throughout the southeastern Pennsylvania region. To facilitate this work, SEPTA issued “procurement cards” (also known as P-Cards) to management-level employees working in the BBD. The P-Cards, which operate as SEPTA credit cards, are to be used for purchasing items needed for the legitimate work of the BBD.
In about 2013, Abell, who was the Senior Director of Maintenance at SEPTA, agreed with two codefendants who were SEPTA vendors, to exploit the P-Card system for their mutual benefit. Abell solicited the vendors to provide him with regular cash payments of approximately $1,000 to $2,000 per month. In exchange for those payments, the vendors falsely billed SEPTA through the P-Card system for items that the vendor was not providing to SEPTA. The false charges to SEPTA covered the cash payments to Abell, plus a substantial additional amount to generate fraud proceeds for the vendor. As part of the corrupt deals with the vendors, Abell encouraged other BBD managers to use and continue to use the vendors for SEPTA purchases, growing the vendors’ business with SEPTA.
At various times, beginning around 2014, several other SEPTA BBD managers began engaging in similar fraud activity with the vendors. Those managers included defendant Martinez, who in 2016 replaced Abell as Senior Director of Maintenance and took over Abell’s legitimate role in SEPTA’s BBD, as well as his role in the fraud and bribery scheme. Martinez regularly solicited cash payments from the vendors under the same arrangement that the vendors had with Abell. The cash payments to Martinez totaled over $144,000. The cash payments to Abell totaled approximately $100,000.
Other BBD managers, including defendant Brauner, individually solicited the vendors for cash and personal items. The vendors agreed to provide the cash and personal items to the managers, and then fraudulently billed SEPTA to cover the cost of those payments and products and to generate additional fraud proceeds for themselves. The personal items provided to the managers included valuable gold coins, electronic devices and appliances, designer clothing, and expensive tools and equipment. Together, the two vendors defrauded SEPTA of roughly $900,000. Brauner, a lower-level participant in the scheme, was sentenced today to two years of probation, and was ordered to pay over $33,000 restitution, also by Judge Jones.
One of the corrupt vendors, Mark Irvello, was sentenced by Judge Jones in May 2022, to two years and six months in prison. The government charged a total of nine individuals who participated in this bribery and fraud scheme. All defendants have pleaded guilty and have been or will be sentenced by Judge Jones.
“Philadelphians deserve public employees who do their jobs honestly, without gaming the system to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “At a time when SEPTA is facing significant challenges to continue serving and protecting its riders, the defendants’ actions – and those of their co-conspirators – are the definition of selfish greed.”
“Stealing money from SEPTA, which so many folks depend on day to day, is both shameful and shortsighted,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “This is not the way to increase your take-home pay. The FBI takes federal program theft seriously and, as in this case, we’ll work to ensure justice is done and fraudsters are held appropriately accountable.”
“The auditors and investigators in the SEPTA Office of Inspector General worked diligently to uncover this difficult-to-detect fraud,” said SEPTA Inspector General Denise S. Wolf. “Our ridership deserves that these wrongdoers be held accountable for their illegal activity. We express appreciation for the FBI and United States Attorney’s Office for bringing these defendants to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the SEPTA Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. SEPTA’s Internal Audit Division launched an investigation after receiving tips from employees, and the Authority’s Inspector General shared the findings with the FBI.
Attorney General Merrick Garland Honors Department of Justice Employees for the 69th Annual Attorney General’s AwardsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Yesterday, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the recipients for the 69th Annual Attorney General’s Awards, recognizing Department of Justice employees and partners nationwide for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws. This year, 298 Justice Department employees received awards, while 54 non-department individuals are also being honored for their work.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jacqueline C. Romero was proud to note that one of the 2022 Attorney General’s Award recipients was EDPA Assistant United States Attorney and Chief of the Office’s Appeals Unit, Robert A. Zauzmer. Mr. Zauzmer received the Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award, which recognizes employees who have served at least 20 years in the Department and who have demonstrated high standards of excellence and dedication throughout their careers. This award is presented only in exceptional circumstances to individuals of special merit and is not awarded to express general appreciation for tenure alone. Only two Mary C. Lawton Awards were presented this year.
“This year’s awardees have served selflessly to further the Department’s important work upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am proud to recognize these individuals for their professionalism, skill, and leadership, and I am grateful for their service to our Department and our nation.”
“Our Office is incredibly fortunate to be able to call Bob Zauzmer a colleague and friend,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “His unparalleled contributions to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice as an institution are certainly deserving of this recognition, but the Award alone does not go far enough in expressing how grateful we all are for his wisdom, integrity and masterful advocacy in the courtroom.”
During Mr. Zauzmer’s accomplished tenure with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which he joined in March 1990, he has prosecuted an array of federal crimes focusing on corruption and fraud matters, including several noteworthy public corruption matters in Philadelphia: the 2005 Philadelphia City Hall corruption case in which the City Treasurer and others were convicted of corrupt conduct in city government affairs; the 2009 corruption case against former State Senator Vincent J. Fumo; and the 2017 prosecution of former District Attorney R. Seth Williams who pleaded guilty during trial to bribery and fraud offenses.
In addition, since 1998, Mr. Zauzmer has served as Chief of the Office’s Appeals Unit, supervising all federal criminal appeals in the District, and appears frequently before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in that capacity. He has also served in a variety of leadership positions with the Department of Justice, including as the national chair of the committee of appellate chiefs from 2012 to 2014 during which he advised the Attorney General on appellate matters, and as the Pardon Attorney in the Department of Justice from 2016 to 2017 to assist President Obama’s initiative to extend executive clemency to nonviolent drug offenders serving exceptionally long sentences.
This year’s Attorney General’s Award is not the first time Mr. Zauzmer has been recognized for his service to the Department. He has twice received the John Marshall Award, the DOJ’s highest award for litigation activities: in 1992 for the prosecution of a drug organization that terrorized a Philadelphia neighborhood, and again in 2008 for his participation on the team of DOJ attorneys which oversaw the response to amendments to the Sentencing Guidelines for certain drug offenses which required the resentencing for thousands of defendants nationally.
A complete list of the 69th Annual Attorney General’s Awards and recipients can be found here.
Prolific Producer of Child Exploitation Material from Philadelphia Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Andrew Dickson, 58, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to twenty years in prison, and lifetime supervised release by United States District Court Judge C. Darnell Jones for the production, receipt, and possession of voluminous amounts of child pornography, and for accessing a website with the intent to view child pornography.
In 2015, the FBI infiltrated an extensive child exploitation website hidden on the dark web and, as part of that investigation, identified the defendant as a member of the site. The investigation showed that the defendant had produced and created his own child pornography by paying overseas child sex traffickers for online live-streaming shows of children being raped and sexually abused, and then recorded the live-streaming and saved it. When the FBI arrested him, Dickson was found in possession of over 78,000 images of children being sexually abused and exploited, which the defendant had collected over a span of at least 15 years.
This prosecution was a result of Operation Pacifier, an exceptional FBI investigation which has led to hundreds of prosecutions for crimes against children. Operation Pacifier was led by Special Agent Daniel Alfin, who was tragically murdered in Florida on February 2, 2021, during the execution of a child exploitation search warrant in a separate case.
“Not only did this defendant commit the heinous crime of possessing child pornography, but he actively created it for himself and others by exploiting vulnerable children around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The size and scope of Mr. Dickson’s ‘collection’ is truly heinous, and we gratefully acknowledge the work of Special Agent Alfin and all the men and women of the FBI who seek to bring these offenders to justice.”
“Andrew Dickson’s actions caused vulnerable children to undergo unimaginable horrors,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “These kids were sexually abused at his direction, while he watched and recorded the exploitation in order to repeatedly relive it. Given the subject matter, cases like this are some of the most difficult the FBI works. They’re also some of the most meaningful. Operation Pacifier is a prime example of the dedication shown by agents like Dan Alfin and FBI Crimes Against Children investigators in Philadelphia and across the country, who are driven to put predators like Dickson behind bars where they can’t harm another child.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.
Armored Truck Robbery Ringleader Sentenced to 10 Years for Brazen 2019 Broad Daylight Robbery in University CityRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jerry Collins, 42, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh for his role in a broad daylight armed robbery of an armored vehicle containing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash nearly three years ago.
In November 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and related offenses including using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime in connection with the incident. On August 1, 2019, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Collins’ co-defendant, Tyree Holmes, and another individual, both wearing masks and gloves and armed with semi-automatic weapons, exited a Chevy Trailblazer that had parked behind a Garda armored truck near the 3500 block of Market Street as one of two guards removed three black bags containing a total of $434,000 in United States currency. As the robbers approached the guard holding the money bags, they pointed their firearms at the guard and announced a robbery while Collins waited nearby in the driver’s seat of the Chevy Trailblazer. Holmes grabbed the bags of money and attempted to get back into the Chevy Trailblazer when both guards drew their firearms and began shooting at the fleeing robbers. During the ensuing gunfire, Holmes dropped the bags of money and fled on foot while the other robber got into the Trailblazer with Collins and fled the scene. Collins and Holmes were both arrested several months later by the Philadelphia Police Department and charged by federal indictment.
“This defendant orchestrated an armed robbery of an armored vehicle in the middle of the day in a busy section of downtown Philadelphia, putting the lives of the guards and many bystanders at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Mr. Collins will now spend years behind bars for this serious and violent offense.”
“This daylight armed heist by Collins and his buddies was as brazen as it was foolish,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “The way it all unfolded on that busy block, it's a miracle no one was hurt, or worse, in the gunfire that ensued. I'd like to thank the FBI-PPD Violent Crimes Task Force for their great work on this case. We and our law enforcement partners are fighting day in and day out to get violent criminals off the street and make Philly safer for all.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney José Arteaga.
Montgomery County Felon Sentenced to Nearly a Decade in Prison for 2021 Armed Robbery of City Line Avenue PharmacyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Patrick Harrison, 39, of Pottstown, PA, was sentenced to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney for a gunpoint robbery of a Rite-Aid pharmacy in Philadelphia that occurred on November 18, 2021.
On March 23, 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with Hobbs Act robbery; carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a violent crime; and possession of a firearm by a felon. In pleading guilty, Harrison acknowledged that he brandished a firearm and demanded money from store employees. The defendant then fled the store after stealing approximately $600. The defendant also admitted to illegally possessing a firearm, in this case a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol, which he was not permitted to do as a previously convicted felon.
“Mr. Harrison threatened the lives of employees in this pharmacy with a loaded weapon and stole $600, and for that crime he will now spend nearly a decade in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Repeat offenders who commit reckless violent crimes like this defendant will soon face serious federal charges and years in prison.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.
Former IRS Employee Sentenced to over One Year in Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announced that Wayne Garvin, 57, currently of Columbia, South Carolina, and a former IRS employee, was sentenced to 13 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $74,662 restitution for filing false tax returns and providing fabricated records to the IRS in an attempt to obstruct an audit of those returns.
In March 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to multiple tax fraud charges. Garvin was a long-time IRS employee who most recently worked as a Supervisory Associate Advocate with the IRS’s Taxpayer Advocate Service in Philadelphia. For the years 2012 through 2016, while working as an IRS employee, Garvin prepared and filed with the IRS personal income tax returns on which he claimed false deductions and expenses associated with rental properties, fictitious real estate taxes on his personal residence, and fabricated charitable contributions. Moreover, on his 2013 tax return, Garvin deducted nearly $16,000 in false expenses associated with his employment with the U.S. Army Reserves. Although Garvin was formerly a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, he did not perform any reservist duty in 2013 and was not entitled to deduct any expenses related to that employment. In total, Garvin caused a loss to the IRS of more than $74,000.
Further, court documents also show that after the IRS began an audit of the defendant’s 2013 and 2014 tax returns, Garvin attempted to obstruct the audit by submitting fictitious documents to the IRS. For example, to justify the false deductions and expenses on his tax returns, Garvin fabricated and submitted to the IRS auditors receipts from a church, invoices from a contractor and a letter from the Department of the Army. After learning he was under criminal investigation, Garvin later submitted some of the same fraudulent documents to IRS-Criminal Investigation.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright and Trial Attorney Melissa S. Siskind of the Department of Justice Tax Division.