Middle District of Pennsylvania
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty to Crystal Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Yerigardy Tejeda-Zoquier, age 23, of West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on September 7, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Tejeda-Zoquier admitted to possessing between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of highly pure crystal methamphetamine for further distribution in the Luzerne County and Carbon County areas in 2021. Investigators purchased crystal methamphetamine from Tejeda-Zoquier on multiple occasions between January and March 2021 in both Luzerne and Carbon Counties, and then seized additional crystal methamphetamine from two vehicles utilized by Tejeda-Zoquier.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Under federal law, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Drug Distribution Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Robert Jackson, age 45, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to life imprisonment for the distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Jackson was found guilty of multiple federal crimes on February 8, 2022, following a six-day jury trial before Judge Mannion. Jackson was specifically found guilty for his sale of fentanyl on July 25, 2020, which resulted in the death of a 58-year-old Monroe County man. Jackson was also found guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
During the trial, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony of Dr. Rameen Starling-Roney, a Forensic Pathologist, and Dr. Michael Coyer, a Forensic Toxicologist, who opined that fentanyl caused the death of the Monroe County man. Additional testimony was provided by officers and detectives from the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, and the FBI – Scranton Office who testified that Jackson sold fentanyl to the victim in the evening of July 25, 2020, resulting in his death on July 28, 2020.
The life sentence imposed by Judge Mannion was mandated pursuant to federal law for defendants found guilty of distributing a controlled substance resulting in death, after having previously been convicted of a felony drug offense. Jackson’s criminal history involved multiple felony drug offenses, which also rendered him a career offender under federal law.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Robert O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Monroe County Man Sentenced to 63 Months’ Imprisonment for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Terrance Tyson, age 45, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 6, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 63 months’ imprisonment on the charge of bank robbery.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Tyson previously entered a guilty plea and admitted to committing a robbery of the NBT Bank in East Stroudsburg, on September 24, 2019. Tyson stole approximately $5,226 in the robbery and was apprehended by investigators the following day.
The case was investigated by the Stroud Area Regional Police Department and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Dauphin County Man Sentenced to Probation for Submitting over $14,000 in False U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs ClaimsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeffrey Oakley, age 40, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to two years of probation for submitting a fraudulent claim for U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) benefits on behalf of his wife.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Oakley submitted a disability claim to the VA on behalf of his wife. When that claim was denied, he forged his wife’s DD214, and submitted the fraudulent document along with a new claim. As a result of his actions, his wife received $14,127.02 in VA disability benefits to which she was not entitled.
Oakley previously admitted to submitting the claim and fraudulent DD 214. In addition to the sentence of probation, Oakley was also ordered to pay $14,127.02 in restitution, representing the total amount of funds he received through fraudulent reimbursement requests. At sentencing, Oakley presented a check for his restitution payments.
The case was investigated by the Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Ford prosecuted the case.
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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 27 Months’ Imprisonment for Wire Fraud Related to Telemedicine SchemeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Sergey Duman, age 46, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to 27 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud. The Court also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow the term of imprisonment and over $4.8 million in restitution.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Duman previously admitted that he participated in a scheme to defraud private health insurance companies, the United States, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Duman purchased Cedar Care Pharmacy in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in January 2020. For the next six months, the pharmacy effectively acted as a shell pharmacy for a telemedicine-fraud scheme. During that time, an entity purporting to be a telemedicine company regularly submitted prescriptions to the pharmacy that had been written without the knowledge of the listed patient. The pharmacy then fraudulently submitted private insurance and Medicaid claims for the prescriptions even though the pharmacy never provided the prescribed medications to patients.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
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Luzerne County Man Indicted on Sexual Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Salem Christopher Diop, age 22, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a sexual assault charge.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on July 8, 2023, Diop was on a cruise when he engaged in sexual assault with a victim incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Wilkes-Barre Man Sentenced to 125 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Derr, age 40, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 29, 2023, to 125 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for a drug trafficking offense.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Derr previously pleaded guilty to distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. On July 29, 2021, in Luzerne County, Derr distributed over 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, and was during the course of the scheme was responsible for the distribution of between 200 grams and 350 grams of methamphetamine. Derr also possessed a 20-gauge sawed-off shotgun.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Kingston Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles:fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Luzerne County Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Charles Vincent Benincasa, age 40, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury with drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Benincasa with distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of an unregistered firearm (commonly known as an untraceable “ghost gun”) related to conduct that occurred in July of 2023, in Luzerne County.
The case was investigated by the Luzerne County Drug Task Force together with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is a term of life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Lee Crawford, age 61, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on August 28, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and the charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Crawford admitted to conspiring with a co-defendant, John Williams, age 43, of Kingston, and with others, to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in the Luzerne County area between July 2020 and February 2021. Investigators made several purchases of fentanyl from Crawford and then obtained a search warrant for Crawford’s residence in Wilkes-Barre, where an additional amount of fentanyl was seized. Crawford also admitted to a separate charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting from the search of his residence.
Williams previously pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and is awaiting sentencing.
The charges against the defendants resulted from an investigation conducted by the Kingston Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and fentanyl traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin and fentanyl related offenses.
Under federal law, Crawford faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Wyoming County Man Sentenced to 300 Months in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Roger Daniel Williams, age 44, of Meshoppen, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 300 months in prison for the production of child pornography videos and images. Williams previously pleaded guilty to the crime on March 30, 2022.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Williams produced videos and images of himself and a child while Williams was engaged in the act of raping the child. The production of these videos and images occurred on various dates beginning in December 2019 and continued through May 2021. Williams also possessed thousands of child pornography videos and images at his residence.
The sentence imposed by Judge Mariani was imposed to run consecutively to a state sentence Williams is currently serving. On January 13, 2022, Williams was sentenced in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania to serve a minimum of 240 months in prison and a maximum of 480 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of rape of child. Judge Mariani’s sentence ensures a minimum sentence of 45 years’ imprisonment for Williams.
Williams is also required to serve a term of five years of supervised release upon release from federal custody and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $45,000 to the identified victims of the child pornography he possessed.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division and the Meshoppen Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
Upon release from custody, Williams will also be required to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) upon release from custody.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
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Mifflin County Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day in Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Daniel P. Sickels, age 49, of Lewistown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months and one day in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for wire fraud. Sickels was also ordered to pay $267,264.87 in restitution.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Sickels previously worked as a Network and Systems Manager at Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Office of Development and Alumni Relations (ODA), located in State College, PA. Sickels fraudulently acquired equipment through false representations to PSU ODA that the equipment was necessary to upgrade, replace, or maintain PSU ODA servers, when, in fact, Sickels knew that the equipment was not necessary. Sickels subsequently sold the equipment for his personal benefit to third parties. The scheme lasted from approximately 2005 to 2017, in Centre and Mifflin Counties.
The matter was investigated by investigators at PSU and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.
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Former Department of Labor Agent Sentenced to 33 Months’ Imprisonment for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a former Special Agent with the Department of Labor, Thomas Hartley, age 49, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 23, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 33 months’ imprisonment on the charge of mail fraud in connection with multiple schemes to commit fraud.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hartley previously pleaded guilty and admitted that he obtained a total of $197,366 through multiple fraud schemes. Between April 2020 and September 2021, Hartley applied for and collected Pennsylvania unemployment compensation benefits by claiming that he was unemployed, when in fact Hartley was employed on full time active duty with the New Jersey National Guard. Further, in applying for unemployment benefits, the defendant failed to disclose that he was on military leave from his full-time federal civilian employment with the United States Department of Labor. Hartley thereby utilized the mail to collect approximately $60,284 in unemployment compensation funds to which he was not entitled.
Hartley also fraudulently obtained $23,582 in Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) funds paid by the Department of the Army, $50,000 in “lost wage” benefits paid by USAA insurance, and $63,500 from his Thrift Savings Plan.
In August 2022, a grand jury issued a second superseding indictment charging Hartley with multiple fraud schemes. In addition to the scheme to fraudulently obtaining Pennsylvania unemployment compensation funds, the second superseding indictment also charged that Hartley, while on leave from his position with the Department of Labor and serving with the New Jersey National Guard, submitted false documents to the Department of the Army and thereby obtained approximately $23,580 in housing allowance funds to which he was not entitled.
The second superseding indictment also charged Hartley with fraud in connection with the filing of a lost wage claim with USAA Insurance following an automobile accident. Hartley falsely claimed that he had lost wages, resulting from an automobile accident, when in fact Hartley was suspended without pay from his employment with the Department of Labor as a result of an ongoing criminal investigation. Hartley thereby collected approximately $50,000 in lost wage benefits to which he was not entitled.
Finally, the second superseding indictment charged Hartley with fraudulently obtaining funds from his Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) by falsely claiming that he was not married, when in fact he was at all times married. Hartley thereby transferred the funds to himself personally, or to a bank account solely in his name, without the knowledge or consent of his wife.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Special Investigations; the United States Army, Criminal Investigation Division; and the USAA Insurance Special Investigations Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
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Luzerne County Man Indicted for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a federal grand jury in Scranton has indicted a Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, man for bank robbery.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on July 14, 2023, Damen Drakeford, age 29, committed a robbery of the M&T Bank located at 900 North Ninth Street in Stroud Township, Monroe County.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under federal law, Drakeford faces a maximum sentence of up to twenty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Luzerne County Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Aiding & Assisting in the Filing of False Tax Returns Claiming over Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars of False Education CreditsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Leidi M. Paulino, age 46, owner of LP Multiservices, a tax preparation business located in Freeland, PA, pleaded guilty on Monday, August 14, 2023, before United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, to aiding and assisting clients in the preparation and filing of false tax returns.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the criminal Information to which Paulino pleaded guilty alleges that during 2019 and 2020, Paulino assisted clients in preparing and filing tax returns that were materially false in that they sought certain education tax credits, including the American Opportunity Tax Credit, to which the clients – the vast majority of whom were not even college students – were not entitled.
Pursuant to the terms of her plea agreement with the United States, Paulino acknowledged that the monetary loss attributable to her conduct was between $550,000 and $1.5 million dollars, and she agreed to make restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the amount of $888,377.
These charges stem from an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is three years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Mount Carmel Man Indicted for Trafficking Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and HeroinRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Charles Derr, age 47, of Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, was charged by a federal grand jury with drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. The case was unsealed following Derr’s arrest.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Derr with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin on June 17, 2021. The indictment also seeks the criminal forfeiture of $10,754 in cash recovered the same day.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each of these offenses is 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to Eight Years' Imprisonment for Drug and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Moises Vargas-Olivio, age 22, of Olyphant, Lackawanna County, was sentenced on August 11, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to eight years’ imprisonment on the charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Vargas-Olivio previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing a loaded .357 Magnum revolver, a loaded .22 caliber handgun, and an illegal “sawed-off” shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches in length, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charge stems from an incident on May 22, 2022, in which Lackawanna County Detectives and members of the Olyphant Police Department made a purchase of cocaine from Vargas-Olivio and then obtained a search warrant for Vargas-Olivio’s residence in Olyphant. A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of an additional amount of cocaine packaged for distribution, approximately $20,000 in U.S. currency, numerous pills, marijuana, two loaded handguns, and a loaded “sawed-off” shotgun.
The investigation was conducted by Lackawanna County Detectives, the Olyphant Police Department, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Brian J. Gallagher prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Harrisburg Man Indicted for EscapeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert H. Thomas, age 64, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on August 9, 2023, by a federal grand jury on escape charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on March 18, 2023, Thomas escaped from custody of the Capital Pavilion Residential Reentry Center in Dauphin County, where he was confined. Following the escape, he was apprehended on July 21, 2023.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Behe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
Luzerne County Woman Pleads Guilty to Preparing and Submitting Numerous False Economic Injury Disaster Loan (Eidl) Applications in Covid-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Angela Castillo, age 39, of Freeland, PA, pleaded guilty on August 9, 2023, before United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani, to a wire fraud scheme involving the preparation and submission of numerous false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the criminal Information to which Castillo pleaded guilty alleges that between June 2020 and September 2020, on behalf of other individuals and in exchange for payment, Castillo prepared and submitted to the United States Small Business Association (SBA) at least 40 false EIDL applications containing material misrepresentations. Castillo’s conduct resulted in the SBA paying out approximately $163,000.00 in COVID-19 relief funds to individuals, none of whom actually owned a qualifying small business, and who therefore were not entitled to receive such funds under the program. Pursuant to the terms of her plea agreement, Castillo acknowledged that the monetary loss attributable to her conduct was between $150,000.00 and $250,000.00, and she agreed to make restitution to the SBA.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Inmate at FCI Schuylkill Pleads Guilty to Possession of Contraband in PrisonRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Daquon Brooks, age 28, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on August 8, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, to the charge of possession of contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brooks was found by staff on April 20, 2023, in possession of a dangerous prison-made weapon, commonly known as a “shank.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Former Greenfield Township Supervisor and Sewer Authority Manager Sentenced to Prison for Clean Water Act Violations and Fraud Related CrimesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bruce Evans, Sr., age 70, of Greenfield Township, Pennsylvania was sentenced on August 8, 2023, to two years in prison by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for violating the Clean Water Act, wire fraud, and obstructing the delivery of correspondence. Evans, Sr. was convicted after trial in December of 2021.
Evans, Sr. knowingly failed to operate and maintain the municipality’s wastewater treatment plant in accordance with regulations and limitations specified in a permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the United States Environmental Protections Agency (EPA). The permit requires that the permittee at all times maintain in good working order, and properly operate and maintain all facilities and systems, which were installed and used by the permittee to achieve compliance with the terms and conditions of the permits. As a result of the defendant’s failures, pollutants were discharged in violation of the permit on multiple occasions.
Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the EPA presented testimony from 34 witnesses over the course of a trial that began on November 15, 2021 and ended on December 17, 2021. Evans, Sr. and co-defendant Bruce Evans, Jr. were tried together. Witnesses included Greenfield Township Sewer Authority (GTSA) board members, Greenfield Township Supervisors, FBI and EPA Special Agents, and multiple PADEP inspectors and supervisors.
Throughout the time covered by the charges, Bruce Evans, Sr. was a Greenfield Township Supervisor, a Greenfield Township employee, a GTSA Board Member, and Manager of the GTSA. Evans, Jr. was an employee of Greenfield Township and the GTSA. Evans, Sr. was convicted of twenty (20) counts of Clean Water Act violations; four (4) counts of wire fraud involving the misappropriation of GTSA funds for his personal benefit and the benefit of his family; and four (4) counts of obstruction of PADEP certified mail addressed to his fellow GTSA board members but intercepted by Evans, Sr. Evans, Jr. was convicted of four (4) counts of Clean Water Act violations, and one (1) count of submitting a false statement to the PADEP related to representations and certifications made by Evans, Jr. regarding his professional work experience.
Evans, Jr. was previously sentenced to serve 12 months plus one day in prison, a one-year term of supervised release upon release from federal custody, and restitution in the amount of $678.
In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, Evans, Sr. was ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon release from federal custody. Judge Mannion reserved ruling on a restitution amount involving Evans, Sr.
“The defendant demonstrated disregard for the environment and continuously falsified data required under the Clean Water Act, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lisa Matovic of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This sentencing demonstrates that deliberate violations of the Clean Water Act will be held accountable.”
The investigation was jointly conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Scranton Field Office, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection - Northeast Region. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski and EPA Attorneys W. Martin Harrell and Patricia C. Miller prosecuted the case.
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New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Passing over $2,600 in Counterfeit Currency at Stores in Lackawanna, Lycoming and Columbia CountiesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brandon Williams, age 35, of Mercer County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on August 8, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to the charge of passing counterfeit federal reserve notes.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Williams admitted to passing $1,400 in counterfeit bills at the Michaels store in Dickson City, on April 20, 2022, and to passing $750 in counterfeit bills later that same day at the CVS Pharmacy located on Green Ridge Street in Scranton. On April 23, 2022, Williams passed $280 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart in Montoursville, $160 in counterfeit bills at the Weis Market in Montoursville and attempted to pass additional counterfeit bills at the Dollar Tree in Bloomsburg but was unsuccessful.
The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, the Dickson City Police Department, the Scranton Police Department, the Montoursville Police Department, and the Hemlock Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each charge is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Luzerne County Man Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl and Possessing Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
Scranton– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Eshawn Harrell, age 29, of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 1, 2023, for drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Harrell with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of stolen firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking on June 29, 2023.
This matter was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Gallagher is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Harrell faces a maximum penalty of forty (40) years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam and Assistant U.S. Attorney’s will join community organizers, neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events on August 1, 2023.
During this year’s National Night Out, members of the United States Attorney’s Office will attend community events at the following locations:
- Scranton Police Department at Scranton High School from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.;
- Harrisburg Bureau of Police at City Island in Harrisburg from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.;
- Lebanon City Police Department at the Salvation Army building on Guilford Street in Lebanon from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.;
- Derry Township Police Department on the 1st block of West Caracas Avenue in Hershey from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.;
- Cornwall Borough Police Department at the park across from the Cornwall Elementary School on SR 419 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and
- Lower Allen Township at the Christian Life Assembly Church, Camp Hill from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
“National Night Out is an important and effective way to bridge the gap between neighbors and their police departments in a positive and informal setting,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “We are pleased to join with our local law enforcement partners and the communities we serve to promote this important program.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
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Monroe County Man Charged with Committing over $2.2 Million in Covid-19 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brian J. Albelli, age 45, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and formerly of Deerfield Beach, Florida, was charged in a criminal information on July 27, 2023, with wire fraud and money laundering.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Albelli owned and operated multiple corporate entities in Pennsylvania and Florida. Albelli allegedly filed approximately 20 fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), and for Economic Injury and Disaster Loans (EIDLs). The applications allegedly submitted by Albelli were filed on behalf of corporate entities that did not, in fact, have actual business operations, and that bore inflated revenues and employee headcount, and nonexistent gross receipts and costs of goods sold. The applications also included a forged IRS income tax return, and forged federal employment tax documents.
Albelli allegedly obtained in excess of approximately $2,200,000 in PPP and EIDL funds, for himself and his family members, through filing the fraudulent applications. Instead of using the funds on business expenses, Albelli allegedly used them on purchasing boats and automobiles, real estate, retail shopping, and other personal expenses. Albelli also is charged with committing money laundering by concealing the fraudulent proceeds of his crimes.
The PPP and EIDL programs, both funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, were designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses. EIDL funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligation.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and Sean Camoni are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalties under federal law for both charges are 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Luzerne County Man Charged with Committing $350,000 in Covid-19 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Daniel Wasielewski, age 58, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was charged on July 28, 2023, in a criminal information with wire fraud.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Wasielewski filed and assisted others in filing fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), for Economic Injury and Disaster Loans (EIDLs), and for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. The PPP and EIDL applications allegedly submitted by Wasielewski and his confederates were filed on behalf of corporate entities that did not, in fact, have actual business operations, and that bore false revenues and other business information. The applications also included forged IRS tax documents.
Wasielewski allegedly received approximately $350,000 in PPP, EIDL, PUA, and other fraudulently-obtained funds, for himself and others. Instead of using the funds on business expenses, Wasielewski and others allegedly used them to purchase cryptocurrency and on other personal expenses.
The PPP and EIDL programs, both funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, were designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses. EIDL funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligation. The PUA program was created by the CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and Sean Camoni are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalties under federal law for the charge of wire fraud is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Two Brooklyn Men Indicted for Passing over $7,800 in Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes at Multiple Stores in Tri-State AreaRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eli Gabriel Lewis, Jr., age 20, of Brooklyn, New York, and Dejuan Smartt, age 26, of Brooklyn, New York, were indicted on June 13, 2023, by a federal grand jury on charges of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and conspiracy. The case was unsealed on July 24, 2023.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between February 4, 2023, and February 22, 2023, Lewis and Smartt conspired to pass counterfeit federal reserve notes, including incidents at no fewer than 16 different stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Indictment further alleges that on six different occasions during the above-described time frame, Lewis and Smartt, either individually or collectively, passed counterfeit $20 Federal Reserve notes to retailers within the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Mount Joy Police Department, the Northwest Lancaster County Regional Police Department, the Walnutport Police Department, the Manheim Township Police Department, the Kingston Township Police Department, the Upper Macungie Police Department, the Clinton Township (NJ) Police Department, the Snyder County District Attorney’s Office, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office (NJ), and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is twenty years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced to 46 Months’ Imprisonment for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Carlos Perez-Rivera, age 37, of West New York, New Jersey, was sentenced on July 20, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to 46 months’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Perez-Rivera previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing four kilograms of cocaine for further distribution. The charge stems from an incident on March 23, 2022, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Lackawanna County in which Perez-Rivera and another individual, Kelvin Vazquez-Pagan, age 24, of Passaic, New Jersey, were traveling. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately four kilograms of cocaine found hidden inside the vehicle.
Co-defendant Kelvin Vazquez-Pagan is awaiting sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Brian J. Gallagher prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Federal Inmate Sentenced to 45 Months’ Imprisonment for Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Richard Anthony Trent, age 44, a federal prison inmate, was sentenced on July 20, 2023, by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 45 months’ imprisonment for the offense of assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on May 17, 2022, while an inmate at United States Penitentiary, Canaan (USP Canaan), in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, Trent assaulted another inmate with a dangerous weapon, namely, a 7-inch grey metal weapon or “shank,” by repeatedly stabbing down on the victim-inmate, who was seated in a prison common area.
Judge Mannion also ordered Trent’s 45-month sentence run consecutively to the federal sentence that Trent was already serving at the time of the assault.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John.
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Chambersburg Man Convicted of Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Guibbonz Marcellus, age 42, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted, following a four-day jury trial held before United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, of 23 counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Marcellus operated a tax-preparation business in Chambersburg called M&M Confident Multi Services from 2013 to 2016. In an effort to increase refund amounts and generate business, Marcellus regularly included false numbers on the returns he prepared and filed. The returns falsely claimed, among other things, the federal fuel-tax credit, business losses, and deductions for charitable gifts and unreimbursed employee expenses.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlo D. Marchioli and Paul J. Miovas are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each count is three years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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New York Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Esteban Latorre-Cacho, age 38, of Lockport, New York, was sentenced on July 13, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, to 10 years’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Latorre-Cacho previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing 67 kilograms of cocaine for further distribution. The charge stems from an incident on April 30, 2021, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Lehigh County. Latorre-Cacho was the sole occupant of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 67 kilograms of cocaine, with a street-value of approximately two million dollars, found hidden inside boxes within the vehicle. Further investigation showed that Latorre-Cacho had picked up the boxes containing the cocaine at a location within the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 24 Month’s Imprisonment for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Amisial Elveus, 32, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 11, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, to 24 months in prison to be followed by 12 months of supervised release for aggravated identity theft.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from July 6, 2020, until November 6, 2020, in Dauphin County, Elveus unlawfully obtained and used credit card account numbers belonging to unsuspecting individuals, used the numbers to code credit cards, and then used the credit cards to pay for gasoline fill-ups for multiple vehicles on multiple days at a Giant gas station on Union Deposit Road in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Elveus was arrested at the Giant on November 6, 2020, while in the process of filling cars with gas that he paid for with a fraudulently encoded credit card.
Judge Wilson also ordered Elveus to pay restitution in the amount of $32,227.71.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Lower Paxton Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby prosecuted the case.
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Bushkill Man Sentenced to 12 Months’ Imprisonment for Causing Serious Bodily Injury to Another Motorist as A Result of His Reckless & Unlicensed Operation of A Vehicle on Federal LandRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Fitzgerald C. Providence, age 50, of Bushkill, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 13, 2023, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 12 months’ and 1 day of imprisonment and a 1-year term of supervised release, for recklessly causing serious bodily injury to another motorist as a result of a serious motor vehicle collision that occurred on federal land.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on September 24, 2021, on Bushkill Falls Road, within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, while unlicensed, Providence operated a motor vehicle in a criminally reckless manner by crossing into the opposing lane of travel of a two-lane road in a no-passing zone and attempting to pass three vehicles at once. In so doing, Providence caused a head-on collision with a vehicle traveling in the opposing lane that resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim, the driver of the other vehicle. At his sentencing, Providence was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim for lost wages and other unreimbursed medical expenses, with the specific amount to be determined by the Court within 90 days.
This case was investigated by the National Park Service Park Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
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Monroe County Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 11, 2023, Pernell Riddick, age 34, of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, was charged by a federal grand jury with trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Riddick was also indicted for possessing multiple firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking operation.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Riddick with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine on September 2, 2022. The indictment also charges Riddick with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Gallagher is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Riddick faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $10 million dollar fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Harrisburg Man Charged with Hobbs Act RobberiesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Clarence Bernard Mitchell, age 33, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of robberies of businesses engaged in interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery).
According to United States Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on June 5, 2023, Mitchell entered the Agate Smoke Shop in Dauphin County, approached the cash register, pointed a paper bag at the employee in a manner indicating Mitchell had a gun in the bag, instructed the employee to open the register, and took money by means of threatened force. The indictment further alleges that on June 8, 2023, Mitchell returned to the Agate Smoke Shop and robbed the store in a similar manner as on June 5, 2023. The indictment also alleges that on June 14, 2023, Mitchell entered a Cricket Wireless, LLC authorized retailer in Dauphin County, approached the sales counter, pointed a paper bag at the employee in a manner indicating Mitchell had a gun in the bag, and took money by means of threatened force.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the charged offense is up to 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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FCI Schuylkill Inmate Indicted for Possession of A WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 11, 2023, Deondray LuRon Crayton, age 36, a federal inmate incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution at Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on the charge of possessing contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on June 21, 2023, Crayton was found in possession of a homemade knife, commonly referred to as a “shank.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Special Investigative Services of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is up to five years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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FCI Schuylkill Inmate Charged with Possessing ContrabandRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 11, 2023, Charles Epps, age 26, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institute Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), Pennsylvania, was charged by the grand jury with possessing contraband.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on May 11, 2023, Epps was found in possession of a six-inch piece of plastic sharpened to a point with a cloth handle, commonly referred to as a “shank.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Gallagher is prosecuting the case.
Epps faces a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Three Indicted for Publisher’s Clearing House Imposter Scam Targeting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jowayne C. Godfrey, 24 years old, of Margate, Florida, Vinmar Y.A. Mitchell, 25 years old, of Roosevelt, New York, and Ariel S. Bagalue, 31 years old, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, were arrested and charged by indictment with conspiracy to money launder for a group of schemers that was targeting elderly victims throughout the United States in a Publisher’s Clearing House scam. The indictment alleges that the participants in this scheme duped their victims into believing they had won a large prize, preyed on their elderly victims’ trust and false hopes of collecting millions of dollars, and persuaded their victims to deplete their life savings and go into debt to pay supposed sweepstakes taxes and fees, which the schemers, including defendants Godfrey, Mitchell, and Bagalue, stole for themselves.
According to the indictment, from approximately February 2020 through February 2023, imposters posing as Publisher’s Clearing House representatives called elderly Americans and informed them they had won millions of dollars and new cars in the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes. The imposters convinced the victims that in order to collect their significant winnings, they had to pay up-front taxes and fees. The imposters directed the victims about how to make the payments, including making direct deposits to bank accounts belonging to schemers, buying gift cards and mailing them to the schemers or providing the card numbers and PIN codes over the phone to the schemers, and mailing checks and cash to the schemers. If a victim made one bogus tax or fee payment, the schemers called back and requested more tax and fee payments, falsely claiming that the additional payments were needed in order for the victim to claim the sweepstakes prize. According to the indictment, defendants Godfrey, Mitchell, and Bagalue laundered and attempted to launder approximately $400,000 of victim funds from the scheme. The indictment sets forth how the defendants received the victim funds and then moved the money around in smaller transactions designed to conceal the source, location, and control of the funds, kept some for themselves and passed the remainder on to other schemers.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Philadelphia, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy E. Potts.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Traveling to Pennsylvania to Have Sex with A MinorRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Stephen Farleigh, age 51, of Walton, New York, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment to be followed by 15 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for attempted enticement of a minor.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between October 21, 2021 and February 9, 2022, Farleigh used the internet to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and traveled to the Middle District of Pennsylvania with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a 13-year-old child.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby prosecuted the case.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that David Taylor, age 34, of Blackwood, New Jersey, was sentenced on July 11, 2023, to 30 years of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between July 15 and July 18, 2017, Taylor produced child pornography and transported a minor from Pennsylvania to New Jersey with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Taylor committed both offenses while required by law to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, the Gloucester Township Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Participating in the Murder of Three People Including A Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kenyatta Corbett, age 41, of Hagerstown and Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the June 25, 2016 murders of three individuals in Mercersburg, Franklin County, one of whom was cooperating with state and federal drug investigators. The sentence was imposed by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, who also sentenced Corbett to a consecutive 20-year term of imprisonment on a companion robbery charge.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Corbett's conviction was the result of a seven-year investigation into three murders that occurred on June 25, 2016, on a property along Welsh Run Road in Mercersburg, Franklin County. When Pennsylvania State Police officers were called to the scene, they found the bodies of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Hagerstown, Md, Brandon Cole, 47, Fayetteville, PA, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36, Mercersburg, PA, in a barn on victim Jackson’s property. All were shot. The three victims had their hands zipped-tied behind their backs and had been set on fire. Jackson and Cole were shot once in the head. Chaney was shot twice, once in the back and once in the back of her neck. Wendy Chaney and Brandon Cole were already dead when the police responded to the scene. Phillip Jackson was transported to York Hospital where he died shortly after arrival.
The evidence previously presented at the guilty plea proceeding in June of 2022 established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with co-defendants Kevin Coles and Torey White and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operation. Corbett was likewise a heroin trafficker in Hagerstown and areas of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Corbett, Coles, White and co-defendant Devin Dickerson learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Corbett, and co-defendant Jerell Adgebesan who worked for Corbett recruited members of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family and others from Baltimore to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney. Adgebesan knew these individuals from Baltimore. The killers were promised that they could take as payment $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property. Once there, the killers encountered not only Wendy Chaney but also Brandon Cole and Phillip Jackson. The victims had their hands bound behind their backs with zip-ties, all were shot execution style and their bodies set on fire. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Corbett, Coles, White, Dickerson, and others. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms.
The following individuals were charged along with Corbett as a result of the investigation:
- Jerell Adgebesan, age 35, of Baltimore and Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to life imprisonment for participating in the murder of three people including a federal witness;
- Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and is awaiting sentencing;
- Torey White, age 32, Waynesboro, PA, was convicted by a federal jury in May of three counts of first-degree murder and is awaiting sentencing;
- Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
- Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment;
- Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
- Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
- Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness; and
- Christopher Johnson, age 31, Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to multiple counts including murder for hire and is awaiting sentencing;
- Mark Johnson, 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment;
- Llesenia Woodard, 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing
- Kevin Coles, Kevin Coles, age 36, of New York, NY and Hagerstown, Maryland, was found guilty in April of multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking, and was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences;
- Yolanda Diaz, 31, Hagerstown, Md, indicted on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice based upon her testimony at the Coles trial. Her trial is currently scheduled for October 2023.
Joshua Davis, age 30, previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders. Davis was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment.
The following federal, state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation: Drug Enforcement Administration Harrisburg Resident Office; Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg; Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H; Franklin County Drug Task Force; Franklin County Adult Probation; Pennsylvania State Probation and Parole; Hagerstown Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division; Drug Enforcement Administration, Hagerstown Resident Office; Washington County Narcotics Task Force; Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office, Strike Force Group 1; Maryland State Police Homicide Unit; Baltimore Police Department Narcotics, Fugitive And Homicide Units; Baltimore County Police Department Narcotics and Gang Unit; Federal Bureau of Investigation Evidence Management Unit, Quantico, VA; US Marshal’s Service Harrisburg, PA and Phoenix, AZ; Franklin County District Attorney’s Office; United States Attorney’s Office, District Of Maryland; and the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Judy Fernandez, Manager of Analytic Services at LexisNexis Special Services, Inc., (LNSSI) provided expert assistance to investigators and the prosecutors in the areas of analysis, support, and the rendering of her expert opinion.
Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael Consiglio are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) identified as “Retribution for Welsh Run”. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Mail and Wire Fraud Charges in Connection with Fraudulent Sweepstakes Scheme That Targeted Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - A Jamaican national, who was extradited to the United States, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on charges relating to his participation in a phony sweepstakes scheme that targeted elderly victims in the United States.
According to court documents, Damone D. Oakley, 41, of the Point District, St. James Parish, Jamaica, pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud.
As part of his plea agreement, Oakley admitted that he sought to unlawfully enrich himself through a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. Oakley’s victims received mailings, text messages, or phone calls in which they were falsely told that they had won millions of dollars and luxury vehicles in a sweepstakes, but first needed to pay taxes and fees in order to claim their winnings. Oakley used a variety of names during the scheme, including “Officer Alex Logan” and “Officer Stan Valentine,” and instructed his victims on how to send their money. His victims used wire transfers, direct bank deposits, the U.S. Postal Service, and private commercial mail carriers to send money directly to Oakley, as well as to individuals in the United States and elsewhere who served as intermediaries and transmitted the money to Oakley. In addition to sending cash or wire transfers, Oakley’s victims were directed to purchase electronics, jewelry, and clothing, which were sent to mail forwarding services in Florida, and then on to Oakley in Jamaica. Victims never received any “winnings.” Oakley defrauded his victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars during the course of the scheme.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch remains committed to pursuing criminals who defraud elderly and vulnerable U.S. consumers and to prosecuting them to the full extent of the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Oakley was the first individual whose extradition was requested by the United States under Jamaica’s revised Extradition Act, and we are confident that we will continue our efforts to root out fraud that targets vulnerable consumers, wherever the fraudsters are located.”
“Oakley targeted the most vulnerable people in our society and defrauded them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars," said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “Today’s guilty plea reflects our office’s commitment to protecting elderly victims and punishing individuals who engage in this type of behavior.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating scammers, domestically and internationally, who use the U.S. mail to enrich themselves by targeting and financially exploiting vulnerable American consumers, including the elderly,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Today’s plea exemplifies the Postal Inspection Service’s efforts to collaborate with foreign and domestic law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Oakley. The U.S. Marshals Service also provided significant assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Linda I. Marks of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Haugsby for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania visit their website at www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
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Luzerne County Publishing Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay Federal Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tracey Biscontini, age 57, owner of Northeast Editing, Inc. a publishing company located in Jenkins Township, PA, pleaded guilty on July 10, 2023, before United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to failing to pay federal payroll taxes.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the criminal information to which Biscontini pleaded guilty alleges that from 2014 through 2019, Biscontini was required to withhold federal payroll taxes from employees’ pay and to pay over these monies to the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.). Biscontini acknowledged that she consistently failed to do this for the years indicated.
Biscontini admitted that the monetary loss attributable to her conduct was between $250,000.00 and $550,000.00, and she agreed to make restitution to the IRS in the amount of $448,617.38.
These charges stem from an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Mail and Wire Fraud Charges in Connection with Fraudulent Sweepstakes Scheme that Targeted Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
A Jamaican national, who was extradited to the United States, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on charges relating to his participation in a phony sweepstakes scheme that targeted elderly victims in the United States.
According to court documents, Damone D. Oakley, 41, of the Point District, St. James Parish, Jamaica, pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud.
As part of his plea agreement, Oakley admitted that he sought to unlawfully enrich himself through a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. Oakley’s victims received mailings, text messages, or phone calls in which they were falsely told that they had won millions of dollars and luxury vehicles in a sweepstakes, but first needed to pay taxes and fees in order to claim their winnings. Oakley used a variety of names during the scheme, including “Officer Alex Logan” and “Officer Stan Valentine,” and instructed his victims on how to send their money. His victims used wire transfers, direct bank deposits, the U.S. Postal Service, and private commercial mail carriers to send money directly to Oakley, as well as to individuals in the United States and elsewhere who served as intermediaries and transmitted the money to Oakley. In addition to sending cash or wire transfers, Oakley’s victims were directed to purchase electronics, jewelry, and clothing, which were sent to mail forwarding services in Florida, and then on to Oakley in Jamaica. Victims never received any “winnings.” Oakley defrauded his victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars during the course of the scheme.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch remains committed to pursuing criminals who defraud elderly and vulnerable U.S. consumers and to prosecuting them to the full extent of the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Oakley was the first individual whose extradition was requested by the United States under Jamaica’s revised Extradition Act, and we are confident that we will continue our efforts to root out fraud that targets vulnerable consumers, wherever the fraudsters are located.”
“Oakley targeted the most vulnerable people in our society and defrauded them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars," said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “Today’s guilty plea reflects our office’s commitment to protecting elderly victims and punishing individuals who engage in this type of behavior.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating scammers, domestically and internationally, who use the U.S. mail to enrich themselves by targeting and financially exploiting vulnerable American consumers, including the elderly,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Today’s plea exemplifies the Postal Inspection Service’s efforts to collaborate with foreign and domestic law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Oakley. The U.S. Marshals Service also provided significant assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Linda I. Marks of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Haugsby for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania visit their website at www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Harrisburg Woman Sentenced to Six Months for Failing to Collect and Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dary T. Son, age 37, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to six months in prison for failing to collect and pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from June 2015 through August 2019, Son, the owner of Pennsylvania-based temporary staffing company DS Agency, failed to collect and pay on behalf of her employees approximately $591,822.99 in taxes owed to the IRS. She also failed to pay to the IRS an equivalent amount that she owed as their employer.
Dary Son is the younger sister of Vanny Son. Vanny Son was previously prosecuted by this Office for conspiracy to defraud the United States through the evasion of employment taxes for his temporary employment agencies for tax years 2007 through 2012. Before Vanny Son reported to prison in 2015, his wife took over the operation of his employment agency, Son Associates. They later divorced in 2017.
Beginning in 2015, Son Associates began, on paper, subcontracting its labor leasing business to other companies controlled by family members of Vanny Son and his then wife, including DS Agency, LLC, of which Dary Son was the sole member and responsible person for purposes of the IRS.
From 2015 to 2019, DS Agency received and cashed checks from Son Associates for providing workers in the total amount of over $7.7 million. Rather than depositing these payments in a bank account, Dary Son cashed these checks at a check cashing business in Harrisburg, PA from 2015 to mid-2017. Starting in 2018, Vanny Son’s now ex-wife and Dary Son regularly made trips to a check cashing business in Philadelphia, PA, where Dary Son cashed about $3 million in checks in less than a year.
The workers employed by Dary Son and her family member’s companies worked regularly at several food manufacturing facilities in and around the Middle District of Pennsylvania. A number of them were transported to their work sites by Dary Son, and they were generally paid in cash by Vanny Son’s ex-wife. The ex-wife passed away in 2021 when the investigation remained ongoing and before any charges were filed in this case.
Dary Son never withheld any federal, Social Security, Medicare, or state taxes from her employees’ income. She likewise did not pay her employer portion of these taxes. As a result, she was responsible for $1,183,646.25 in unpaid federal taxes. Son was ordered to pay this amount in restitution to the IRS.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.
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Canadian Man Sentenced to 40 Months’ Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William Nneji, age 56, of Canada, was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, William Nneji conspired with his codefendant brother, Chima Nneji, codefendant Alex Mgbolu, and other unnamed individuals between July 2002 and May 2010 to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering by receiving money transfers from victims of international mass marketing fraud, processing those transfers using fictitious names, pooling the proceeds of those fraud induced money transfers, and then laundering those proceeds to coconspirators in the United States and Nigeria.
William Nneji agreed that he was responsible for approximately $606,967 in losses to victims processed through two companies, including one owned by his brother, codefendant Chima Nneji, and one owned by his wife. At sentencing, William Nneji was ordered to pay $156,615.65 in restitution to victims. The lower restitution amount is due, in part, to monies compensated to victims as part of the 2012 United States v. MoneyGram deferred prosecution agreement, which established a $100 million restitution fund for MoneyGram customers that were victims of consumer fraud.
Codefendants Chima Nneji and Alex Mgbolu both previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. Chima Nneji and Alex Mgbolu were sentenced to terms of imprisonment in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Both codefendants were extradited to the United States from Canada, whereas William Nneji, from the time of his indictment until November 2021, had been a fugitive.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.
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Woman Charged with Covid-19 Card FraudRead the Press Release
WILLIAMPSORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Collen Brungard, age 37, of Milton, Pennsylvania, was charged on June 28, 2023, by criminal Information with knowingly possessing and making a fake COVID-19 vaccine card.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information charges Brungard with knowingly possessing and making unauthorized COVID-19 vaccine cards, specifically fraudulent COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards, purportedly issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control to record medical information about vaccines purportedly received, and bearing the insignia of the Center for Disease Control.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 6 months’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Stroudsburg Woman and East Stroudsburg Man Charged with Making Straw Purchases of Fifteen FirearmsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Yesenia Ramos, age 43, of Stroudsburg, and Windall Mitchell, age 34, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, were charged on June 20, 2023, by a federal grand jury with multiple counts of making false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Yesenia Ramos, age 43, of Stroudsburg, and Windall Mitchell, age 34, of East Stroudsburg, are charged with conspiring to provide false information to federally licensed firearms dealers regarding the purchases of fifteen firearms between May 15, 2021 and June 14, 2022, in Monroe County. The fifteen firearms were purchased from various federally licensed firearms dealers in Monroe County, including Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters in Stroudsburg and Brodheadsville, Pocono Mountain Firearms in Scotrun, The Gun Place in East Stroudsburg, and Lopez Firearms in Pocono Summit. The indictment also charges Ramos with fifteen substantive counts of making false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers, and charges Mitchell with being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.
The charge against the defendants resulted from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the offenses of making false statements to firearms dealers and for being a felon in possession of firearms is ten years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Read admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute between 40 grams and 160 grams of fentanyl in the Luzerne County area between 2019 and 2020. Read was indicted by a grand jury in August 2020 for fentanyl trafficking.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Under federal law, the offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of up to forty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Harrisburg Man and Woman Charged with Conspiring to Steal Cell Phone ShipmentsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Parmod Kumar, age 40, and Reecha Saini, age 36, both of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were charged yesterday in an information with conspiring to steal interstate shipments of cell phones.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that from 2018 to 2021, Kumar and Saini enlisted at least one employee at a UPS facility in Harrisburg to steal packages that they believed contained smartphones. Kumar and Saini then paid the employee for the phones and arranged for their sale at a convenience store in Harrisburg. The conspiracy involved the theft of phones with a total value of over $142,000.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Swatara Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 5 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Alabama Woman Charged with Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Lisa England, age 51, of Attalla, Alabama, was charged in an indictment with two counts of tax evasion.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that England failed to file tax returns and pay income tax for the years 2016 and 2017, while in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The indictment further alleges that England evaded paying taxes by obtaining payroll payments that were issued in the names of others and shredding paystubs that had been issued for those other individuals.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case. The matter has been specially assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for prosecution.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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