Middle District of Pennsylvania
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Lancaster County Woman Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Sally Schrom, age 67, of Mountville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to two years of probation for stealing government funds. The probation term includes six months of home detention, and Schrom was also ordered to pay $59,587 in restitution.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Schrom previously admitted that following her aunt’s death in April 2017, Schrom unlawfully received and used federal military retirement benefits and federal civilian retirement benefits that were paid to her aunt through November 2019. The benefits totaled over $73,000. The government previously reclaimed approximately $13,000 in benefits that Schrom unlawfully obtained.
The case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Finance Accounting Service, and the Manheim Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
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Kingston Man Sentenced for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jayson Thompson, age 31, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 26, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to a time served (14 months) period of incarceration for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Thompson previously admitted that on September 10, 2021, in Luzerne County, he was in possession of a loaded Taurus G2S .40 caliber pistol, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Thompson also admitted that the Taurus pistol had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce. Thompson had been in custody since his arrest on September 10, 2021.
The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kingston Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. 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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Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 60 Months’ Imprisonment for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on October 24, 2022, Cordae Jones, age 34, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for a firearm offense.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on March 26, 2022, Jones pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. In April 2019, Jones was arrested for an outstanding warrant. A search warrant was executed, and crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm were located in the home. As a previously convicted felon, Jones was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Police Bureau and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer 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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Former Lackawanna County Teacher Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jaime Ryan Chorba, age 46, of Archbald, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 26, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 180 months of imprisonment for producing child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Chorba previously admitted that on April 1, 2016, he used his cell phone to produce a video of a minor child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Chorba was a physical education teacher with Valley View School District, Archbald, Pennsylvania from August 30, 2004 through July 26, 2021.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Philadelphia Division and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts 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 justice.gov/psc.
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Wilkes-Barre Moving Company Owner Sentenced for Failing to Pay Required Federal Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jason T. Cawley, age 44, owner of J. Cawley Moving, located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 25, 2022, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 2 years’ probation, including 6 months of home confinement with electronic monitoring, for failing to collect and pay over several years’ worth of required federal payroll taxes.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, for a five year period from 2015 to 2019, Cawley willfully failed to account for and pay over to the IRS required federal payroll taxes in the total amount of $398,726.61. Although he withheld the funds from his employees’ pay, Cawley consistently failed to pay the monies over to the IRS, as required. Cawley also failed to file the required quarterly Forms 941 with the IRS.
At sentencing, Cawley was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $245,388.91, which constitutes the balance of the unpaid taxes.
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
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York County Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicole Botterbusch, age 32, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 60 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on July 2, 2020, Botterbusch was stopped in a vehicle in York County, with over 400 grams of methamphetamine. She was in the car with her codefendant, Jeremy Michael Kohler.
Both Kohler and Botterbusch previously entered guilty pleas to drug trafficking. Kohler was previously sentenced by Judge Wilson to 130 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio 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.
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Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Role in Straw Purchasing Firearms for FelonsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Antonio Godbolt, age 37, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was sentenced yesterday to 33 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Antonio Godbolt pleaded guilty to conspiring with three other individuals to purchase firearms for felons and persons under indictment. Godbolt was prohibited by law from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions, but he arranged for Taashaun Mansfield, age 21, of Harrisburg, to purchase a firearm for him. Mansfield also purchased six other firearms for felons.
Mansfield pleaded guilty to weapons offenses and was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Michael Windham, age 22, of Harrisburg, also pleaded guilty to weapons offenses and was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. Johnny Quinones, age 35, of Harrisburg, is awaiting trial.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in conjunction with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio 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.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Three Men Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Wallace Smith, age 32, of Las Vegas, Nevada, Jolie Brown, age 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Andres Garcia-Grajeda, age 33, of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for drug trafficking.
Smith was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment, Brown was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment, and Garcia-Grajeda was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment. Defendants previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms and more of cocaine and 400 grams and more of fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on April 11, 2021, Smith, Brown, and Garcia-Grajeda were arrested outside the Hampton Inn in Hanover, Pennsylvania. At the time of the arrests, Smith was wheeling a luggage cart holding bags which contained over 81 kilograms of cocaine and 5 kilograms of fentanyl from his hotel room into Grajeda’s vehicle. A search of Brown’s hotel room discovered over $823,000 in drug proceeds. Smith and Brown had driven the drugs to Adams County from California in a tractor trailer and were dropping them off to Grajeda for distribution.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was also 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.
The convictions were the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Behe and Scott Ford prosecuted the case.
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Lackawanna County Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Yasin Abdul-Mattin, age 50, of Scranton, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to the charge of convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Abdul-Mattin is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. During his guilty plea, Abdul-Mattin admitted that on January 20, 2022, he possessed a loaded 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition. The charges stem from an incident in which members of the Scranton Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Abdul-Mattin’s vehicle on Luzerne Street in Scranton and found him in possession of that loaded 12-gauge shotgun.
The charges against Abdul-Mattin resulted from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Scranton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Gallagher 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.
Under federal law, for the firearms charge, Abdul-Mattin faces a maximum sentence of ten years, a term of supervised release 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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York County Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Federal Program FundsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Leonard Hart, age 50, of Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to obtaining by fraud and misapplying money from Lincoln Charter School (LCS) in York, Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, LCS is a recipient of federal program funds because it receives grants funded by the U.S Department of Education—primarily Title I funding, which is financial assistance for schools with high numbers of children from low-income backgrounds.
From 2013 until November 2021, Hart was LCS’s Principal and CEO. LCS offers a program by which employees are able to receive partial tuition reimbursement for furthering their education. Hart misrepresented that he was pursuing a Ph.D. and submitted numerous requests for reimbursement for courses that he falsely claimed he was taking from a few universities. He also falsified records to support these claims for tuition reimbursement and pressured a lower-level employee of the school and former LCS student to assist him in creating a forged diploma.
Hart admitted to submitting to LCS nearly 20 false and fraudulent reimbursement requests between 2018 and 2020. Hart also agreed to pay $55,311 in restitution, representing the total amount of funds he received through fraudulent reimbursement requests.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 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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Native of Mexico Indicted on Unlawful Reentry ChargeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Magdiel Perez-Bartolon, age 24, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on illegal reentry charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Perez-Bartolon was removed from the United States on November 28, 2009, through Nogales, Arizona. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after that date, and was located in the United States on September 29, 2022, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 2 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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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 that John Williams, age 42, of Kingston, Luzerne County, pleaded guilty on October 19, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Williams admitted to conspiring with his co-defendant, Lee Crawford, age 59, of Wilkes-Barre, and with others, to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in the Luzerne County area between July 2020 and February 2021. Williams and Crawford were indicted by a grand jury in March 2021. The charges against Crawford are still pending.
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, Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of 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. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Rishi Budhadev, age 37, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Budhadev admitted to receiving a series of fraudulent MoneyGram money transfers from several individuals he did not know in October 2015. He also admitted to receiving in October 2015 a fraudulent deposit for $9,000 in his checking account from a person he did not know. He admitted to receiving each of these transfers at the request of a coconspirator located in India.
In each of these transactions, Budhadev admitted believing that the funds being transmitted to him had very likely been obtained through fraud. He admitted consciously using deliberate efforts to avoid confirming the fraudulent nature of these transactions, despite his concerns that they were fraudulent.
Budhadev admitted to using the proceeds of the fraudulent MoneyGram money transfers to purchase iPhones, which he delivered to the same coconspirator located in India in February 2016. He also admitted to personally withdrawing the $9,000 in cash from his bank account the same day that it was deposited and later delivering the cash to the same coconspirator in India around February 2016.
The government’s investigation determined that, Budhadev, working with other unnamed co-conspirators, defrauded victims using common advance-fee mass marketing scams. During a roughly two-month time period from October 2015 to December 2015, the government found that Budhadev received around 500 MoneyGram money orders worth over $500,000, including about 300 MoneyGram money orders worth over $407,000 from more than 250 senders that he picked up from seven different Walmart stores. In addition, Budhadev received a number of large cash deposits in his bank accounts, which he quickly withdrew. The government’s investigation also determined that around 50 people who sent funds to Budhadev subsequently identified themselves as victims of various scams, including investment scams, romance scams, person-in-need scams, internet purchase scams, IRS tax scams, and loan scams.
Budhadev admitted to receiving a subset of these transactions in connection with his guilty plea.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
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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Ohio Man Sentenced to 51 Months’ Imprisonment for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gilroy Stewart, age 52, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 51 months’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Stewart previously entered a guilty plea before Judge Mariani and admitted to possessing twenty kilograms of cocaine for further distribution. The charge stems from an incident on August 28, 2018, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle on Interstate Route 80 in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. Stewart was the sole occupant of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of twenty kilograms of cocaine found in a hidden compartment inside the vehicle.
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 also 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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Hazleton Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Turbi, age 36, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between December of 2021 and October 12, 2022, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, Turbi conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, over 500 grams of methamphetamine, over 500 grams of cocaine, and a quantity of marijuana. The indictment also alleges that on October 12, 2022, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Turbi possessed with the intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana, as well as a 9mm pistol in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
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 matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Hazleton Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. United States Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000. 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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Four Philadelphia-Area Individuals Indicted for Passing over $2,800 in Counterfeit United States Currency at Multiple Stores in Lackawanna and Luzerne CountiesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brinayah Clark, age 18, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kendall Rawls, age 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nazeer Amir Shamsud-Din, age 22, of Snellville, Georgia, and Jaquan Underwood, age 21, of Philadelphia Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of passing counterfeit federal reserve notes.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on September 10, 2022, the defendants passed $1,200 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart in Dickson City, Pennsylvania, $500 in counterfeit bills at the Aldi grocery store in Dickson City, and $1,100 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The indictment further alleges that from February of 2022 until September 10, 2022, the defendants conspired to pass counterfeit federal reserve notes, including incidents at four other stores in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties, and incidents at other retail stores throughout the state.
The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Dickson City Police Department, the Pittston Police Department, the Taylor Borough Police Department, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, 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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Columbia County Man Indicted for Threatening the President, A Congressman and A Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Maverick Vargo, age 25, of Berwick, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of threatening the President of the United States, interstate communications with a threat, and influencing a federal official by threat.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on October 11, 2022, United States Congressman Bennie Thompson’s office received a letter from Vargo at the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC, containing threats to kill Representative Thompson, his family, President Joseph Biden, and U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani alluding to “Anthrax,” and containing what appeared to be a white powder.
Representative Thompson is serving his fifteenth term as the Congressman representing the second Congressional District in Mississippi. Representative Thompson is the Chairman of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
The letter specifically referenced Congressman Thompson’s role with the January 6 Select Committee and states “Im going to kill you! I will make you feel the rest of our pain & suffering. There is nowhere or nobody who can keep you from me. I am going to kill you & those you love. I promise you that I will keep my promise until the day of my death.” The letter goes on to state, “You & Joe Biden soon will face death for the wrongs you’ve done to US.”
Investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police Hazardous Material Response Team determined that the white powder accompanying the threats did not pose an immediate public safety hazard. It was determined through the investigation that the threatening letter and substance was sent by Vargo from the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police, Protective Service Bureau and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
The total maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 25 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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U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam Announces $554,355 in Justice Department Grants to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced that the Department of Justice has awarded $554,355 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Funding will support community efforts to address gun crime and serious violence in the district. The grants to Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency are just a few of the awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, which is part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
“The Justice Department’s grants provide resources for our state and local law partners to help protect individuals and communities from violent crime,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department is taking a comprehensive approach, recognizing that we cannot simply arrest our way out of this problem—the resources in these grants will help our state and local partners reduce gun violence through increased community trust and investments in community-based initiatives like violence intervention programs.”
“These funds will continue to help reduce violence in our communities across the Middle District of Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “We remain focused on prioritizing our violent crime reduction efforts through the PSN initiative, including prevention and treatment to stop incidents before they start.”
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Reading Man Sentenced to 100 Months’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on October 17, 2022, William F. Showers, age 37, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 100 months of imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from July through December 2021, Showers conspired with others to distribute over 200 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine, including over 50 grams of actual or pure methamphetamine. During the course of the investigation, an undercover agent purchased methamphetamine directly from the defendant at locations in Berks and Schuylkill Counties.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
This case is also 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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Three York Men Sentenced for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Luis Manuel Quesada Rodriguez, age 32, Alex Rivera Ramos, age 30, and Pedro Diaz, age 27, all from York, Pennsylvania, were each sentenced by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 120 months’ imprisonment for trafficking cocaine.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between December 2015 and March 2020, the defendants coordinated and received parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine sent from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Mail, and then distributed the cocaine in and around York. Each of the three defendants, along with a fourth co-defendant, Carlos Joel Nieves Ortega, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute between 5 and 15 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. As part of the investigation, the government disrupted the organization’s cocaine shipments and seized 7.5 kilograms of cocaine along with $16,895 in drug proceeds.
Co-defendant Carlos Joel Nieves Ortega, age 37, of York, was previously sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for his involvement in the cocaine trafficking conspiracy, and co-defendant Jose Colon Declet, age 36, of York, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Dalke and Daryl F. Bloom prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is also 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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Schuylkill County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of A Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Alnaldo Perez-Rodriguez, age 36, of Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, pleaded guilty on October 13, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Perez-Rodriguez admitted to possessing a loaded Walther .380 caliber pistol in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charge stems from an incident on December 3, 2021, in Shenandoah, in which State Parole Agents, members of the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force and members of the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force arrested Perez-Rodriguez for a violation of the conditions of his state parole. Perez-Rodriguez was found in possession of a loaded Walther .380 caliber pistol, an additional 35 rounds of .380 caliber ammunition, packets of fentanyl for distribution, packages of methamphetamine for distribution, and $875 in U.S. currency.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force, State Parole Agents, and the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is also 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, Perez-Rodriguez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of life, a term of supervised release 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 Men Charged with Failing to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Huong Van Thai, age 60, and Tim Duong, age 51, both of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were indicted on October 5, 2022, by a federal grand jury for conspiring to defraud the United States by failing to withhold and pay employment taxes, as well as other related offenses. The case was unsealed following the arrest of Thai and Duong.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Thai and Duong owned BCS, Inc., a company located in Harrisburg that provided temporary workers to other businesses. The indictment further alleges that Thai and Duong avoided their responsibility to withhold and pay employment taxes by often paying employees in cash and submitting false forms to the Internal Revenue Service.
The case was investigated by the internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses 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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Florida Man Sentenced to 405 Months’ Imprisonment for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on October 14, 2022, John Golom, age 57, of Florida, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced to 33 years and 9 months in prison for his involvement in a sex trafficking conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Golom had previously pleaded guilty to trafficking two women as prostitutes through force, threat, and coercion from 2014 through 2018. Golom recruited women to engage in commercial sex acts, advertised them on websites to attract customers and transported them between Florida and Pennsylvania to conduct his prostitution business. Golom kept all proceeds of the business and used physical violence, threats, and false promises to keep the women working. At sentencing, the Court found that Golom had preyed upon his victims despite knowing that at least one of them was particularly vulnerable because of severe mental illnesses and homelessness. The Court further found that Golom had attempted to obstruct justice by making false statements to the FBI and trying to tamper with his victims’ testimony.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is grateful to the victims in this case for making the truth known,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “The women who bravely came forward to hold this trafficker accountable made this successful prosecution possible. They are survivors, who, despite the horrific trauma they suffered at Golom’s hands for years, made it possible for justice to be done here. I am sure that they have spared other potential victims from the same horrors.”
In accordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the Court ordered Golom to pay over $300,000 in restitution. After serving his sentence of incarceration, Golom will be subject to a ten-year term of supervised release and must comply with sex offender registration requirements as applicable under federal, state, or local law.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Monroe County Detectives Office, Stroud Regional Police Department, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
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Central Pennsylvania Man Charged with Hobbs Act Robbery and Brandishing A Firearm During A Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kyle Jaden Morales, age 20, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on October 12, 2022, by a federal grand jury on charges of robbery of a business engaged in interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), brandishing and use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and related firearm offenses.
According to United States Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on March 10, 2022, Kyle Jaden Morales entered a Sheetz convenience store in Dauphin County, approached the cashier, brandished a 9mm black handgun with gold barrel and fluted slide, instructed the cashier to open the cash drawers, and took the cash by means of actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury. The indictment further alleges that on March 22, 2022, the defendant possessed two loaded firearms – the un-serialized 9mm pistol used during the March 10, 2022, robbery, along with a 9mm Taurus G2c pistol.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and the East Pennsboro Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel S. Dalke is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the charged offense is up to 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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York County Woman Sentenced for Fraud Related to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance BenefitsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tami Mateljan, age 47, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 11, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to two years of probation for conspiring to commit wire fraud. Mateljan was also ordered to pay $8,427 in restitution.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Mateljan previously admitted that between October 2020 and December 2020, conspirators obtained pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits from Colorado and Ohio by using the names and personal information of other individuals without authorization. The states transferred the fraudulently obtained PUA benefits to accounts owned by Mateljan. She then used some of the money for her own benefit and transferred the remaining money to conspirators in other countries, including Nigeria.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted 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.
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Harrisburg Woman Sentenced for Straw Purchasing A FirearmRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Maricely Corona, age 34, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to two years’ probation for purchasing a firearm for her brother.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on January 5, 2022, Corona pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. Corona purchased a 9mm Glock handgun at a gun show in Harrisburg on March 10, 2019. While purchasing the firearm, Corona lied on the Firearm Transaction Record form by stating that the gun was for herself, when in fact she was purchasing it for her brother, Joel Maldonado. Maldonado was prohibited from purchasing a firearm because he was previously convicted of a felony.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Ford 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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Guatemalan Citizen Charged with Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Luis Fernando Escalante, age 43, of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday on illegal reentry charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on May 5, 2021, Escalante was removed from the United States through Santa Teresa, New Mexico to Guatemala, and it is alleged that he reentered the United States without first receiving legal permission to do so. The indictment also alleges that Escalante was encountered on June 7, 2022, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) and the Swatara Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 2 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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Effort Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Matthew Luce, a/k/a “Luck,” age 36, of Effort, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Luce admitted that on February 6, 2021, he distributed ten bags of fentanyl, a Schedule II Controlled Substance, in Effort, Pennsylvania, to a New Jersey man who later used the drugs and was found dead in his home the next morning. The victim’s cause of death was determined to be a fentanyl overdose caused by the drugs distributed by Luce.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office (NJ), the Clinton Police Department (NJ), the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting the case.
This case is also 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 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.
Sentencing is not currently scheduled. Luce faces a mandatory sentence of 20 years imprisonment. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
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Luzerne County Man Indicted for Distributing Controlled Substances Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Roger Joseph Kapinsky, age 42, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted on October 11, 2022, by a federal grand jury and charged with the distribution of controlled substances resulting in death.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Kapinsky with the distribution of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and tramadol, a Schedule IV controlled substance, and death resulted from the use of the substances.
The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) in Scranton and the Kingston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski 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 and fentanyl. 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 case is also 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 is 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.
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 Indicted on Computer Crime ChargeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Molinaro, age 28, of Plains Township, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for intentionally damaging a business’ private computer system.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between May 2022 and July 2022, Molinaro used the internet to transmit information which intentionally interrupted the network operations of a Lackawanna County business, resulting in a loss of more than $5,000.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 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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Four Luzerne County Men Indicted on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gerinardo Rivera, a/k/a “Gerry, age 52, of Plains, Pennsylvania, Ramon Severino Fernandez, a/k/a “Yuca”, age 40, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, Andrew Pope, age 44, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and Kevin Davis, age 27, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between May 2021 and April 2022 in Luzerne County, Rivera, Fernandez, Pope and Davis conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. Rivera, Fernandez and Davis are also charged with possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of methamphetamine on April 22, 2022. Rivera and Fernandez are also charged with distributing quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl on various dates between December 2021 and March 2022. The indictment also alleges that between January 2022 and April 2022, Davis maintained a residence on North Meade Street in Wilkes-Barre for purposes of manufacturing, storing and distributing drugs.
“In addition to a substantial quantity of methamphetamine and other drugs, these defendants are charged with trafficking enough fentanyl to supply more than 16,000 doses on the streets of Wilkes-Barre and other communities in our district, and each dose is a potential overdose death waiting to happen,” said United States Attorney Gerald M. Karam. “This indictment is the product of an ongoing partnership between state and federal law enforcement agencies. With this kind of joint approach, we can bring to bear all available resources to combat drug trafficking in our communities. With the opioid epidemic still raging, and Pennsylvanians still dying of drug overdoses at alarming rates, we will not let up in our efforts to stop this wave of illegal drugs from coming into our state.”
“Today’s indictment holds these defendants accountable for their role in trafficking dangerous drugs into our communities and fueling an epidemic that claims the lives of 14 Pennsylvanians every day. I am grateful for the work of our law enforcement partners in getting drug dealers off our streets and helping to keep our communities safe,” stated Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Attorney General.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotic Investigations, and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Hardik are 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 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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Lebanon County Man Indicted on COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Stacy Taylor, age 27, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on 52 counts of Wire Fraud and 52 counts of Mail Fraud.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between March 21, 2020, and December 30, 2020, Taylor made materially false and fraudulent pretenses to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and the Employment Development Department for the State of California, to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance unemployment benefits, meant for individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Department of Probation/Parole, the Lebanon County Drug Task Force, and the Lebanon City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating is prosecuting the case.
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud related to unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations”, stated Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
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 each of these offenses 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.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Former Luzerne County Constable Charged with Possessing Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a grand jury returned an indictment against Sydney Snelling, Jr., age 48, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, charging the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on April 7, 2022, Snelling possessed an assault rifle bearing a modified barrel of under 16”, without possessing the requisite tax stamp to possess such a firearm. At the time of the offense, Snelling was a Luzerne County Constable, but has since been removed from his position.
The case was investigated by agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.
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 penalty under federal law is a maximum of 10 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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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Takes Part in Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Every day across the Middle District of Pennsylvania - and across the country – scammers are using technology to steal money from our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “Fighting fraud is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and we are committed to pursuing individuals who engage in such acts. We urge everyone who has been victimized to make a report so that we can continue this fight.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past year, the Middle District prosecuted Itcace Abramovici, a 72-year-old citizen of Canada, for his leadership role in a Montreal-based telemarketing and money laundering organization that targeted elderly victims in the United States, including those living in central Pennsylvania. Abramovici and his co-conspirators informed prospective victims that they had won a substantial amount of money in a lottery or sweepstakes and then directed those victims to send money in order to obtain their winnings. The victims’ payments were falsely characterized as taxes, customs fees, processing fees, and legal and insurance fees. None of the victims received any money, and many of their losses were substantial, with more than $460,000 in victim losses being attributed to Abramovici’s role in the fraud, and with losses to victims of the broader fraud at more than $1.3 million. Abramovici received a sentence of 30 months’ imprisonment on May 9, 2022.
The Middle District also prosecuted Jabin Godspower Okpako, of Nigeria, and his wife Christine Bradley Okpako, of Sayre, Pennsylvania, for their roles in conspiring to launder approximately $1.89 million in mail and wire fraud proceeds. The scheme sought to defraud multiple female victims throughout the United States, ranging in age from 55 to 85. The victims had visited online game, relationship and dating web sites, including Instagram, Facebook, Words with Friends, and What’s App. The conspirators, located in the United States and West Africa, befriended the victims through interaction and exchanges of photos on the web sites via text and instant messaging. After cultivating online relationships with the victims, the conspirators fraudulently induced the victims to send and transmit funds for various fictitious reasons. Jabin Okpako received a sentence of 87 months’ imprisonment and Christine Okpako received a sentence of 37 months’ imprisonment.
The Middle District also charged five New York men, Josiah DeJesus, age 20, Jashua Noboa-Nival, age 20, Yeurys Peguero-Rosario, age 22, Ramon Peguero-Rosario, age 19, and Nelson Rivas-Bello, age 27, for their participation in a “Grandparent” mail fraud scheme. The indictment alleged that defendants traveled from New York to various locations in Pennsylvania, including addresses in Luzerne and Lackawanna County, and picked up UPS and Fed Ex packages containing thousands of dollars in cash sent by elderly victims under the false pretense that their grandchildren had been arrested and were in immediate need of money. The victims sent the money after receiving fraudulent phone calls made by the named defendants’ co-conspirators, who posed either as the victims’ grandchildren or as a public defender representing the victims’ grandchildren.
As part of the Middle District’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. This year, we partnered with the FBI and AARP to reach approximately 4,000 seniors during an interactive telephone town hall which discussed the facts of the latest financial scams targeting seniors. The Middle District also took part in various senior expos in the district to help educate seniors on financial scams.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.[ET]. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Texas Men Charged with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jose Torres, age 27, and Luis Gonzalez, age 26, of Texas, were indicted by a federal grand jury for cocaine trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Torres and Gonzalez with conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, as well as possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine on September 29, 2022.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pennsylvania State Police and the Scranton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is also 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 charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law is up to 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.
Indictments 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 Sentenced to Five Years’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Marchese, age 30, of Swoyersville, Luzerne County, was sentenced on October 3, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to five years’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than fifty grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Marchese previously entered a guilty plea and admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Luzerne County area in 2020. The charge resulted from an investigation in May 2020 in which police obtained a search warrant for a residence in Swoyersville where Marchese was residing and seized crystal methamphetamine, a scale, drug packing materials, and $2245 in U.S. Currency.
The investigation was conducted by the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Kingston Police Department, the Swoyersville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is also 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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U.S. Attorney’s Office Promotes Elder Justice Initiative with Live Interactive Telephone Town HallRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania promotes the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative throughout the Middle District, announced U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. On September 27, 2022, the Middle District partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and AARP Pennsylvania to raise awareness and to educate older adults about the latest financial scams, so they do not fall victim. Approximately 4,000 seniors in the Middle District participated in the interactive telephone town hall as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative.
Scammers are targeting seniors at an alarming rate. Statistics collected by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center show that victims of all ages lost approximately $6.9 billion dollars to fraud in 2021, with 92,371 victims over the age of 60 accounting for $1.68 billion of those losses. According to the same statistics, in Pennsylvania, over 17,200 people lost over $207 million dollars, putting Pennsylvania in the top ten states by number of victims.
“The elder fraud cases the FBI investigates are simply infuriating,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Anyone who targets vulnerable older folks for their assets lacks both a heart and a moral compass. The FBI will continue working to shut down these types of schemes and to educate the elders of our community about common fraud red flags.”
“Report, report, report. That's a good lesson for everybody on the line,” AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force Chair Mary Bach told listeners. “If you think you're the victim of a scam, you should contact the proper authorities." She also noted AARP’s commitment to helping those who think they’ve been the victim of a scam. “Scam artists are out there looking for new ways to scam their next victims, but you can protect yourself … Visit AARP.org/FraudWatchNetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Help Line at 1-877-908-3360.”
The DOJ Elder Justice Initiative aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educating older adults on how to identify scams and avoid getting ripped off by scammers; and promoting greater coordination with law enforcement partners.
Some examples of financial frauds targeting seniors discussed during the town hall were:
- Social Security impostor schemes: defraud victims by posing as Social Security Administration agent and claiming that there is an issue with the victims’ account;
- IRS impostor schemes: defraud victims by posing as IRS agents and claiming that victims owe back taxes;
- Lottery phone scams: callers convince seniors that a large fee or taxes must be paid before one can receive lottery winnings;
- Romance scams: lull victims to believe that their online paramour needs funds for a U.S. visit or some other purpose;
- Grandparent scams: convince seniors that their grandchildren have been arrested and need bail money;
- Tech support scams: scammers offer assistance with viruses or malware they claim were detected on the victim’s computer; and
Below are some tips shared with participants during the town hall on how to avoid falling victim to a financial scam:
- Don’t share personal information with anyone you don’t know.
- Don’t pay a fee for a prize or lottery winning.
- Don’t click on pop-up ads or messages.
- Don’t send gift cards, checks, money orders, wire money, or give your bank account information to a stranger.
- Don’t fall for a high-pressure sales pitch or a lucrative business deal.
- Delete phishing emails and ignore harassing phone calls.
- If a scammer approaches you, take the time to talk to a friend or family member.
- Keep in mind that if you send money once, you’ll be a target for life.
- Remember, it’s not rude to say, “NO.”
- A good rule of thumb is, if it sounds too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.
In case you missed the Telephone Town Hall, you can view the recording via audio stream Vekeo.
Attacking exploitation and fighting fraud are two priorities of the Middle District, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to aggressively pursuing individuals who engage in such acts. Some recent prosecutions include:
The Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted Itcace Abramovici, a 72-year-old citizen of Canada, for his leadership role in a Montreal-based telemarketing and money laundering organization that targeted elderly victims in the United States, including those living in central Pennsylvania. Abramovici and his co-conspirators informed prospective victims that they had won a substantial amount of money in a lottery or sweepstakes and then directed those victims to send money in order to obtain their winnings. The victims’ payments were falsely characterized as taxes, customs fees, processing fees, and legal and insurance fees. None of the victims received any money, and many of their losses were substantial, with more than $460,000 in victim losses being attributed to Abramovici’s role in the fraud, and with losses to victims of the broader fraud at more than $1.3 million. Abramovici received a sentence of 30 months’ imprisonment on May 9, 2022.
The Middle District also charged five New York men, Josiah DeJesus, age 20, Jashua Noboa-Nival, age 20, Yeurys Peguero-Rosario, age 22, Ramon Peguero-Rosario, age 19, and Nelson Rivas-Bello, age 27, for their participation in a “Grandparent” mail fraud scheme. The indictment alleged that defendants traveled from New York to various locations in Pennsylvania, including addresses in Luzerne and Lackawanna County, and picked up UPS and Fed Ex packages containing thousands of dollars in cash sent by elderly victims under the false pretense that their grandchildren had been arrested and were in immediate need of money. The victims sent the money after receiving fraudulent phone calls made by the named defendants’ co-conspirators, who posed either as the victims’ grandchildren or as a public defender representing the victims’ grandchildren.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
If you think you have fallen victim to a scam or need assistance, you can contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), the Victim Connect Hotline at 1-855-4VICTIM (1-855-484-2846), the FBI Internet Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. You may also contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network free helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam.
For more information about the Elder Justice Initiative, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
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Florida Woman Charged with Embezzling $2 Million from Former EmployerRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Catherine Latoski, age 52, formerly of Exeter, Pennsylvania and currently a resident of Davenport, Florida, was charged in a criminal information with committing wire fraud.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Latoski was the Director of Accounting Services for a Scranton-based for-profit educational institution. Beginning in November 2016, through her termination in June 2021, Latoski allegedly charged approximately $2,000,000 in personal expenses on corporate credit cards issued by her former employer, spending the funds on vacations, Disney timeshares and cruises, personal utility bills and shopping expenses, her child’s college tuition, and to fund her and her family members’ personal businesses selling health and beauty products. Latoski then used her accounting position to facilitate having her former employer pay off the credit card charges, including by creating false entries in the company’s books and records to conceal the expenses.
The United States is forfeiting five Disney timeshares purchased by Latoski using the stolen funds, and held in the names of her family members.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is 30 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.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Federal Inmate Sentenced for Possessing Cellphone at LSCI AllenwoodRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 29, 2022, Angel Antonio Anchondo, age 20, an inmate at the Low Security Correctional Institution, Allenwood (LSCI Allenwood), in White Deer, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment by United States Magistrate Judge William I. Arbuckle for possessing a cellphone in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on December 15, 2021, a correctional officer at LSCI Allenwood seized a scarf from Anchondo while pat searching him, and found an LG cellphone and charger hidden within the scarf
The sentence will run consecutively to Anchondo’s current federal sentence for smuggling over 9 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Prisons sanctioned Anchondo by disallowing 40 days of good conduct time, placing him in disciplinary segregation for 30 days, and suspending his commissary and phone privileges for 6 and 12 months respectively.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman and Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel prosecuted the case.
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Monroe County Man Charged with Enticing A MinorRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 26, 2022, Matthew Robinson, age 29, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with attempting to entice a minor.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Robinson attempted to entice an individual under the age of 18 to engage in sexual intercourse, between July 16, 2022 and August 2, 2022.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting 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 justice.gov/psc.
The penalty under federal law is a minimum of 10 years and maximum life term 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.
Criminal informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Lebanon Man Sentenced to 90 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jorge Roque, Jr., age 35, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 27, 2022, to 90 months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for drug trafficking and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Roque was arrested in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in December 2021, in connection with a shooting investigation. At the time of his arrest, Roque was found in possession of methamphetamine, drug-trafficking paraphernalia, a loaded 9-millimeter handgun, and an additional loaded magazine. Roque pleaded guilty to the charges underlying the sentence imposed by Judge Wilson.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Haugsby prosecuted the case.
This case is also 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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Three Individuals Indicted for Distributing Controlled Substances Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Darryl Elliott, age 36, of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Steven Pierro, age 34, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and Heather Carper, age 34, of Northumberland, Pennsylvania, were indicted on September 20, 2022, by a federal grand jury and charged with the distribution of controlled substances resulting in death.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Elliott, Pierro, and Carper of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine within the Middle District of Pennsylvania, resulting in an overdose death that occurred in Lewisburg, Union County.
The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the FBI in Williamsport, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Sunbury Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski 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 and fentanyl. 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 case was also 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law is life 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 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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Lackawanna County Man Charged with Covid-Relief Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 23, 2022, Robert Brownstein, age 51, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Brownstein and his coconspirators used stolen identities to create forged identification documents and credit and debit cards. It is alleged that the conspirators used those forged items and stolen identities to open bank accounts, apply for lines of credit, and obtain retail merchandise. The conspirators also used the stolen identities to apply for multiple COVID-19 pandemic relief loans issued under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including by submitted false federal tax documentation.
The PPP is designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, PPP funds are offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Pottsville Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo 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 the wire fraud conspiracy offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The aggravated identity theft offense carries a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment that is to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed. 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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FCI Allenwood Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing Homemade Knife in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christian Mendez-Castro, age 29, an inmate of Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood (FCI Allenwood), White Deer, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on September 21, 2022, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann, to possessing contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Mendez-Castro admitted that he possessed a homemade weapon while he was an inmate at FCI Allenwood. The charge stemmed from an incident on November 16, 2019, when a correctional officer searched Mendez-Castro and found a hard piece of plastic fashioned into a knife with a rubber handle, as well as papers that were soaked in synthetic cannabinoids.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur are prosecuting the case.
Chief Judge Brann ordered the U.S. Probation Office to complete a presentence investigation report for Mendez-Castro. Sentencing has not been scheduled.
The maximum penalty for possessing contraband in prison is five years’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
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Philadelphia Man Charged with Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Demetri Carroll, age 27, of Philadelphia, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Carroll with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and nine counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine between October 2021 and August 2022, in Clinton and Lycoming Counties.
This case was investigated by the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement Unit, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This case was 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 most significant offenses is 40 years’ imprisonment and a fine. A sentence for each of these offenses also includes a period 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 by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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New York Man Sentenced to 40 Months’ Imprisonment for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tyshawn Mack, age 30, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for illegally possessing two firearms.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on January 18, 2019, Mack possessed a .380 caliber Ruger LCP pistol and a .32 caliber River Johnson Arms revolver, while prohibited by law to possess firearms because of a previous felony conviction. Both firearms were loaded at the time of Mack’s possession of them.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Scranton and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This case was also 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.
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Adams County Man Sentenced to 60 Months’ Imprisonment for Throwing A Molotov Cocktail at the Adams County CourthouseRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Samson Yohe, age 30, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for malicious attempt to destroy a building by fire and explosive. Judge Wilson also ordered Yohe to pay restitution in the amount of $280.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on the evening of December 22, 2019, Yohe threw an incendiary device consisting of an antique bottle filled with an unidentified liquid, several matches, and a white cotton sock at a window of the Adams County Courthouse. The device did not ignite, but did damage the window causing $280 in damage.
The conviction was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Gettysburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daryl F. Bloom and Scott R. Ford prosecuted the case.
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New York Man Sentenced to 20 Months’ Imprisonment for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Walik Skeete, age 46, of Binghamton, New York, was sentenced on September 20, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 20 months’ imprisonment for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the charge stems from an incident in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police stopped Skeete’s vehicle in Susquehanna County for vehicle code violations and subsequently located a loaded Beretta 9mm pistol in Skeete’s vehicle. Skeete has a prior felony conviction and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). 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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Luzerne County Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dario George, age 31, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges George with four counts of distribution of fentanyl and/or cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. The offenses occurred between November 23, 2021 and May 19, 2022, in Luzerne County.
The charges against George resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
The 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.
This case is also 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, George faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a term of supervised release 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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Harrisburg Woman Charged with 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 36, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information yesterday with failing to collect and pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that 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.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for this offense under federal law is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $10,000. 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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