District of Rhode Island
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Cranston Man to Plead Guilty to Torching Police Cruiser During June 2020 RiotsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Cranston man arrested for his alleged role in the torching of a Providence Police Department cruiser during the riots of 2020 is expected to plead guilty to a federal information charging him with malicious attempt to damage or destroy a vehicle, according to documents filed in federal court.
According to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court, Nicholas L. Scaglione, 31, will admit to igniting a Providence Police Department cruiser that was parked in downtown Providence as officers responded to a riot on June 2, 2020, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta, and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
According to information previously presented to the court, an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Providence Police, and United States Attorney’s Office investigation determined that Scaglione allegedly squirted a flammable liquid into the vehicle, causing a fire to intensify. The cruiser became fully engulfed and was destroyed.
According to court documents, Scaglione allegedly shared information with others about his role in the burning of the cruiser. Among text messages allegedly written by Scaglione is a text message where he wrote, “But that police cruiser that went up in flames last night can be replaced... I was pissed. I've been pissed. That was pent up years of rage and frustration with the way I've seen and been treated by police. That cop car can be replaced. People’s lives cannot... Then I go out fighting and standing up for s**t I believe in. Cuz I know for a fact if it was you or anyone else I was close to I'd burn the whole police force down and not even blink."
The statements set forth in an information are merely allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Attempted malicious destruction of a vehicle by fire is punishable by a statutory penalty of up to twenty years in federal prison, with a mandatory minimum term of five years of imprisonment, and a term of supervised release of three years.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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Providence Man Admits to Trafficking More Than A Kilo of CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man arrested shortly after law enforcement watched him take possession of a package that contained more than a kilogram of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to possessing more than 500 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Modesto Batista, 30, was sitting inside a vehicle parked near a Providence residence when a U.S. Postal Service Inspection agent made a controlled delivery of the package to the front porch of that residence. Law enforcement had become aware that the package contained a significant quantity of cocaine.
According to court documents, as Homeland Security Investigations agents, U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents, and detectives assigned to the Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force watched, Batista quickly removed the package from the porch and transported it to his Providence residence.
Moments after Batista went inside his residence, agents knocked on the door and announced their presence, after which they forcibly entered the residence. Batista was found standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the upstairs portion of the house. The package containing more than 1,400 grams of cocaine was found at Batista’s feet.
From inside Batista’s bedroom agents seized, among other items, a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and a magazine for the firearm loaded with fourteen rounds of live ammunition. Various items used in the delivery of cocaine were also found inside the residence.
Appearing on Thursday before U.S District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Batista, who has been detained since his arrest on December 10, 2020, pleaded guilty to possession of over 500 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni.
Batista is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2021.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty in Rhode Island to Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An Abington, Maryland, woman appeared in U.S. District Court in Providence, RI, on Thursday and admitted that she used the stolen identity of a customer of a Maryland business where she was employed in June 2018 and stolen blank checks from two businesses to fraudulently obtain money and services, including for the rental of a home in southern Rhode Island.
Lauren Houck, 31, admitted to the court that she gained the personal identity of the customer and forged her signature on 83 checks totaling more than $291,400. Most of the funds were used to finance a lavish lifestyle.
Houck admitted that as part of her schemes, she used the stolen identity and stolen business checks for payment to rent a house in southern Rhode Island from November 2018 to December 2019. As payment, Houck submitted three stolen checks totaling $14,000, each containing the forged signature of the person whose identity she stole.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, Houck pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni.
Houck is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2021.
Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a statutory mandatory term of imprisonment of two years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of up to one year of federal supervised release.
The case, investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Rhode Isand State Police, is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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Auto Transport Company Owner Sentenced for Falsifying Motor Carrier Safety Records, Fraud, ID Theft, Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The owner of an East Providence automobile transport company has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for falsifying U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) records, utilizing another person’s personal identifying information to continue to illegally operate his auto hauling business after being ordered to shut down, fraudulently obtaining more than $400,000 from various financial institutions, and taking evasive steps to avoid paying personal income taxes owed to the IRS.
According to information presented to the court, Michael Chaves, 41, owner of CAT Inc., continued to operate a fleet of auto transport trucks after having been cited for, among other things, allowing drivers to operate without a current or properly classified license; failing to maintain certifications that drivers were medically able to drive; failing to implement a driver alcohol or controlled substances testing program; and allowing drivers to exceed the maximum number of hours of driving allowed under the law.
Chaves utilized another person’s personal identifying information to continue to illegally operate the business after FMCSA ordered the business shutdown.
Additionally, Chaves fraudulently obtained more than $400,000 from various financial institutions by employing schemes during which he obtained $332,000 in loans and funds from several banks and credit unions by providing fraudulent earning statements, tax returns, motor vehicle purchase contracts, and Department of Motor Vehicle documents; caused the fraudulent wire transfer between financial institutions of $72,864.28; and executed a scheme by submitting 15 fraudulent checks he created to an automobile seller’s bank account from which he obtained $64,453.
Additionally, according to information presented to the court, Chaves took several steps to evade income taxes by, among other things, commingling business and personal expenses; using a check casher to divert third-party income; creating fraudulent third-party checks and cashing them using a check casher, rather than a bank; and maintaining approximately 15 different bank accounts using at least five different company names.
Chaves pleaded guilty on August 22, 2020, to a ten-count information charging him with falsification of records, aggravated identity theft, five-counts of bank fraud, two-counts of wire fraud, and tax evasion.
Chaves was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus Acting Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Ramsey E. Covington, and Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Daniel Helzner, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region.
A restitution order will be forthcoming from the court. In addition to restitution to be paid in the fraud schemes connected to the operation of his auto transport company, the order will include restitution to be paid by Chaves to Amazon. It was alleged in court documents that Chaves defrauded Amazon through theft of inventory through falsely represented returns. It is alleged in court documents that Chaves ordered products from Amazon and, at times, replaced the original products with lesser value replacements, often items different than the ones he originally ordered, before returning the packages to Amazon for refunds.
Chaves’ alleged Amazon refund scams were discovered during the investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General into Chaves’ auto transport company.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
Acting United States Attorney Myrus thanks officers from the East Providence Police Department and the National Crime Insurance Bureau for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Rhode Island Man Sentenced for Foreign Travel to Engage in Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man who traveled from Rhode Island to Winnipeg, Canada, to engage in illicit sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl he befriended on social media was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, prior to traveling to Canada in April 2019 to engage in sexual contact with the minor girl, Herbert J. Rodas, 24, communicated with the victim online for several months, sending obscene images of himself and soliciting sexually explicit photographs in return.
In June 2019, the Winnipeg Police Service contacted the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Rhode Island to report the sexual assault of a 13-year-old female. Winnipeg Police developed information that Herbert Rodas had travelled from the United States to Canada in April 2019 to engage in sexual activity with the minor victim.
At the time of his guilty plea in federal court in Providence to charges of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in foreign places, transferring obscene material to a minor, and receipt of child pornography, Rodas admitted to the court that on April 25, 2019, he flew to Canada, rented a hotel room in his name for which he paid cash, and over the next three days he met with the victim on several occasions to engage in illicit sexual activity.
At sentencing today, US. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced Rodas, who has been released on home detention with electronic monitoring since his arrest in July 2019, to 72 months in federal prison to be followed by 10 years of federal supervised release, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel James M. Manni.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams.
Acting U.S, Attorney Myrus thanks the officers of the Winnipeg Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
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Indictment Details Charges in Conspiracy to Defraud Financially Distressed Homeowners, Financial InstitutionsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Johnston-based real estate investment firm, the company’s founder, and a person who held himself out to be a negotiator on behalf of financially distressed homeowners but who was, in reality, associated with the real estate investment firm, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges they participated in a series of schemes to defraud homeowners and financial institutions.
It is alleged in the indictment that members of the conspiracy, Gregory F. Aloisio, 60, of Johnston, his real estate investment company, Aloisio Group, LLC, which also did business as Quietstorm Professional Services, and John DiFruscio, Jr., 68, of North Providence, who is associated with Quietstorm Professional Services, conspired to fraudulently obtain properties from financially distressed homeowners; fraudulently obtained fees, commissions, and other income associated with the rental, use and short sale of homeowners’ properties; fraudulently purchased properties in short sales and illegally “flipped” them for significant personal gain; and defrauded several financial institutions.
It is alleged in the indictment that as part of the conspiracy, co-conspirators held themselves out as negotiators who, for a fee, could assist in keeping properties from being foreclosed upon. Among the fraudulent actions allegedly employed by the co-conspirators:
- Many financially distressed homeowners were convinced to move out of their residences to allow the co-conspirators to rent out the properties in a fraudulent “rent-to-own” program. Some homeowners remained in their properties and paid rent to the co-conspirators as part of the defendants’ “rent-to-own” program. It is alleged that the co-conspirators used the rental income for their own benefit.
- DiFruscio, while purportedly working on behalf of the victim homeowners, negotiated short sales of properties on behalf of the Aloisio Group, the prospective short sale purchaser, at the lowest possible price to benefit the Aloisio Group and Gregory Aloisio himself, thereby causing financial institutions to incur a greater loss. Little or no marketing of the properties occurred. The co-conspirators allegedly arranged to have the properties listed for sale on Multiple Listing Service (MLS), then had the listing immediately reflect “sale pending.”
- After purchasing the properties, the co-conspirators arranged to sell, or “flip,” the properties to another purchaser at substantially higher prices.
- The co-conspirators filed false affidavits and documents that represented that 1) no commercial relationship existed between the parties to induce lenders to approve short sales; 2) there was no agreement to “flip” or rent the targeted properties after the short sale; and 3) falsely reflect the identity of the seller, the identity of the buyer, and cash to the parties at closing.
- Some homeowners were convinced to transfer title of their homes to John DiFruscio as a trustee of a family trust.
An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Providence charges Gregory Aloisio, Aloisio Group, LLC, and John DiFruscio, Jr., with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Christina D. Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert and Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
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Grand Jury Indicts Two in "Grandparent Scam"Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging two Providence men with allegedly running a so-called “grandparent scam” in two states, fraudulently obtaining or attempting to obtain thousands of dollars in cash from at least nine elderly victims by claiming the money was needed immediately to assist a relative, typically the victim’s grandchild or child, who had purportedly been arrested or jailed.
It is alleged in the indictment that members of the conspiracy sometimes posed briefly on the telephone as the victims’ relative, sounding upset or ill to disguise their voice, to further persuade the victim to provide the cash. It is alleged that victims were instructed by a co-conspirator posing as an attorney to provide the cash to a courier or bail bondsman that would arrive at their home to collect the cash. The victims were told that a “gag order” was in place on their relative’s legal matter that prohibited the victims from sharing information about the matter.
In many instances, victims reported to law enforcement that the person who arrived at their home to collect the cash did so in a white van and wore a work uniform type vest.
It is alleged in the indictment that Vidal “Sandy” Roquez, 35, and Schmitt A. Prado, 26, participated in a conspiracy to defraud senior citizens in Portsmouth, Tiverton, Cranston, South Kingstown, and Warwick, Rhode Island, and in Shrewsbury, Northborough, and Weston, Massachusetts, of between $9,000 and $14,000.
According to court documents, on February 18, 2020, a Little Compton, R.I. resident reported to his local police department that he received a call from a female purporting to be his granddaughter and that she had been arrested and was in need of bail money. A male voice then came on the telephone to speak with the targeted victim, he identified himself as an attorney, said that the victim’s granddaughter had crashed into a police cruiser while taking a selfie and that $9,000 in cash was needed to bail his granddaughter out of jail. The money was to be paid to a bail bondsman, who would be arriving at his house.
The Little Compton man contacted the Little Compton Police Department about the call. Police officers were at the man’s house when Schmitt Prado allegedly arrived to collect the cash. Prado was arrested when it was determined that it was allegedly a scam.
Further investigation following the arrest of Prado led law enforcement to identify the white van described by many of the victims. The van was traced to Vidal Roquez’s residence.
The grand jury returned an indictment charging Schmitt Prado and Vidal Roquez with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, and Little Compton Police Chief Scott Raynes.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus acknowledges and thanks the Warwick, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Cranston, and South Kingstown, R.I. Police Departments; the Shrewsbury, Northborough, and Weston, MA, Police Departments; and the Rhode Island Fusion Center for their assistance in the investigation of this case.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeting seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. If you are a victim or know a victim of elder fraud, you can call 1-877-FTC-HELP or go to ftc.gov/complaint. For downloadable Elder Abuse Prevention resources and for information about community outreach programs in Rhode Island, visit the United States Attorney’s Office’s Elder Justice Initiative web page at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/elder-justice.
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Grand Jury Indicts Providence Man on Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man previously convicted and incarcerated for robbing a total of seven banks dating back to 1997 was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Providence on charges he allegedly robbed three banks and attempted to rob a fourth in three days beginning on January 19, 2021.
It is alleged in the indictment that Vaughn Watrous, 44, on January 19, robbed a Santander Bank branch office on North Main Street in Providence; on January 20, robbed a Citizens Bank branch office in Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence; and on January 21, attempted to robbed a TD Bank branch office in North Providence on January 21; and on January 21, robbed a Santander Bank branch office in Cranston.
It is alleged that, in each incident, tellers were handed notes demanding cash.
According to court files, Watrous was convicted in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1997 on a charge of bank robbery and sentenced to 51 months in federal prison; in 2003 in U.S. District Court in Providence on two counts of bank robbery and sentenced to 76 months in federal prison; and in October 2015 in federal court in Providence on four counts of bank robbery and sentenced in February 2016 to 92 months in federal prison.
Watrous has been detained at the ACI since his most recent arrest on January 24, 2021, by Providence Police, acting on an arrest warrant issued at the request of the Cranston Police Department for robberies in Cranston and North Providence.
A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Vaugh Watrous with three counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist, Providence Police Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., North Providence Police Chief Arthur J. Martins, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
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Foster Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Foster man convicted and incarcerated in 2017 for sharing sexually explicit photographs online with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, and with whom he attempted to meet near her middle school to engage in sex, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges.
John Q. Adams, 31, was arrested on February 11, 2021, following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which determined that in January 2021, Adams allegedly uploaded video depicting a prepubescent female engaged in various sex acts with an adult male.
Adams, who has been detained since his arrest, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B Myrus, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent James M. Manni.
If convicted as charged in the indictment, Adams faces statutory penalties of between 15 - 40 years of federal imprisonment followed by up to lifetime supervised release.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton
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Four Charged in Scheme Employing Homeless to Cash Bogus ChecksRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Four men from the Atlanta, GA, area have been charged in federal court in Providence, RI, for allegedly operating a long-running scheme in which homeless and transient individuals from the Providence area were recruited to cash counterfeit business checks in exchange for a cash payment.
It is alleged in court documents that homeless individuals enlisted by the Georgia men were driven to financial institutions in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, and elsewhere, provided bogus business checks made out to them, and were instructed to cash the checks using their Rhode Island ID card or driver’s license for identification. The individuals were told to return to the vehicle with the cash and in return were paid between $100 and $200.
It is alleged that in at least one instance, a homeless individual was threatened with bodily harm if that person took off with the proceeds after cashing the bogus check and failed to provide the funds to the schemers.
As a result of an investigation by the Medway, MA, Police Department and the United States Secret Service, federal criminal complaints filed in U.S. District Court in Providence charge Austin Weaver, 31, of Decatur, GA; Cortavious Benford, 26, of Atlanta, GA; and Michael Williams, 26, and Jalen Ronald Stanford, 28, of East Point, GA, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Medway, MA, Police Chief Allen Tingley, and Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Frederick J. Regan.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus acknowledges and thanks the Providence Police Department for its assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Guilty Plea Entered in Wide-Ranging Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Lawrence, MA, man, one of nine individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in Providence, RI, in July 2020, for their alleged participation in a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud financial institutions in several states, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Providence.
Hiancarlos Mosquea-Ramos, 28, admitted that he participated in schemes as the seller or the buyer of used vehicles, defrauding Merrimack Valley Credit Union, Sharon Credit Union, Digital Federal Credit Union, Metro Credit Union, Direct Federal Credit Union, RTN Credit Union, and Workers Credit Union.
Mosquea-Ramos admitted that by using his own personal identification information along with counterfeit earnings statements, fabricated automobile purchase and sales agreements, and counterfeit motor vehicle titles, he obtained at least $92,000 in fraudulent loans to purchase fictitious cars. A co-conspirator, Jonathan A. Pimental, 29, of Lawrence, MA, was allegedly listed as the seller of the cars. Pimental is awaiting trial on a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Additionally, Mosquea-Ramos admitted that he posed as the seller of various used cars. It is alleged co-conspirator Rolando E. Estrella, 33, of Lawrence, MA, prepared false purchase and sales agreements and counterfeit automobile titles naming Mosquea-Ramos as the seller of the vehicles. Financial institutions approved a total of more than $275,200 in used car loans, disbursing checks made payable to Mosquea Ramos. The checks were quickly deposited and the funds quickly withdrawn and divided among participants of the conspiracy.
Rolando E. Estrella is awaiting trial on multiple charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and fraudulent use of a social security number.
On Tuesday, Hiancarlos Mosquea-Ramos appeared before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Frederick J. Regan, and Scott E. Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations.
Mosquea-Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2020.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman Submits Letter of ResignationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman on Thursday evening submitted a letter of resignation to the President. Mr. Weisman’s resignation is effective February 28, 2021.
United States Attorney Weisman commented, “Serving as United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island has been the greatest honor of my career. I am indebted to the hard working, dedicated, and conscientious professionals with whom I have had the privilege to work alongside at the United States Attorney’s Office, and who, day in and day out, carry out the Office’s critical justice mission – ensuring the just prosecution of federal-law violations, and that justice be achieved in the civil lawsuits brought by and against the federal government. I have no doubt that the Office, working together with its outstanding federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue its exemplary service to all Rhode Islanders.”
Pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, with the departure of United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, First Assistant United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus will become Acting United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. In his capacity as Acting United States Attorney, Mr. Myrus serves as the chief Federal law enforcement officer for the District of Rhode Island.
Appointed an Assistant United States Attorney in May 2007, Mr. Myrus has served as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division’s drug, gun and white collar crime units, and as a civil litigator in the office’s Civil Division. Mr. Myrus was named Civil Division Chief in February 2014. Mr. Myrus has served as First Assistant United States Attorney since January 2018.
Prior to his appointment as an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Myrus was a partner in two Boston law firms specializing in patent litigation and served as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
A veteran, Mr. Myrus served in the United States Navy as a helicopter aircraft commander and flight instructor.
Mr. Myrus graduated from Columbia University in 1984 and received his M.A. in United States History from the University of California, San Diego in 1992. He earned his law degree from Fordham University Law School in 1995.
Mr. Myrus announced that the leadership team in the United States Attorney’s Office will remain the same.
Sandra R. Hebert – Chief, Criminal Division
Sandra R. Hebert, named Criminal Chief in December 2020, joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island as an Assistant United States Attorney in June 2006. In addition to prosecuting a wide variety of criminal matters, including a number of significant drug and white collar crime cases, Ms. Hebert served as OCEDTF Chief and Criminal Division Deputy Chief. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island, Ms. Hebert served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Texas - Midland Division beginning in 2004.
Prior to her appointments as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ms. Hebert served as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. Ms. Hebert was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.
Ms. Hebert is a 1996 graduate of the University of North Carolina and received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1999. After earning her law degree, Ms. Hebert served as a Law Clerk for U.S. District Court Judge John D. Rainey in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Lee H. Vilker – Deputy Chief, Criminal Division
Lee H. Vilker, named Deputy Criminal Chief in December 2020, joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island as an Assistant United States Attorney in June 2002 after serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Jersey since May 1999. In his more than two decades as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Vilker has specialized in white-collar fraud and has prosecuted a wide variety of criminal conduct.
Prior to his appointment as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Vilker was employed as a litigation associate in the New York law firm of Proskauer Rose, LLP from 1995-1999. Mr. Vilker also served as law clerk for the Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court from 1995-1996.
Mr. Vilker is a 1990 graduate of Brandeis University and received his law degree from New York University School of Law in 1993, where he received the annual American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law.
Zachary A. Cunha – Chief, Civil Division
Zachary A. Cunha was named Civil Division Chief in February 2018. Prior to being named Civil Division Chief, Mr. Cunha served as the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Coordinator in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island. In that capacity, he was responsible for cases in which the United States, as plaintiff, seek to vindicate governmental interests, combat fraud, and recover funds under the Federal False Claims Act. Prior to joining the Rhode Island office in 2014, Mr. Cunha served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Massachusetts for five years.
Mr. Cunha began his career with the Justice Department in the Eastern District of New York, where he served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 2005-2008. Before joining the Department, Mr. Cunha worked as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New York, representing the City and its officers in federal litigation.
Mr. Cunha received his Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from Brown University in 1998, and his Juris Doctorate, also with honors, from the George Washington University Law School in 2001.
Lauren S. Zurier – Appellate Chief
Lauren S. Zurier was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of Appeals in December 2019, where she handles the District’s criminal cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston.
Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office, Ms. Zurier practiced for four years at law firms in Boston and Providence before joining the Office of the Rhode Island Attorney General in 1993 as an appellate prosecutor. Between 1993 and 2019, Ms. Zurier litigated over 180 appellate cases in the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
Ms. Zurier received her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard University in 1984, and her law degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1987. After graduating from law school, Ms. Zurier served as a law clerk for Senior U.S. District Court Judge Frank Kaufman in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
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Dominican National Admits Trafficking Fentanyl After Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national deported in August 2016 to his native Dominican Republic after having been arrested twice for drug trafficking, and who later re-entered the United States illegally, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence on Wednesday to trafficking fentanyl and illegal re-entry into the United States.
Franklin Carlos Soto, 33, admitted to a federal court judge that he sold an individual approximately 50 grams of fentanyl for $2,500 on June 9 and again on June 18, 2020, and that he sold the same individual approximately 25 grams of fentanyl for $1,250 on June 25, 2020.
According to information presented to the court, during the June 9th transaction which took place in Soto’s residence, the individual purchasing fentanyl from Soto observed Soto take the fentanyl from a larger bag of suspected fentanyl. Soto told the individual that he had sold 800 grams the prior day. During the arrangements for the June 25th delivery of fentanyl, Soto offered to sell crack cocaine to the individual.
On July 2, 2020, members of the SSTF arrested Soto and executed a federal court-authorized search warrant at Soto’s residence and at a second Providence residence used by Soto as a stash house. Agents and officers seized a total of approximately 136 grams of fentanyl and a loaded 9mm ammo clip.
Fingerprints taken from Soto upon his arrest confirmed his identity as Franklin Carlos Soto. The investigation revealed that Soto had been living in RI under the name of Luis E. Sanchezsoto. In a prior encounter with law enforcement in January 2020, Soto falsely identified himself to Rhode Island State Police as Luis Sanchezsoto, producing a Dominican Republic driver’s license in that name.
Appearing on Wednesday before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, Franklin Carlos Soto pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of ammunition by an illegal alien, and illegal re-entry, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
Soto, who has been detained since his arrest on July 2, 2020, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2021. An immigration detainer has been lodged against Soto by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Veroni.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta thank the DEA and the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Area Task Force for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Indictment Charges R.I. Businessman with Smuggling Vehicles from the United States to LebanonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man who owns and operates, among other businesses, an auto sales and salvage company was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Providence on charges he allegedly filed false export information with the United States Department of Commerce and smuggled nineteen vehicles from the United States to Lebanon.
It is alleged in an indictment unsealed today that in February and March 2016, Carlo Fakhri, 50, of Fall River, MA, a naturalized United States citizen born in Lebanon, smuggled fifteen pick-up trucks, a passenger vehicle, two Suburbans, and a Range Rover to Lebanon without supplying complete and correct information to the Commerce Department as required by law, including the correct name, address, identification number, and contact information for the purchaser and receiver of each vehicle.
It is alleged in the indictment that Fakhri failed to follow Foreign Trade Regulations that mandate that all persons engaged in the export of commodities file accurate information with the United States government regarding the exports via the government’s Automated Export System (AES). Foreign Trade Regulations, authorized by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, strengthen the U.S government’s ability to prevent the export of certain items, including motor vehicles, to unauthorized destinations and/or end users. The AES aids in targeting and identifying suspicious or illegal shipments prior to exportation.
Carlo Fakhri, who operates, among other businesses, D’Agostinos Auto Sales and Salvage, Inc., in North Providence, R.I., was arraigned today on charges of submission of false export information and smuggling, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta, and Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement Boston Field Office William Higgins.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted as charged in the indictment, Carlo Fakhri faces statutory penalties of up to 15 years in federal prison, 3 years supervised release, and a fine of up to $360,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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Convicted Felon on Probation Sentenced on Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man arrested by members of the FBI Safe Street Task Force on federal drug trafficking and firearm charges while he was serving a term of state probation for illegally possessing a firearm in an unrelated matter has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
During a series of wide-ranging Project Safe Neighborhoods drug trafficking investigations, members of the Safe Street Task Force (SSTF) developed information that Carlos Jojamis Gonzalez Nevarez, 26, was trafficking heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl, all while he was using the residence of another person as a stash house.
According to information presented to the court, beginning in September 2019, SSTF agents and officers arranged for what would be the first in a series of five controlled purchases of narcotics from Gonzalez Nevarez. The transactions occurred while Gonzalez Nevarez was under surveillance by law enforcement. In total, Gonzalez Nevarez sold approximately 111 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and 50 grams of cocaine.
On November 19, 2019, members of the SSFT executed a court-authorized search of Gonzalez Nevarez’s home and the stash house he maintained on Douglas Avenue, the home of his friend, also arrested in this operation, Richard Rivera Disla. The FBI seized a loaded .45 caliber pistol, and $2,056 in cash from Gonzalez Nevarez’s home and 520.80 grams of fentanyl and 12.58 grams of cocaine from the stash house.
According to a plea agreement filed with the court, Rivera Disla has agreed to plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute a substance containing fentanyl.
Gonzalez Nevarez appeared before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on October 7, 2020, and pled guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and felon in possession of a firearm.
Gonzalez Nevarez was sentenced on February 11, 2021, to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by five years federal supervised release, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey P. Veroni and Gerard B. Sullivan.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Telemarket Fraudster Sentenced to Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A key participant in a telemarketing fraud scheme that preyed on the trust of individuals has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.
Manish Kumar, 32, an Indian national, previously admitted to the court that he directed telephone calls to call centers in India as part of a scheme to mislead individuals into believing that their computers were infected by malware, and to buy computer protection services from call center operators. The call centers perpetuated the falsehood that malware had been detected on the callers’ computer, convincing callers to provide payment information to purchase putative technical support services. No putative services were provided.
As part of the scheme, those who had been misled, were later victimized again. Call center operators called back and told the victims that they were entitled to refunds. The operators would then mislead the victims into believing that they had accidentally been sent far in excess of the refund amounts and urged the victims to return the overage. Because no funds had actually been sent to the victims, in “returning” the overage, the victims were actually parting with more of their own money. Kumar admitted to providing money routing services for this component of the scheme. Kumar provided the call center operators with a bank account in the United States, where the victim money would be sent and then forwarded to Kumar and his coconspirators.
Additionally, Kumar admitted that he had obtained information sufficient to place charges on thirty-seven credit card accounts of U.S. residents and had taken steps to have fraudulent charges placed on those accounts.
Kumar was arrested by FBI agents on August 24, 2019, as he deplaned in New York City from a flight from India and ordered detained in federal custody.
Kumar pleaded guilty on November 5, 2020, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced on Thursday to 24 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release, and to pay restitution in the amount of $5,000. As part of the investigation, FBI was able to intercept some of the fraudulently obtained funds and return them directly to victims, making additional restitution unnecessary.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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Registered Sex Offender Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Foster man convicted in Rhode Island state court in June 2017 for engaging online with a person he believed to be a 13-year old girl with whom he shared sexually explicit images and with whom he tried to make arrangements to meet to engage in sex near the girl’s middle school, has been ordered detained in federal custody for allegedly possessing child pornography.
John Q. Adams, 31, was arrested Thursday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that determined in January 2021, Adams allegedly uploaded video depicting a prepubescent female engaged in various sex acts with an adult male.
Adam’s alleged online activity was brought to the attention of Homeland Security Investigations by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Adams was arrested and ordered detained in federal custody following an initial appearance Thursday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent James M. Manni.
In June 2017, Adams was sentenced in Rhode Island state court to 5 years of incarceration, 1 year suspended with four to serve, and ordered to register as a sex offender.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
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Chiropractor Sentenced in Health Care Fraud, Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence chiropractor who admitted to creating and executing a scheme to defraud a health care benefits program and who failed to pay taxes on some of the income he received from his business was sentenced on Wednesday to three years probation, to include the first six months in home confinement; to perform 900 hours of community service while on probation; and to pay a $25,000 fine.
Eugene Kramer, 51, sole owner of New England Spine and Disk Center, previously admitted to the court that he fraudulently billed for days a patient did not attend treatment, for treatment not provided, and that he falsified medical notes and documentation to support a nonexistent personal injury claim.
Kramer admitted that as part of the scheme, from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, he provided invoices for chiropractic treatment to an attorney, who then, in order to support a patient’s bodily injury claim, provided those invoices to an automobile insurance company. To bolster the claim, Kramer created falsified medical notes and documentation.
According to court documents, an individual electronically monitored by the FBI visited Kramer’s office on 15 occasions for chiropractic treatment, under the pretext of having been involved in an automobile accident. In most instances little or no treatment was provided and few if any medical notes were taken. At no time did Kramer provide the person with a diagnosis or discuss a treatment plan. The individual was emailed a package requesting a monetary settlement in connection with a supposed injury claim to Progressive Insurance requesting, among other things, reimbursement for chiropractic services.
At the time of his guilty plea on June 29, 2020, Kramer admitted that for tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017, he failed to report a portion of his personal income, resulting in him owing the IRS $66,914.
Kramer pleaded guilty to one count each of health care fraud and filing a false tax return.
Kramer’s sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Providence Man Sentenced in California to Rhode Island Heroin an Cocaine PipelineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man who admitted to participating in a criminal drug conspiracy that shipped more than 200 packages containing large quantities of heroin and cocaine from Los Angeles, Culver City, and Marina del Rey, CA, to cities and towns in the greater Providence and Southeastern Massachusetts areas has been sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Shawn A. Silva, 38, previously admitted to the court that between May 2017 and August 2019, he routinely traveled to cities and towns in the greater Providence and Southeastern, Mass., areas to retrieve parcels that contained large quantities of heroin and cocaine shipped to commercial mail receiving agencies.
An investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force determined that at least 219 packages containing heroin and cocaine were shipped by members of the conspiracy from California to the greater Providence and Southeastern, MA, areas.
A co-defendant in this matter, Robert A. Brown, 32, of Los Angeles, CA, previously admitted to the court that he and others purchased large quantities of heroin and cocaine, and that they broke the larger quantities into smaller packages and shipped the packages to, among other places, commercial mail receiving agencies in the greater Providence and Southeastern, MA, areas.
A court-authorized search of Brown’s Los Angeles apartment on August 14, 2019, resulted in the seizure of more than a kilogram of cocaine in vacuumed sealed bags, $32,150 in cash, a loaded semi-automatic handgun and a semi-automatic rifle, various Priority Mail package receipts, commercial mailbox rental receipts, numerous fraudulent driver’s licenses, a cash counting machine, and various items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs.
Silva and Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess more than one kilogram of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.
Brown, who pleaded guilty on July 28, 2020, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith on October 29, 2020, to 78 months in federal prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.
Silva, who pleaded guilty on November 11, 2020, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.
Additionally, Joel P. Sennon, 42, of Providence, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess more than one kilogram of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2020.
Giselle S. Polanco, 22, and Marion V. Gamboa, 25, of Providence, previously pleaded guilty to charges brought as a result of this investigation and are awaiting sentencing. Sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled.
Deondre Jones, 43, of Los Angeles, and Valerie G. Gamboa, 26, of Providence, are awaiting trial.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Ferland and Christine D. Lowell.
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US Attorney's Office Statement on CDC Moratorium on EvictionsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office today issued the following statement regarding DOJ enforcement of the eviction moratorium order issued by the Centers for Disease Control:
In September of 2020, the CDC issued a federal order imposing a Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19. That order, which has since been extended through March 31, 2021, prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for non-payment of rent during the period between September 4, 2020 and the end of March. In Rhode Island, the State District Court has issued an order implementing this policy; that order has also extended relief through March 31, 2021.
Under the CDC and state court orders, tenants who meet income eligibility requirements (generally, those who earn less than $99,000 per year, or $198,000 if filing jointly) and who are unable to pay their full rent due to substantial loss of household income, loss of compensable hours of work or wages, a lay-off, or extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses can obtain protection from eviction by providing a sworn declaration regarding their situation to their landlord (available at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/declaration-form.pdf). Once this declaration is provided, a landlord is prohibited from evicting the tenant while the moratorium remains in effect, and is subject to substantial penalties, including fines of up to $250,000 and up to a year in jail. The order does not affect the obligation of tenants to pay rent, however, nor does it bar the collection of fees, penalties, and interest.
Given the gravity of the current public health crisis, tenants covered by the CDC order should consider taking appropriate steps to obtain legal protection from eviction and report violations of the order to this office by email: [email protected]; Fax: (401) 709-5001, or phone (401) 709-5010. We likewise encourage landlords to consider alternatives to legal action while the CDC moratorium remains in effect.
Further information on the CDC moratorium is available here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-eviction-declaration.html
The State of Rhode Island District Court orders are available here:
https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/districtcourt/PDF/20-06.pdf
https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/districtcourt/PDF/20-07amended1-31-21.pdf
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Providence Man Indicted for Torching a Providence Police Cruiser During June 2020 RiotsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal grand jury today returned a one-count indictment charging a Providence man with arson, alleging that he intentionally set a Providence Police Department cruiser on fire during a riot in downtown Providence during the early morning hours of June 2, 2020.
It is alleged that Luis Joel Sierra, 36, leaned inside a Providence Police cruiser to ignite a fire. The cruiser was quickly engulfed in flames and destroyed.
According to court documents, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the torching of the police vehicle was bolstered by video from surveillance cameras, cell phones, and social media, and from information provided via email to law enforcement tip lines, including the Boston FBI tip line.
Additionally, as alleged in court documents, Sierra told another that he was one of the individuals responsible for the arson of the Providence Police Department vehicle by applying a flammable liquid to the interior of the vehicle and then using a lighter to ignite the fire. Law enforcement was also provided with several videos allegedly taken on Snapchat off Sierra’s phone and a recorded conversation with Sierra during which Sierra allegedly detailed his actions igniting the fire.
On August 14, 2020, members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Sierra’s residence and seized matching clothing allegedly worn by Sierra on the evening of June 1, 2020 and early morning of June 2, 2020, including a black Caterpillar jacket; white Adidas sweatpants; a camouflage mask; two black gloves, one with a logo on the back of the hand; and two one-handed windshield-style lighters.
A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Sierra with malicious attempt to damage or destroy a vehicle, in whole and in part owned and possessed by the Providence Police Department, an organization receiving Federal financial assistance, by means of fire, thereby causing a substantial risk of injury to any person, including any public safety officer performing duties (arson), announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta, and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted as charged, Sierra faces statutory penalties of 7- 40 years imprisonment, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
United States Attorney Aaron Weisman, FBI Boston Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta, and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., thank the Rhode Island Fusion Center, Rhode Island State Police, and Cranston Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
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Dominical National Sentenced, Facing Deportation for Trafficking Fentanyl, Crack Cocaine, CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national previously convicted in Massachusetts on drug trafficking charges and for illegally entering the United States was sentenced on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Providence to eight years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl, crack cocaine, and cocaine.
In May 2018, Rhode Island State Police developed information that Cristian Alberto Germosen Reynoso, 42, of Providence, who had been arrested and convicted multiple times in Massachusetts on drug charges, was allegedly dealing heroin in Rhode Island. Law enforcement surveillance of Reynoso’s residence revealed activity consistent with drug trafficking.
Around that same time, a state arrest warrant was issued for Germosen after it was determined that he provided law enforcement a driver’s license in the name of another individual during a motor vehicle stop for a traffic violation. It was also determined that Germosen was wanted by the U.S. Marshal Service in Boston for violating the terms of his supervised release in relation to a sentence imposed for conspiracy to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine.
On June 27, 2019 Rhode Island State Police executed a federal court-authorized search of Germosen’s Providence residence and seized nearly 660 grams of fentanyl, 602 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, 78.42 grams of cocaine, 1.38 grams of cocaine salts, a kilo press, $6,216.00 in cash, and various items used in the sale, packaging, and distribution of narcotics.
According to information presented to the court, following his arrest, Germosen admitted to law enforcement that he obtained and had been using a stolen identity he obtained several years earlier.
Germosen pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence on September 21, 2020, to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced Germosen to 96 months in federal prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, and Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division Brian D. Boyle.
Germosen faces deportation proceedings upon completion of his term of incarceration in federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
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Westerly Station Included in Justice Department Settlement with Amtrak over Disability Access: $2.25 Million Fund AvailableRead the Press Release
Amtrak has begun accepting claims for monetary compensation for people with mobility disabilities who traveled or wanted to travel from or to one of the 78 stations listed below, including the Westerly, Rhode Island station. Claims must be submitted by May 29, 2021.
On Dec. 2, 2020, the Department of Justice and Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, entered into an agreement to resolve the department’s findings of disability discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the agreement, Amtrak will fix inaccessible stations and pay $2.25 million to victims hurt by inaccessibility at the 78 stations listed below.
To be eligible for monetary compensation, an individual must:
- Have a mobility disability;
- Be harmed physically or emotionally because of accessibility issues, including, for example, inaccessible parking; steep slopes or steps to get to the station; lack of directional signs; toilet rooms with inaccessible entrances, stalls, or sinks; high ticket counters; deteriorated platforms; and narrow routes at stations, at one or more the stations listed below between July 27, 2013, and Dec. 2, 2020;
- Have lived at, visited, or desired to visit a place closer to one or more of the stations listed below than an accessible, alternative Amtrak station; and
Submit a claim form and declaration by mail, fax, email or online to the claims administrator by no later than May 29, 2021. Help is available from the settlement administrator for those who are unable to complete the claim form due to a disability.
Questions about making claims should be directed to the settlement administrator by any of the following methods:
Online: AmtrakDisabilitySettlement.com
Email: [email protected]
Telephone (toll-free): 1-888-334-6165
TTY Telephone (toll-free): 1-866-411-6976
Questions about making claims should be directed to the settlement administrator by any of the following methods:
• Online: AmtrakDisabilitySettlement.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone (toll-free): 1-888-334-6165
• TTY Telephone (toll-free): 1-866-411-6976
Under the agreement, Amtrak has committed to make its intercity rail stations accessible, prioritizing stations with the most significant barriers to access. Over the next 10 years, Amtrak will design at least 135 stations to be accessible, complete construction at 90 of those stations, and have at least 45 more under construction. Amtrak will also train staff on ADA requirements and implement an agreed-upon process for accepting and handling ADA complaints. As part of this commitment, Amtrak recently established an Office of the Vice President of Stations, Properties & Accessibility to coordinate its compliance with the ADA.
The 78 stations are:
• Tuscaloosa, Alabama
• Yuma, Arizona
• Fort Morgan, Colorado
• Glenwood Springs, Colorado
• Granby, Colorado
• Old Saybrook, Connecticut
• Windsor, Connecticut
• Windsor Locks, Connecticut
• Newark, Delaware
• Gainesville, Georgia
• Jesup, Georgia
• Toccoa, Georgia
• Centralia, Illinois
• Effingham, Illinois
• Gilman, Illinois
• Homewood, Illinois
• Mattoon, Illinois
• Plano, Illinois
• Princeton, Illinois
• Rantoul, Illinois
• Summit, Illinois
• Connersville, Indiana
• Crawfordsville, Indiana
• Elkhart, Indiana
• Hammond-Whiting, Indiana
• Waterloo, Indiana
• Burlington, Iowa
• Creston, Iowa
• Mount Pleasant, Iowa
• Newton, Kansas
• Topeka, Kansas
• Maysville, Kentucky
• South Shore-South Portsmouth, Kentucky
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
• Aberdeen, Maryland
• Cumberland, Maryland
• Niles, Michigan
• Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
• St. Cloud, Minnesota
• Staples, Minnesota
• Picayune, Mississippi
• Kirkwood, Missouri
• La Plata, Missouri
• Poplar Bluff, Missouri
• Cut Bank, Montana
• East Glacier Park, Montana
• Malta, Montana
• Holdrege, Nebraska
• Elko, Nevada
• Hudson, New York
• Plattsburgh, New York
• Port Henry, New York
• Devils Lake, North Dakota
• Coatesville, Pennsylvania
• Downingtown, Pennsylvania
• Johnstown, Pennsylvania
• Lewistown, Pennsylvania
• Parkesburg, Pennsylvania
• Westerly, Rhode Island
• Dillon, South Carolina
• Alpine, Texas
• Marshall, Texas
• McGregor, Texas
• Helper, Utah
• Castleton, Vermont
• Montpelier, Vermont
• Ashland, Virginia
• Clifton Forge, Virginia
• Petersburg, Virginia
• Richmond Staples Mill Road, Virginia
• Bingen-White Salmon, Washington
• Kelso-Longview, Washington
• Wishram, Washington
• Charleston, West Virginia
• Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
• Hinton, West Virginia
• Columbus, Wisconsin
• Tomah, Wisconsin
This action was brought by the Disability Rights Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. To read the settlement agreement, please click here, and to read the complaint, please click here.
For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is committed to investigating alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those interested in learning more about architectural barriers to access under the Americans with Disabilities Act may access www.ada.gov, visit the web site of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island at www.justice.gov/usao-ri/civil-rights-enforcement, or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY). Information about filing a complaint, including instructions for filing a complaint online, can be found at www.ada.gov/filing_complaint.htm.
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Federal Air Marshal Sentenced, Ordered to Payback Quarter Million Dollars in Fraudulent Workers' Comp PaymentsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A now former Federal Air Marshal who fraudulently collected more than $240,000 in workers’ compensation benefits he collected based on his employment with the government after concealing from the United States Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), his self-employment and role in a Middletown-based martial arts business, has been sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay back the ill-gotten disability benefits.
Joseph Patrick Watterson, 52, of Newport, a martial arts Black Belt, previously admitted that he initially concealed on OWCP forms the fact that he owned and was engaged in physical activities at his martial arts business, Two Swords Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Later, after admitting that he was self-employed, he concealed on OWCP forms the true scope of his employment activities at his martial arts studio, not wanting his OWCP benefits to be reduced or terminated.
Watterson admitted that he concealed the fact that he was instructing and engaging in Jiu Jitsu. Rather than disclose his physical activities at his martial arts studio, Watterson falsely represented that his role was merely administrative. In a letter to DOL, Watterson described his duties as involving "cleaning and maintaining school, share the bookkeeping.”
According to the government’s evidence, from May 31, 2016, to March 3, 2019, Watterson collected disability benefits totaling approximately $241,118.52 that he was not entitled to collect.
Watterson pleaded guilty on November 10, 2020, to false statements to obtain federal workers’ compensation benefits. He was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to two years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $241,118.52, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman; Michael A. Ondocin, Executive Assistant to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (Federal Air Marshal Service); and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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Trucking Company Owner Sentenced for Falsifying Driver RecordsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The owner of a now defunct Woonsocket commercial trucking company who altered thousands of electronic entries in service logbooks in order to conceal the actual drive time and “on-duty” time of drivers was sentenced today to three years’ probation, the first six months to be served in home incarceration with electronic monitoring, 50 hours of community service, and ordered to pay a fine of $1,000.
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) regulations, enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a division of the USDOT, require accurate record keeping and operational requirements, including records related to drivers’ actual hours of service.
Damir Sisic, 30, of Woonsocket, owner of the now defunct Sisic Transport Service LLC (STS), previously admitted to the court that he routinely altered data collected by onboard electronic data gathering devices installed in his trucks. As a result of his actions, the data failed to reflect the actual number of hours his drivers operated the vehicles.
Sisic owned approximately eleven commercial truck tractors and ten box-style commercial trailers and employed between seven and ten drivers at a time. Each vehicle was equipped with an electronic device that recorded each truck’s location and the start and stop time of each vehicle. Sisic accessed and altered that data on thousands of occasions and routinely concealed from the USDOT and FMCSA that his drivers were routinely exceeding the maximum number of driving hours and “on-duty” hours without the required off-duty hours, in violation of federal law.
According to court documents, Sisic provided altered driving records to a State Trooper investigating the fatality of an STS driver who was driving an STS truck that occurred in Oklahoma on April 22, 2018. In addition, Sisic provided altered driving records for numerous STS drivers to an FMCSA investigator during a compliance review.
Sisic pleaded guilty on October 28, 2020, to conspiracy to falsify records. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to three years’ probation, the first six months to be served in home incarceration with electronic monitoring, 50 hours of community service, and ordered to pay a fine of $1,000, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Shoemaker, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Northeast Region.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
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Dominican National Sentenced for Trafficking Kilos of Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national that led a conspiracy that imported at least ten kilograms of heroin and five kilograms of cocaine from California, and who conspired with others to work at his direction to store, process, and package the drugs in an apartment he rented in West Warwick to be used as a stash house, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison.
On at least three occasions, Rhode Island DEA agents intercepted packages containing one or more kilos of heroin or cocaine shipped from California, that were earmarked for delivery to addresses in Warwick, Pawtucket and Providence. Rafael Lara Sanquintin, 37, of Providence, later admitted to a federal court judge that he directed others to retrieve the packages, and that he recruited others to work at his direction at the stash house to prepare, package, and deliver the drugs to others.
In addition to intercepting the packages, on at least two occasions DEA agents stopped vehicles containing individuals working at the direction of Sanquintin as they drove away from the stash house. On those occasions, DEA agents seized 653 grams and 1,114 grams of heroin.
Sanquintin was indicted in this matter on November 22, 2016. He was arrested by Customs and Border Patrol agents on December 12, 2016, as he attempted to disembark from a cruise ship in West Palm Beach, FL, and illegally reenter the United States from his native Dominican Republic. He was convicted in the United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida on a charge of attempted illegal reentry after deportation by an aggravated felon and sentenced in March 2017 to 14 months of incarceration.
Appearing in U.S. District Court in Providence on August 12, 2020, Sanquintin admitted that he conspired with others to possess and distribute at least 10 kilograms of heroin and 5 kilograms of cocaine, pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Sanquintin to a term of incarceration of 108 months, to be followed by 4 years’ supervised release, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division Brian D. Boyle.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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Alleged Leader of Conspiracy to Steal and Sell Construction Equipment, Recreational Vehicles and Boats ApprehendedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An alleged leader of a series of schemes in several states to steal and sell nearly $700,000 worth of excavators, sport boats, jet skis, all-terrain vehicles, and trailers has been apprehended in Winter Park, Florida.
Jose A. Montes, aka Jose Rivera, aka “Tuto”, 36, of Cranston, indicted by a federal grand jury in Providence on November 20, 2020, on charges of interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, was apprehended Wednesday without incident by members of a United States Marshals Service Task Force, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and United States Marshal Wing Chau.
Montes appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Orlando and was ordered detained while awaiting removal to Rhode Island.
It is alleged that members of the conspiracy, often times using rented and stolen trucks, hauled away the stolen excavators, boats, jet skis, ATVs, and trailers from businesses in South Kingstown and Tiverton, RI; Auburn, Rehoboth, and Easton, MA; Waterford, Vernon, and Stafford, CT; and Hampstead, NH. Many of the stolen items were stored in Providence, Johnston, Warwick, North Providence, Scituate, and Glocester, R.I. Several of the stolen items were hauled to Florida to be sold.
Two Bobcat excavators each valued at $60,000 and one valued at $75,000, were allegedly stolen from an Auburn, Mass., dealer between late Friday, April 10, 2020, and late Saturday April 11, 2020. Using GPS built into the equipment, the excavators were located on April 13, 2020, and recovered by law enforcement. Two of the excavators were discovered in Johnston. The third was found in North Providence. GPS data showed that two of the stolen machines were stored on a farm in North Scituate before being moved to Johnston. One of the excavators was brought briefly to a residence in Warwick.
GPS data showed that the third excavator was first taken to a location in Glocester then moved to North Providence, where it was located and seized by law enforcement.
An ATV stolen from a dealership in Hampstead, New Hampshire in July 2020 was discovered on Gallup Street in Providence and towed by police to an impound facility. The ATV was subsequently stolen again from the impound.
In addition to Jose Montes, named in the indictment are Krystal K. Disano, 26, of Sarasota, Florida; Sorina Cruz, 43, of Cranston; Daniel J. Guerriero, 34, of North Scituate; Ronald S. Mosca, 48, of Sarasota, Florida; Irvin W. McLaughlin, Jr., 40, of Connecticut; Efrain A. Lopez, 32, of Providence; Jared J. Santiago, 28, of Providence; and Luis M. Morales, 37, of Providence.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Ferland and Ly T. Chin.
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Central Falls Man Admits to Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Central Falls man on Wednesday admitted to a federal court judge that in April 2020 he possessed .223 caliber ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony.
According to information presented to the court during an earlier detention hearing, Jayquan Parker, 25, opened fire shortly after he and others were involved in a verbal dispute. Police recovered 24 spent Remington brand .223 shell casings.
Based on information developed by Pawtucket Police and gleaned from surveillance videos recorded in the surrounding area of the shooting, Pawtucket Police identified Parker as the shooter. He was located and arrested by the Fugitive Task Force and Pawtucket Police on April 19, 2020.
Prior to the incident, Parker had been convicted and sentenced in Rhode Island state court on felony charges on multiple occasions. In addition to state charges filed against Parker in connection with the April 7 incident, the Government filed a federal criminal complaint charging Parker with being a felon in possession of ammunition. He was later indicted on the same charge.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, Parker pleaded guilty as charged in the indictment, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, United States Marshal Wing Chau,
Parker is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2021 and is awaiting trial in Providence Superior Court on related state charges.
The case in U.S. District Court is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
The Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force is run by the U.S Marshals Service along with the Rhode Island State Police. The Task Force is comprised of members from the U.S. Marshals Service, the Rhode Island State Police, and the Warwick, Cranston, Coventry, East Providence, Middletown, Pawtucket, Portsmouth and Providence Police Departments who work full time to track down and apprehend the most violent and dangerous fugitives both within the United States and Internationally.
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Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A registered sex offender arrested while sitting in a restaurant parking lot accessing the business’ Wi-Fi feed in order to view child pornography was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.
Vincent J. Siravo, 41, of Westerly, convicted in Rhode Island state court in 2008 for possessing child pornography, was arrested on October 16, 2019, by members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, who had developed information that on multiple occasions a device was connecting to an IP address assigned to the South Kingstown restaurant that was accessing a file sharing network and possessed files of child pornography.
A State Police Detective discovered Siravo sitting in his car with a laptop computer on his lap. Siravo, who was uncooperative and provided a false name to law enforcement, was identified through his vehicle registration and determined to be a Level 1 sex offender. A court-authorized forensic review of Siravo’s computer revealed approximately 2,200 video files and approximately 1,600 images depicting child pornography. Among the child pornography files identified were files downloaded by someone using the restaurant IP address on March 21 and March 22, 2017.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced Siravo to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by a term of 15 years supervised release. Siravo was ordered to pay a mandatory assessment of $5,000 as provided for in the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act.
Siravo’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee. H. Vilker.
The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Newport Police Department, East Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Bristol Police Department, North Kingstown Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
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Former Owner of New Bedford Seafood Processing Plant Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Rhode Island man was sentenced to three years in prison today for tax evasion, announced U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge Kristina O’Connell of IRS Criminal Investigation, and William Kalb, Special Agent in Charge of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, North East Field Division.
According to court documents, for more than ten years, Billie R. Schofield attempted to evade his federal income taxes. Schofield partly owned and worked for Northern Pelagic LLC, a seafood processing business located in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Despite earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in income, Schofield failed to pay taxes owed and, beginning in 2009, stopped filing income tax returns. Between 2008 and 2018, Schofield obstructed IRS efforts to assess and collect his taxes by filing fraudulent forms, advancing frivolous tax arguments, creating and using a nominee entity and bank account, negotiating income checks to cash, and creating and submitting fraudulent checks to the IRS in an attempt to extinguish his tax liabilities. Including penalties and interest, Schofield caused a tax loss of more than $350,000 to the United States.
In addition to a term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Schofield to three years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and ordered him to pay $364,200.22 in restitution to the IRS.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Weisman commended special agents of IRS-CI and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Hebert and Trial Attorney Christopher P. O’Donnell of the Tax Division who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the Division’s website.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Statement on the Review of Facts and Evidence in October 18, 2020, Motorized Scooter IncidentRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office issues the following statement in reference to the Office’s review of the facts and evidence available regarding the incident that occurred in Providence on October 18, 2020, that seriously injured the operator of a motorized scooter:
“This office has reviewed all of the evidence, interviews, and statements collected and cooperatively shared by the Attorney General’s Office to determine if there is evidence of a federal criminal civil rights violation. The review determined that evidence did not constitute a federal criminal offense; and that there is insufficient evidence to obtain and sustain a federal conviction.”
The United States Attorney’s Office will have no further comment on this matter.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking, Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A New Jersey man who befriended three Rhode Island minor females and a fourth in Indiana on social media, persuading them to send him sexually explicit photographs of themselves, and then cyberstalked and threatened to share some of the photographs if they refused to continue to communicate with him, was sentenced on Tuesday to more than seven years in federal prison.
Pritkumar Tarunkumar Patel, 24, of Closter, NJ, threatened to share the photographs on social media with the girls’ classmates and others.
According to court documents, Patel befriended the girls on various social media platforms and persuaded them to send sexually explicit photographs of themselves to him. He sent sexually explicit photographs of himself to the girls and, in at least one instance, communicated in much the same way via a live video chat.
Patel pleaded guilty on April 30, 2020, to charges of cyberstalking and receipt of child pornography, admitting that he threatened and harassed the girls on social media, by text messaging, and /or by calling them, and that he repeatedly demanded that they resume communicating with him and unblock his access to their social media accounts. Patel admitted that he threatened to post the sexually explicit photos of them online and that he would share them with their friends, classmates, and family members. He also threatened to create Instagram accounts in the girls’ names and use those accounts to post the pictures online.
On at least one occasion he followed through on his threats by posting a sexually explicit picture of a 13-year-old girl from Indiana on an Instagram account he created using her name.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced Patel to 90 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years’ supervised release; pay each of the four victims restitution in the amount of $3,000; and ordered Patel to pay a mandatory assessment of $5,000 as provided for in the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act.
Patel’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The investigation into Patel’s criminal activity began when the family of one of the girls brought the matter to the attention of the Hopkinton, R.I., Police Department.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker acknowledge and commend the Hopkinton Police Department for their investigative efforts that ultimately led to the identity and arrest of Patel, and thank Rhode Island State Police and New Jersey State Police for their assistance in the investigation.
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Five Tied to Millions of Dollars in Telemarketing Fraud ConvictedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman today announced that his office recently convicted the fifth India-based telemarketing fraudster in the past three months who, like the others, was investigated and arrested by the FBI and charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for participating in telemarketing fraud schemes that targeted and defrauded Americans of millions of dollars, the majority of them vulnerable to fraud schemes due to age or infirmity.
The five, all Indian nationals, participated in telemarketing schemes that operated out of call centers in India, such as “Tech Support” and “Refund Fraud” schemes, often obtaining personal identifying and banking information from victims' computers through remote access applications or from victims themselves. The information was used to access victims’ bank accounts in order to steal or misappropriate their funds.
“Preying upon vulnerable men and women for financial gain by means of telemarketing is not only repellant, but violative of federal law; and, as demonstrated by the convictions announced today, law enforcement has no imperative but, and will not hesitate, to hold such defendants fully accountable to criminal process,” commented United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman.
“These five men pilfered millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims all over the country, most of them senior citizens, leaving them in financial ruin without any recourse for recovery,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Their conduct in this case is reprehensible, and this is just one example of our commitment to stopping financial scams and holding the people behind them accountable for their actions, no matter where they are.”
The most recent defendant to be convicted is 29-year-old Sahil Narang. On December 11, 2020, Narang pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and ten counts of wire fraud, admitting that over a nine-month period beginning in August 2018, he routed nearly 20,000 “Tech Fraud” scheme calls to call centers in India. Many of the callers hung-up shortly after making contact with a call center operator. However, approximately 7,524 callers remained on the line with call center operators for more than 20 minutes. The intended loss to victims was between $1.5 million and $3 million.
Narang also admitted to participating in a “Refund Scheme” by obtaining the phone number of victims already victimized by the “Tech Fraud” scheme. Narang sold those numbers to fraudsters interested in exploiting those victims for more money through the “Refund Fraud” scheme. Additionally, in exchange for providing bank account information for use by Refund Fraudsters, he collected a portion of the money routed through the accounts, usually fifty to sixty percent. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled by the court.
In November, Chirag Sachdeva, 30, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role as a “Tech Fraud” telemarketer fraudster. He pled guilty on September 14, 2020, to seven counts of wire fraud.
In February, FBI agents arrested Abrar Anjum, 34, prior to his boarding a flight to India. On August 24, 2020, Anjum pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2021.
Manish Kumar, 32, was arrested by FBI agents on August 24, 2019, as he deplaned in New York City from a flight from India, for his participation in two telemarketing schemes and for credit card fraud. Kumar pled guilty on November 5, 2020, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2021.
Himanshu Asri, 33, pleaded guilty on December 3, 2020, to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and telemarking wire fraud. He admitted that he had 325 callers routed to call centers in India where call center operators falsely reasserted to victims that malware had been detected on their computers, and offered the victims purported computer protection services in exchange for payment. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 18, 2021.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah in front of U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr.
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Two Face Firearm and Meth Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence woman and an inmate in the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institution (ACI) have been charged in federal court in Providence with being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
It is alleged in court documents that on October 8, 2020, Tyler Bagley, 28, while incarcerated in the ACI on unrelated state charges, telephoned his then girlfriend, Bernice Chase, 38, and, using coded language, instructed her to call a phone number he provided to her to arrange for the sale of a firearm that he previously obtained. It is alleged that Chase called the number and arranged to meet the next day with an individual in a parking lot in Pawtucket to provide him with a Glock9mm pistol in exchange for $450. About an hour after the transaction was completed, Bagley telephoned Chase and instructed her to deposit $200 into his prison account and for her to keep the remainder of the proceeds.
It is alleged that approximately one month after the sale of the firearm, Bagley called Chase and, using coded language, instructed Chase to contact the person who purchased the firearm and arrange to sell him methamphetamine. The two met the next day in the parking lot in Pawtucket where Chase allegedly provided the individual 15 grams of meth in exchange for $800. About an hour after the transaction was completed, Chase informed Bagley that the transaction resulted in a profit of $300. Bagley instructed Chase to deposit half in his prison account and told her she could keep the rest. Bagley was released from prison three days later.
It is further alleged in court documents that four days after Bagley’s release from prison, Chase contacted the person to whom she sold the firearm and meth and arranged to sell him 29.4 grams of meth in exchange for $1,400. She asked the person not to let Bagley know of the transaction, and she warned him that the meth was strong and that “someone had dropped the other day” from using her supplier’s meth and not to use it “too crazy, cause they’ll drop.” A week later, Chase allegedly arranged for another sale of meth to the same person.
The person to whom Chase allegedly sold the firearm and the methamphetamine was, in fact, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives undercover agent.
Bagley and Chase, both convicted felons, have been charged by way of a federal criminal complaint. Bagley is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; Chase is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Kelly D. Brady.
Chase appeared Wednesday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan and was released on unsecured bond. Bagley, presently incarcerated in the ACI, is scheduled to make an initial appearance before a U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge on December 23, 2020.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee.
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N.Y. Resident Sentenced for Traveling to R.I. to Engage in Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A 24-year-old New York man who admitted that he befriended then engaged in sexually explicit communications online with a 15-year-old Rhode Island boy, and who then relocated to Rhode Island and repeatedly engaged in illicit sexual activity with the minor, was sentenced today to five years in federal prison.
Caleb Brown and the young teenager were discovered by Warwick Police in a baseball field dugout in August 2019, after a concerned citizen reported to police that a male was observed living in the dugout with what appeared to be a minor child.
After placing Brown in a police cruiser, the 15-year-old told police he met Brown online approximately six months prior and that he had been dating Brown since that time. The youngster told police he had been spending nights outside with Brown, while telling his parent’s he was staying at a friend’s house.
Prior to traveling to Rhode Island from the Bronx, Brown and the victim engaged in sexually explicit online communications and exchanged sexually explicit images. Officers viewed a steady stream of intimate and sexually explicit text messages between Brown and the boy. The text messages also revealed discussions of where the two should meet and sleep, and Brown advising the youngster with ways to conceal the true nature of their relationship.
Investigators also discovered 12 videos taken by Brown of him engaged in sexual contact with the victim.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy, Brown was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison to be followed by 8 years supervised release, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Rick Rathbun.
Brown pleaded guilty on October 5, 2020, to travelling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Rick Rathbun thank the FBI and the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Ice Company to Plead Guilty to Longstanding Clean Air Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – According to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Providence, an East Providence ice company is set to plead guilty to violating the Clean Air Act by repeatedly failing to implement a Risk Management Plan (RMP) to be executed in the event of an accidental release of anhydrous ammonia, an extremely hazardous substance.
According to court documents, J.P. Lillis Enterprises, Inc., D/B/A Cape Cod Ice, a cold storage warehouse and ice manufacturing facility that stores up over 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia at its facility located on the banks of the Seekonk River, in an industrial area near a residential area, and in the vicinity of an elementary school, was assessed a civil penalty by the Environmental Protection Agency as far back as 2012 for failing to develop and submit an RMP, and since has been repeatedly found to contain equipment in need of repair to avoid a potential release of anhydrous ammonia.
Subsequent inspections by EPA, OSHA, and the East Providence Fire Department found the existence of corrosion on ammonia-carrying pipes and on the facility’s high- pressure ammonia receiver, the failure of corrosion-preventing insulation on the pipes, and inadequate inspection, testing, and maintenance of the ammonia piping and receiver.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division Boston Area Office, announced today that Cape Cod Ice has agreed to pay a $90,000 fine; serve a term of three years federal supervised release; and will, within 90 days of sentencing, engage a qualified independent ammonia refrigeration consultant to conduct an audit that (1) evaluates Cape Cod Ice’s compliance with the Clean Air Act and address deficiencies identified by the EPA, OSHA, and East Providence Fire Department and (2) includes a required maintenance inspection program.
According to a Plea Agreement filed in this matter, Cape Cod Ice will submit to the United States Attorney’s Office and to United States Probation within 30 days of the completion of the audit an action plan to address the findings of the audit and a timeline of completion of actions to be taken by the company.
According to court documents, in 2015, Cape Cod Ice repaired the corroded receiver and certified to OSHA that it had corrected the cited violations. Cape Cod Ice provided OSHA a preventative maintenance program contract with an outside consultant as evidence of its corrective actions; that contract was never signed or implemented.
Cape Cod Ice also sent to OSHA a process hazard analysis performed by an outside consultant which contained recommendations to prevent a catastrophic ammonia release; all recommendations were not implemented.
Outside consultants also performed an audit of the RMP Program and a mechanical integrity inspection which contained recommendations; all recommendations were not implemented.
In January of 2017, EPA sent a letter to Cape Code Ice, urging Cape Cod Ice to ensure compliance with the RMP requirements. In April of 2017, EPA inspected the facility and again observed numerous violations of the RMP and PSM regulations, including the existence of corrosion on ammonia-carrying pipes and on the facility’s high-pressure ammonia receiver, and the failure of corrosion-preventing insulation on the pipes. In June of 2017, EPA also issued an Administrative Compliance Order to Cape Cod Ice.
In May of 2017, the East Providence Fire Department inspected the facility and issued a Notice of Violation finding, among other things, that ammonia piping was rusted and showed signs of excessive corrosion, with areas that had moldy insulation or no insulation; and that the ammonia receiver was corroded. The Fire Department ordered the facility to come into compliance. Cape Cod Ice has submitted reports to the East Providence Fire Department and to EPA indicating that it has taken steps to bring the facility into compliance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly, with the assistance of Dianne Chabot, EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel.
The matter was investigated by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division.
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Dominican National Admits to Scheme to Defraud Individuals Seeking CitizenshipRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Central Falls resident, who immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to charges he defrauded people who had recently immigrated from the Dominican Republic by pocketing fees he told them that they had to pay when submitting their naturalization applications. He knew that their fees were waived but lied to them to take their money.
Bienvenido “Alex” Peralta Martinez, 30, admitted that he falsely told people who sought his assistance in the preparation and submission of naturalization applications that he was required to submit a fee along with the application when, in fact, he typed and signed his victims’ names on a form requesting that the fees be waived.
Peralta Martinez admitted that he demanded that payment for the fee be made in the form of money orders. The victims paid Martinez for the preparation of their naturalization applications, and then Martinez stole money from them by pocketing the proceeds of those money orders.
Appearing before U.S. District Court William E. Smith, Peralta Martinez pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge David Magdycz.
Peralta Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2021.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
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Convicted Drug Trafficker Arrested for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man currently serving a term of federal supervised release, having completed a 20-year federal prison sentence for trafficking cocaine, has been ordered detained in federal custody following his arrest for allegedly trafficking multiple kilograms of cocaine.
Jesus Martinez, 38, was arrested by U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) agents following an investigation into the alleged shipment into Rhode Island of multiple packages sent through the Postal Service containing significant quantities of cocaine, and multiple shipments to Puerto Rico via the U.S Postal Service of large sums of cash.
According to court documents, in October, a parcel containing $46,500 shipped to Puerto Rico by Martinez was seized by USPIS agents. Subsequently, it is alleged, parcels found to contain varying amounts of cocaine were shipped from Puerto Rico to various Rhode Island addresses associated with Martinez. Two parcel seizures revealed a total of 4,460 grams (nearly 4.5 kilograms) of cocaine. In late November, Martinez allegedly shipped a parcel to Puerto Rico that a court-authorized search revealed contained $7,000 concealed within a book. The investigation revealed additional parcels continued to arrive from Puerto Rico and California to addresses allegedly associated with Martinez. Agents surveilled Martinez retrieving the parcels and bringing them to his residence.
It is alleged that on December 9, Martinez retrieved two packages, one from the post office and one delivered to a Providence residence. The packages contained a total of 3,310 grams (more than 3 kilograms) of cocaine. That day, court-authorized searches were conducted at Martinez’s residence and another address associated with Martinez. The following day his vehicle was searched. In total, USPIS Inspectors and members of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force seized the two packages which contained a total of more than 3 kilos of cocaine, an additional 250 grams of cocaine, 23 pounds of marijuana, and a total of $95,000 in cash.
Martinez appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on a federal criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and unlawful use of the mail to facilitate the distribution of a controlled substance, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee.
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Alleged Leader of Steroid Distribution Conspiracy Charged with Distributing Steroids, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A North Attleboro man awaiting trial in federal court in Providence on charges he allegedly led a conspiracy that arranged for the importation and distribution of large quantities of steroids has been arrested and charged with conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids and money laundering.
It is alleged in court documents that David M. Esser, 47, while awaiting trial on charges brought in February 2020 in U.S. District Court in Providence, resumed arranging for the sale, packaging, and distribution of anabolic steroids with at least one individual, a Virginia resident he allegedly conspired with in the past. It is alleged that the individual in Virginia received, prepared, packaged and shipped steroids to Esser’s customers at Esser’s direction. The orders were arranged through various means, including text messaging and encrypted emails. Payment was made in cash or by cryptocurrency.
Esser’s alleged continued criminal conduct came to light during an unrelated DEA drug trafficking investigation in Virginia. According to court documents, evidence and information allegedly included communications and information sharing between Esser and the individual in Virginia, to include steroid orders, pricing, payment methods, and shipping instructions. It is alleged the two also communicated about Esser’s business dealings, court case, and automobiles they purchased. Esser also shared photographs of a scantily clad woman he described as being his girlfriend and foods that he ate.
While on pre-trial release awaiting trial on a federal criminal complaint brought in February 2020 charging him with intent to distribute Schedule III and IV Controlled Substances; conspiracy to distribute, possess with intent to distribute and conspiracy to import Schedule III and IV Controlled Substances; manufacturing and distributing Schedule III and IV Controlled Substances; importation of Controlled Substances into the United States; trafficking in counterfeit goods and services; smuggling goods into the United States; as well as wire fraud and money laundering, Esser was arrested on Friday and appeared today in U.S. District Court in Providence on charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge David Magdycz.
Esser was ordered detained.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.
Esser’s alleged criminal activity is being investigated by a team of law enforcement agencies led by Homeland Security Investigations. United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge David Magdycz thank the DEA and the Mansfield, MA, Police Department for their assistance in the investigation of this most recent matter.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Providence Man Detained on Drug, Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man federal agents watched allegedly take possession of a package sent via the United States Postal Service (USPS) that contained nearly 1,400 grams of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico, and, a short time later, who was found to allegedly have a firearm, ammunition, and drug trafficking paraphernalia in his residence, has been ordered detained in federal custody.
Modesto Batista, 30, was arrested Wednesday, shortly after a U.S. Postal Inspection agent made a controlled delivery of the package to the front porch of a Providence residence that, according to court documents, Batista, who had been sitting in a vehicle parked nearby, quickly removed and transported to his Providence residence. Batista’s alleged actions were surveilled by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents and detectives assigned to the Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA).
Moments after Batista went inside his residence, agents knocked on the door and announced their presence, after which they forcibly entered the residence. According to court documents, Batista was found standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the upstairs portion of the house. The package containing the cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico was allegedly found at Batista’s feet.
From inside Batista’s bedroom agents allegedly seized, among other items, a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and a magazine for the firearm loaded with fourteen rounds of live ammunition. Various items used in the delivery of cocaine were also found inside the residence.
The investigation began in October, when HSI agents in Rhode Island were contacted by Customs and Border Protection agents in Puerto Rico regarding a USPS package containing 769 grams of cocaine shipped from the U.S. Virgin Islands earmarked for delivery to a Providence address.
On Thursday, Batista was ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of more than 500 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute, conspiracy to possess more than 500 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge David Magdycz, Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division and Colonel James Manni, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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Massachusetts Man Surrenders to Face Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Timothy J. Valle, 37, of Franklin, MA, made an initial appearance before a U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge in Providence today, charged after an investigation determined that he allegedly traded firearms, at least one from which the serial numbers had been obliterated, in exchange for fentanyl.
The firearm was seized by Pawtucket Police from Jonathan Reyes, 34, of Pawtucket, during a traffic stop on October 14, 2020. Reyes’ car was stopped by Pawtucket Police when officers noted that Reyes was allegedly not wearing a seat belt and that Virginia plates affixed to the car were registered to a different vehicle. During a search of the vehicle officers allegedly discovered a loaded Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun with an obliterated serial number, the same firearm Valle allegedly traded to an individual other than Reyes in exchange for $1,000 worth of fentanyl.
Valle’s alleged criminal conduct came to the attention of law enforcement when the FBI executed a search warrant on a cellular telephone seized during a recent FBI investigation that resulted in the indictment of nine individuals for allegedly participating in schemes in several states to steal and sell nearly $700,000 worth of excavators, sport boats, jet skis, all-terrain vehicles, and trailers.
It is alleged in court documents that Valle texted pictures of the firearm to the person with whom he later traded with for the fentanyl. The firearm, with its serial numbers “washed,” or obliterated, was later confiscated from Reyes.
According to court documents, ATF agents determined that Valle lawfully purchased several firearms from licensed dealers in Massachusetts. As a result of the ongoing investigation into Valle’s alleged criminal activity and drug use, ATF agents, with the assistance of Franklin, MA, police seized several firearms from Valle’s residence. Pictures of a firearm that matched the firearm seized from Reyes were allegedly located on Valle’s cellphone.
Valle self-surrendered today and appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Patricia A. Sullivan on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF Kelly D. Brady.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Ferland and Ly T. Chin.
Valle’s alleged criminal conduct was investigated by ATF, with the assistance of the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, and the Franklin, MA, Police Department.
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Telemarketing Fraudster Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An Indian national today admitted to a federal judge in Providence that he participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy based in India to defraud United States citizens, primarily seniors, by telling victims that malware had been detected on their computers and, based on that falsehood, induced the victims to direct money to him and his coconspirators as payment for purported computer protection services that were not needed or ever provided.
The conspirators, in fact, did not detect malware on victims’ computers and accepted payment without providing any protection services.
Himanshu Asri, 33, of Delhi, India, admitted that he had 325 callers routed to call centers in India where call center operators falsely reasserted to victims that malware had been detected on their computers, and offered the victims purported computer protection services in exchange for payment. The purpose of the false assertions was to induce people into routing money to the fraudsters.
According to information presented to the court, from as far back as January 2015, through January 2020, Asri and others working together collected, in total, approximately $940,995 from victims through their fraud, and attempted to collect between $1,500,000 and $3,000,000. The actual loss was less than the intended loss because some of those who were targeted by Asri and his coconspirators did not send any funds to the fraudsters.
According to information presented to the court, the government and the defendant agree that many of Asri’s victims were vulnerable to fraud schemes due to age or infirmity, and the parties agree that the scheme pursued by Asri and his coconspirators were structured to exploit such persons, specifically persons over the age of 65.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Asri pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
Asri, the 4th India-based telemarketing fraudster to be convicted in federal court in Rhode Island in the past three months, is scheduled to be sentenced on February 18, 2021. Wire fraud conspiracy is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by the FBI.
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Meth Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence woman described in court as a “major pipeline” for trafficking methamphetamine into Rhode Island was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Alexa Samoiloff, 51, who was serving a Rhode Island state probation sentence for drug trafficking at the time of her arrest by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force on methamphetamine trafficking charges in October 2019, previously admitted to the court that she facilitated drug deals from, among other places, her apartment and from motel rooms. She often provided instructions using an encrypted app to others working at her direction. Payments for meth in furtherance of the conspiracy were often sent to her via Walmart/MoneyGram wire transfers.
During their investigation, the Safe Streets Task Force conducted nine undercover purchases from members of the conspiracy of between 7 and 46 grams of methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” that proved to be at least 90% pure.
On October 18, 2019, members of the Safe Streets Task Force conducted a search of Samoiloff’s residence and seized approximately 31 grams of crystal meth, 5 digital scales, an ammunition container with 109 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 10 knives, 3 swords, a crossbow, multiple cell phones, hypodermic needles, and various items used in the packaging and distribution of methamphetamine.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on September 9, 2020, Samoiloff pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine; and three counts of distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting.
At today’s sentencing hearing, Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Samoiloff to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by five years’ supervised release, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
Two other individuals involved in this conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine are awaiting sentencing. Steven Robinson, 48, of Providence, pleaded guilty on March 11, 2020, and Jacob Abbruzzese, 46, of Cranston, pleaded guilty on July 23, 2020, to conspiracy with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Sandra R. Hebert.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, the Rhode Island National Guard, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Exeter Woman Admits to Lying on Firearm Purchase FormRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An Exeter woman today admitted to a federal court judge that she lied on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) form and a State of Rhode Island state application while attempting to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearm dealer.
Nicole Marie Brassell, 41, admitted that in January 2018, she intentionally misrepresented that she lived at a West Warwick address when, in fact, she lived at a residence in Exeter. An ATF investigation determined that Brassell had been evicted from her West Warwick residence in August 2017. Provision of truthful and accurate information on gun acquisition papers, much of which is used in the background check process, is required.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Brassell pleaded guilty to false statement during purchase of firearms, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF.
Brassell is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2021.
False statement during purchase of firearms is punishable by statutory penalties of up to ten years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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Nine Indicted in Interstate Schemes to Steal and Sell Construction Equipment, Boats, Jet Skis, ATVSRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal indictment charging nine individuals with allegedly participating in schemes in several states to steal and sell nearly $700,000 worth of excavators, sport boats, jet skis, all-terrain vehicles, and trailers was unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Providence.
It is alleged that members of the conspiracy, working at the direction of or along-side Jose A. Montes, aka Jose Rivera, aka “Tuto”, 36, of Cranston, surveilled various dealerships and marinas under the cover of darkness in four states, looking to steal equipment from businesses.
An investigation launched by the Johnston and North Providence Police Departments, and joined by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, that then merged with a parallel investigation by Rhode Island and Connecticut State Police, Easton, Mass., and the Hampstead, N.H., Police Departments, determined that between November 2019 and July 2020, three Bobcat excavators, ten jet skis, four boats, eight all-terrain vehicles, and ten trailers valued at nearly $700,000 were stolen.
It is alleged that members of the conspiracy, often times using rented and stolen trucks, hauled away the stolen excavators, boats, jet skis, ATVs, and trailers from businesses in South Kingstown and Tiverton, RI; Auburn, Rehoboth, and Easton, MA; Waterford, Vernon, and Stafford, CT; and Hampstead, NH. Many of the stolen items were stored in Providence, Johnston, Warwick, North Providence, Scituate, and Glocester, R.I. Several of the stolen items were hauled to Florida to be sold.
Two Bobcat excavators each valued at $60,000 and one valued at $75,000, were allegedly stolen from an Auburn, Mass., dealer between late Friday, April 10, 2020, and late Saturday April 11, 2020. Using GPS built into the equipment, the excavators were located on April 13, 2020, and recovered by law enforcement. Two of the excavators were discovered in Johnston. The third was found in North Providence. GPS data showed that two of the stolen machines were stored on a farm in North Scituate before being moved to Johnston. One of the excavators was brought briefly to a residence in Warwick.
GPS data showed that the third excavator was first taken to a location in Glocester then moved to North Providence, where it was located and seized by law enforcement.
An ATV stolen from a dealership in Hampstead, New Hampshire in July 2020 was discovered on Gallup Street in Providence and towed by police to an impound facility. The ATV was subsequently stolen again from the impound.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman announces the unsealing of a thirteen-count indictment which charges interstate transportation of stolen property, receipt of stolen goods, and conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property.
In addition to Jose Montes, named in the indictment are Krystal K. Disano, 26, of Sarasota, Florida; Sorina Cruz, 43, of Cranston; Daniel J. Guerriero, 34, of North Scituate; Ronald S. Mosca, 48, of Sarasota, Florida; Irvin W. McLaughlin, Jr., 40, of Connecticut; Efrain A. Lopez, 32, of Providence; Jared J. Santiago, 28, of Providence; and Luis M. Morales, 37, of Providence.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Ferland and Ly T. Chin.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman acknowledges and thanks the Tiverton, South Kingstown, Scituate, Cranston and Providence, R.I., and Auburn Mass., Police Departments and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, FL for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Naval Pilot Admits to Coercing a Minor, Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Lieutenant Commander Ronald W. Zenga, 44, of Middletown, RI, a retired U.S. Navy pilot most recently stationed at the Naval War College in Newport, RI, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to charges he coerced a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and that he distributed, received, and possessed child pornography, all while actively serving and following his retirement from active service with the U.S. Navy.
According to court documents and information provided to the Court, in September 2018, HSI agents in Providence received information from the Bedfordshire Police Department (BPD) in the United Kingdom that an individual, later identified as Zenga, was communicating with a BPD agent through a Russian file sharing website. The communications graphically described ongoing sexual encounters with a young minor child. Zenga described several years of sexual encounters with a child, dating back to the child’s prepubescent years.
On October 17, 2018, HSI agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a federal court authorized search of Zenga’s Middletown residence. Forensic previews of Zenga’s electronic devices resulted in the discovery of emails and files of child pornography allegedly shared, received and possessed by Zenga.
At sentencing on February 2, 2021, Zenga faces statutory penalties of 10 years to life in federal prison followed by 5 years to lifetime supervised release on the charge of coercion; 5-20 years imprisonment followed by up to lifetime supervised release on the charges of distribution of child pornography and receipt of child pornography; and up to 10 years imprisonment and 3 years supervised release on the charge of possession of child pornography.
Zenga’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge David Magdycz, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Newport Police Department, East Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Bristol Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
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Department of Justice to Fund Rhode Island CARES Act Unemployment Fraud ProsecutorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been allocated funding to hire an Assistant United States Attorney, for a one-year term, who will focus on prosecuting cases involving fraudulent schemes to unlawfully obtain unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and related offenses through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020.
The CARES Act allocated $270 billion for supplemental federal UI benefits. Additionally, President Trump directed that $44 billion in federal Disaster Relief Funds be used to provide supplemental UI benefits to eligible claimants. The substantial increase in funding for UI benefits, spurred a dramatic spike in UI fraud across the country, resulting in the theft of federal funds intended to help those struggling with unemployment during the current pandemic and economic crisis.
“CARES Act unemployment benefits are a lifeline for tens of thousands of hard-working Rhode Islanders sidelined because of the pandemic,” noted United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman. “The federal government, with its many dedicated components, and with the invaluable assistance of our state and local law enforcement partners, is committed to and will spare no effort in ensuring that unemployment insurance funds not be fraudulently misdirected by scammers. The addition of a federal prosecutor to bolster our team of federal and state attorneys focused on CARES Act fraud is yet another indication of the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding accountable those who would use fraudulent means to obtain the unemployment insurance benefits intended for Rhode Islanders sidelined by the pandemic.”
In October, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island charged five individuals in a wide-ranging, ongoing joint federal and state investigation into a significant number of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims submitted to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training ,and elsewhere, for benefits funded in part by the CARES Act.
In May, two businessmen were charged in the District of Rhode Island with allegedly filing bank loan applications fraudulently seeking more than a half-million dollars in forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under CARES Act.
The U.S. Department of Justice, in close coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor and other federal agencies, created the U.S. Department of Justice National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force. This task force is charged with investigating numerous CARES Act fraud schemes targeting the unemployment insurance programs of state workforce agencies and will work closely with United States Attorneys’ Offices to prosecute those individuals who have fraudulently diverted these funds from those struggling with unemployment.
The Department encourages the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline by phone at (1-866-720-5721) or via an online reporting form available at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster- complaint-form.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years
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Federal Air Marshal Employee Admits Fraudulently Receiving Disability PaymentsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A former Federal Air Marshal employee admitted in federal court in Providence today that he concealed his self-employment and then his role in a Middletown-based martial arts business from the United States Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, in order to collect nearly a quarter of a million dollars in OWCP disability benefits based on his employment with the government.
Joseph Patrick Watterson, 52, of Newport, admitted that he initially concealed on OWCP forms the fact that he owned and was engaging in physical activities at his martial arts business, Two Swords Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Later, after admitting that he was self-employed, he concealed on OWCP forms the true scope of his employment activities at his martial arts studios, because he did not want his OWCP benefits to be reduced or terminated.
Watterson admitted that he concealed the fact that he was instructing and engaging in jiu jitsu. Rather than disclose his physical activities at his martial arts studio, Watterson falsely represented that his role was merely administrative. In a letter to DOL, Watterson described his duties as involving "cleaning and maintaining school, share the bookkeeping.”
According to the government’s evidence, from May 31, 2016 to March 3, 2019, Watterson collected disability benefits totaling approximately $241,118.52 he was not entitled to collect.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court William E. Smith, Watterson pleaded guilty to false statements to obtain federal workers’ compensation benefits, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman; Michael A. Ondocin, Executive Assistant to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (Federal Air Marshal Service); and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
Watterson is scheduled to be sentenced on January 28, 2021. False statements to obtain federal workers’ compensation benefits is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment; a fine of $250,000; a term of supervised release of 3 years.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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Telemarketing Fraudster Sentenced; Second Awaits SentencingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An Indian national has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his participation in a scheme to steal from the bank accounts of elderly victims across the United States using their online-banking usernames and passwords, which had previously been taken from their computers.
Chirag Sachdeva, 30, admitted to the court that as a participant in a technical support telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly individuals in the United States he had access to personal information that had been surreptitiously taken from victims’ computers and that that information included both personal identification information, such as social security numbers, and means of electronically accessing the victims bank accounts. Sachdeva further admitted, and the FBI’s information confirmed, that he sought to use the banking information of seven of those victims in hopes of stealing approximately $600,000 from their bank accounts. These victims had already lost approximately $4,442 to the telemarketing fraud scheme.
Sachdeva also admitted to enlisting the assistance of an acquaintance in Rhode Island to assist in the theft effort. Sachdeva provided that acquaintance information sufficient to obtain online access to the victims’ accounts as well as personal information about the victims, all of whom were over the age of 65. Sachdeva anticipated that the acquaintance would access the victims accounts and direct money from their accounts to accounts under the control of the acquaintance. Sachdeva expected to receive half of the stolen money.
Unbeknownst to Sachdeva, his acquaintance in Rhode Island was assisting the FBI in an investigation into telemarking fraud scheme. Sachedva was arrested by FBI agents on February 16, 2020, as he deplaned in Boston from a flight from India.
Sachdeva, having pled guilty to seven counts of wire fraud, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 33 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $4,442 in restitution to victims of the schemes.
A second Indian national, Manish Kumar, 32, arrested by the FBI for his participation in three related fraud schemes: two telemarketing schemes, technical support fraud and refund fraud, and credit card fraud. Kumar, who is awaiting sentencing, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
Kumar admitted that he directed telephone calls to call centers in India as part of a scheme to mislead callers into believing that their computers were infected by malware and that they needed to buy computer protection services from the call center operators. Kumar also admitted to participation in the later part of this scheme as well by providing accounts where additional money taken from the victims could be wired. Those who had fallen prey to the first part of the scheme were told that they were entitled to refunds, were told that they had accidentally been sent more than they were due, and were asked to return the excess money. Because no money had in fact been sent to the victims, those who were convinced to return the “excess” money were in fact sending their own money. Additionally, Kumar admitted that he schemed to place false charges on credit cards.
Kumar, who was arrested by FBI agents on August 24, 2019, as he deplaned in New York City from a flight from India, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20,2021.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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Department of Justice Awards More Than $458 Million to Fight Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman today announced more than $1.8 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in Rhode Island. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
“Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime.”
Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The following organizations received funding:
- Rhode Island Public Safety Grant Administration: $719,626 – National Criminal History Improvement Program
- Rhode Island Department of Corrections: $655,628 – Bureau of Justice Assistance Reinvestment Initiative
- Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General: $340,000 - Bureau of Justice Assistance Justice Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime
- Rhode Island Department of Public Safety: $84,842 – Project Safe Neighborhoods
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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