District of Rhode Island
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Jewelry Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The president and sole owner of a Providence jewelry manufacturing company pleaded guilty on Friday to tax evasion, admitting to the Court that in 2015 he diverted business receipts in order to avoid paying taxes on those receipts.
Byron Urizar, 47, of Lincoln, R.I., President and sole officer of B U, Inc., admitted to the Court that in 2014 and 2015, he diverted a large portion of third-party checks made payable to his business by using a check casher to cash the checks.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Urizar admitted to using a check casher to cash 268 checks totaling approximately $399,593 in business receipts for the tax year 2015.
Urizar admitted to the Court that he did not inform his accountant that a significant portion of the businesses gross receipts were cashed at the check casher and not deposited into the business bank account. This ensured that the gross receipts reported on his tax returns were based solely on the deposits he made to the business account and not the checks he had cashed at the check casher.
Urizar’s guilty plea to tax evasion is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Kristina O'Connell, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Urizar is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19, 2019. Tax evasion is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Providence Man Sentenced for Possessing Images and Videos of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI –A Providence man who admitted to possessing dozens of videos and images of child pornography was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel James M. Manni.
At the time of his guilty plea in December 2018, Samuel Mendez-Garcia, 43, admitted to belonging to an online social media group that viewed and exchanged child pornography. Mendez-Garcia also admitted to sharing child pornography via Facebook messenger.
According to information presented to the Court, in late March 2018, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received information from security personnel at Facebook that a user of their services, with an IP address in Rhode Island, uploaded child pornography. The information was forwarded to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force who determined that the IP address and the Facebook account belonged to Mendez-Garcia.
On July 19, 2018, members of the ICAC task force executed a court-authorized search of Mendez-Garcia’s residence and seized a laptop computer and a cell phone owned by Mendez-Garcia. Simultaneously, law enforcement officers met with Mendez-Garcia at his place of employment and seized a cell phone that was in his possession. A forensic analysis of Mendez-Garcia’s cell phones by a member of the ICAC Task Force revealed dozens of videos and images of child pornography, including images involving prepubescent minors and sadistic/masochistic conduct.
Mendez-Garcia was arrested on August 1, 2018 and ordered detained in federal custody.
An immigration detainer has been lodged against Mendez-Garcia by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after it was determined that he entered the United States illegally. It was also determined that Mendez-Garcia was prevented from entering the United States in 2002 when he illegally attempted to cross the U.S. border from Mexico.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman acknowledges and thanks the Newport Police Department, a member of the ICAC Task Force, for its assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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9th Person Arrested in Investigations into ID Theft, Bank Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The ninth of ten individuals charged in a series of indictments, informations, and criminal complaints filed in U.S. District Court in Providence for their alleged participation in conspiracies and schemes to steal and use the personal identifying information of others to defraud banks, finance companies, car dealerships and retailers, has been arrested and has been ordered detained in federal custody.
Angel L. Morales, 51, of Bronx, New York, traveled to the Dominican Republic in September 2018, shortly after federal agents executed search warrants at the New Jersey apartment of one of his alleged co-conspirators. Morales returned to the United States on March 30, 2019, and was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after arriving on a flight from the Dominican Republic. Morales was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence on Monday and ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan.
Morales is among six individuals named in a 32-count superseding indictment returned on February 6, 2019. The indictment charges Morales with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and three counts of bank fraud. Morales is the fifth person named in the indictment to be arrested. An arrest warrant has been issued for the sixth person.
In addition to the individuals named in the superseding indictment, four individuals have been convicted in federal court for their roles in various related conspiracies and fraud schemes.
According to court documents, investigations led by the U.S. Secret Service with the assistance of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations; United States Postal Inspection Service; the East Providence, Warwick, and Pawtucket, R.I. Police Departments; Seekonk and Mansfield, MA, Police Departments; and the Rhode Island State Police, have determined that the defendants, most known to one another, allegedly participated in various conspiracies and schemes to steal and use individuals’ personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers, to defraud banks, credit unions, finance companies, and retailers of hundreds of thousands of dollars in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
Also named in the 32-count superseding indictment are:
- Octavio Andres Difo-Castro, 28, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who has been detained since his arrest on August 9, 2018. He was arraigned on the superseding indictment on February 19, 2019, and is awaiting trial;
- Patricia A. Peralta, 28, of Paterson, N.J., who was arrested on August 9, 2018, and released on unsecured bond on August 14, 2018. She was arraigned on the superseding indictment on February 15, 2019, and is awaiting trial;
- Yenesia Pujols, 47, of Providence, R.I., who was arrested on February 8, 2019, and released on unsecured bond, and is awaiting trial;
- Yafira Rodriguez, 26, of New Britain, Conn., who was arrested on February 26, 2019, and released on unsecured bond is awaiting trial; and
- An arrest warrant has been issued for Israel Arana Ruiz Velasco, 45, address unknown.
Other individuals charged as a result of the investigation include:
- Reynaldo Martinez, 25, of Providence, who pleaded guilty on November 8, 2017, to four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of access fraud, and one count each of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, attempted access fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen goods. Martinez was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on January 25, 2018, to 48 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution totaling $38,126.62 to businesses he defrauded;
- Jason McDonald, 38, of Attleboro, MA, who pleaded guilty on March 29, 2018, to conspiracy, attempted bank fraud, fraudulent use of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft. Martinez was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on July 24, 2018, to 39 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution totaling $29,825 to businesses he defrauded;
- Donald Wicklund, 33, of Pawtucket, who pleaded guilty on April 12, 2018, to two counts of wire fraud, five counts of fraudulent use of a Social Security Number, five counts of aggravated identity theft and three counts of bank fraud. Wicklund was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on January 7, 2019, to 24 months and one day in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution totaling $80,799.60 to businesses he defrauded; and
- Jeffry Rodriguez, 37, of Providence, who pleaded guilty on September 20, 2018, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on June 11, 2019.
The investigations and charges brought in these cases are announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Stephen Marks, 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.
Indictments, criminal complaints, and informations are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William J. Ferland.
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Seven Indicted in "Card Cracking" SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Providence on Friday charges seven individuals with allegedly participating in a “card cracking” scheme, with the intent of defrauding banks of approximately a million dollars.
In a “card cracking” scheme, a group of people create counterfeit checks and recruit complicit bank account holders who allow use of their bank accounts to deposit the bogus checks and the use of their ATM cards to withdraw funds prior to the bank determining that the checks are counterfeit.
The indictment charges Stefan C. Gaye aka “Swizzy,” 27, Edmilson A. Rodrigues aka “2Fly,” 20, Nestor Concepcion aka “Nestor J,”23, Luis Rodriguez aka “Clout Lord,” 19, Terrell Witherspoon, 23, and Leslie Susana, 20, all of Providence, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. Shaun Dennis, 25, of Providence, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
The return of the indictment is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Stephen Marks, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Joseph W. Cronin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
According to the indictment and information presented to the Court, it is alleged that members of the conspiracy solicited individuals with access to legitimate business and public agency checks to photograph the checks and send them to a counterfeiter. The information was used to create counterfeit checks. It is alleged that members of the conspiracy then solicited others via social media, often times college students, to allow the bogus checks be deposited into their bank accounts. Using ATM cards belonging to the account holders, either members of the conspiracy or, at times the actual account holders, under the supervision of members of the conspiracy, would attempt to withdraw cash from the accounts prior to the bank determining that the deposited checks were counterfeit.
It is alleged that over the past six years, members of the conspiracy created and deposited in banks in Rhode Island and Massachusetts approximately a million dollars worth of bogus checks.
Stefan Gaye and Terrell Witherspoon have been arrested and arraigned in U.S. District Court. Nestor Concepcion, Luis Rodriguez, and Shaun Dennis are currently detained at the ACI on unrelated charges and will be appear in U.S. District Court for arraignment on May 6, 2019. Arrest warrants have been issued for Edmilson Rodrigues and Leslie Susana.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation was initiated by the Providence Police Department’s Detective Bureau, Financial Crimes Unit. They sought the assistance of federal law enforcement and the case was then investigated jointly by U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the FBI.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman thanks the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General, Rhode Island State Police, and the Warwick and North Providence Police Departments for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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Rhode Island Foreclosed Property Preservationist Charged in $10 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An East Greenwich, Rhode Island, woman whose business specialized in preserving the current condition of foreclosed homes for resale has been charged in U.S. District Court in Providence, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Kristina O'Connell, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta. The defendant allegedly operated a scheme whereby she raised and pocketed millions of dollars from investors, often times family members, friends, and business associates, by misrepresenting to them that she needed to raise tens of thousands of dollars for various repair projects. In return for their investment, investors were promised a return of 50 percent of the profit.
According to Court documents, it is alleged that Monique N. Brady, 44, misrepresented projects and solicited multiple bids for significantly more money than an individual project required. Brady performed relatively menial tasks such as grass mowing, snow removal, boiler service, etc., for as little as $20, but represented the bids to investors as full-fledged rehabilitation projects costing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It is alleged that Brady, owner and operator of MNB LLC, often convinced investors to invest substantial amounts of money claiming she had been awarded Freddie Mac rehabilitation projects, when in fact the projects were associated with real estate entities other than Freddie Mac. Brady allegedly used the Freddie Mac name to provide more credibility to her fraudulent solicitations.
A review of bank and other financial records revealed that Brady allegedly received approximately $10,076,291 in investments from 32 individuals based on numerous false and fraudulent representations. Many of these investors had close and personal relationships with Brady, including close friends, her step-brother and the former nanny for her children. The complaint charges that numerous investors suffered substantial harm as a result Brady’s fraudulent conduct, including an elderly woman who lost nearly all of her life savings and another elderly man with Alzheimer’s disease who lost his life savings to Brady.
As part of the alleged scheme, Brady often paid back some of the money she received from one investor with monies received from another. By the time the scheme ended after its discovery in the summer of 2018, 23 individuals had allegedly lost approximately $4,495,237 to Brady.
Monique Brady appeared today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on a Criminal Complaint charging her with wire fraud.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee H. Vilker and Tax Division Trial Attorney Christopher P. O’Donnell.
A Criminal Complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Foreclosed Property Preservationist Charged in $10 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An East Greenwich, R.I. woman whose business specialized in preserving the current condition of foreclosed homes for resale has been charged in U.S. District Court in Providence. The defendant allegedly operated a scheme whereby she raised and pocketed millions of dollars from investors, often times family members, friends, and business associates, by misrepresenting to them that she needed to raise tens of thousands of dollars for various repair projects. In return for their investment, investors were promised a return of fifty percent of the profit.
According to Court documents, it is alleged that Monique N. Brady, 44, misrepresented projects and solicited multiple bids for significantly more money than an individual project required. Brady performed relatively menial tasks such as grass mowing, snow removal, boiler service, etc., for as little as $20, but represented the bids to investors as full-fledged rehabilitation projects costing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. An investigation determined that Brady often solicited multiple bids, primarily by email, for many of the projects.
It is alleged that Brady, owner and operator of MNB LLC, often convinced investors to invest substantial amounts of money claiming she had been awarded Freddie Mac rehabilitation projects, when in fact the projects were associated with real estate entities other than Freddie Mac. The evidence suggests Brady used the Freddie Mac name to provide more credibility to her fraudulent solicitations.
A review of bank and other financial records revealed that Brady allegedly received approximately $10,076,291 in investments from thirty-two individuals based on numerous false and fraudulent representations. Many of these investors had close and personal relationships with Brady, including close friends, her step-brother and the former nanny for her children. Numerous investors suffered substantial harm as a result Brady’s fraudulent conduct, including an elderly woman who lost nearly all of her life savings and another elderly man with Alzheimer’s disease who lost his life savings to Brady.
As part of the scheme, Brady often paid back some of the money she received from one investor with monies received from another. By the time the scheme ended after its discovery in the summer of 2018, twenty-three individuals had lost approximately $4,495,237 to Brady.
Monique Brady appeared today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on a Criminal Complaint charging her with wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Aaron L. Weisman, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Kristina O'Connell, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker and Tax Division Trial Attorney Christopher P. O’Donnell.
A Criminal Complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Scituate Resident Who Claimed Earnings Are Not Income Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island businessman who failed to file legitimate federal tax returns for ten years, and who falsely represented to the IRS on tax forms that he was “not a citizen of the United States” and that his earnings were not taxable, pleaded guilty on Monday in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., to tax evasion, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Kristina O'Connell, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Billie R. Schofield, 63, admitted that he took numerous steps to avoid paying federal income taxes by, among other things, creating and submitting to the IRS fraudulent checks totaling more than $60,000 to settle past taxes due for tax years 2005 - 2008; creating and submitting to the IRS a fraudulent check totaling nearly $49,000 for past taxes due for tax year 2009; in 2013, instructing a corporation in which he held a minor partnership interest not to compensate him; filing false tax returns; in 2015, intercepting and concealing levies from businesses that owed him compensation; and repeatedly mailing false documents to the IRS in an effort to obstruct IRS assessments and collection efforts.
Additionally, in 2013, Schofield created a company with an Alaskan address, Sundown Services. Over the next few years, Schofield asked that payments owed to him be made payable to Sundown Services so as to conceal his income. He asked his girlfriend to open a bank account in the name of Sundown Services into which he had her deposit checks made payable to Sundown Services, which were actually income payments to Schofield for services rendered.
An investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation determined that from 2005 through 2009, Schofield’s tax due and owing was $201,310. Further, although he did not file returns for Tax Years 2010 through 2016, Schofield earned $731,481.55 as income from his business partnerships, commissions from a Canadian fishing company, and proceeds from the cultivation and sale of marijuana. His total tax due the IRS for 2010 - 2016 is $227,435. In total for tax years 2005 through 2016, Schofield evaded the payment and assessment of $428,745.01 in taxes due and owing to the IRS.
Schofield is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13, 2019. Tax evasion is punishable by statutory penalties of up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert and Tax Division Trial Attorney Christopher P. O’Donnell.
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Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Hope, Rhode Island, man who failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal income taxes pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman for the District of Rhode Island.
According to court documents, from 2005 through 2016, Billie Schofield worked for local fishing companies and earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in income. Schofield evaded the assessment of taxes on income earned through multiple commercial activities by causing payments to be made through a nominee business and depositing money in a nominee account. He obstructed the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) efforts by filing false income tax returns, preventing the delivery of IRS levy notices to his employer, and by sending bogus checks to the IRS in a fraudulent attempt to pay off an IRS lien placed on his property. Schofield’s conduct resulted in a tax loss of more than $250,000.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 13 before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith. The defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the tax evasion charge. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Weisman thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Hebert and Trial Attorney Christopher O’Donnell of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
DEA, Law Enforcement Prepared for Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, the DEA Providence Resident Office, and state and local law enforcement across Rhode Island today announced that final preparations are underway for the 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to be held next Saturday, April 27. The biannual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at more than two-dozen safe and anonymous collection sites around Rhode Island and thousands of sites around the nation. The event is an opportunity to rid homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Last October Americans turned in 457 tons of unwanted prescription drugs at nearly 6,000 locations across the country. In Rhode Island, more than two tons (4,364 lbs.) of unwanted and expired prescriptions were collected and disposed of by DEA. Overall, in its 16 previous Take back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 11 million pounds – more than 5,400 tons – of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Earlier today, United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and DEA Providence Resident Agent in Charge Sam J. Masiello visited the Warwick Police Department where a secure collection box stands ready to collect unwanted and expired prescriptions 24 hours a day.
“Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs,” noted United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman. “Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. This is a perfect opportunity to Spring clean your medicine cabinet and safely dispose of expired or unwanted prescriptions. It just might save a life.”
“DEA has touched a nerve in America with its recent Take back events, as evidenced by the millions of pounds of pills collected during our previous 16 events,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “These events are only made possible through the dedicated work and commitment of our local, state, and federal partners, and DEA thanks each and every one of them for their continuous efforts on behalf of the American people.”
Warwick Police Chief Colonel Rick Rathbun added, “This program allows the public to safely dispose of unwanted and unused drugs that more often than not can wind up in the hands of someone at risk. Without the ability to safely dispose of drugs, to include opioids, our city would be adversely impacted.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at www.takepackday.dea.gov/#collectionlocator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.
US Attorney's Office photo DEA Resident Agent in Charge Sam J. Masiello, United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Rick Rathbun display the Warwick Police Department's safe and secure prescription drug takeback box in the lobby of the Warwick Police Department.###
Two Plead Guilty to Concealing Bankruptcy AssetsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence couple has pled guilty to charges they concealed $70,000 in assets from a federal bankruptcy court when filing a joint voluntary bankruptcy petition. The couple failed to report assets related to the receipt of a $70,000 insurance settlement in their bankruptcy filing. The couple also repeatedly deposited and withdrew the funds, using multiple bank accounts and, at times, keeping some of the funds in bank checks, in an attempt to conceal the assets.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, Danys Rivera, 49, and his wife, Diana Acevedo, 53, jointly filed a Chapter 13 voluntary bankruptcy petition in the District of Rhode Island Bankruptcy Court on March 22, 2013. The filing was made seven weeks after Rivera was awarded a lump sum private insurance settlement payment of $70,000.
An investigation determined that on February 11, 2013, ten days after receiving the insurance settlement, Rivera opened a bank account and deposited a $61,064.43 check from the settlement. Two weeks later he withdrew $59,581.29 in the form of a bank check made payable to himself and transferred $500 from the account to another bank account he controlled. On March 19, 2013, Rivera deposited $7,000 in cash into a bank account he controlled and Acevedo deposited $47,581.29 in cash into a bank account she controlled. Three days later, Acevedo withdrew the $47,581.29 in the form of a bank check made payable to both her and her husband.
On April 18, 2013, Rivera and Acevedo jointly filed a Chapter 13 voluntary bankruptcy petition with the Bankruptcy Court. In documents that Acevedo and Rivera filed under penalty of perjury in the Bankruptcy Court, both failed to disclose the funds from the settlement among their assets. The proceeds from the $70,000 settlement payment were never included in any filings made by Rivera and Acevedo with the Bankruptcy Court.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on April 8, 2019, Danys Rivera pleaded guilty to concealment of bankruptcy assets, false statements under oath, and false bankruptcy declaration. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 16, 2019.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on Tuesday, Diana Acevedo pleaded guilty to concealment of bankruptcy assets. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30, 2019.
Rivera and Acevedo’s guilty pleas are announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta, and William Harrington, U.S. Trustee for Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton. The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the U.S. Trustee.
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Guilty Plea in Illegal Firearms SalesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Providence man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Monday to selling two firearms, one with an obliterated serial number, to a local person and one to an undercover law enforcement out-of-state resident.
Diosvany Cabreja Renosa, 21, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and sale of a firearm to an out-of-state resident, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kelly D. Brady, and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
According to information presented to the Court, on April 9, 2018, Reynosa, 21, sold an individual in Providence a 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, and on November 15, 2018, he sold an undercover ATF agent, who lives in Massachusetts, a semi-automatic rifle with a drum magazine.
In the first transaction, Reynosa acknowledged to the buyer that he was selling him a firearm with an obliterated serial number. In the second transaction, the undercover agent clearly stated to Reynosa that he was a Massachusetts resident. Reynosa acknowledged that he was aware that the person to whom he was selling the firearm did not live in Rhode Island.
According to ATF records, Reynosa is not a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Reynoso was arrested by members of the ATF Task Force on December 19, 2018, six days after a federal grand jury returned a sealed indictment in this matter.
Reynoso is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on August 30, 2019.
Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and sale of a firearm to an out-of-state resident are punishable by statutory penalties of up to 5 years in federal prison to be followed by up to 3 years supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by ATF, the ATF Task Force, and the Providence Police Department. U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman acknowledges and thanks the Pawtucket Police Department for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
The ATF Task Force is comprised of law enforcement agents and officers from ATF, the Providence and Pawtucket Police Departments, Rhode Island State Police, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
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CVS to Pay $535,000 for Filling Invalid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Pharmacy chain CVS Pharmacy, Inc. has agreed to pay $535,000 to resolve the United States’ allegations that several of its Rhode Island stores violated the federal Controlled Substances Act by filling invalid prescriptions, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division.
The settlement caps an investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island and the DEA Office of Diversion Control of CVS’ conduct at several of its Rhode Island retail pharmacy locations in filling prescriptions for controlled substances with a high potential for abuse. Under the Controlled Substances Act and its implementing regulations, substances such as painkillers and opioids can only be prescribed for legitimate medical purposes by a physician. The law, however, also places a “corresponding responsibility” on the pharmacist filling the prescription to ensure that the prescription is valid and legal.
In this case, the United States alleged that CVS retail pharmacies in Rhode Island filled thirty-nine prescriptions for Percocet, a Schedule II narcotic, that CVS pharmacists had reason to know were forged.
Under the terms of this civil resolution, CVS will pay a civil penalty of $535,000 for its alleged conduct in the State of Rhode Island. CVS, while acknowledging that its pharmacists bear a corresponding responsibility under the Controlled Substances Act, has denied wrongdoing in this case.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman commented, “This settlement demonstrates that the Department of Justice remains committed to using all the legal tools at its disposal to ensure that everyone in the chain of controlled substance distribution -- from physicians to pharmacists -- abides by the strict requirements of the law.”
“DEA registrants like CVS have a corresponding responsibility to dispense controlled substances in accordance with the Controlled Substance Act,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Pharmacies put patients at risk when they dispense Schedule II narcotics, which have the highest potential for abuse, without a valid and legal prescription. Today’s settlement demonstrates DEA’s commitment to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure that these rules and regulations are followed.”
This matter was litigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Myrus.
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Conspirator in Fentanyl, Cocaine Trafficking Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man who conspired with the leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy that imported hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and distributed them in Rhode Island and Massachusetts has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division Brian D. Boyle, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni.
Audi E. Diaz, aka Boku, 29, previously admitted to the Court that he worked closely with Ramon Delossantos, of Cumberland, R.I., to prepare and distribute multi-kilogram shipments of fentanyl and cocaine to mid-level distributors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
As the result of a DEA and Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigation during the summer and fall of 2017 dubbed “Operation Panamera,” more than two-dozen people were arrested and at least 23 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, 11 kilograms of cocaine, 11 kilograms of marijuana and two kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms were seized.
Delossantos was identified by law enforcement as the leader of the drug trafficking organization. He arranged for the shipment of fentanyl and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and oversaw the distribution of the drugs to mid-level distributors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
According to information presented to the Court, between August 10 and September 30, 2017, approximately 470 communications between Diaz and Delossantos were electronically intercepted by law enforcement. The conversations ranged in topic from Diaz arranging for numerous multi-kilogram purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from Delossantos for distribution to others, to Diaz borrowing equipment from Delossantos to prepare kilogram “bricks” of fentanyl and cocaine for delivery, to discussions between Delossantos and Diaz that Diaz take over Delossantos’ drug trafficking business either temporarily while Delossantos traveled outside of the country or on a permanent basis.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Diaz to 60 months in federal prison, followed by a term of supervised release of 3 years.
Diaz, arrested and ordered detained on October 30, 2017, pleaded guilty on January 14, 2019, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy with the intent to distribute cocaine.
Delossantos, arrested on October 2, 2017, and ordered detained in federal custody, pleaded guilty on June 14, 2018, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy with the intent to distribute cocaine is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on June 14, 2019.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr. and Milind M. Shah.
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Former State Senator, Businessman Sentenced for Bank Fraud, Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Former Rhode Island state senator and businessman James E. Doyle, II, 47, of Pawtucket, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for engaging in a $74 million dollar check-kiting scheme in which he wrote tens of thousands of worthless checks, and failed to report more than $1 million dollars in income and pay taxes to the IRS, announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Kristina O'Connell, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
Doyle pleaded guilty on September 28, 2018, to thirty-one counts of bank fraud and one count each of filing a false tax return and failing to file a tax return. At the time of his guilty plea Doyle admitted that as owner of Doyle Respiratory, LLC and Doyle Sleep Solutions, LLC, he engaged in criminal conduct during which $74 million dollars in worthless bank transactions were executed in check-kiting schemes through bank accounts he controlled at three banks. Doyle admitted that he executed the schemes through the use of checks, cash withdrawals, ATM electronic transfers and ACH transfer payments.
Doyle also admitted that for tax years 2013 thru 2016 he and his wife failed to report to the IRS more than $1 million dollars in income and failed to pay $305,426 in taxes due the IRS.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith sentenced Doyle to 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration and ordered Doyle to pay restitution totaling $426,707.25 to Santander Bank and Alliance Blackstone Valley Federal Credit Union.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman commented, “As so well articulated by Chief Judge Smith, an incarcerative sentence of 24 months is most appropriate considering the damage Mr. Doyle’s actions, in defrauding three banks of almost half a million dollars, has done to erode the people’s trust in their public officials.”
At the time of his guilty plea, Doyle admitted to the Court that he accomplished the check-kiting schemes by writing checks from accounts he knew were not backed by sufficient funds and depositing those checks into different accounts to cover daily overdrafts. Simultaneously, he wrote checks out of the second bank account and deposited those checks back into the first account. The purpose and effect of writing and depositing these worthless checks was to manipulate the numerical balances in the checking accounts, and thereby create the false and fraudulent appearance that the accounts had sufficient available funds in the accounts and to deceive and trick the banks into honoring the checks drawn against the checking accounts with insufficient funds.
Doyle executed the scheme on a daily basis, at times undertaking in excess of 50 transactions per day, included the utilization of ATMs in order to lengthen the time it took for checks to be presented for clearing. The investigation revealed that over the life of the scheme the defendant wrote tens of thousands of worthless checks.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Pawtucket Man Detained on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man who fled members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force on Tuesday during an investigation into his alleged drug trafficking activities was arrested by FBI agents on Wednesday in Fall River, Mass., and ordered detained today following his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence on drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
According to court documents, over the past week members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force have been investigating the alleged drug trafficking activities of 24-year-old Luis Leon. Task force members had information that Leon was expecting to receive a large shipment of fentanyl. As part of the investigation task force members established surveillance of Leon’s residence. On Tuesday afternoon agents and officers saw an individual enter Leon’s residence carrying a large duffel bag. A short time later they observed Leon leave the residence and place the duffel bag in the back of a dark colored pickup truck and drive off. He was alone in the vehicle.
As law enforcement moved into position to follow the pickup truck they observed Leon repeatedly looking into his rear view mirrors at their vehicle. Investigators decided to attempt to effect a traffic stop, signaling the driver to stop by illuminating their flashing lights and engaging their siren. Leon failed to stop, instead driving away at a high rate of speed. Because of the reckless manner in which Leon was operating the truck, investigators did not further pursue the vehicle.
Law enforcement continued to drive the route Leon’s truck appeared to take, coming upon an accident scene a short distance away. Witnesses told police that a pickup truck struck a vehicle causing the vehicle to careen into a building. Witnesses told police the pickup truck fled the accident scene without stopping.
Several minutes later law enforcement learned that a pickup truck with heavy front end damage was pulled into a nearby parking lot and abandoned. A witness advised law enforcement that they saw the driver get out of the vehicle, toss a duffel bag into bushes nearby, and then run off. The description of the driver fit the description of Leon. Agents retrieved the bag which was found to contain approximately 634.4 grams of suspected fentanyl and approximately 429.5 grams of suspected cocaine.
Law enforcement developed information overnight Tuesday and on Wednesday morning that Leon was likely at a residence in Fall River. They established surveillance of the residence and arrested Leon Wednesday afternoon as he exited the residence.
Leon made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence today on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. He was ordered detained by Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
A 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 Gerard B. Sullivan.
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Rhode Island Man Indicted for Defrauding Investors and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Rhode Island indicted a Rhode Island man yesterday on multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion after allegedly running decade-long schemes to defraud investors and the United States Treasury, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman for the District of Rhode Island.
According to the indictment, between 2008 and 2018, Thomas Huling of West Warwick, Rhode Island, 55, formerly a mortgage broker, orchestrated a scheme to defraud investors by promoting several investment projects, including offshore high-yielding bond trading platforms, a car emissions reduction technology, and an online advertising and marketing company. Huling allegedly solicited funds for these investments by representing, among other things, that the money would be used for the particular project, and that the investments would achieve substantial returns - with little or no risk - within a short period of time. The indictment alleges that to enhance his credibility and build trust, Huling incorporated religion and the possibility of charitable good works into his sales pitch, and would claim association with well-known individuals who in turn had an interest in his investments.
In truth, and contrary to the representations and promises he made to investors, the indictment alleges that Huling used investor monies to support his lifestyle that included purchases of high-end luxury vehicles, membership and golf fees at multiple country clubs, clothes and fashion, food and restaurants, vacations and travel, and improvements to his residence.
The indictment further alleges that when investors contacted him with concern about the status of their investment, Huling lulled them with false and fraudulent excuses and promises to string them along, and other times refused and avoided calls. To appease certain investors, Huling allegedly used money raised from new investors to pay off the earlier investors. To conceal the source and disposition of funds, the indictment alleges that Huling established multiple shell companies and more than 50 bank accounts to deposit, commingle, withdraw, and transfer funds.
In all, Huling’s fraud scheme against investors allegedly yielded approximately $14 million in funds raised from investors, causing a loss to investors of more than $6 million.
The indictment further alleges that while defrauding investors Huling also defrauded the United States by evading taxes. It charges that between 2009 and April 2018, while living his lifestyle through millions in personal expenditures using the investors’ funds, Huling reported no taxable income, paid no income taxes, and committed multiple affirmative acts in an effort to conceal his income and mislead the IRS. As part his tax evasion scheme, Huling allegedly filed false and fraudulent individual and corporate income tax returns, used multiple nominee entities and bank accounts to conceal income, used corporate account debit cards to pay for personal expenses, used cash extensively, manipulated the books and records of his purported companies to record sham loans so as to conceal personal expenditures and income, titled personal assets in the name of shell companies, and lied to IRS special agents concerning his income, expenses, and business activities. Allegedly, while specifically evading the assessment of his 2009 through 2011, 2012, and 2016-2017 taxes, Huling also evaded payment of his 2007 taxes.
If convicted, Huling faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison for each wire fraud charge, ten years in prison for each money laundering charge, and five years in prison for each tax evasion charge. Huling also faces a potential period of supervised release, substantial fines and penalties, and orders of restitution and forfeiture.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and United States Attorney Weisman thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI and an IRS revenue agent, who all investigated the case. They also thanked Assistant Chief John N. Kane, Jr. of the Tax Division and Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Hebert, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Rhode Island Man Facing 15 - 40 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A former North Providence and Pawtucket resident found to be in possession of electronic storage devices containing more than 11,400 images of child pornography, including videos he produced that depict him sexually assaulting a minor female, is facing between 15-40 years in federal prison, having pleaded guilty on Tuesday to production and possession of child pornography.
Robert Barrie, 41, was arrested in May 2015 and in July 2017 by members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force after investigators discovered him sharing child pornography through online peer-to-peer networks from his then North Providence and Pawtucket residences, respectively.
Barrie’s arrest in July 2017 occurred while he was awaiting trial in Rhode Island state court on the child pornography charges brought in March 2015.
Barrie’s guilty plea in U.S. District Court to charges of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
According to information presented to the Court, on May 7, 2015, members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Barrie’s then North Providence residence. Several electronic devices were seized. Based on statements made to law enforcement by Barrie and evidence viewed during the court-authorized search, Barrie was arrested and charged in state court with possession of child pornography. About three weeks later, as investigators continued a forensic audit of Barrie’s electronic devices, investigators discovered a video which depicted Barrie sexually assaulting a minor female. Barrie was re-arrested by members of the ICAC task force on child molestation charges and released on bail following his arraignment.
In July 2017, while the state charges were still pending against Barrie, ICAC members observed peer-to-peer Internet traffic of child pornography files being shared from an IP address at a Pawtucket residence. When members of the ICAC task force arrived at the residence they learned that it was the then residence of Robert Barrie. Electronic devices seized from Barrie were found to contain child pornography.
Forensic examinations of all of the electronic devices seized from Barrie revealed approximately 11,450 images and videos of child pornography, including a video depicting Barrie engaged in sexual contact with a minor female.
Barrie is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on August 23, 2019.
Production of child pornography is punishable by statutory penalties of 15-30 years imprisonment followed by a term of lifetime supervised release. Possession of child pornography is punishable by a statutory penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment.
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, Cranston, Newport, East Providence, Pawtucket, Bristol, North Kingstown, and Woonsocket Police Departments, and Homeland Security Investigations agents.
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RI Man Indicted for Defrauding Investors and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in Rhode Island indicted a Rhode Island man yesterday on multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion after allegedly running decade-long schemes to defraud investors and the United States Treasury, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman for the District of Rhode Island.
According to the indictment, between 2008 and 2018, Thomas Huling of West Warwick, Rhode Island, 55, formerly a mortgage broker, orchestrated a scheme to defraud investors by promoting several investment projects, including offshore high-yielding bond trading platforms, a car emissions reduction technology, and an online advertising and marketing company. Huling allegedly solicited funds for these investments by representing, among other things, that the money would be used for the particular project, and that the investments would achieve substantial returns - with little or no risk - within a short period of time. The indictment alleges that to enhance his credibility and build trust, Huling incorporated religion and the possibility of charitable good works into his sales pitch, and would claim association with well-known individuals who in turn had an interest in his investments.
In truth, and contrary to the representations and promises he made to investors, the indictment alleges that Huling used investor monies to support his lifestyle that included purchases of high-end luxury vehicles, membership and golf fees at multiple country clubs, clothes and fashion, food and restaurants, vacations and travel, and improvements to his residence.
The indictment further alleges that when investors contacted him with concern about the status of their investment, Huling lulled them with false and fraudulent excuses and promises to string them along, and other times refused and avoided calls. To appease certain investors, Huling allegedly used money raised from new investors to pay off the earlier investors. To conceal the source and disposition of funds, the indictment alleges that Huling established multiple shell companies and more than 50 bank accounts to deposit, commingle, withdraw, and transfer funds.
In all, Huling’s fraud scheme against investors allegedly yielded approximately $14 million in funds raised from investors, causing a loss to investors of more than $6 million.
The indictment further alleges that while defrauding investors Huling also defrauded the United States by evading taxes. It charges that between 2009 and April 2018, while living his lifestyle through millions in personal expenditures using the investors’ funds, Huling reported no taxable income, paid no income taxes, and committed multiple affirmative acts in an effort to conceal his income and mislead the IRS. As part his tax evasion scheme, Huling allegedly filed false and fraudulent individual and corporate income tax returns, used multiple nominee entities and bank accounts to conceal income, used corporate account debit cards to pay for personal expenses, used cash extensively, manipulated the books and records of his purported companies to record sham loans so as to conceal personal expenditures and income, titled personal assets in the name of shell companies, and lied to IRS special agents concerning his income, expenses, and business activities. Allegedly, while specifically evading the assessment of his 2009 through 2011, 2012, and 2016-2017 taxes, Huling also evaded payment of his 2007 taxes.
If convicted, Huling faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison for each wire fraud charge, ten years in prison for each money laundering charge, and five years in prison for each tax evasion charge. Huling also faces a potential period of supervised release, substantial fines and penalties, and orders of restitution and forfeiture.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and United States Attorney Weisman thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI and an IRS revenue agent, who all investigated the case. They also thanked Assistant Chief John N. Kane, Jr. of the Tax Division and Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Hebert, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
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Justice Department Observes National Crime Victims' WeekRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – In observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 7-13, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island will join the Rhode Island Attorney General and Family Service of Rhode Island led observance at the annual Victims’ Grove Ceremony.
“Victims of crime deserve justice. This Department works every day to help them recover and to find, prosecute, and convict those who have done them harm,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “During this National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we pause to remember the millions of Americans who have been victims of crime and we thank public servants who have served them in especially heroic ways. This week the men and women of the Department recommit ourselves once again to ensuring that crime victims continue to have a voice in our legal system, to securing justice for them, and to preventing other Americans from suffering what they have endured."
“Every day, every night, around the clock, law enforcement, prosecutors, and community partners work together to support victims of crime,” said United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman. “As Attorney General William P. Barr noted, we are committed to ensuring that crime victims have our support and a voice as we hold those who have harmed them responsible for their actions.”
Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorneys’ offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorneys’ offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 7-13, with the theme: Honoring Our Past. Creating Hope for the Future.
The U.S. Department of Justice will host the Office for Victims of Crime’s annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 2019, to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime.
The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.
The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/. You may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island’s Victim Witness Program at (401) 709-5023.
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Armed Fentanyl Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Central Falls resident previously convicted for drug trafficking in Massachusetts today pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence to charges that he trafficked fentanyl from his Central Falls apartment and that he was a felon in possession of two firearms, one of which he said he obtained for “protection” for his drug trafficking activities.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Dennis Rivera, 31, pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
Rivera’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Central Falls Police Chief Colonel James J. Mendonca, and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kelly D. Brady.
According to information presented to the Court, in late January 2018, a Central Falls Police Department and ATF Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation into Rivera’s drug trafficking activities included at least three law enforcement controlled purchases of fentanyl from Rivera. The investigation also determined that Rivera had told others that he possessed a firearm for “protection.”
On February 3, 2018, law enforcement executed a court-authorized search of Rivera’s residence and seized, among other items, a .22 caliber revolver, 11grams of cocaine, 21grams of fentanyl, and various items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs.
At the time of Rivera’s arrest on February 3, 2018, he was awaiting trial in Rhode Island state court on an unrelated firearm charge. Rivera was arrested by Central Falls Police in June 2017 following an altercation with another person. As officers approached the two men, Rivera stashed a semi-automatic pistol near the bumper of a nearby car, then quickly walked away. The firearm was retrieved by police and Rivera was found hiding in the bathroom of a stranger’s apartment nearby.
Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on August 16, 2019. According to a plea agreement filed in this matter, at the time of sentencing the Government and the defendant will jointly recommend the Court impose a term of incarceration of 72 months in federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald R. Gendron and Ly T. Chin.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Thrice Deported, Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry, Trafficking Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national previously deported from the United States on three occasions pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to trafficking heroin and fentanyl, and illegal reentry into the United States, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Rhode Island State Police Superintendent James M. Manni, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
According to information presented to the Court, members of the Rhode Island Fugitive Task Force, who were attempting to locate Juan Manu Pena-Zapata based on a federal arrest warrant issued in the Western District of Michigan on a charge of using a false social security number, pulled over his a vehicle in Providence on September 18, 2018. After placing Pena-Zapata in custody, agents searched his vehicle. Inside a center console agents found three plastic bags containing controlled substances, later determined by the Rhode Island Department of Health to contain 4.89g of fentanyl, 5.00g of heroin, and 29.77g of fentanyl.
A follow-up investigation by the Fugitive Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations determined that Pena-Zapata, a native and citizen of the Dominican Republic, was previously deported from the United States on June 28, 2002; April 9, 2008; and April 7, 2010.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Pena-Zapata, 39, of Providence, pleaded guilty to knowingly and intentionally possessing with intent to distribute a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and illegal reentry into the United States. He pleaded guilty on November 16, 2018, to the charge of using a false social security number brought by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in both cases by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on June 25, 2019.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.
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VA Medical Center Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Hospital PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Veteran Affairs Medical Center nurse who admitted to tampering with and fraudulently obtaining morphine and other opioid prescriptions at the VA Medical Center in Providence has been ordered to serve 24 months in federal prison.
Jared Scott, 35, of West Warwick, admitted that on several occasions in October and November 2017, he accessed vials of liquid opioids designated for patient use. Scott admitted to removing the vials from a locked storage cart and stealing the prescriptions for his own personal use, leaving behind vials filled with saline.
Scott pleaded guilty on December 7, 2018, with tampering with a consumer product and acquiring a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith sentenced Scott to 24 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release of 2 years.
Scott’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Sean J. Smith, Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center Police Chief John M. Thibodeau, and Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations Derek Roy.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center Police, and the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
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Providence Gang Member Sentenced on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation and prosecution culminated today with the sentencing of a member of the Hanover Boyz street gang to 51 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Anthony Washburn, 33, of Providence was arrested by Cranston Police in July 2018 during a traffic stop, when officers seized from his vehicle a firearm and a stamp collection reported stolen from a Cranston residence.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Washburn to serve a term of supervised release of 3 years upon completion of his term of incarceration. Washburn pleaded guilty on January 14, 2019, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Washburn’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Cranston Police Chief Michael J. Winquist, and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, on July 25, 2018, a Cranston Police patrolman pulled over a vehicle with an expired temporary license plate being driven by Washburn. As the officer approached the vehicle, he observed both the driver and a front seat passenger moving within the vehicle, appearing to reach for something in the center console area. The officer requested that Washburn exit the vehicle while telling the passenger to remain inside the vehicle.
Upon the arrival of a second officer, the passenger was removed from the vehicle and the vehicle was searched. Officers discovered a 12-pack box of beer on the floor behind the driver’s seat that contained an open bottle of alcohol, several beers, and a sock containing a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm.
Inside the center console officers discovered and seized a small digital scale consistent with use in narcotics trade. Inside the trunk of the vehicle officers discovered a large shopping bag containing a stamp collection. The passenger was found to be in possession of $3,400 in cash she said belonged to Washburn.
Further investigation by Cranston Police revealed that the firearm and stamp collection were reported stolen in a housebreak in Cranston, and that the expired temporary license plate was counterfeit.
According to court records, Washburn was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court on firearm and drug trafficking charges.
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 case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman acknowledges and thanks the FBI and the FBI Safe Street Task Force for their assistance in the preparation of this matter for prosecution.
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Cape Cod Resident Sentenced for Trafficking MethRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Provincetown, Mass., man found passed out in his vehicle by Warwick police and to be in possession of more than 230 grams of methamphetamine in August 2017 was sentenced today to three years supervised release and fined $20,000, having pleaded guilty in U.S District Court in Providence in November 2018 to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Gregory Lee, 50, was arrested by Warwick Police on August 4, 2017, after officers responded to a 911 call of a person passed out inside a vehicle. After several attempts, officers were able to roust Lee who nervously began looking around his vehicle, under his body and legs, and grabbing at various items within the vehicle. Lee was ordered by police to exit the vehicle.
After exiting the vehicle, Lee, who was observed by police to be sweating profusely, fidgety, shaking uncontrollably, and unable to stand still, allow officers to search the vehicle. From inside a backpack located on the front seat, officers seized two large plastic bags of methamphetamine. The bags of weighed 115.9 grams and 115.6 grams.
Lee’s sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Warwick Police Chief Colonel Rick Rathbun, 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. Attorneys Gerard B. Sullivan and Ly T. Chin.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman acknowledges and thanks the DEA Drug Task Force for their assistance preparing this case for prosecution.
The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and East Providence, Central Falls, Coventry, Cranston, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick and Woonsocket Police Departments.
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Florida Man Sentenced in Puerto Rico to Rhode Island Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The second of two Florida men charged with participating in a conspiracy to, on multiple occasions, traffic multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine through the U.S. Postal Service from Puerto Rico into Rhode Island has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison.
Gabriel Concepcion, 29, of Kissimmee, FL, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence in October 2019 to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Conception to 84 months imprisonment to be followed by a term of supervised release of four years.
A co-defendant in this matter, Rinaxo M. Rufino, 34, of Miramar, FL, was sentenced on January 18, 2019, to 36 months in federal prison to be followed by 2 years of supervised release. Rufino pleaded guilty on September 12, 2018, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
The sentences are announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Joseph W. Cronin, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division Brian D. Boyle, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, Concepcion conspired with Rufino to receive at least three multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine shipped through the U.S. Postal Service from Puerto Rico to residences in Central Falls and Cumberland. Each shipment contained approximately three kilograms of cocaine.
The packages were intercepted and seized by U.S. Postal Inspectors prior to delivery to the intended recipients. The two men were arrested on August 26, 2017, by U.S. Postal Inspectors agents, members of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and members of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force.
Rufino was taken into custody when he attempted to retrieve a package containing 3,029 grams of cocaine addressed to a Central Falls residence. U.S. Postal Inspectors identified cocaine in the package prior to delivery and removed the controlled substance. In its place inspectors placed similarly weighted non-contraband material. Concepcion was arrested moments later in the vicinity of the Central Falls residence.
Additionally, during the investigation into Concepcion and Rufino’s drug trafficking activities, a package addressed for delivery to a residence in Cumberland that contained approximately 3007.2 grams of cocaine was seized by Postal Inspectors on August 25, 2017. Another package addressed for delivery to a Central Falls residence which contained approximately 3006.9 grams of cocaine was seized by Postal Inspectors on August 28, 2017.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr. and Milind M. Shah.
The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and East Providence, Central Falls, Coventry, Cranston, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick and Woonsocket Police Departments.
The HIDTA Task Force is managed by the Rhode Island State Police and is comprised of members of the Pawtucket, West Warwick, Lincoln, and Middletown Police Departments, ATF, DEA, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, Rhode Island Department of Corrections, and Analysts from the Rhode Island National Guard.
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Sex Offender Detained for Attempting to Entice a Minor, Transmit Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A registered sex offender from Waterbury, Conn., was ordered detained in federal custody in Rhode Island today on charges that he allegedly attempted to entice a minor, attempted to transmit obscene material to a minor, and that he committed these crimes while a registered sex offender.
It is alleged in court documents that Jesus Maldonado, 55, engaged in a series of sexually explicit online communications with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl living in Rhode Island while trying to arrange a meeting between the two, and that he allegedly sent obscene materials to this person.
The person Maldonado actually was communicating with is a Rhode Island State Police Detective assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
Maldonado was arrested in Waterbury, CT., on March 25, 2019, by Homeland Security Investigations agents and a Rhode Island State Police Detective. He was ordered detained following an appearance in U.S. District Court in New Haven on a federal criminal complaint issued in the District of Rhode Island that charges him with attempted enticement of a minor, attempted transmission of obscene matter to a minor, and commission of specified offenses while a registered sex offender.
Maldonado was transferred to Rhode Island and appeared today in U.S. District Court in Providence before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
Maldonado’s arrest and initial appearance in U.S. District Court are announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel James M. Manni, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
According to court documents, it is alleged that beginning on March 13, 2019, Maldonado began engaging in a series of sexually explicit online chatroom communications with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl living in Rhode Island. The communications allegedly included discussions about Maldonado and the person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl meeting in person to engage in illicit sexual activity. It is also alleged that Maldonado sent obscene photographs to the person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.
According to court records, Maldonado was convicted in 1993 in Connecticut state court for sexual assault and in 2008 in Illinois state court for sexually abusing a minor. In 2011, Maldonado was again arrested in Connecticut for sexually abusing a minor, at which time it was determined that Maldonado had failed to register as a sex offender as required as a result of his previous convictions.
In October 2011, Maldonado was convicted in U.S. District Court in the District of Connecticut and sentenced to 84 months in federal prison and a term of lifetime supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender. Among the court imposed conditions of release was that Maldonado was not to associate with children under the age of 18 unless an adult was present and who was aware of his criminal history.
A 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.
United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Aaron L. Weisman acknowledges and thanks United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut John H. Durham and his office for their assistance in this matter.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man previously convicted and imprisoned on firearm charges was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence today to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Joshua R. Souza, 37, of Providence, was most recently arrested by Providence Police detectives on April 27, 2018, following an investigation into Souza’s drug trafficking activities.
According to information provided to the Court, following controlled purchases of cocaine from Souza, Providence Police detectives executed a court-authorized search warrant at Souza’s residence. Detectives seized loose and packaged cocaine from Souza’s person. From his residence they seized 11.9 grams of cocaine and two firearms: a 12 gauge sawed-off shotgun with an obliterated serial number and a stolen 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
Souza, arrested and detained on Rhode Island state court charges since April 27, 2018, pleaded guilty in federal court on January 14, 2019, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell sentenced Souza to 10 years in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release.
Souza’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kelly D. Brady.
According to court records, Souza was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court on firearm, larceny, and breaking and entering charges.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by Providence Police with the assistance of ATF and the ATF Task Force.
The ATF Task Force is comprised of law enforcement agents and officers from ATF, the Providence and Police Pawtucket Police Departments, Rhode Island State Police, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
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Controller Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Tax ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A controller employed by a Providence based high-technology company that specializes in the optimization of electro-magnetic and automated process equipment pleaded guilty today in federal court to charges that she executed a scheme to defraud the company of more than $550,000 in reimbursements for business related expenses she was not entitled to, and that she failed to pay taxes to the IRS for the funds she fraudulently received.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Jill Martinho, 43, of Swansea, Mass., pleaded guilty to wire fraud and willfully making a false tax return, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Kristina O'Connell, and Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Stephen Marks.
According to information presented to the Court, from May 2015 through February 2018, Martinho was authorized to purchase supplies necessary for her company with the use of personal credit cards. Although Martinho was entitled to reimbursements from the company totaling approximately $459,224, based on her fraudulent claims, including the use of fraudulently created card statements, she received approximately $1,017,295 from the company, causing the company a loss of approximately $557,974.
Additionally, Martinho did not report the fraudulently obtained income to the IRS nor did she pay taxes due the IRS.
Martinho had been employed by the company since 2005.
Martinho is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on July 19, 2019. Wire fraud is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment; a fine of $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater; and a term of supervised release of 5 years. Willfully making a false tax return is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 3 years imprisonment; a fine of $100,000; and a term of supervised release of 3 years.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the United States Secret Service.
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Third Person Sentenced in Pawtucket Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A third person indicted by a federal grand jury for their participation in a conspiracy to traffic heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kelly D. Brady.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Michael Querceto, 34, was sentenced to 72 months in prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release. Querceto pleaded guilty on December 7, 2018, to four counts of distribution of heroin, and one count each of possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and felon in possession of a firearm.
On September 17, 2018, co-defendant Brandon Querceto, 31, was sentenced to 72 months in prison to be followed by 4 years supervised release. He pleaded guilty on June 11, 2018, to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
On September 11, 2018, co-defendant Jacqueline Caraballo, 45, was sentenced to 48 months in prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release. On June 8, 2018, Caraballo pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute heroin and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, five counts of distribution of heroin, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
In September 2017, Pawtucket Police received information that an individual in Pawtucket was arranging sales of heroin via a cell telephone. Pawtucket Police linked the phone to Michael Querceto. Over the next several weeks, a Pawtucket Police Department undercover officer called Querceto several times to arrange for purchases of heroin.
On four occasions, Caraballo delivered heroin to the officer. On one occasion both Caraballo and Michael Querceto together delivered heroin to the officer. On all but one occasion, the undercover officer contacted Michael Querceto to arrange the deliveries.
On October 11, 2017, a court-authorized search of the Pawtucket residence the three defendants shared resulted in the seizure of more than five grams of heroin and nearly 60 grams of crack cocaine packaged for delivery were seized from Brandon Querceto’s bedroom. Additionally, from other locations within the residence, law enforcement seized various amounts of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, steroids and fentanyl, $6,796 in cash, and a handgun.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Pawtucket Police Department, with the assistance of the ATF.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to Five Years and a Day in PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An armed Pawtucket heroin dealer has been sentenced to five years and one day in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, and Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division Brian D. Boyle.
Leoner J. Leonardo, 23, was arrested by Pawtucket Police in July 2017, following a two-month investigation into Leonardo’s drug trafficking activities. The investigation included at least 17 controlled purchases of heroin, ten of which he was charged with, totaling approximately 36.67 grams of heroin.
According to information presented to the Court, on July 11, 2017, Pawtucket Police, with the assistance of members of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, executed a court-authorized search of Leonardo’s residence. Leonardo was located inside a locked upstairs bedroom. He refused verbal commands to open the door and officers and agents made a forced entry. Leonardo was found next to a mattress on the floor of the bedroom and was arrested. On the mattress, approximately two feet away from Leonardo, was a loaded 25-caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. The firearm safety lever was off and the hammer was cocked back, ready to fire.
Law enforcement also seized approximately 18.94 grams of heroin from the residence which was packaged or being packaged for distribution and a small amount of cash.
Leonardo pleaded guilty in federal court on June 27, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute heroin, distribution of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. At sentencing, in addition to a term of incarceration of five years and one day, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Leonardo to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Pawtucket Police Department, with the assistance of members of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force.
The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and East Providence, Central Falls, Coventry, Cranston, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick and Woonsocket Police Departments.
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R.I. Man Sentenced for Health Care and Welfare Fraud, Misuse of Social Security Numbers, ID Theft, Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Pawtucket man previously deported to his native Dominican Republic after being convicted and incarcerated for trafficking significant quantities of heroin and cocaine was sentenced today to 25 months in federal prison for reentering the United States illegally, and using the identity and Social Security number of another person to fraudulently obtain health care and welfare benefits.
Carlos Jose Portes-Ortiz, 38, a.k.a. Juan Carlos Mendieta Vega, a.k.a. Anthony Clausell Rivera, a.k.a. Jose Jimenez Agosto, a.k.a. Willian Acevedo Gil, a.k.a. Allison Gabriel, pleaded guilty on October 10, 2018, to health care fraud, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud, misuse of Social Security numbers, aggravated identity theft, and illegal reentry.
Portes-Ortiz was deported from the United States in February 2009, after completing a federal prison sentence imposed in June 2007 for conspiracy to import 100 grams or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Portes-Ortiz was arrested in June 2005 at Newark Liberty International Airport after arriving from the Dominican Republic.
The sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Phillip Coyne, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations Scott E. Antolik, and Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General Bethanne M. Dinkins.
In March 2017, Portes-Ortiz was arrested in Dedham, Mass., after attempting to purchase more than $1,000 worth of iPhone and iPad equipment using a driver’s license depicting his photograph and a credit card both in the name of a female. At the time of his arrest, Portes-Ortiz was found to be in possession of a Rhode Island Neighborhood Health Plan card, a Rhode Island EBT card for SNAP benefits, a Rhode Island identification card, a Puerto Rican driver’s license and a bank debit card. Some of the cards seized from Portes-Ortiz contained his photograph but all were in the names of others than his own.
It was later determined through fingerprints that the person arrested was actually Portes-Ortiz.
An investigation led by agents from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations determined that Portes-Ortiz used multiple names and stolen personal identifying information to gain Rhode Island ID cards, as well as the identity of another person to obtain Medicaid and health care benefits, including medical, pharmaceutical and dental services; and EBT cards and SNAP benefits.
The investigation revealed that Portes-Ortiz was employed at a retail store while, at the same time, fraudulently obtaining federal program benefits and services using a stolen identity and identifying information.
At sentencing, Portes-Ortiz was ordered to pay restitution of approximately $13,000.
Portes-Ortiz, has been detained in federal custody since his arrest on June 27, 2018. He faces deportation proceedings upon completion of his term of incarceration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter was investigated by agents from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; Homeland Security Investigations - Immigration and Custom Enforcement; U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General.
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Wyatt Inmate Sentenced on Firearm Charge, Attempting to Possess and Possessing Prohibited ItemsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Donald W. Wyatt (Wyatt) Detention Center inmate has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a concurrent term of 24 months in federal prison for attempting to possess a controlled substance and possessing an 8-inch shank while detained at the Wyatt Detention Center.
On Wednesday, Jason Jones, 25, was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to serve two years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration.
According to information presented to the Court, in July 2017, Newport Police Department detectives arrested Jones when, during a pre-arranged meeting to sell an individual a firearm, Jones, a convicted felon, was found to be in possession of a loaded semi-automatic handgun.
On July 18, 2017, Jones was charged by way of a federal indictment with felon in possession of a firearm, and he subsequently pled guilty to that charge. In November 2018, Jones was ordered detained at the Wyatt Detention Facility for violating conditions of his release.
While Jones was detained at the Wyatt Detention Center, the U.S. Marshals Service notified the FBI that Jones was believed to be conspiring to smuggle drugs into the facility. An outgoing letter sent by Jones to his girlfriend, Joselin Tavarez, 45, of Providence, and obtained by the FBI, included instructions on how to put what was believed to be strips of suboxone on incoming mail. Jones directed her to make the mail appear to be legal mail coming from his attorney, then an Assistant Federal Defender. Additionally, during several prison telephone conversations, Jones also instructed his girlfriend to send contraband into the facility.
At the request of the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Rhode Island Department of Health analyzed several items of incoming mail addressed to Jones, three of which were confirmed to contain MMB-FUBINACA, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Additionally, in February 2019, during a search of Jones’ cell and mattress, guards discovered an 8-inch shank tucked inside a slit in the mattress.
Joselin Tavarez, signed a plea agreement, and has been charged by way of an information with providing and attempting to provide a prohibited object, a Scheduled I controlled substance, to an inmate of a prison. Her change of plea has yet to be scheduled.
An information is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Jones’ sentence and the charge against Joselin Tavarez are announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Newport Police Chief Gary T. Silva, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Kelly D. Brady, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter involving Jones’ possession of firearm was investigated by the Newport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The matters involving Jones and Tavarez’s alleged criminal activity of providing a Schedule I controlled substance to Jones while incarcerated at the Wyatt Detention Center and Jones’ possession of an 8-inch shank while incarcerated at the Wyatt Detention Center were investigated by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and officials from the Wyatt Detention Center.
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Warwick Man Sentenced to 260 Years in Federal Prison for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Warwick man who admitted to producing child pornography involving prepubescent children on multiple occasions over more than ten years was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 260 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and North Kingstown Police Chief Patrick Flanagan.
Thomas Goodman, 45, was arrested by detectives from the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force on May 17, 2018, after Electric Boat Security confiscated Goodman’s cell phone when he violated company policy by using the cell phone on Electric Boat property. While conducting a search of the phone, Electric Boat Security discovered a vast quantity of child pornography. The phone was turned over to a North Kingstown Police Department Detective who confirmed that the phone contained child pornography.
According to information presented to the Court, a subsequent investigation by members of the ICAC Task Force, including a court-authorized search of Goodman’s residence, a forensic examination of his electronic devices, and interviews with the defendant, determined that Goodman possessed approximately 7,800 images and 370 videos of child pornography. ICAC Detectives determined that at least 62 of the videos and 135 of the images of child pornography involved prepubescent minors, and that they were created by Goodman between September 2007 and February 2018.
In interviews with law enforcement, Goodman also admitted to having had sexual contact with at least three prepubescent females.
Goodman, who has been detained since his arrest on May 17, 2018, pled guilty on October 11, 2018, to eight counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Goodman to 260 years in federal prison. Goodman was also ordered to pay a mandatory assessment of $5,000 on each of the nine counts he pled guilty to as provided for in the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
Former Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Campaign Finance ViolationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and willfully violating the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) by operating fraudulent and unregistered political action committees.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Harold Russell Taub, 30, of Cranston, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of willfully violating FECA before U.S. District Judge William E. Smith for the District of Rhode Island. Sentencing is set for July 12, 2019.
According to the Information, in late 2016, Taub began soliciting donations to an organization he called Keeping America in Republican Control (KAIRC), which he represented to be a legitimate political committee, organized in accordance with federal law to support Republican candidates at the state and federal level. In March 2018, Taub began soliciting donations to another purported political action committee, Keeping Ohio in Republican Control (KOIRC), with the stated purpose of supporting Republican candidates in Ohio. Taub collected a total of approximately $1,630,439 in contributions to KAIRC and KOIRC, but never registered either entity with the FEC or made required reports to the FEC, as required by FECA.
Taub admitted as part of the plea that he held KAIRC and KOIRC out as legitimate, federally-registered political actions committees on his website, in social media posts, and in email solicitations that reached hundreds of donors. Taub represented that all of KAIRC and KOIRC’s staff were volunteers and that “100 percent” of donations were used to support candidates. However, of the more than $1.6 million in contributions to KAIRC and KOIRC, Taub used more than $1 million for purely personal expenses. In furtherance of his fraudulent scheme, Taub also repeatedly used the name of a former Ambassador and high-level military officer without the knowledge or permission of the person, even after being instructed not to do so.
The FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Peter M. Nothstein of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.
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Two Kilos of Fentanyl Seized, Providence Man DetainedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man has been ordered detained in federal custody after a DEA Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation resulted in the seizure of more than two kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 400 grams of heroin.
Josimar Delacruz-Reyes, 31, was arrested Monday evening in Providence shortly after he allegedly delivered two kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 400 grams of heroin. The delivery was electronically monitored by members of the DEA Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Delacruz-Reyes is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 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.
According to information presented to the Court during Delacruz-Reyes’ initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on Tuesday, it is alleged that during mid and late February, DEA Task Force officers electronically monitored Delacruz-Reyes multiple times as he allegedly made deliveries totaling more than 100 grams of fentanyl.
On Monday, DEA Task Force members electronically monitored Delacruz-Reyes as he allegedly delivered two kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 400 grams of heroin for an agreed upon price of $115,000. Delacruz-Reyes was arrested shortly after the alleged delivery, when he traveled to a nearby coffee shop where he was allegedly expecting to receive a cash payment for the drugs.
Shortly after the arrest of Delacruz-Reyes, a court-authorized search of his Providence residence resulted in the seizure of approximately a kilogram and a half of a white powdery substance which is undergoing testing at a Drug Enforcement Administration lab to determine its composition, approximately $2,000 in cash, and assorted items used in the preparation, packaging and distribution of fentanyl and heroin.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the Boston-based DEA Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, with substantial assistance from law enforcement agents and officers assigned to the Rhode Island Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force and the Providence Police Department Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau.
The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and East Providence, Central Falls, Coventry, Cranston, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick and Woonsocket Police Departments.
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Little League Coach Admits to Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit SexRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Connecticut little league vice president and coach arrested by members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force on January 25, 2019, and charged in Rhode Island state court with indecent solicitation of a child and with disseminating and possessing child pornography, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and transporting child pornography.
Appearing in U.S. District Court in Providence, Christopher L. Merchant, 33, of Canterbury, Conn., admitted that on numerous occasions he communicated via social media with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old boy. The communications rapidly turned sexually graphic. Merchant admitted that during the exchanges he arranged to meet with the boy at a Warwick hotel to engage in illicit sexual activity. Merchant also admitted to sending obscene photographs to the person with whom he was communicating.
Merchant was in fact communicating with a member of law enforcement assigned to the ICAC Task Force. Upon his arrival at the hotel on January 25, 2019, Merchant was arrested by members of the ICAC Task Force. A review of his cell phone revealed images of child pornography stored in the phone.
Merchant was held on state charges at the ACI until posting bail on January 28. He was re-arrested on a federal arrest warrant two days after his release from the ACI. He was arraigned in federal court and released on $10,000 unsecured bond.
Today’s guilty plea in federal court to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and transporting child pornography is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
Merchant is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on June 28, 2019.
Travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 30 years in federal prison, a term of supervised release of 5 years to life, and a mandatory $5,000 special assessment imposed as required by the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act in child sexual exploitation cases where the Court makes a finding that the defendant is not indigent.
Transporting child pornography is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, with a mandatory 5 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release of 5 years to life, and a mandatory $5,000 special assessment imposed as required by the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act in child sexual exploitation cases where the Court makes a finding that the defendant is not indigent.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
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Drug Trafficking Conspirator SentencedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The second of two men who, at times, worked together to ship dozens of kilograms of cocaine through the U.S. Postal Service from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison.
Alison Skerrett, 32, of, Worcester, Mass., previously admitted to the Court that in January 2016, he entered into an agreement with William Gonzalez, 50, of Providence, to work together to purchase large quantities of cocaine from a distributor in Puerto Rico, then send the drugs through the U.S. Mail to various address in Rhode Island and elsewhere. Once the packages arrived, Skerrett would gather them up and distribute the cocaine to others.
According to information presented to the Court, from May 2016 until his arrest in June 2017, Skerrett made at least 14 trips to Puerto Rico. During each trip Skerrett either assisted Gonzalez in purchasing and shipping cocaine back to Rhode Island through the U.S. Mail or he did so on his own.
According to information presented to the Court, on August 28, 2016, Skerrett and Gonzalez traveled together to Puerto Rico, purchased a kilogram of cocaine, divided it up into packages of 300 gram quantities, and mailed the packages to Rhode Island. Gonzalez was arrested two days later by Rhode Island State Police. Skerrett however continued to participate in the conspiracy with the Puerto Rican cocaine distributor by continuing to purchasing large quantities of cocaine and shipping the cocaine back to Rhode Island.
During the course of the conspiracy, Skerrett possessed and delivered 14 kilograms of cocaine. Gonzalez admitted being responsible for at least 203 packages containing a minimum of 300 grams each that were shipped from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island. Gonzalez was responsible for the shipment of nearly 61 kilograms of cocaine into Rhode Island.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Alison Skerrett to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by 4 years supervised release. Skerrett pled guilty on March 16, 2018, to conspiracy to possess more than one kilogram of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of cocaine.
William Gonzalez was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on January 11, 2108, to 72 months in federal prison to be followed by 4 years supervised release. He pled guilty on October 3, 2017, to one count each of conspiracy to possess one or more kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of one or more kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute.
Gonzalez’s federal prison sentence was ordered served consecutive to a sentence of 25 years - 12 years to serve imposed in Rhode Island state court on August 31, 2016, in an unrelated case. In that case, Gonzalez pleaded nolo contendre to possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver.
The sentences are announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Colonel James M. Manni, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
Skerrett and Gonzalez’s cases in federal court were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - Michael Llorca, 48, of Providence, a registered sex offender previously convicted of rape of a child in Massachusetts in 1997, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
According to information presented to the Court, on October 31 and November 1, 2017, members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, using proprietary law enforcement software, observed that a device connected to an IP address associated with Llorca was sharing files of suspected child pornography via a Peer-to-Peer Network. A direct connection was made by law enforcement to a device connected to the IP address and numerous files of suspected child pornography were downloaded.
Separately, in November 2017, the ICAC Task Force received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual in Rhode Island had sent sexually explicit text messages and illicit images to a minor female via a social media application with which users can communicate and share images via text messages. The ICAC Task Force determined that the IP address used to send the text messages and images belonged to Michael Llorca.
On January 18, 2018, members of the ICAC Task Force executed a federal court-authorized search of Llorca’s Providence residence and seized a laptop computer, among several other electronic storage devices. A forensic audit of the computer revealed at least 18 videos files containing child pornography.
Llorca, who has been detained in federal custody since his arrest, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on June 17, 2019.
Possession of child pornography in this matter is punishable by statutory penalties of 20 years imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years imprisonment; a fine of $250,000; a term of supervised release of life; and a $5,000 special assessment imposed as required by the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act in child sexual exploitation cases where the Court makes a finding that the defendant is not indigent.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
Equine Insurance Agent Sentenced in $1.3 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Middletown insurance agent/owner specializing in providing equine insurance coverage who admitted to operating various schemes which defrauded customers, insurance companies, and finance companies of approximately $1.3 million dollars was sentenced yesterday to 36 months in federal prison.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Randall N. Levesque, 57, of Middletown, owner of Equine Insurance Services, LLC and Randall Levesque Agency, to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration and to pay restitution to the victims of his schemes totaling $1,382,815.08.
Levesque pled guilty on December 12, 2018, to wire fraud.
Levesque’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Stephen Marks, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni.
At the time of his guilty plea, Levesque admitted to the Court that he overbilled and double-billed customers when billing their credit cards for premiums due on policies, some of which the client did not request or did not agree to finance, at times forging the customers’ signature; collected premiums on insurance policies issued by at least two insurance companies but, upon receipt from customers, did not forward the payments to the insurance companies; and, at times, financed premiums and received funds on behalf of customers without the customers’ consent or knowledge, and submitted financing agreements to finance companies for fictitious customers, for whom there were no policies.
According to Court documents, Levesque collected but did not remit to insurance companies over $800,000 in premiums; fraudulently obtained over $500,000 in financed premiums from at least two finance companies; and charged customers’ credit cards a total of approximately $80,000 for premiums that he failed to provide to insurance companies.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert. The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and Rhode Island State Police.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Woonsocket man who on at least four occasions in March and April 2017 arranged for the sale and delivery of crack cocaine, and who was found to be in possession of heroin and two loaded firearms during a search of his residence, was sentenced today to eight years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates.
Joshua Withee, 41, was arrested by Woonsocket Police on April 19, 2017, after a court-authorized search of his residence resulted in the seizure 13.8 grams of fentanyl laced heroin, 95 grams of crack cocaine, two loaded firearms, and assorted items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs.
In the weeks leading up to the search of Withee’s residence and his arrest, a person assisting law enforcement in the investigation into Withee’s drug trafficking activities made four controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Withee.
On December 4, 2018, Withee pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to a four-count information charging him with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, possession with intent to distribute heroin, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Today, United States District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., imposed a sentence of 96 months in federal prison to be followed by three years supervised release.
According to court records, Withee was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court and imprisoned on felony assault, drug, arson, and firearm charges.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates acknowledge and thank the FBI for their assistance in preparing this case for prosecution in federal court.
Fall River Man Sentenced for Tiverton Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
ROVIDENCE - A Fall River, Mass., man who admitted to robbing a Tiverton, R.I., bank in October 2017 was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 48 months in federal prison.
Justin M. Davis, 36, previously admitted to the Court that on October 11, 2017, he passed a note to a teller at a branch office of Bank Newport which read “All $100 50, Empty Draw, No Dye packs, No Alarms.”
After the teller handed Davis $4,920 in cash, he ran from the bank toward a nearby cemetery and was seen on surveillance video leaving the area in a vehicle. A short time later, Tiverton police recovered a piece of clothing from the cemetery Davis wore during the robbery. Shortly thereafter, Fall River Police stopped the vehicle Davis was operating. From inside the vehicle police recovered other items of clothing Davis wore during the bank robbery and $3,470 in cash in the same denominations as those stolen during the robbery.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Davis to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. He pled guilty on September 21, 2018, to a charge of bank robbery.
Davis’ sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Tiverton Police Chief Patrick Jones, and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.
The matter was investigated by the Tiverton Police Department and the FBI.
Former Police Officer Sentenced for Transferring Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A former police officer who admitted to engaging in sexually explicit discussions via social media and text message with a 15-year-old girl and transferring obscene material to her while employed by the Narragansett Police Department was sentenced today to 21 motnths in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta, and Colonel James M. Manni, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
Mathew C. Riley, 52, of Narragansett, previously admitted to the Court that beginning in late 2015 or early 2016, he engaged in a series of sexually explicit and graphic communications with the 15-year-old 9th grade student using various social media platforms and text messaging. Riley admitted that he identified himself to the 15-year-old as being 29-year-old “Chris M.” who lived in Boston, and that he was in the Navy and that he worked as a physical therapist.
Riley admitted that the minor female repeatedly informed him that she was 15-years-old. During a series of communications on May 9, 2016, Riley discussed with the girl the fact that she was a 9th grade student who would not turn sixteen until October. They also discussed what time her high school day ended. Riley admitted that his messaging with the 15-year-old included graphic, sexually explicit pictures of himself and videos of himself committing a sex act.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Riley to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration and ordered that he register as a sex offender. An amount of restitution to be paid by the defendant to the victim and her family is to be determined.
Riley pleaded guilty on November 8, 2018, to a charge of transfer of obscene material to a minor.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton. The matter was investigated by the FBI and Rhode Island State Police.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman acknowledges and thanks the Nebraska State Patrol for their assistance investigating and preparing this matter for prosecution.
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Mass. Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Malden, Mass., man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence today to 84 months in federal prison for transporting, distributing and possessing child pornography.
Fetahe Makonnen, 35, was arrested in October 2017, shortly after he provided an undercover Rhode Island State Police Detective with two computer thumb drives containing approximately 1,300 images and videos depicting child pornography involving prepubescent children.
Makonnen travelled to Rhode Island on October 28, 2017, with the intention of sharing images and videos of child pornography, and with the hope of securing additional images and videos of child pornography. He traveled to Rhode Island after communicating via the Internet and by telephone in July and September 2017 with an individual he believed interested in viewing and sharing child pornography. The individual was in fact a detective assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Makonnen pleaded guilty on April 30, 2018, to transportation of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. smith also ordered Makonnen to serve 10 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. Restitution will be determined at a later date to known victims whose images appear in some of the photographs and images of child pornography seized from Makonnen.
Makonnen’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Colonel James M. Manni, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
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American with Disabilities Act Investigations Ensure Accessibility at Three Medical ProvidersRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - The United States Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island this week concluded an investigation into violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at seven Landmark Medical Center offices in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman.
As a result of the Government’s investigation, the healthcare provider promptly and cooperatively remedied ADA violations requiring accessible parking and medical equipment for individuals in wheelchairs. The deficiencies were discovered during an investigation prompted by a citizen complaint to the United States Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division.
As a result of the investigation and the prompt and cooperative response by Landmark Medical Center, Landmark now has designated accessible parking spaces and accessible medical equipment, including an accessible scale and adjustable-height exam tables and transfer boards at all of its medical offices in Woonsocket, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is accordingly closing its inquiry into the matter.
Over the past year, similar investigations by the United States Attorney’s Office into accessibility deficiencies at two other Rhode Island medical offices also resulted in voluntary corrective measures by those practices to ensure compliance with the ADA. As a result of these inquiries, RISkinDoc in Cranston voluntarily modified its entrance and purchased equipment to make its exam rooms accessible, while Coastal Medical, Inc., with the assistance of its landlord, Belvoir Properties, LLC, similarly undertook voluntarily corrective measures at its Providence facility, including ensuring adequate parking access for disabled patients, and accessible examination rooms and equipment inside the facility.
The investigation and resolution of each of these matters were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy R. Romero and United States Attorney’s Office investigator David Neill.
The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA, including Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Mobility Disabilities. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit ADA.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
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Four Nigerian Nationals Sentenced in Bank Fraud, Fraudulent Passport SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Four Nigerian nationals who admitted to participating in a large-scale bank fraud and counterfeit passport scheme in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with an intended loss of more than $1.2 million dollars, have been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
The four men admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud banks in Rhode Island and Massachusetts by acquiring and altering lawfully passed checks between commercial entities. The checks were altered and deposited into bank accounts opened using aliases as forms of identification created for counterfeit passports from Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa. Funds were quickly removed from the accounts prior to the fraud being detected by the financial institutions.
According to information presented to the Court, participants in the scheme deposited fraudulent checks and wires totaling approximately $1,267,000 and successfully obtained approximately $487,000 through withdrawals and debit purchases.
On Friday, Babajide O. Awogbami, 35, who has been detained in federal custody since April 10, 2017, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith to 13 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $488,745.47 restitution to banks he defrauded. He pleaded guilty on November 11, 2018, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and false use of passports.
On July 27, 2018, Olugboyega A. Fasanya, 37, of Woonsocket, and Anthony C. Ezike, 37, of Pawtucket, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith to 13 months in federal prison. Fasanya, who pleaded guilty on April 30, 2018, to conspiracy to commit bank, was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $379,362 to banks he defrauded. Ezike, who pleaded guilty on March 8, 2018, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $228,730 to banks he defrauded.
On February 16, 2018, Opeyemi A. Orekan, 28, of North Providence, who had been detained in federal custody since April 10, 2017, was sentenced to time served and ordered to pay $101,286.63 in restitution to banks he defrauded during his participation in the conspiracy. He pleaded guilty on September 22, 2017, to bank fraud and fraudulent use of passports.
According to court records, Olugboyega A. Fasanya and Opeyemi A. Orekan have been deported.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers have been issued against Babajide O. Awogbami and Anthony C. Ezike. Both men will face deportation proceedings upon completion of their terms of incarceration.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Woonsocket, Pawtucket, and Warwick Police Departments.
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Participant in Fraudulent Opioid Prescription Conspiracy SentencedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man who admitted to participating in a conspiracy to create and fill fraudulent prescriptions for opioid pills by using stolen medical practitioner identification numbers, unlawfully paying for many of the prescriptions with the use of medical insurance, and soliciting others to participate in the conspiracy, was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Michael Slonski, 48, to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration.
Slonski pled guilty on April 2, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute Oxycodone.
Slonski’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Jeffrey Ebersole, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
At the time of his guilty plea, Slonski admitted to being part of a conspiracy that created fraudulent prescriptions utilizing the identities, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identification numbers, and signatures of medical practitioners without their consent. Prescriptions for varying amounts of Oxycodone pills were written and presented to pharmacies by some members of the conspiracy and others working at the direction of the conspirators.
The scheme often times included the fraudulent use of medical insurance to pay pharmacies for the illicit prescriptions. Most of the Oxycodone pills gained with the use of fraudulent prescriptions were sold to others for distribution.
Slonski admitted that his role in the conspiracy included producing fraudulent Oxycodone prescriptions, passing or causing others to fill the prescriptions at pharmacies, and benefiting personally by selling fraudulently obtained pills.
Robert Rose, 52, of Providence, the acknowledged leader of the conspiracy, was sentenced on October 15, 2018, to 72 months in federal prison. Rose admitted to the Court that as the leader of the conspiracy, he paid for individuals’ identities, health care insurance information, and prescribing medical practitioners’ names and DEA numbers. Rose provided that information to others who participated in the conspiracy, and provided special paper necessary to produce the fraudulent prescriptions.
Rose also admitted that he ran the conspiracy for several months while incarcerated at the Adult Correctional Institution on an unrelated matter.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
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Fall River Man Admits to Drug Trafficking Through the US MailRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Fall River man pleaded guilty today to federal charges related to his participation in a conspiracy to traffic multiple kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island through the U.S. Postal Service.
David J. Knight, 48, admitted to the Court that for approximately eight months beginning in August 2016, he made multiple trips to Puerto Rico for the purpose of purchasing large quantities of cocaine that were then packaged and shipped through the U.S. Postal Service to various addresses in Rhode Island.
An investigation by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents determined that Knight made at least nine trips to Puerto Rico to acquire approximately 250 grams of cocaine per trip. Through his participation in the conspiracy, Knight acquired at least two thousand two hundred fifty grams, or more than two kilograms of cocaine.
Appearing before U.S. District Court John J. McConnell, Jr., Knight pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess more than one kilogram of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of more than one kilogram of cocaine with the intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston.
Knight is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2019.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
Knight is the ninth person charged in a series of ongoing investigations by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents to identify and interrupt the delivery of packages of narcotics shipped through the U.S. Postal Service to addresses in Rhode Island, to identify individuals responsible for making the shipments, and to identify the intended recipients of the packages. Through these investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection agents have intercepted more than 100 packages containing 250 grams or more of cocaine, shipped from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island.
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Hell's Angel "Full Patch" Member Detained on Meth Trafficking & Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A “full patch” member of the Rhode Island chapter of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club has been ordered detained in federal custody on a criminal complaint charging him with trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine and on firearms charges.
Douglas Leedham, 54, of North Providence, R.I., was detained Thursday by members of the FBI Rhode Island Safe Street Task Force during the execution of a court-authorized search of his residence. The search was conducted as part of a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation into Leedham’s alleged drug trafficking activities.
Mr. Leedham was charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and three counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
Leedham was ordered detained in federal custody following his initial appearance today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
The arrest and detention of Douglas Leedham are announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
According to court documents, during the course of the court-authorized search of Leedham’s residence, members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force seized a total of 44 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 19 grams of cocaine, two handguns and a 12 gauge shotgun, two body armor vests, 35 knives, four hatchets, five expandable and four flashlight batons, a set of brass knuckles, $6,422 in cash, and assorted items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs.
Found throughout the residence were clothing, memorabilia, and documents, which allegedly established Leedham’s membership in the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.
According to court records, Leedham was convicted in Rhode Island Superior Court in September 2013 of carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced to a term of five years in prison - suspended with five years’ probation.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Providence Man Admits to Trafficking Guns and DrugsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Providence man today admitted in federal court to participating in a conspiracy to sell fentanyl and firearms to a person assisting the FBI Rhode Island Safe Street Task Force in a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Agustin Navedo, 30, admitted to the Court that on five occasions between April 3 and May 11, 2018, he sold an individual approximately 10 grams of fentanyl for between $650 and $750 dollars.
Additionally, Navedo admitted that on May 11, 2018, he sold the individual a .40 caliber pistol and a .380 caliber pistol for $1,350.
Navedo today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, five counts of possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, conspiracy to engage in unlicensed dealing in firearms, and unlicensed dealing in firearms.
Navedo’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
Navedo, who is detained in federal custody, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on April 26, 2019.
Two co-defendants arrested and charged in this matter, Yerry Abreu-Jimenez, 26, and Emmanuel Miamen, 24, of Providence, are awaiting trial in federal court.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terrence P. Donnelly and Helen H. Lee.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The FBI Safe Street Task Force is comprised of members of law enforcement from the Central Falls Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Providence Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, and Adult Correctional Institutions.
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International Drug Courier SentencedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Massachusetts man identified by law enforcement as the primary contact between a major international heroin and fentanyl source of supply in the Dominican Republic and a three-state New England drug trafficking operation based primarily in Rhode Island was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr.
Vladimir Arias, 33, of Peabody, Mass., is identified in court documents as a trusted courier of an individual in the Dominican Republic known as The Maestro, a significant heroin and fentanyl supplier. Arias was responsible for moving significant quantities of heroin and fentanyl into New England, and collecting tens of thousands of dollars at a time from a drug trafficking operation which operated primarily from stash houses in Cranston and Woonsocket, R.I.
According to court documents, the drug trafficking operation was organized and directed by three brothers, Juan, Claudio and Hector Valdez. The Valdez drug trafficking operation supplied heroin and fentanyl to mid-level drug dealers and street dealers in the greater Providence and Boston areas and in Hartford, Conn.
Arias, who was among many individuals whose drug trafficking activities in connection with the Valdez Brothers drug trafficking operation were being monitored, was arrested during a traffic stop on Interstate Route 95 in Rhode Island on April 10, 2017. Agents had just watched him accept a return of heroin from Juan Valdez. Nearly a kilogram of heroin in 10-gram packages for redistribution was found hidden in a crudely constructed hide in the motor vehicle. That heroin was the remainder of a full kilogram that Arias had delivered to Juan Valdez four days earlier. The Maestro agreed to accept return of the heroin because Valdez was not satisfied with the quality of the drug.
Lab testing confirmed that Arias had 858.81 grams of heroin in his possession at the time of his arrest. A court-authorized search of his Massachusetts residence resulted in the seizure of $33,959 that was found hidden in a couch. The $33,959.00 converts to the value of 606.41 grams of heroin.
Arias's sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
During the course of the investigation, dubbed by law enforcement as Operation Triple Play, which the FBI Safe Streets Task Force launched in September 2016, the investigation into the Valdez Drug Trafficking Operation resulted in the purchases or seizures of laboratory tested and confirmed controlled substances totaling approximately 142g of crack cocaine, 1,654g of cocaine, 3,836g of heroin (of which 2,183.3g contained fentanyl), 3,493g of fentanyl, and more than 137 lbs. (62 kilograms) of cutting agents.
Operation Triple Play is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation initiated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Under the direction of the FBI, the participating agencies in this investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration (Providence and Boston Resident Agencies), Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, Central Falls Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Warwick Police Department, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
Claudio Valdez was sentenced on November 28, 2018, to 20 years in federal prison. Juan Valdez was sentenced on December 14, 2018, to 20 years in federal prison. Hector Valdez was sentenced January 18, 2019, to 108 months in federal prison.
The Valdez brothers, all Dominican nationals, reentered the country illegally after having been previously convicted of felony drug crimes and deported. Juan Valdez reentered the country illegally on at least four occasions. Immigration detainers have been lodged against all three.
Arias admitted to law enforcement that he had entered the country through Mexico illegally. An immigration detainer has been lodged against him.
Operation Triple Play cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Ferland, Ronald A. Gendron, and Richard W. Rose.
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