District of Rhode Island
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Second Florida Man Admits to Trafficking Kilos of Cocaine into Rhode Island from Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The second of two Florida men charged with trafficking more than 5 kilograms of cocaine through the U.S. Postal Service into Rhode Island from Puerto Rico pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Gabriel Conception, 28, of Kissimmee, FL, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Joseph W. Cronin, and Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
Conception admitted to the Court that he conspired with Rinaxo Rufino, 34, of Miramar, FL, 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 and members of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task.
Rufino was arrested 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 residence.
Additionally, as part of 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.
Rinaxo Rufino is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on December 12, 2018. Gabriel Concepcion is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2019.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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N.Y. Resident Admits to Running Large-Scale Indoor Marijuana OperationsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A New York man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to charges that he participated in conspiracies to operate large-scale, sophisticated marijuana grow facilities inside a converted Providence mill building.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Irwan Anwar, 54, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture 100 or more marijuana plants, manufacturing more than 100 marijuana plants, and using or maintaining a drug premises.
Anwar’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Division of the FBI Harold H. Shaw.
According to information presented to the Court, in August 2015, FBI agents, assisted by agents and officers from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police and Providence Police Department, executed a series of federal court-authorized search warrants at 725 Branch Avenue in Providence, a former mill building which had been sub-divided into numerous units. Two of the units were found to contain multiple rooms housing sophisticated, large-scale hydroponic marijuana grows.
One unit contained 550 marijuana plants in various stages of growth. The second unit contained 252 plants in various stages of growth. Both units contained vast amounts of sophisticated equipment and supplies used to grow and harvest marijuana.
Anwar, and another person, Ilhawan Cha, 35, of Providence, admitted to having been employed for more than a year by Richard A. Yang, 38, of Providence, to maintain the facilities, and to grow and harvest the marijuana.
Yang pleaded guilty on April 7, 2017, to conspiracy to manufacture over 100 marijuana plants and manufacture of over 100 marijuana plants. He was sentenced on April 20, 2017, to 24 months in federal prison to be followed by 4 years supervised release.
Cha pleaded guilty on May 12, 2016, to conspiracy to manufacture 100 or more marijuana plants, manufacturing more than 100 marijuana plants, and using or maintaining a drug premises. Cha, who had been detained in federal custody since his arrest on February 23, 2016, was sentenced on April 11, 2017, to time served to be followed by 3 years supervised release.
Anwar is scheduled to be sentenced on January 19, 2019.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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Massachusetts Sex Offender Sentenced for Travelling to Rhode Island to Engage in Illicit Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A 57-year-old man from Fairhaven, MA, was sentenced today to 97 months in federal prison for traveling in interstate commerce to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
Robert F. Eccleston, a registered sex offender, admitted to the Court that on July 12, 2016, he traveled from Massachusetts to East Providence, RI, expecting to meet with and engage in illicit sexual activity with a 15-year-old boy he had been communicating with on the Internet.
Eccleston pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence on September 21, 2017, to travelling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also sentenced Eccleston to serve lifetime supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 78-97 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 97 months in prison.
Eccleston’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
At the time of his guilty plea, Eccleston admitted to the Court that on July 7, 2016, he responded to an online Personals/Encounters posting and photograph of a male who initially represented that he was 18-years-old and single. The online posting was actually posted earlier that day by a Rhode Island State Police Detective assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force.
Over the next several days, an HSI agent posing as the person who placed the online posting and Eccleston engaged in a series of Internet and email communications. The communications quickly became sexual in nature. The agent, posing as the person who placed the online posting, repeatedly told Eccleston that he was only 15-years-old, adding that he lived with his mother. As the communications continued, and believing that he was actually communicating with a 15-year-old, Eccleston asked for photographs of the boy, including an explicit nude photograph.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, at Eccleston’s urging, the two agreed to meet in East Providence on July 12, 2016, to engage in sexual activity. ICAC task force members and HSI agents arrested Eccleston near the location where he believed that he would meeting with the 15-year-old boy.
Eccleston has been detained in federal custody since his arrest on July 12, 2016.
According to court records, Eccleston was ordered to register as a sex offender in Massachusetts in 2006, following his conviction on charges that he raped a person under 18.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the Rhode Island State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Warwick, Cranston, East Providence, Newport, Pawtucket, North Kingstown, Bristol, and Woonsocket Police Departments.
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Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to U.S. Passport FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Colombian national living in Central Falls, RI, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to false statements in a passport application.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Carlos Tabares, 55, admitted to the Court that he knowingly and willingly made false statements on a U.S. passport application in February 2009.
Tabares admitted to the Court that he fraudulently used the name of Freddie Adams Pena and his place of birth as being Yauco, Puerto Rico.
After the issuance of a passport, a subsequent investigation by the U.S. Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service determined Tabares’ true identity and place of birth, Antioquia, Columbia.
Prior to his arrest on August 16, 2018, Tabares used the passport to travel to and from Columbia.
Tabares, who is detained in federal custody, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2019.
False statement in a passport application is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison followed by up to 3 years supervised release.
Tabares’ guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
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Providence Man Charged with Witness Intimidation in Project Safe Neighborhoods CasesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man arrested a week ago on federal indictments charging him with unlawfully selling four firearms, including two AR-47 assault rifles, was re-arrested yesterday and ordered detained in federal custody on a criminal complaint charging him with witness intimidation.
According to the criminal complaint, it is alleged that soon after his arraignment in U.S. District Court last Thursday, Emmanuel Miamen, 24, posted several threatening messages on social media directed at his indictment and a person who assisted the FBI in the Project Safe Neighborhoods Investigation.
On Tuesday, United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, FBI Boston Division Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw and ATF Boston Division Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kenneth K. Kwak announced the indictment of twenty-six individuals over the past 18 months in a series of Project Safe Neighborhoods investigations into firearm and drug trafficking in and around Providence.
It is alleged in two indictments returned against Miamen that in May and June 2018, he conspired with others to unlawfully sell two AR-47 assault rifles and two handguns. Additionally, it is alleged in the indictment, Miamen offered that he had a grenade launcher for sale for $8,000.
A criminal complaint and indictment are merely allegations and are 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 cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard W. Rose and Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter was investigated by the FBI.
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Providence Man Sentenced for Valentine’s Day 2017 Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man who admitted to robbing a Providence bank as it was closing for the business day on Valentine’s Day in February 2017 was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison.
Efrain Delacruz, 35, previously admitted to the Court that on February 14, 2017, he entered a Santander Bank branch office on Elmgrove Avenue, approached a teller, and gave her a note that said, “give me all the money. No dye packs, no fifties and no hundreds.”
When Delacruz fled the bank he dropped nearly half of the money in the vestibule. Delacruz came back to the bank looking for the dropped money. Delacruz attempted to reenter the bank but was unsuccessful, because the doors were locked. He then fled in his vehicle, leading police on a chase that exceeded 6 miles, often at high speed. Delacruz struck as many as seven vehicles prior to getting cornered by Providence Police and stopping.
$3,569 of stolen funds was found in the center console of the car. The balance of the money handed to the defendant by the teller and dropped inside the bank was recovered.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith on June 19, 2018, Delacruz pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Delacruz to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 46-57 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 57 months in prison.
Delacruz’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements, Jr, and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
The case, investigated by the Providence Police Department and the FBI, was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
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Providence Man Sentenced for Selling Silencer Equipped Machine GunRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man arrested in April 2017 during a year-long Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation to identify individuals possessing or trafficking firearms in and around the Chad Brown neighborhood of Providence was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for possessing and selling an unregistered machine gun equipped with a silencer and for selling 240 grams of fentanyl laced heroin to an undercover federal law enforcement agent.
Edward Trinidad, 30, pleaded guilty in February as charged in an indictment returned on April 6, 2017, to one count each of possession of an unregistered machine gun, possession of an unregistered silencer, and transfer of a machine gun; two counts of distribution of heroin and fentanyl; and one count of distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Trinidad to serve 4 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 60-63 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 60 months in prison.
Trinidad’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF; and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on February 14, 2017, Trinidad admitted to the Court that on June 3, 2016, he sold an undercover ATF agent an unregistered machine gun equipped with a silencer. Trinidad also admitted that on June 24, 2016, he sold the undercover agent 29.61 grams of fentanyl laced heroin; on November 9, 2016, he sold the agent 109.42 grams of fentanyl laced heroin; and that on March 31, 2017, he sold the agent 101.15 grams of a material containing fentanyl.
In spring 2016, the ATF, the Rhode Island ATF Task Force and the Providence Police Department launched a joint Safe Streets Neighborhoods investigation to analyze shell casings retrieved from crime scenes in and around the Chad Brown neighborhood and elsewhere, utilizing ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBN). The investigation was expanded to attempt to determine who possessed various firearms used to commit crimes and the origin of those firearms.
NIBN identifies marks left on shell casings unique to a particular firearm. NIBN then assists in linking crime scenes to a firearm.
The investigation, publicly disclosed in April 2017, resulted in the seizure of the machine gun equipped with a silencer, a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber revolver; a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, various types and quantities of ammunition, substantial quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine, and approximately $21,000 in suspected drug proceeds.
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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The ATF Task Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Rhode Island State Police, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Special Investigations Unit.
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Justice Department Awards Nearly $320 Million to Combat Opioid CrisisRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On the first day of National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded almost $320 million to combat the opioid crisis in America. The unprecedented funding will directly help those most impacted by the deadliest drug crisis in American history, including crime victims, children, families, and first responders.
Rhode Island has been awarded a total of $3,734,564 by the Department of Justice to combat the opioid crisis.
- Rhode Island State Police has been awarded $800,000 to support the development of partnerships between first responders and treatment providers who will respond to overdose calls as a team.
- Rhode Island State Police has been awarded $1,000,000 to assist local and state agencies leverage information from a variety of public health and public safety data sources to analyze substance abuse issues and identify potential solutions from public health, treatment, and public safety perspectives.
- Family Service of Rhode Island and Comprehensive Community Action Program have each been awarded $750,000 to expand programs to provide services to children and youth who are victimized as a result of the opioid crisis.
- The Rhode Island Superior Court’s Adult Drug Court diversion program for nonviolent first-time drug offenders has been awarded $434,564.
"President Trump has made ending the opioid crisis a priority for this administration, and under his leadership, the Department of Justice has taken historic action," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "Today we are announcing our next steps: investing $320 million into all three parts of the President’s comprehensive plan to end the epidemic: prevention, treatment, and enforcement. We are attacking this crisis from every angle—and we will not let up until we bring it to an end."
In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, an increase from the 64,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to opioids, including illicit fentanyl and its analogues. October marks two important anti-drug events: Red Ribbon Week and National Prescription Drug Takeback Day. Red Ribbon Week takes place every year between October 23-31 and encourages students, parents, schools, and communities to promote drug-free lifestyles. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 27 aims to provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent overdose deaths and drug addictions before they start. DOJ expanded on DEA's Drug Takeback Days and collected more than 2.7 million pounds of expired or unused prescription drugs since April 2017.
The Attorney General has been resolute in the fight against the drug crisis in America. The Department assigned more than 300 federal prosecutors to U.S. Attorneys’ offices and hired more than 400 DEA task force officers, announced the formation of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a new program to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas, and created a new data analytics program called the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit to assist 12 prosecutors sent to drug “hot spot districts.” In addition, the Department charged more than 3,000 defendants with trafficking in heroin, fentanyl, or prescription drugs in FY 2017, announced the first-ever indictments of Chinese nationals for fentanyl trafficking, and scheduled variants of fentanyl to prevent illicit drug labs from circumventing the law. In addition, DOJ executed the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action charging more than 600 defendants and proposed rules consistent with President Trump's "Safe Prescribing Plan," requiring a reduction of ten percent in 2019 in manufacturing quotas. The Department dismantled AlphaBay, the largest criminal marketplace on the Internet and has already generated prosecutions in the fight against online drug trafficking through the Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement Team (J-CODE).
The approximately $320 million awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) will be distributed in order to maximize effectiveness over the country. A breakdown of the grant funding can be found here.
- Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combating Violent Crime and Opioid Abuse ($2.8 Million)
- Help prosecutors develop strategies to address violent crime caused by illegal opioid distribution and abuse
- Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program ($162 Million)
- Help jurisdictions plan and implement programs aimed at reducing opioid abuse and mitigating its impact on crime victims, including training and technical assistance
- Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program ($5.9 Million)
- Address the treatment needs of people using opioids under the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program
- Helping Children and Youth Impacted by Opioids ($46.6 Million)
- Help children and youth impacted by the opioid crisis, including training and technical assistance
- Drug Courts ($81.2 Million)
- Assist adult, juvenile, and family drug courts and veterans treatment courts, including training and technical assistance
- Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program ($17 Million)
- Address the dramatic increase in deaths and the backlogs of seized drugs as a result of the opioid crisis
- Opioid-Related Research for Criminal Justice Purposes ($4.1 Million)
- Development of new tools to enforce the law, ensure public safety, prevent and control crime, and ensure fair and impartial administration of justice
OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP and its components can be found at: www.ojp.gov.
NOTE: A breakdown of the grants can be found here.
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Department of Justice Announces over $70 Million to Support School Safety ProgramsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident.
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
- BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
The Barrington Public Schools has been awarded $55,342.
- The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
The Providence Police Department has been award $250,000.
- The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The Town of Smithfield has been awarded $454,063. The Town of West Warwick has been awarded $37,472.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For addition information on today’s grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
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26 Indicted in FBI, ATF, US Attorney's Office Project Safe Neighborhoods InvestigationsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Twenty-six individuals have been indicted and more than two-dozen firearms, including three AK-47 and two AR-15 assault rifles, along with significant quantities of heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine have been seized in a series of Project Safe Neighborhoods federal investigations into firearm and drug trafficking in and around Providence.
For the past 18 months, federal, state and local law enforcement agents and officers assigned to the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and to the ATF Task Force have conducted dozens of undercover investigations targeting individuals illegally obtaining and/or trafficking firearms, and trafficking narcotics.
Many of the individuals are members of or associated with street gangs.
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.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
“For the past year, the Department of Justice has recommitted itself to the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, with the goal of reducing violent crime, thereby making all of our communities safer,” said United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch. He added, “These indictments and seizures demonstrate the significant progress federal, state and local law enforcement, working together as partners, made toward achieving that goal.”
Recent FBI Safe Street Task Force investigations have resulted in the seizure of seventeen firearms, including three AK-47 and two AR-15 assault rifles, more than 300 grams of fentanyl, 300 grams of crack cocaine, 100 grams of cocaine and 350 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
The most recent Safe Street Task Force arrests began in the pre-dawn hours of last Thursday, when more than 170 federal, state and local law enforcement agents, including multiple SWAT Teams, fanned out in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts seeking sixteen individuals named in nine sealed indictments returned by a federal grand jury in Providence. The Task Force also executed a total of seven federal court-authorized search warrants in Providence, Smithfield and New Bedford.
"These arrests should send a strong warning to gang members and violent criminals who engage in gun and drug trafficking in Providence and beyond. We're here, we're watching, and we will not standby and allow them to pollute our neighborhoods with guns, drugs, and crime,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Harold H. Shaw. “The FBI's Safe Streets Task Force will continue working together with our law enforcement partners, to disrupt criminals and their networks who are promoting violence on our streets. After all, every law abiding citizen should be free to walk down any street in any one of our neighborhoods without the fear of getting caught in the crosshairs of a violent crime."
ATF Task Force Project Safe Neighborhoods investigations have, to date, resulted in the seizure of twenty firearms and the indictment of eleven individuals. Among those arrested during a year-long investigation to identify individuals possessing or trafficking firearms, particularly in and around the Chad Brown neighborhood.
In a separate matter, investigated by the ATF Task Force, four alleged members or associates of the C-Block street gang are awaiting trial for their alleged roles in a crack cocaine distribution conspiracy run from inside the ACI.
“ATF and our law enforcement partners are committed to removing the criminal element from the streets of Rhode Island. These charges are another example of the importance of law enforcement working together and supporting the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative,” commented Special Agent in Charge Mickey Leadingham.
Projected Safe Neighborhoods cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard W. Rose, Milind H. Shah, Ly T. Chin, Dulce Donovan, Gerard B. Sullivan, Terrence Donnelly, and Ronald R. Gendron.
The FBI Safe Street Task Force is comprised of law enforcement agents and officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, Central Falls Police Department and the Special Investigations Unit of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
The ATF Task Force is comprised of law enforcement agents and officers from ATF, Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Rhode Island State Police and the Special Investigations Unit of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and FBI Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw acknowledge and thank the Bristol County Sheriff's Office, Fall River Police Department, New Bedford Police Department, North Attleboro Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Rhode Island Fusion Center and the United States Marshals Service for their assistance in the execution of arrest and search warrants on Thursday.
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Former State Senator, RI Businessman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Former Rhode Island State Senator and businessman James E. Doyle, III, 46, of Pawtucket, today pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to thirty-one counts of bank fraud and one count each of filing a false tax return and failing to file a tax return.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, Doyle admitted to the Court that as owner of Doyle Respiratory, LLC and Doyle Sleep Solutions, LLC, he engaged in $74 million dollars in worthless bank transactions executed in check-kiting schemes through bank accounts he controlled at Bristol County Savings Bank, Alliance Blackstone Valley Federal Credit Union (ABVFCU) and Santander Bank. Doyle admitted that he executed the scheme through the use of checks, cash withdrawals, ATMs electronic transfers and ACH transfer payments.
Doyle’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Kristina O'Connell, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Harold H. Shaw.
Doyle admitted to the Court that he accomplished the check-kiting scheme by writing checks from accounts he knew were not backed by sufficient funds and depositing those checks into different accounts to cover daily overdrafts in that account. Simultaneously, he wrote checks out of the second account and deposited those checks back into the first bank 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.
In order to avoid detection, Doyle admitted to the Court, he did this daily throughout the life of the scheme, at times undertaking in excess of 50 transactions per day. At times, he also utilized ATM machines 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 between the banks at which he maintained accounts.
Doyle also admitted to the Court 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.
Doyle is scheduled to be sentenced on January 18, 2019.
The case is being 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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Registered Sex Offender on Lifetime Federal Supervised Release Admits to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A registered sex offender serving lifetime federal supervised release, having been convicted in 2012 and sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for possessing and receiving child pornography, pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing child pornography.
Robert L. MacGregor, 55, of Providence, was arrested on February 7, 2018, by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (RI ICAC) task force, following an investigation that determined that MacGregor was in possession of approximately 100 images of child pornography.
According to court documents, during a routine home visit on January 24, 2018, a United States Probation Officer allegedly observed inappropriate materials on MacGregor’s cell phone. A subsequent forensic examination of the phone by members of the RI ICAC task force revealed approximately 100 images of child pornography.
On January 27, 2012, MacGregor was convicted in federal court in Providence on one count of possession of child pornography and two counts of receipt of child pornography. He was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment and a term of lifetime supervised release.
MacGregor’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of HSI for New England; and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
MacGregor is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on January 19, 2019.
Possession of child pornography in this matter (2nd offense) is punishable by statutory penalties of a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of 20 years of incarceration; lifetime supervised release; and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
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New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty in Extensive Mortgage Fraud Scheme in Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A New Jersey man previously convicted in federal court in Massachusetts and incarcerated for masterminding a real estate fraud scheme, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence on Friday to charges that he again conspired to defraud financially distressed homeowners, investors, and financial institutions of fees, rental income, mortgage payment funds, property ownership and/or proceeds from the sale of their properties.
Hasan Hussain, 57, of Princeton, N.J. also pled guilty to aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme.
Hussain’s guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Christina D. Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General; Brian Deck, Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the U.S. Secret Service; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Division of the FBI; and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
At the time of his guilty plea to the most recent federal indictment, Hussain admitted to using various business entities to trick distressed property owners, who were seeking loan modifications, into paying him fees, moving out of their homes, and selling their homes in short sale transactions. As part of the plea, Hussain further admitted that he convinced lenders to agree to artificially low sale prices for the distressed property owners’ homes by directing other individuals to damage the properties prior to the short sales. Thereby, Hussain, or individuals or businesses associated with him, acquired the properties at reduced prices, and then flipped them to investors at much higher prices. During his change of plea, Hussain admitted that these investors were defrauded of their funds, or good credit, or both when they agreed to purchase properties from Hussain.
Hussain further admitted that he assisted investors to acquire federally backed mortgages through fraudulent applications, ultimately resulting in losses to the lenders or the Federal Housing Administration. Some of the tactics employed by Hussain as part of the scheme included misuse of identities and cutting and pasting signatures on property deeds and financial documents.
As part of his plea agreement, Hussain admitted that his scheme resulted in losses between $550,000 and $1.5 million dollars; that ten or more victims were harmed; and that at least some of his victims were particularly vulnerable, as a result of their personal situation. The plea agreement also provided that the government would seek a leadership enhancement for Hussain given the extensive nature of the scheme and his role in it.
At sentencing on January 8, 2018, Hussain faces up to 32 years in federal prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $1,250,000.
A co-defendant in this matter, Ricardo Abreu, who pled guilty earlier this year is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2018.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert, Richard B. Myrus, and William J. Ferland.
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Rhode Island Man Sentenced for CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A North Smithfield, R.I., man who repeatedly sent emails and text messages to a former girlfriend threatening, in specific and horrifying detail, to harm or kill her and her family was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison on cyberstalking charges, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
Howard S. Bishop, 39, was arrested in Rhode Island by FBI agents in January 2018, approximately four months after relocating from Texas to his family’s home in North Smithfield.
The threats from Bishop against his former girlfriend in Texas, and her family, were so severe that the woman was placed in FBI protective custody until Bishop was arrested. Her family hired around-the-clock armed security to guard their home.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Bishop to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. Bishop pleaded guilty in May to transmitting in interstate commerce communications containing threats to injure another person, and with harassing or intimidating another person, using an interactive computer service or electronic communication service, that placed a person in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury and caused substantial emotional distress.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 33 – 41 months. The government recommended the Court impose a sentence of 41 months in prison.
According to court records, in February 2011, a former girlfriend of Bishop obtained a protective order against him in Travis County, TX, after their relationship ended. After the relationship ended, Bishop engaged in an endless pattern of abusive and threatening behavior towards the woman. In January 2012, Bishop was found guilty of violating the order and received a sentence of two years’ probation. In December 2017, a misdemeanor warrant was issued in Travis County for the arrest of Bishop for again violating the protective order.
According to court documents, beginning in November 2016, and continuing until his arrest in Rhode Island in January 2018, Bishop sent hundreds of harassing and threatening messages via the Internet to the former girlfriend and her family. They expressed extreme fear for their safety.
Bishop has been detained in federal custody since his arrest.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by the FBI.
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Two Defendants Sentenced, Third Awaiting Trial in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Two of three Pawtucket residents indicted by a federal grand jury for their participation in a conspiracy to traffic heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine have been sentenced to federal prison.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., 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, Jacqueline Caraballo, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 48 months in prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release. On June 8, 2018, Caraballo pleaded guilty to five counts of distribution of heroin, and one count each of conspiracy to distribute heroin; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; cocaine base and heroin; possession with intent to distribute heroin; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
In the matter of Jacqueline Caraballo, as stipulated in a plea agreement filed with the Court, both the government and the defense recommended that the Court impose a sentence of 48 months of incarceration. The U.S. Sentencing Guideline imprisonment range in this matter is 57-71 months.
In the matter of Brandon Querceto, as stipulated in a plea agreement filed with the Court, both the government and the defense recommended that the Court impose a sentence of 72 months of incarceration. The U.S. Sentencing Guideline imprisonment range is 188-235 months.
The sentences imposed are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves and Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF.
A third defendant, Michael Querceto, 33, is awaiting trial on four counts of distribution of heroin, and one count each of conspiracy to distribute heroin; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin; cocaine and cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute heroin; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
According to information presented to the Court, in September 2017, Pawtucket Police received information that an individual in Pawtucket was allegedly dealing heroin, arranging for the drug transactions via his cell telephone. Pawtucket Police linked the phone to Michael Querceto. The investigation also determined that Michael Querceto, his brother Brandon Querceto, and Jacqueline Caraballo shared the same residence.
According to information presented to the Court, a Pawtucket Police Department undercover officer allegedly called Michael Querceto several times to arrange for a series of purchases of heroin. Several purchases were made over a span of several weeks. On four occasions, Caraballo delivered the heroin, and on one occasion both Caraballo and Michael Querceto together delivered the heroin. On all but one occasion, the undercover officer contacted Michael Querceto to arrange the deliveries.
On October 11, 2017, a court-authorized search warrant was executed at the Pawtucket residence the three defendants shared. During the search, law enforcement seized from Brandon Querceto’s bedroom more than 5 grams of heroin and nearly 60 grams of crack cocaine packaged for distribution. 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 indictment against Michael Querceto 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 cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Pawtucket Police Department, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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Former Mafia Boss and Associate Sentenced to Life in Prison for 1993 MurderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Francis “Cadillac” Salemme, a former boss of the New England Family of La Cosa Nostra (NELCN), and former NELCN associate Paul Weadick were sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with the 1993 murder of Steven A. DiSarro.
Francis P. Salemme, 85, and Paul M. Weadick, 63, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to life in prison. On June 22, 2018, Salemme and Weadick were convicted by a federal jury of one count of murder of a federal witness.
In the early 1990s, Salemme was the boss of the NELCN. At the time, DiSarro managed a South Boston night club, known as “The Channel,” in which Salemme and his son, Francis P. Salemme Jr. had a financial interest. As a federal investigation was narrowing in on the Salemmes, DiSarro’s connection to the mafia boss was discovered and he was approached by federal investigators to cooperate. Knowing this, Salemme had DiSarro murdered on May 10, 1993, in Salemme’s Sharon residence. Salemme, who had ordered the murder to prevent DiSarro from cooperating with law enforcement, watched as Salemme Jr. and Weadick fatally strangled DiSarro. Salemme then ordered DiSarro’s body transported to Providence, R.I., and buried. In March 2016, DiSarro’s remains were recovered by federal authorities behind a mill in Providence, R.I.
In 1995 Salemme was indicted on federal racketeering charges and convicted in 1999. He was subsequently convicted of obstruction of justice in 2008 for lying to federal authorities about the murder of DiSarro. Salemme Jr. died in 1995.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling for the District of Massachusetts; United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch for the District of Rhode Island; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, made the announcement today.
Assistance was also provided by the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Providence, R.I., Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred M. Wyshak Jr., Chief of Lelling’s Public Corruption Unit, and William J. Ferland, Chief of the Criminal Division in U.S. Attorney Dambruch’s Office, prosecuted the case.
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Florida Man Admits to Trafficking Kilos of Cocaine Shipped to Rhode Island from Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – One of two Florida men charged in U.S. District Court in Providence in August 2017 with trafficking more than 5 kilograms of cocaine into Rhode Island through the U.S. Postal Service pleaded guilty today.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Rinaxo Rufino, 34, of Miramar, FL, admitted that he conspired with Gabriel Concepcion, 28, of Kissimmee, FL, 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 their delivery to the intended recipients.
Rufino admitted that he and Concepcion intended to provide the kilograms of cocaine to others.
Rufino pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess 5 kilograms of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Raymond D. Moss, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, and Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2018.
Concepcion is awaiting trial on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess more than five kilograms of cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to information presented to the court, U.S. Postal Inspectors and Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force agents arrested Rufino on August 26, 2017, when he attempted to retrieve a package containing 3,029 grams of cocaine addressed to a Central Falls residence. US 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.
It is alleged that the parcel was one of three U.S. Mail parcels Rufino and Concepcion intended to acquire. The others, one 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, and a second addressed for delivery to a Central Falls residence contained approximately 3006.9 grams of cocaine which was seized by Postal Inspectors on August 28, 2017.
An indictment 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.
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Heroin Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - An Ohio man who admitted in court to his association with an Attleboro, MA, woman and others who supplied him with significant quantities of heroin, which he then sold in Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence on Monday to 48 months in federal prison on drug trafficking charges.
Michael Miller, 39, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and his drug trafficking, came to the attention of law enforcement during a Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigation into the Attleboro woman’s drug trafficking activities. The investigation determined that Miller’s association with Olga Lidia Sandoval, 40, of Attleboro, came as the result of Miller’s friendship with one of Sandoval’s brothers, who was shipping significant quantities of heroin to Olga Sandoval from Guatemala through Mexico and into Rhode Island.
Some of the heroin imported by Olga Sandoval was provided to Miller, which he then resold in Ohio. A significant share of the proceeds from the sale of the heroin were paid to the Sandoval brothers in Guatemala.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Miller to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence. Miller pled guilty on May 10, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute heroin and use of a communication facility (cell phone) in the commission of a felony under the Controlled Substance Act.
As stipulated in a plea agreement filed with the Court, the government and the defense recommended the court impose a sentence of 48 months incarceration. The U.S. Sentencing Guideline imprisonment range in this matter is 87-108 months.
Miller’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
Olga Lidia Sandoval pleaded guilty on May 1, 2017, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and possession with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. She was sentenced on June 29, 2017, to 84 months in federal prison.
Sandoval’s co-defendants, Jose Luis Amparo Nova, 35, of North Providence, pleaded guilty on January 16, 2017, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and possession with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. He was sentenced on July 14, 2017 to 48 months in federal prison. Ivan K. Alvarado, 39, of Spring Valley, NY, pleaded guilty on August 11, 2017, to conspiracy to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. He was sentenced on October 27, 2017, to 36 months in federal prison.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks Drug Enforcement Administration for their assistance in the investigations of these matters.
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U.S. Attorney's Office, FBI Prepared to Respond to Complaints of Election Fraud & Voting Rights AbusesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Terrence P. Donnelly will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s Election Day Program for the upcoming September 12, 2018, Rhode Island primary. AUSA Donnelly has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Rhode Island, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Wednesday.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on September 12, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch announced today that AUSA/DEO Donnelly will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at (401) 709-5068.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Wednesday. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (401) 272-8310.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
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Second Guilty Plea in Department Store Break-in, ATM & Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The second of two men charged with cutting their way through a roof into a Target department store in Smithfield, R.I., prying open an ATM inside the store and stealing more than $14,000, and cutting through a wall into a CVS Pharmacy located inside the store and stealing a controlled substance pleaded guilty today in federal court in Providence.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Liridon Gashi, 33, of Bronx, NY, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit larceny from a financial institution, bank larceny, conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances, and burglary involving controlled substances.
Gashi’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Smithfield Police Chief Richard P. St. Sauveur, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Harold H. Shaw.
A co-defendant in this matter, Epirot Krasniqi, 27, of Brooklyn, NY, pleaded guilty on May 11, 2018.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of October 10, 2017, Gashi and Krasniqi, equipped with hand tools and two-way radios, cut through the roof of the Target store and then forced open an ATM from which they stole $14,720. The two men then cut through the wall of a CVS Pharmacy inside the store, broke open a locked cabinet holding controlled substances and stole a prescription package of Oxycodone. The two men then fled to the roof of the store.
While the burglary and robbery were taking place, Smithfield police officers responded to a report of an electronic burglary alarm and began to search the premises. After discovering the hole in the roof, officers began searching approximately 30 air conditioning units located on the roof. The two men were found hiding inside separate air conditioning units. Also discovered inside the store and in various air conditioning units on the roof were the tools used in the break-in of the store and the ATM, the cash stolen from the ATM, and the drugs stolen from the pharmacy.
Krasniqi and Gashi were charged and arraigned in Rhode Island state court and released on bail. Federal arrest warrants were issued for both men following the return of a federal indictment on November 7, 2017. Krasniqi was arrested by FBI agents in New York that same day. Gashi was located and arrested by FBI agents in San Francisco, CA, on March 7, 2018.
Krasniqi is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on September 20, 2018. Gashi is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2018.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Denise M. Barton.
Gashi is detained in federal custody. Krasniqi is detained in Pennsylvania state custody awaiting trial for burglary and related charges in connection with a break-in at a Turkey Hill, Pa., convenience store that occurred on November 24, 2014.
The matter was investigated by the Smithfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Rhode Island FBI Safe Streets Task Force.
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North Kingstown Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A North Kingstown, R.I., man whose social media user name was identified by Canadian authorities and provided to Homeland Security Investigations during an investigation into online sharing of child pornography in Saskatchewan, Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 30 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
Shaun M. Swant, 28, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force on September 19, 2017, after their investigation identified his social media user name and IP address as a person using online programs to discuss and share child pornography online.
On the date of Swant’s arrest, HSI agents and members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Swant’s resident and seized several computers and electronic devices. A forensic audit of the equipment determined that Swant possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography.
Swant pleaded guilty on February 27, 2018 to possession of child pornography.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Swant to serve 5 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration, and to pay a mandatory assessment of $5,000 as provided for in the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 97-121 months. The government and the defendant recommended the court impose a sentence of 30 months in prison.
Swant’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
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Auto Sales Office Manager & Bookkeeper Charged with Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A South Kingstown woman was arrested and made her initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence today on charges that she allegedly forged business checks and stole as much as $400,000 from a Cranston auto dealership where she was employed as an office manager and bookkeeper.
Michelle Saritelli, 45, appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on a criminal complaint charging her with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. It is alleged that Saritelli employed several schemes to defraud the owners of Stamas Auto and Truck Center.
Saritelli’s arrest and initial appearance in U.S. District Court are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Harold H. Shaw, and Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist.
According to court documents, on September 27, 2017, the owners of Stamas Auto were notified that their bank accounts had been frozen. An internal review of the accounts by the business owners was begun which determined that several check ledgers were missing, funds were unaccounted for, and that numerous checks had been forged and/or fraudulently cashed. The owners notified Cranston Police detectives who sought the assistance of the FBI.
The majority of missing bank ledgers were located during a court-authorized search of Saritelli’s residence on June 7, 2018.
A forensic audit conducted by the FBI determined that for several years, Saritelli, who was employed at Stamas Auto Center from April 2008 to October 2018, allegedly fraudulently wrote, signed, and cashed and/or deposited Stamas Auto Center non-payroll checks into her own personal bank accounts; pocketed substantial portions of checks written and cashed on a weekly basis to fund the dealership’s petty cash fund; provided fraudulent checks to her husband for auto repair services and parts sales not provided; and stole portions of cash payments made by customers to Stamas Auto Center.
The forensic audit revealed hundreds of bank transactions of cash deposits and withdrawals from Saritelli’s personal bank accounts which often coincided with the issuance of fraudulent Stamas Auto Center business checks and unaccounted for cash. The majority of cash withdrawals from Saritelli’s accounts were made from ATMs at banks located near Saritelli’s South Kingstown residence and at casinos in Newport, Lincoln, and at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.
A 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.
Saritelli was released on unsecured bond following her initial appearance today in U.S. District Court.
According to court documents, Saritelli was convicted in Rhode Island State Court in May 2004 on charges that she embezzled approximately $30,000 from a Johnston auto dealership.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
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East Providence Resident Detained for Allegedly Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography Allegedly Sent by a Cranston ManRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - An East Providence man was ordered detained in federal custody today on charges he received and possessed images of child pornography, allegedly sent to him by a Cranston man who was ordered detained in federal custody on August 22, 2018, on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography.
It is alleged that on at least three occasions in March and April 2018, Charles P. Chavis, 51, received and retained images of child pornography, allegedly sent to him by Robert E. Soares, 38, of Cranston.
According to court documents, Soares was arrested and charged by Cranston Police on May 27, 2018, after he allegedly forcibly confined and kidnapped his girlfriend, exposed himself to others, and engaged in fighting and violent behavior. A subsequent investigation by Cranston Police determined that in the weeks leading up to his arrest, Soares allegedly persuaded a 14-year-old girl to allow him to take several photographs and a video of her dressed only in her underwear.
A court-authorized search of Soares’ cell phone resulted in the discovery of a series of messages sent and received by Soares allegedly discussing photographs depicting child pornography. It is alleged that several of the messages, some allegedly including photographs depicting child pornography, were sent to Chavis by Soares.
Chavis’ initial appearance in federal court before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on a criminal complaint charging him with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
A 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 cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton.
The matter is being investigated by the Cranston Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Warwick and East Providence Police Departments.
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Former New England La Cosa Nostra Member Sentenced for Obstructing Murder InvestigationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New England La Cosa Nostra (NELCN) caporegime was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for obstructing a federal investigation into the murder of a Boston nightclub owner in the 1990s.
Robert P. DeLuca, 72, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 66 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2016, DeLuca pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements.
DeLuca was charged with lying to federal prosecutors and agents regarding the investigation into the 1993 disappearance of Stephen DiSarro, who operated The Channel, a South Boston nightclub. DiSarro remained missing until March 2016, when authorities discovered his remains behind a mill in Providence, R.I.
In 2011, DeLuca had agreed to cooperate with federal authorities after his arrest on racketeering charges. In connection with his cooperation, DeLuca had lied about his knowledge of DiSarro’s disappearance and other LCN-connected murders. As a result, DiSarro’s remains were not recovered until federal authorities received information from another source in March 2016 regarding DiSarro’s burial site.
In June 2018, Francis P. Salemme, 84, and Paul M. Weadick, 63, were convicted of murdering DiSarro, who, at the time of his death, was a witness to violations of federal law by Salemme and Weadick. DiSarro had been approached by a federal agent and asked to cooperate with federal authorities. At the time, there were several ongoing federal investigations into Salemme and into Salemme’s connection to The Channel. Salemme had expressed his concerns to others that DiSarro might cooperate against him. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled Salemme’s and Weadick’s sentencings for Sept. 13, 2018.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch for the District of Rhode Island; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Ann C. Assumpico made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Providence, R.I. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred M. Wyshak Jr., Chief of Lelling’s Public Corruption Unit, and William J. Ferland, Chief of Dambruch’s Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.
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Westerly Resident on Federal Supervised Release on Child Pornography Conviction Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Westerly man convicted in 2015 for possession of child pornography and sentenced to 36 months in federal prison was ordered detained today by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography.
In September 2015, Paul Estus, 71, having previously admitted to the Court to possessing more than 600 images of child pornography, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 36 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years supervised release. A condition of Estus’ supervised release required him to submit to unannounced examination of his electronic devices.
According to court documents, on August 15, 2018, United States Probation Officers conducted a home visit at Estus’ Westerly residence. During the unannounced visit, Probation Officers inspected two cell phones owned by Estus and allegedly discovered images of child pornography on both phones. The phones were seized for further analysis.
A court-authorized forensic examination of the cell phones by a Warwick Police Detective assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force allegedly revealed 273 images of child pornography and 15 videos of child pornography.
Estus was arrested earlier today.
A 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 arrest of Estus and the filing of a criminal complaint charging Estus with possession of child pornography are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Chief U.S. Probation Officer John A. Marshall, and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
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Fall River Man Ninth Charged in Investigations of Cocaine Shipments from Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Fall River man who allegedly made repeated trips to Puerto Rico to obtain and ship significant quantities of cocaine to Rhode Island through the U.S. Postal Service has been indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
A federal grand jury in Providence returned a two-count indictment on Thursday charging David J. Knight, 47, with conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver more than one kilogram of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Raymond D. Moss, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
According to information presented to the Court during Knight’s arraignment today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan, it is alleged that between June 1, 2016, and April 11, 2017, Knight, in coordination with others, made several trips to Puerto Rico for the purpose of purchasing kilograms of cocaine, that were then packaged and shipped through the U.S. Postal Service to various addresses in Rhode Island.
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. mail to addresses in Rhode Island, to identify individuals responsible for making the shipments and to identify the intended recipients of the packages.
To date, U.S. Postal Inspection agents have documented more than 100 packages shipped from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island, which contained 300 grams or more of cocaine.
Knight was released on unsecured bond.
An indictment 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 William J. Ferland.
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Cranston Man Held on State Kidnapping, Domestic Violence Charges Charged in Federal Court with Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Cranston man charged and ordered held without bail on Rhode Island state kidnapping, indecent exposure, and domestic disorderly conduct charges made an initial appearance in federal court in Providence on Wednesday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession and distribution of child pornography.
Robert E. Soares, 38, was arrested and charged by Cranston Police on May 27, 2018, after he allegedly forcibly confined and kidnapped his girlfriend, exposed himself to others, and engaged in fighting and violent behavior. Cranston police were called to the woman’s residence when Soares allegedly refused to allow the woman to leave the apartment.
According to court documents, on May 30, 2018, Soares’ girlfriend contacted Cranston Police to report that she had received a call from an individual unknown to her who alleged to her that he was concerned about some photographs he allegedly received from Soares during the weeks leading up to Soares’ arrest. The individual described the photographs as “disgusting,” and said that they appeared to depict a nude young female.
A subsequent investigation by Cranston Police determined that in the weeks leading up to his arrest, Soares allegedly persuaded a 14-year-old girl to allow him to take several photographs and a video of her dressed only in her underwear. Additionally, a court-authorized search of Soares’ cell phone resulted in the discovery of a series of messages sent and received by Soares allegedly discussing photographs depicting child pornography that had been sent and received.
Soares initial appearance in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing child pornography and distribution of child pornography is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
A 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 United States Attorney Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the Cranston Police Department, with the assistance of members of the Homeland Security Investigations Task Force and Warwick Police Department.
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Four Indicted in Crack Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy Run from Inside RI State PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and members of the Rhode Island ATF Task Force has resulted in the indictment of four individuals, three of them alleged to be members or associates of the C-Block street gang, for their alleged roles in a crack cocaine distribution conspiracy run from inside the Adult Correctional Institutions.
According to information presented to the Court, it is alleged that the conspiracy operated at the direction of James Gomes, 29, an inmate at the Adult Correctional Institutions. The grand jury indictment charges Gomes, and his mother, Lisa Ellis, 50, of Pawtucket, with conspiracy, distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and three counts of distribution of cocaine base.
The indictment also charges Joshua Moore, 28, of Pawtucket with conspiracy and three counts of distribution of cocaine base, and Gerald Price, 33, of Cranston, with conspiracy and distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
According to information presented to the Court, it is alleged that Gomes, Moore and Price are members or associates of the C-Block street gang.
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 investigation and resulting indictment are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF.
According to information presented to the Court, it is alleged that from inside the prison, Gomes arranged crack cocaine sales to individuals outside of the prison. It is alleged that Gomes, using his prison call account and the accounts of others, placed calls to people outside of the prison directing them to distribute narcotics to certain individuals.
It is alleged that Gomes frequently called his mother, Lisa Ellis, and would direct her to establish conference calls with Moore and Price. During the conference calls, it is alleged that Gomes would direct Ellis, Moore and/or Price to sell crack cocaine to others. Some of the sales were made to an undercover law enforcement officer. After the sales, Ellis, kept a small portion of the proceeds for herself and deposit the rest of the money into Gomes’s ACI prison account.
It is alleged that members of the conspiracy were responsible for the sale of a total of approximately 112 grams of crack cocaine.
An indictment 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 Milind M. Shah.
The ATF Task Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Rhode Island State Police, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
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Two Charged with "Fishing" Mail from Postal Service Collection Boxes, Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Two Providence men have been charged in federal court in Providence with theft by “fishing” mail from enclosed United States Postal Service collection boxes and bank fraud.
“Fishing” is a term which describes of obtaining items, as in these alleged incidents from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes, by utilizing common items such as plastic water bottles, duct tape, glue, and string. A device covered in a sticky substance such as glue is lowered into the closed box, and mail that adhered to the sticky surface of the device is pulled out and retrieved.
It is alleged in court documents that the two men, and others working at their direction, deposited in area banks stolen checks obtained as the result of “fishing” Postal Service collection boxes. The funds from the stolen checks were later withdrawn from ATMs and through the use of debit cards.
Gerald Reinoso-Pichardo, 22, and Emmanuel Jose Torres, 18, have been charged by way of federal criminal complaints with theft or receipt of stolen mail, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Raymond D. Moss, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, and Stephen Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service.
The two men were released on unsecured bond at initial appearances in U.S. District Court before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
According to court documents, in September 2017, U.S. Postal Service Inspectors initiated an investigation into the theft of mail from collection boxes outside of the Elmwood Station Post Office. The investigation began when a local businessman reported that numerous checks drawn on his business bank accounts and deposited into U.S. Postal Service collection boxes outside the Elmwood Station Post Office were never received by the intendent recipients.
The investigation determined that the businessman mailed 77 checks valued at a total of approximately $195,000. Thirty-two of the checks were found to have been fraudulently negotiated and deposited into bank accounts at various banks. The bank accounts were quickly drawn down through the use of debit cards and/or by withdrawing cash from ATMs.
As the investigation expanded, U.S. Postal Inspectors learned that numerous checks and other mail deposited into U.S. Postal Service collection boxes at locations around Providence and Pawtucket did not reach their intended recipients. Postal Service Inspectors determined that many of the missing checks that had been placed in Postal Service collection boxes were found to have been fraudulently endorsed, deposited into bank accounts, and the cash withdrawn from ATMs or through the use of debit cards.
As part of the investigation, U.S. Postal Inspectors installed surveillance cameras outside of the Elmwood Station and Washington Park Post Offices, focused on collection boxes. Surveillance video showed several individuals allegedly “fishing” the mailboxes, often times in the early morning hours. Among those identified by U.S. Postal Service Inspectors were Gerald Reinoso-Pichardo and Emmanuel Jose Torres.
A 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 Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Secret Service, with the assistance of the East Providence, Providence and Seekonk Police Departments.
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Justice Department, DEA Proposes Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl (see chart below).
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Stephen G. Dambruch, who is a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Council’s Heroin and Opioid Working Group, added, “Enactment of the proposed quota will assist our efforts to restrict the flow of illicit opioids and reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths both in Rhode Island and across the country.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
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Businessman, Former State Senator Charged with Bank Fraud, Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The owner of two Rhode Island durable medical equipment companies has been charged in federal court in Providence with allegedly executing a “check-kiting” scheme which defrauded three banks, and with tax evasion.
Businessman and former State Senator James E. Doyle, II, 46, of Pawtucket, was charged by way of an information with thirty-one counts of bank fraud and one count each of filing a false tax return and failing to file a tax return.
Mr. Doyle resigned as a Rhode Island State Senator in January 2018.
The filing of an information and plea agreement in this matter is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Kristina O'Connell, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
According to court documents, it is alleged that beginning in as early as 2013, and lasting until February 2016, Doyle, as owner of Doyle Respiratory, LLC and Doyle Sleep Solutions, LLC, executed a check-kiting scheme that defrauded three banks.
“Check-kiting” consists of drawing checks on an account in one bank and depositing them in an account in a second bank when neither account has sufficient funds to cover the amounts drawn. Just before the checks are returned for payment to the first bank, the kiter covers them by depositing checks drawn on the account in the second bank. Due to the delay created by the collection of funds by one bank from the other, known as the “float” time, an artificial balance is created.
It is alleged that over three years Doyle created inflated balances in checking accounts at three banks by writing tens of thousands of checks in order to obtain funds which otherwise would not have been available to him. It is alleged that on a single day in February 2016, Doyle deposited thirty-one worthless checks totaling approximately $300,000 into one bank drawn from a checking account at a different bank. There were insufficient funds in the accounts to cover the checks.
According to court documents, Doyle defrauded the banks of between $250,000 and $550,000.
It is also alleged in court documents that in tax year 2015, Doyle and his spouse failed to report to the IRS $326,862 in income received from the check-kiting scheme and his businesses, and that he failed to file a tax return for tax year 2016 in which he received gross income of $255,812.
According to court documents, the tax loss to the IRS for tax years 2013 thru 2016 amounts to $305,426. In total, Doyle and his wife failed to report more than $1 million dollars in income.
An information 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.
Bank fraud is punishable by statutory penalties of up to thirty years in federal prison, a term of supervised release of up to five years, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Filing a false tax return is punishable by statutory penalties of up to three years in federal prison, a term of supervised release of up to one year, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss. Failure to file a tax return is punishable by statutory penalties of up to one year in federal prison, a term of supervised release of up to one year and a fine of up to $100,000.
The matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
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Three Charged in Ongoing Identity Theft, Fraud InvestigationsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Three more individuals have been charged in federal court in Providence in a series of ongoing investigations into schemes to steal and use the personal identifying information of others to defraud, among others, banks, finance companies, car dealerships and retailers.
To date, six individuals have been charged in related cases. The investigations are continuing.
The latest charges include a 21-count indictment which alleges that a New Jersey man and a New Jersey woman conspired together, and with others, to use the stolen identities of several individuals to create fraudulent driver’s licenses and other documents. The documents were allegedly used by the defendants and others to open bank accounts, apply for and receive financing for automobiles, and make purchases at retailers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
In a separate but related matter, a Rhode Island man is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint that alleges that he participated in schemes to use stolen personal identifying information of others to open bank accounts and to deposit and withdraw fraudulently obtained funds. Additionally, it is alleged that he participated in schemes where stolen identities were used by individuals posing as both the sellers and the buyers of vehicles when fraudulently applying for and receiving bank financing.
To date, 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 resulted in criminal charges against six individuals who allegedly participated in various conspiracies and schemes to steal and use individuals personal identifying information to defraud banks, finance companies and retailers of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The investigations and charges brought in these cases are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Stephen Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service; 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.
In the most recent cases, a federal grand jury returned a 21-count indictment charging Octavio Andres Difo-Castro, 27, of Edgewater, N.J., and Patricia Peralta, 27, of Patterson, N.J., with conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and fraudulent use of a Social Security number. It is alleged that the defendants participated in schemes to create and use fraudulent documents using stolen identities to purchase goods at retailers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. It is also alleged that Difo-Castro and Peralta conspired together to execute schemes to defraud a finance company and two credit unions for the purchase of one vehicle, the leasing of a second vehicle and the purchase of a motorcycle.
Difo-Castro is detained in federal custody. Peralta is released on unsecured bond and G.P.S. monitoring.
In a separate court filing, a criminal complaint charges Jeffry Rodriguez, 37, of Providence, with conspiracy, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, it is alleged that Rodriguez opened bank accounts using stolen personal identifying information of others. The accounts were allegedly used to deposit and withdraw car loan funding obtained fraudulently with the use of stolen identifying information. It is alleged that the conspirators posed as both the sellers and the buyers of vehicles when applying for car loans from banks and credit unions. It is alleged that Rodriguez and others withdrew the funds by visiting several bank branch offices around Rhode Island.
Rodriguez was released on $50,000 unsecured bond and pretrial release supervision.
Other individuals charged as a result of these ongoing investigations include
- Reynaldo Martinez, 25, of Providence, who pleaded guilty in November 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., to 48 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution totaling $38,126.62 to businesses he defrauded;
- Jason McDonald, 37, of Attleboro, MA, pleaded guilty in March 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., to 39 months in federal prison; and
- Donald Wicklund, 33, of Pawtucket, 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 is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on September 20, 2018.
An indictment and a criminal complaint are merely allegations and are 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 cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William J. Ferland.
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United States Reaches Settlement Agreement with Providence Schools to Ensure Equal Opportunities for English Learner StudentsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island today announced a settlement agreement with the Providence public school district that will provide English language services to the district’s 8,000 students who currently lack fluency in English. The agreement, which stems from the United States’ investigation under the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, will ensure that these English Learner students receive the services they need to succeed in the district’s educational programs.
Under the agreement, the district will:
- Properly identify and place English Learner students when they enroll in the district’s 41 schools, and communicate with parents about program offerings and other essential information in a language they understand;
- Provide adequate English language services to all English Learner students so that they can become proficient in English and access grade-level core content instruction;
- Ensure appropriate services for English Learner students with disabilities;
- Secure a sufficient number of teachers who are certified in English as a Second Language, and train the administrators and teachers who implement the English Learner programs; and
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of its English Learner programs over time.
“The Department of Justice commends the district for cooperating throughout the investigation, and the Superintendent for his commitment to helping English Learner students succeed and thrive in school,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “We look forward to working together to implement this promising settlement agreement.”
“As a result of this settlement agreement, English Learner students will now receive all of the services they are legally entitled to and deserve,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch for the District of Rhode Island.
The matter was litigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy R. Romero of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island and Trial Attorney Andrea Hamilton of the Education Opportunities Section, Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice.
The enforcement of the Equal Educational Opportunities Act is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
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Tiverton Bank Robber Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A man who stole a car in New Bedford, Mass., in April 2018 and then used it as his getaway vehicle after robbing a bank in Tiverton, R.I., pled guilty in federal court in Providence today to a bank robbery charge.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Cody Toolis, 28, admitted to the Court that on April 2, 2018, he robbed a branch office of Bank Newport in Tiverton of $460.
Toolis’ guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Tiverton Police Chief Patrick W. Jones, and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
According to court documents, a couple of hours prior to robbing the bank Toolis stole a vehicle from the home of a New Bedford woman. At approximately 9:15 AM, he entered the branch office of Bank Newport in Tiverton and handed a note to a teller that read, “Do not move, I have a gun, need $500 in 20’s, I am desperate.” The teller gave Toolis $460, after which time Toolis fled the bank. A witness told police she saw the robber leave the bank parking lot in a vehicle that police determined fit the description of the vehicle stolen in New Bedford.
As part of the investigation, Tiverton Police posted on social media a still-photograph taken from bank surveillance video of the robber. Various tips from the public and other police departments identified the person in the photograph as being Cody Toolis. One week later, on April 9, Toolis turned himself in to the Bristol, R.I., Police Department.
Toolis is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on November 5, 2018. Bank robbery is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks the Fall River and New Bedford, Mass., Police Departments, the Bristol Police Department and the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance in the investigation and preparation of this case for prosecution in U.S. District Court.
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Jury Convicts Providence Man of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A federal court jury in Providence today convicted Jhonmar Roman, 25, of Providence, of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Previously in this case, Roman, a convicted felon, admitted to the Court that he trafficked fentanyl and cocaine, and, at the time of his arrest, was a felon in possession of a firearm. However, he denied the loaded gun located by law enforcement in his residence near his stash of fentanyl, cocaine, and $1,400 in cash was possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
Roman’s conviction is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Newport Police Chief Gary T. Silva.
According to evidence presented to the jury, on September 14, 2017, Newport Police developed information that Roman would be delivering 10 grams of heroin to Bayside Village in Newport. Officers, who had a description of Roman’s vehicle, observed the vehicle exit the highway. The left front headlight was not working as it passed the officers. The vehicle was pulled over as it entered Bayside Village. Roman, who was driving the vehicle, was asked to exit the vehicle.
According to the government’s evidence, Roman at first told officers that he lived in East Providence and he denied having any drugs on him. Upon further questioning, Roman admitted that he lived in Providence and that he had 10 grams of heroin stashed in his underwear. Roman also told detectives that he had additional quantities of heroin and cocaine and a “burner,” or firearm, at his Providence residence. He agreed to allow the detectives to search his apartment.
When the suspected heroin was tested at a Drug Enforcement Administration forensic lab, it was determined that the heroin was actually fentanyl.
According to evidence presented to the jury, a search of Roman’s residence by Newport detectives resulted in the discovery of approximately 31 grams of fentanyl, 20 grams of cocaine, cutting agents, $1,400 in cash, and several items used in the packaging and distribution of illegal narcotics. About 10 feet away from the drugs, next to Roman’s bed on top of a stack of shoeboxes, detectives located a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun.
On May 2, 2018, appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Roman pled guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and felon in possession of a firearm.
Today, a federal court jury convicted Roman of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The trial was presided over by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith.
Roman is scheduled to be sentence on November 23, 2018.
Possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute are punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison followed by 3 years to lifetime supervised release. Felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison followed by up to 3 years supervised release.
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years - up to life in federal prison to be served consecutive to all other terms of incarceration imposed in this case.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard W. Rose and Terrence P. Donnelly.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks the Providence and Cranston Police Departments and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A 23-year-old Peabody, MA, man previously convicted in Rhode Island state court on multiple drug trafficking charges today was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Samuel Wango was arrested by Central Falls Police and members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force during a Project Safe Neighborhoods drug trafficking investigation in February 2018. The investigation also resulted in the arrest of a Central Falls man on federal drug trafficking and firearm charges.
U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. also ordered Wango to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 46-57 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 41 months of incarceration.
Wango’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Central Falls Police Chief Colonel James J. Mendonca, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Harold H. Shaw.
In January 2018, the Central Falls Police Special Investigations Unit initiated an investigation into the alleged drug trafficking activities of Elton Andrade aka “MT Flex,”19, at his residence. The investigation allegedly included four controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Andrade.
On February 26, 2018, Central Falls Police and members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Andrade’s residence. At that time, law enforcement encountered Wango, who was found to be carrying a loaded revolver and 133 grams of Inositol commonly used as a cutting agent for narcotics.
From Andrade’s bedroom, law enforcement allegedly seized two plastic baggies containing a total of 33.24 grams of crack cocaine, two stolen firearms, a .380 caliber and a .357 caliber handgun, and $1,503 in cash. Andrade is awaiting trial in federal court on charges of possession with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and two counts of possession of a stolen firearm.
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 cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
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16th Person Pleads Guilty in "Operation Panamera" InvestigationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A West Warwick man today became the 16th person who participated in a multi-state fentanyl and cocaine distribution conspiracy with ties to the Dominican Republic, dubbed “Operation Panamera,” to plead guilty to federal drug trafficking charges.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr., Jamaal M. Dublin, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division Brian D. Boyle, and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel Ann C. Assumpico.
Dublin is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2018.
To date, 16 of 23 individuals arrested and charged in the fall of 2017 with participating in the drug trafficking conspiracy have pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges.
During the course of the investigation, which began in early 2017, more than 23 kilograms of fentanyl, 18 kilograms of cocaine, 11 kilograms of marijuana and two kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms were seized. The seizures were made as the drugs moved through the U.S. Postal Service, during traffic stops, and during the execution of court-authorized searches of residences, storage units and vehicles.
Dublin admitted to the Court that he coordinated with the ring-leader of the conspiracy, Ramon Delossantos, 25, of Cumberland, Rhode Island, to distribute and collect payment for significant quantities of cocaine.
According to court records, Delossantos, a Dominican national who maintained strong ties to the Dominican Republic, was responsible for distributing at least 50 kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine in New England with the use of “runners.” Delossantos’ mode of transportation during the drug trafficking operation was a 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo. Delossantos was arrested on October 2, 2017, and his Porsche Panamera was seized by law enforcement.
Delossantos pleaded guilty on June 14, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2018.
An immigration detainer has been lodged against Delossantos by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Milind M. Shah.
The investigation, “Operation Panamera,” was led by agents from by the Drug Enforcement Administration and members of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
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Guatemalan National Detained on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI –A Guatemalan national who was prevented from entering the United States illegally as he attempted to cross the U.S. border from Mexico in 2002 has been arrested in Rhode Island and ordered detained in federal custody on child pornography charges.
Samuel Mendez-Garcia, 42, of Providence, was ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond today on a criminal complaint charging him with one count each of possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
An immigration detainer has also been lodged against Mendez-Garcia by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Mendez-Garcia’s arrest and detention are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel Ann C. Assumpico.
According to court documents, it is alleged that in late March 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 Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force reviewed the information and the postings, determining that the images and videos did in fact depict child pornography. Through their investigation, ICAC investigators 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 cell phone owned by Mendez-Garcia. Law enforcement officers also responded to Mendez-Garcia’s place of employment, and while speaking with him seized a cell phone that was in his possession.
On July 20, 2018, Facebook security personnel reported to the ICAC task force that additional images of alleged child pornography had been discovered on Mendez-Garcia’s Facebook account. A forensic analysis of one of Mendez-Garcia’s cell phones by a member of the ICAC task force allegedly revealed more than 50 videos and images depicting child pornography.
A 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 John P. McAdams.
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Warwick Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Warwick man was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for trafficking a 16-year-old female in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for the purpose of prostitution.
Michael Sabatino, 26, and two other men, Paris Peters, 26, and Marcus Jamal Gibbs, 30, of Providence, previously admitted to the Court that from approximately August 20, 2015, to September 27, 2015, they recruited, enticed, transported, harbored and advertised a minor victim for the purpose of prostitution.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Sabatino to serve 5 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. Sabatino pleaded guilty on September 30, 2016, to conspiracy to sex traffic a child and sex trafficking a child.
Paris Peters was sentenced by Chief Judge William E. Smith on April 20, 2018, to 96 months incarceration to be followed by 5 years supervised release. Gibbs is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2018.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in the matter of Michael Sabatino is 108-121 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 97 months in prison.
Sabatino’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
According to information presented to the court, an investigation by Pawtucket Police detectives and HSI agents determined that on August 20, 2015, Sabatino posted photographs of the victim, a 16-year-old female, in various stages of undress on Backpage.com, offering her for prostitution. The pictures were taken by Paris Peters. The advertisement claimed the person in the photographs was 20-years-old. The defendants knew the victim was only 16-years-old.
Over the next several weeks, as numerous individuals responded to the Backpage.com advertisement, the victim was driven by Sabatino, Peters and Gibbs to various hotels and private residences in Rhode Island and Massachusetts to engage in commercial sexual activity.
On September 28, 2015, HSI agents were notified by Pawtucket Police of the report of a missing and endangered 16-year-old female who was being prostituted throughout Rhode Island and in Massachusetts. The teenager was located later in the day at a family member’s home. She admitted to being sex trafficked.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
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Nigerian Nationals Sentenced, Face Deportation Proceedings in Bank Fraud, Counterfeit Passport SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Two Nigerian nationals who participated in a large-scale bank fraud and counterfeit passport scheme, with an intended loss of more than $1.2 million dollars, were sentenced today to 13 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
Olugboyega Akinloye Fasanya, 36, of Woonsocket and Anthony Chidozie Ezike, 36, of Pawtucket, previously admitted to the Court that they participated 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 to be made out to aliases used by Fasanya, Ezike and others, and deposited into bank accounts opened using the aliases. The accounts were opened using counterfeit passports from Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa as forms of identification. The funds were 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.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith ordered Fasanya and Ezike to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of their terms of incarceration. Additionally, Fasanya was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $379,362 and Ezike was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $228,730 to the banks they defrauded.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in the matter of the United States of America v. Olugboyega Akinloye Fasanya is 18-24 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 21 months in prison. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in the matter of the United States of America v. Anthony Chidozie Ezike is 21-27 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 13 months in prison.
Fasanya and Ezike face deportation proceedings upon completion of their term of incarceration.
The case was 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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R.I. Attorney Indicted on Fraud, ID Theft, Pension Plan Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A federal grand jury in Providence today returned a 12-count indictment charging a Rhode Island attorney with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and theft from an employee pension plan, alleging that the attorney continued to collect a client’s pensions for nearly 12 years after the client passed away.
It is alleged in the indictment that Oleg Nikolyszyn, 63, of North Smithfield, used the identity of a former City of Providence employee and member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) after he died and collected more than $234,000 in monthly pension payments in that person’s name.
The indictment charges Nikolyszyn with eight counts of mail fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of theft from an employee benefit or pension fund.
According to the indictment, it is alleged that in May 2000, a former City of Providence employee and LIUNA member hired Nikolyszyn as his attorney, and executed a power of attorney that authorized Nikolyszyn to take certain acts on his behalf. Those actions included receiving monies owed to him and signing and depositing checks payable to him.
According to the indictment, in August 2000, the former Providence employee and LIUNA member moved to Poland. Nikolyszyn later instructed both the City of Providence and LIUNA to send the monthly pension payments to his office. The employee died on November 12, 2003.
It is alleged in the indictment that Nikolyszyn continued to receive monthly pension payments in his client’s name, which he deposited into a bank account in the name of both himself and his former client. It is alleged that Nikolyszyn converted the funds to his personal use by transferring the funds into his own personal bank accounts. It is alleged in the indictment that Nikolyszyn collected $173,597.68 in payments from the City of Providence Employee’s Retirement System and $60,989 from the LIUNA Pension Fund in the name of his former client.
An indictment 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 indictment of Oleg Nikolyszyn is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Michael C. Mikulka, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Region of the Department of Labor - Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, Carol S. Hamilton, Acting Regional Manager, U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin, Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General, Rhode Island State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks the Rhode Island Supreme Court Office of Disciplinary Counsel for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
Oleg Nikolyszyn was suspended from the practice of law in Rhode Island by the Rhode Island Supreme Court on December 1, 2016, after an investigation by its Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
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Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 6 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man previously convicted on firearm and drug trafficking charges in Rhode Island state court, and who subsequently obtained two firearms through a straw-purchase, was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison on drug trafficking and firearm charges.
Lawrence M. Crowell, 32, was indicted and arrested in December 2016, during a year-long Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Providence Police Project Safe Neighborhood investigation to identify individuals possessing or trafficking firearms in and around the Chad Brown neighborhood of Providence,
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.
Crowell pleaded guilty on February 27, 2017, to one count each of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell also ordered Crowell to serve two years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration.
As stipulated in a plea agreement filed with the Court, the government and the defense recommended the court impose a sentence of 72 months incarceration. The U.S. Sentencing Guideline imprisonment range in this matter is 97-106 months.
Crowell’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF; and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
According to court documents, on November 17, 2016, an individual assisting law enforcement purchased $900 worth of marijuana from Crowell. During the transaction, which took place inside Crowell’s Chad Brown neighborhood apartment, Crowell removed a Sig Sauer pistol from his pocket and provided it to the individual for examination. Crowell told the individual that the firearm was “legit” and that he knew another person who had other types of firearms for sale. The firearm was returned to Crowell.
On November 21, 2016, ATF Agents, members of the ATF Task Force and Providence Police executed a court-authorized search of Crowell’s residence. In a bedroom, agents found nearly 363 grams of marijuana and the Sig Saur pistol. The firearm was loaded with 12 rounds of hollow point ammunition and outfitted with a laser sight.
Additionally, in an attic, agents found a Ruger pistol secured by a gunlock, the key to which was found on Crowell’s key chain. The Ruger was loaded with 6 rounds of hollow point ammunition.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The ATF Task Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Rhode Island State Police, Providence Fire Department and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
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Alleged Street Gang Member Detained on Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An alleged member of the Hanover Boyz street gang has been ordered detained in federal custody on federal firearm charges after a Cranston Police motor vehicle stop and Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation resulted in the discovery and seizure of a loaded firearm and a stamp collection reported stolen from a Cranston residence.
Anthony Washburn, 32, of Providence, was ordered detained following his initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on a criminal complaint charging him with felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm.
The arrest and detention of Washburn are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Cranston Police Chief Michael J. Winquist.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, it is alleged that on July 25, 2018, a Cranston Police Department patrolman affected a traffic stop of a vehicle traveling on Route 10 with an expired temporary license plate. 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. Upon reaching the vehicle, the officer noticed a plastic bag in the center console area which appeared to contain marijuana. The driver, identified as Anthony Washburn, handed the bag to the officer stating, “This is all I have on me.” The officer requested that Washburn exit the vehicle while telling the passenger to remain in the vehicle.
Upon the arrival of another officer, the passenger was removed from the vehicle and a search of the vehicle was conducted. It is alleged that Washburn told the officers anything found inside the vehicle belonged to him. The search resulted in the discovery of a 12-pack box of beer on the floor behind the driver’s seat containing, an open bottle of alcohol, several beers, and a sock containing a loaded .40 caliber semiautomatic firearm. Police also discovered 2 small plastic bags of crack cocaine in the vehicle. 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 and was to have been affixed to a different vehicle.
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.
A 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.
According to information presented to the Court and court records, Washburn was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court and sentenced to prison on multiple occasions on drug trafficking charges. According to information presented to the Court, Washburn is alleged to be a member of the Hanover Boyz street gang in Providence.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist acknowledge and thank the FBI and the FBI Safe Street Task Force for their assistance in the preparation of this matter for prosecution.
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New York Man Sentenced in ID Theft, Fraud InvestigationsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A third person charged in federal court in Rhode Island in a series of on-going investigations into individuals who are stealing personal identifying information of others and using that information to apply for bank loans and retail store credit cards or lines of credit, has been sentenced to 39 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Stephen Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, 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, and Delaney Deleon-Colon, Acting Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Jason McDonald, 37, of Great Neck, N.Y., admitted to using a stolen identity and stolen Social Security number, and a Rhode Island address he had no association with, to open a membership account at a local credit union and then attempt to fraudulently obtain a loan from the credit union. He also admitted to helping another person create a false credit profile using stolen personal identifying information in order for that person to fraudulently obtain a vehicle valued at $29,825.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr, also ordered McDonald to serve 4 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration, and to pay restitution totaling $29,825.
McDonald pleaded guilty on March 29, 2018, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, attempted bank fraud, fraudulent use of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 39 – 45 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 45 months in prison.
At the time of his guilty plea, McDonald admitted to the Court that in December 2016, he began obtaining the personal identification of individuals without their knowledge, including Social Security numbers, for the purpose of committing fraud. McDonald admitted that with the assistance of others he obtained counterfeit identification cards bearing his photo and displaying the stolen personal identifiable information of others.
McDonald admitted that on April 10, 2017, he used a fraudulently obtained identity and a New Jersey driver's license to gain membership with the Digital Federal Credit Union. Five days later, he filed an online loan application for an automobile loan in the amount of $23,500.
McDonald first came to the attention of law enforcement during an unrelated investigation of a Central Falls man, Reynaldo Martinez, 25, for his participation in a scheme to use the stolen identity of numerous individuals to open retail store credit cards and lines of credits. Martinez used the credit to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of goods. Martinez pleaded guilty in November 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. He was sentenced in January to 48 months in federal prison.
The investigations also led to the arrest and conviction in federal court of Donald Wicklund, 33, of Pawtucket. Wicklund pleaded guilty on April 12, 2018, to a 15-count indictment charging him with bank and wire fraud, fraudulent use of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy. He admitted to using stolen personal identifying information of others, including social security numbers fraudulent documents and addresses, to secure funding for the purchase or lease of new vehicles in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The investigation determined that Jason McDonald provided Wicklund with a stolen social Security number and an accompanying bogus credit profile to obtain a new vehicle valued at $29,825.
Wicklund is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13, 2018.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
The on-going investigations are being conducted by agents from the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Social Security Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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Two-Time Bank Robber Sentenced for Robbing Narragansett BankRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – William H. Dority, 56, of South Kingstown, was sentenced on Wednesday to time served plus seven days for robbing a Narragansett bank of $4,635 in November 2017. Dority has been detained since his arrest on November 28, 2017.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Dority to serve 2 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. Dority pleaded guilty on April 2, 2018, to a charge of bank robbery.
The U.S. Sentencing Guideline imprisonment range in this matter is 37- 46 months. As stipulated in a plea agreement filed with the court, both the government and the defense recommended the court impose a sentence of 37 months incarceration.
According to information presented to the court, on November 28, 2017, Dority entered a Centerville Bank branch office in Narragansett, handing the teller a note demanding cash. As Dority fled, a panic alarm was sounded and a 911 call from another employee resulted in a rapid response by members of the Narragansett Police Department. An alert Department of Environmental Management K-9 (“Bear”), brought in to assist Narraganset Police in the search for the robber, located Dority hiding in a shed not far from the bank about 30 minutes later.
At the time of Dority’s arrest, police recovered $4,615 from the shed.
According to court records, Dority was convicted of bank robbery by force in May 1993 in Virginia, and sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison, 30 years suspended with probation. Dority was on probation at the time of his arrest for robbing the Centerville Bank branch office in Narragansett.
Dority’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Narragansett Police Chief Sean Corrigan, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Harold H. Shaw.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose.
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Illegal Alien Detained on Health Care and Welfare Fraud, ID Theft, Misuse Social Security Numbers, Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A series of ongoing Department of Justice led fraud and opioid investigations across the country has resulted in a Dominican National previously deported for trafficking significant quantities of heroin and cocaine, and most recently living in Pawtucket after allegedly reentering the country illegally, being detained on federal health care fraud, welfare fraud, aggravated identity theft, misuse of a social security number and illegal reentry charges.
In late June, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex M. Azar III, announced that more than 600 individuals in 58 districts have been charged for their participation in fraud schemes, particularly health care fraud schemes.
As a result of information developed during these ongoing investigations, Carlos José Portes-Ortiz, 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, 37, of Pawtucket, has been ordered detained on a federal criminal complaint charging him with health care fraud, welfare (SNAP) fraud, misuse of social security numbers, aggravated identity theft and illegal reentry.
According to court documents, it is alleged that Portes-Ortiz was deported from the United States in February 2009, after having been sentenced in June 2007 to 37 months in federal prison 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.
According to court documents, in November 2015, Providence Police responded to a traffic accident and encountered Portes-Ortiz, who allegedly presented officers with a Dominican driver’s license in the name of another person. He was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and driving after denial, suspension or revocation of a driver’s license.
In March 2017, Portes-Ortiz was arrested in Dedham, MA, after allegedly attempting to purchase over $1,000 worth of iPhone 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 depicting his photograph but all in names other than his own. It was later determined through fingerprints that the person arrested was actually Portes-Ortiz.
According to court documents, an expansive investigation by local agents from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations determined that Portes-Ortiz allegedly used multiple names and stolen personal identifying information to gain Rhode Island driver’s licenses; Rhode Island ID cards; Medicare and health care benefits, to include medical, pharmaceutical and dental services; and EBT cards and SNAP benefits.
During the course of the investigation, agents determined that Portes-Ortiz was employed at a retail store while, at the same time, allegedly fraudulently obtaining federal programs and services using stolen identities and identifying information.
A 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. Attorneys Ly T. Chin Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter is being 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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Cranston Man Indicted, Arraigned for Alleged Possession and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Cranston man pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Providence to a federal grand jury indictment charging him with possession and receipt of child pornography.
Steven Papazian, 31, of Cranston, was indicted on July 3, 2018, on one count each of possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography.
Papazian was released on GPS electronic monitoring following his arraignment before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
According to information presented to the court, it alleged that Papazian was downloading and sharing child pornography over the internet using multiple peer-to-peer network file sharing software programs. Forensic analysis identified more than 40,000 images and videos of child pornography, including prepubescent images and sadomasochistic images.
The indictment and arraignment of Steven Papazian are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations.
An indictment 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.
Possession of child pornography is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison, lifetime supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Receipt of child pornography is punishable by statutory penalties of 5 to 20 years in federal prison, lifetime supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Homeland Security Investigations.
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VA Medical Center Nurse Indicted, Arraigned for Allegedly Tampering with and Stealing Prescription OpioidsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A nurse employed at the Providence VA Medical Center was arraigned and pled not guilty today in U.S. District Court in Providence to a federal grand jury indictment charging him with stealing liquid opioids for his own personal use and replacing them with saline.
Jared Scott, 34, of West Warwick, was indicted on June 28, 2018, on one count each of tampering with consumer products and acquiring a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge.
Scott was released on unsecured bond following his arraignment before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
According to information presented to the court, Scott, as a Providence VA Medical Center nurse, had access to vials of liquid opioids for patient use. Scott would access the vials, often for patients that were not his, remove vials of the drug for his own personal use, and leave behind vials filled with saline.
The indictment and arraignment of Jared Scott are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Sean J. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General; and Jeffrey J. Ebersole, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
An indictment 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.
Tampering with a consumer product is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison, 3 years supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 4 years in federal prison, 1 year supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
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Pawtucket Woman Sentenced for Participation in Opioid Prescription ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Pawtucket woman who admitted to participating with three other individuals in a conspiracy to create fraudulent prescriptions for opioid pills using stolen medical practitioner identification numbers has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.
Victoria Rose-Coccia, 29, was also ordered to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of her term of incarceration. Rose-Coccia pleaded guilty on February 28, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute Oxycodone.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 108 to 135 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 44 months in prison.
According to information presented to the Court, between January 2014 and September 2016, Rose-Coccia participated in a conspiracy to create and fill fraudulent Oxycodone prescriptions. The fraudulently obtained pills were then sold to others.
At the time of her guilty plea, Rose-Coccia admitted to the Court that in addition to assisting in the overall operation of the conspiracy, she filled fraudulent Oxycodone prescriptions in her name which the group then sold.
Three other individuals, Michael Slonski, 48, of Johnston, and David Rose, 59, and Robert Rose, 52, of Providence, have pleaded guilty to charges related to their participation in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.
Rose-Coccia’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Jeffrey J. Ebersole, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
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Cranston Man Admits to Social Security Fraud, Opioid Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Cranston, R.I. man has admitted to collecting thousands of dollars in Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to which he was not entitled, and attempting to possess a significant quantity of Oxycodone pills with the intent of selling the pills to others.
Raymond Walker, 47, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count each of Social Security fraud and attempt to possess with the intent to distribute Oxycodone, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Jeffrey J. Ebersole, and Scott E. Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG).
According to information presented to the Court, Walker received $500 monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. SSI is meant to assist aged, blind, and disabled people who have little to no income. To be eligible, one has to be disabled, unable to engage in substantial gainful activity, and have limited income and resources.
The Social Security Administration takes into account a claimant’s resources and allows an individual to hold up to $2,000 worth of resources. “Income” includes money a claimant receives from work and other sources, such as friends and relatives. The claimant must notify the Social Security Administration of any significant changes in conditions affecting the receipt of benefits, to include work activity, as either an employee or self-employed individual.
According to information presented to the Court, on September 8, 2017, Walker was interviewed by a SSA claims specialist and informed the claims specialist that since July 2015 his only resource was a 1988 vehicle and a bank account with no more than $200 in it at any time. He told the interviewer that he received approximately $200 per month from family members to assist with personal expenses.
However, an investigation by FDA-OCI, SSA-OIG and the United States Attorney’s Office determined that between December 2013 and July 2017, $306,435 was deposited into Walker’s bank account. It was also determined that he owned a 2016 Audi.
As part of the investigation, on October 4, 2017, at the direction of FDA-OCI agents, a cooperating witness met the defendant at his mother’s house in Providence and sold the defendant 2 bottles containing 168 30 mg Oxycodone pills for $5,000. Upon receiving the pills, the defendant emptied the prescription bottles into a bottle of his own. The defendant did not have all the money at once and asked the cooperating witness to return later to receive full payment. When the cooperating witness returned, approximately an hour and a half later, the defendant informed the individual he had already received complaints regarding the strength of the pills.
Indeed, in that hour and a half, agents observed the defendant’s mother’s home and saw numerous individuals stopping in front of the house and engaging with the defendant to purchase the pills.
Walker is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on October 26, 2018. Social Security Fraud is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 5 years in federal prison, 3 years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Attempt to possess with the intent to distribute Oxycodone is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison, 3 years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
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