District of Rhode Island
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Pawtucket Accountant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Traffic Contraband Cigarettes and Conspiracy to Commit Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Bassam Kiriaki, 46, an accountant with offices located in Pawtucket, R.I., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence on Monday to participating in a conspiracy which trafficked $1.2 million dollars in contraband cigarettes into Rhode Island from Virginia and to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the food stamp program, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha.
Kiriaki and six other individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2013, charged with allegedly participating in a complex conspiracy to import cigarettes from Virginia into Rhode Island that were sold in convenience stores and other locations allegedly owned or operated by members of the conspiracy and others. The conspiracy allegedly resulted in the loss of more than $1 million dollars in Rhode Island state tax revenue.
The indictment also alleges that Kiriaki and others participated in various schemes and conspiracies to defraud other types of programs, including Social Security and the food stamp program.
At the time of his guilty plea, Bassam Kiriaki admitted to the court that he made false representations to law enforcement and created a false tax document in order to conceal the conspiracy. According to court records, on March 30, 2013, the Virginia State Police stopped an alleged co-conspirator and seized $30,000 in cash from his vehicle. After the stop and seizure, the FBI intercepted calls made by Kiriaki during which he agreed to call Virginia State Police and to tell them that the money was to buy merchandise for a “new” store in Virginia, Bad Boys Tobacco Stop, Inc. In other phone calls Kiriaki discussed how he would create or backdate documents, including an IRS form, to substantiate the false claim to the Virginia State Police. The tax form was then faxed to Virginia State Police.
In addition, at the time of his guilty plea, Kiriaki admitted to the court that he participated in a conspiracy and that he filed fraudulent documents with the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service so that a convenience store owned by a co-conspirator could maintain participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as an approved vendor, even though the store had been previously disqualified. The documents intentionally misrepresented the true owners of the business.
Bassam, who pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to traffic contraband cigarettes and conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6, 2014, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith. Each charge is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 5 years in federal prison followed by up to 3 years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Ferland and Ly T. Chin.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Rhode Island State Police, FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
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[email protected]Woonsocket Resident Detained for Allegedly Trafficking Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Alfredo Balestier-Sanchez, aka Negro, 32, of Woonsocket, was ordered detained today by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on federal charges of possessing and trafficking fentanyl and heroin. Sanchez was arrested Tuesday evening by members of the Woonsocket Police Department and the RI DEA Drug Task Force following a one month investigation during which time Sanchez allegedly sold fentanyl on at least three occasions to a person cooperating with law enforcement.
The investigation and arrest of Sanchez was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas S. Carey and John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England field division.
According to an affidavit in support of an arrest warrant and criminal complaint charging Sanchez with three counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of distribution of heroin, between February 12 and February 20, 2014, at the direction and under the supervision of the Woonsocket Police Department’s Vice/Narcotics Unit and the DEA Drug Task Force, a person cooperating with law enforcement allegedly made three purchases of varying amounts of fentanyl from Sanchez. One of the packets allegedly purchased from Sanchez also tested positive for the presence of heroin.
According to the affidavit filed with court, Woonsocket Police and members of the DEA Drug Task Force executed a court authorized federal search warrant at Sanchez’s Woonsocket residence on Tuesday evening where they seized four packets of fentanyl stashed inside a deodorant tube and items used in the packaging and distribution of fentanyl and heroin.
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.
If convicted, Sanchez faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison followed by between 3 years and lifetime supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000 on each charge of distribution of fentanyl, distribution of heroin and possession with the intent to deliver fentanyl.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela E. Chin.
The DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of law enforcement agents and officers from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and the Cranston, East Providence, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick and Woonsocket Police Departments.
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[email protected]Cranston Man Ordered Detained in Federal Custody After Federal and Local Law Enforcement Seize 93 Grams of FentanylRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Victor Sena, aka “V,” 35, of Cranston, R.I., was ordered detained in federal custody today by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond, having been charged with possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New England Field Division.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed with the court, Sena was arrested on Monday after DEA agents and local and state law enforcement officers assigned to the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force seized 93 grams of fentanyl found stashed in a bag of rice in Sena’s Cranston residence.
According to the affidavit, during the month of March 2014, the DEA, in collaboration with the Cranston, East Providence, Providence and Woonsocket Police Departments, conducted an investigation into the alleged distribution of heroin and fentanyl in the City of Cranston. Information developed by DEA agents and drug task force members indicated that Sena was allegedly distributing heroin and/or fentanyl. DEA agents and members of the drug task force executed a court authorized search of Sena’s residence on Monday and seized 5 plastic bags containing a total of 93 grams of fentanyl found stashed inside a container of rice in the kitchen.
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 Pamela E. Chin.
Possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute is punishable by a statutory penalty of up 20 years in federal prison followed by between 3 years and lifetime supervised release, and a fine of up to 1,000,000.
The DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of law enforcement agents and officers from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and the Cranston, East Providence, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick and Woonsocket Police Departments.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Central Falls Resident’s 10-Year Federal Prison Sentence on Drug Trafficking, Firearm and Money Laundering Convictions Increased by 5 Years for Home Invasion and RobberyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Napoleon Andrade, 32, of Central Falls, who is currently incarcerated while serving a 10-year federal prison sentence for drug trafficking, money laundering, theft of government property and federal firearm violations was enhanced today by 63 months for his role in a March 2010 home invasion in Stamford, Connecticut, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Divisionof the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell ordered Andrade to serve 31 months of the newly imposed sentence consecutive to the 10-year sentence he is currently serving. The additional 32 months were ordered to be served concurrently. Andrade pleaded guilty on December 11, 2013, to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery.According to court records, in 2009 and 2010, Andrade was the target of an unrelated, long-term federal, state and local law enforcement investigation into his suspected drug trafficking activities. During a March 8, 2010, conversation surreptitiously recorded by law enforcement, Andrade discussed his participation in home invasions in Connecticut and New York. Andrade provided significant details of the home invasion in Connecticut which ATF agents used to track down accounts of the incident. The victim of the home invasion, a 78-year-old man who was well known to Stamford Police as being an associate of the Gambino crime family, was bound and blindfolded. According to the victim, the attackers, who gained entrance to home purporting to be deliveryman, stole more than $200,000 worth of jewelry, more than $16,000 in cash and a double-barreled shotgun.
According to information presented to the court, the home invasion was planned in a growing dispute over a loansharking debt that had grown to be in excess of $300,000. Andrade was brought in to provide “muscle” during the home invasion.
Gennaro Mieli, 61, of Niantic, CT., is awaiting trial in U.S. District Court in Providence on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit robbery and witness intimidation; Stephen Conti, 42, of Swansea, Mass., is awaiting sentencing, having pleaded guilty on September 26, 2013, to a one count indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit robbery.
In August 2011, in unrelated matters, Andrade admitted in court to the facts that were the basis for charges contained in three federal indictments and three informations. The charges were the result of several ATF led investigations, and several joint federal, state and local investigations. Some of the investigations included “sting operations” and the use of electronic surveillance equipment.
According to information presented to the court, in January 2010, Rhode Island State Police became aware of the presence of a kilogram of cocaine hidden under a treadmill in a gym in the Central Falls apartment building in which Andrade lived. Andrade admitted that he made statements, in a conversation monitored by ATF agents, that the cocaine was his.
Additionally, Andrade admitted to the court that in March 2010, he broke into a vehicle in Central Falls which he believed contained 100 grams of sham crack cocaine; $500 in cash; and purported stolen jewelry. The car was placed on a street in Central Falls by ATF agents as part of a “sting operation.”
Andrade also admitted to the court that in April 2010, he provided a fully loaded .357 caliber revolver to a person working with government agents, with the intent that the firearm be used in a “drug-rip” of a kilogram of cocaine from a home in Connecticut.
Andrade also admitted that in December 2009, he and a person working with government agents broke into a storage unit in North Providence that was rented by the ATF. They stole 840 cartons of cigarettes valued at over $30,000, which were owned by the Government. Andrade planned the break-in and provided funds to purchase bolt cutters that were used to open the storage unit.
Andrade also admitted that in December 2009, he sold one pound of marijuana for $1,000 cash to a person working with government agents. An additional fifteen one pound packages of marijuana were observed inside Andrade’s residence at the time of the purchase.
At the time of Andrade’s guilty pleas in August 2011, he admitted to the court that his principal source of income was derived from drug trafficking and other crimes, and that he had committed the crime of money laundering in the purchase of a $42,000 automobile for which he paid cash.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gerard B. Sullivan and Adi Goldstein.
United States Attorney Peter Neronha acknowledged and thanked the Rhode Island State Police, Central Falls Police, Pawtucket Police, Providence Police, North Providence Police, Stamford, CT., Police and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut for their assistance in the investigations and prosecutions of these matters.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Former Central Falls Mayor Pleads Guilty to Soliciting and Accepting A Bribe; Court Vacates Conviction for Accepting GratuitiesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Former Central Falls Mayor Charles D. Moreau pleaded guilty in federal court today to soliciting and accepting a bribe from longtime friend, businessman and political supporter Michael G. Bouthillette. Moreau admitted to the court that he participated in a corruption scheme in which the former mayor accepted goods and services from Mr. Bouthillette in exchange for directing and providing board-up work on more than 160 properties in Central Falls between 2007 and 2009.
Moreau’s November 2012 conviction and sentence for accepting gratuities from Mr. Bouthillette in this matter was vacated by the court today on a defense motion citing a recent First Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in an unrelated case which found that the statute that Moreau pleaded guilty to violating is not applicable to gratuities.
After pleading guilty to soliciting and accepting a bribe, Moreau was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to time served on the previous conviction of nearly 12 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years supervised release; 300 hours of community service to the City of Central Falls; and a fine of $25,000. Moreau had previously been sentenced to 24 months in prison. Moreau remains a convicted felon.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin and Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police announced Moreau’s guilty plea to a charge of accepting a bribe and sentence.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Moreau admitted to the court that beginning in September 2007 he ordered that all vacated homes in Central Falls be boarded up by Michael Bouthillette, a longtime friend and political supporter. Moreau admitted that he circumvented the State requirement that such work go out for competitive bidding by declaring that each vacant home presented as an “emergency” necessitating an immediate board-up.
An investigation conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office and the Rhode Island State Police found that from approximately September 2007 to July 2009, Bouthillette boarded up at least 167 homes. Bouthillette submitted an invoice to the City of Central Falls for each board-up, at which time a lien was placed on the subject property for the amount of the invoice. As foreclosed properties were sold and the liens discharged, Central Falls would pay Bouthillette. The scheme allowed Bouthillette to make unreasonable profits amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
At the time of his guilty plea in November 2012, Bouthillette admitted to the court that as a reward to the former mayor for providing him with the board-up work, on three occasions he gave Moreau things of value. Bouthillette admitted that in March 2009, he assisted Moreau in obtaining a furnace for Moreau’s Central Falls residence for which Bouthillette admitted that he contributed at least a portion of the purchase price; Bouthillette admitted that, from March to November of 2009, he provided numerous renovations and repairs to a Lincoln residence owned by Moreau which Moreau never paid for; and Bouthillette admitted to the court that in April 2010, he provided flood remediation work at Moreau’s Lincoln home which Moreau never paid for. Moreau admitted to the court that he accepted each of these gratuities from Bouthillette.Bouthillette, whose conviction and sentence are unaffected by today’s court actions, was sentenced to 3 years of probation, including 2,000 hours of community service to the residents of Central Falls – the equivalent of one year of fulltime employment without pay - and a fine of $5,000. The court also ordered Bouthillette to provide the Rhode Island Foundation with a payment of $160,000 to establish an endowment of charitable funds for the residents of Central Falls for public safety, housing and education programs. In addition, Bouthillette is prohibited from collecting more than $275,000 in liens placed on properties for board-up work he performed for which he yet to be paid. The court ordered that any remaining funds to be collected by Bouthillette are to be provided to the City of Central Falls.
The cases were prosecuted jointly by the government and the state in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General J. Patrick Youngs.
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Missouri Man Pleads Guilty in Rhode Island to Federal Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. –Stephen Ardrey, 30, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., today to transporting a 17-year old female from the Boston area into Rhode Island with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Ardrey was arrested on September 12, 2013, when he was located walking with the victim along a Coventry, R.I., highway three days after the victim had been reported missing from her Medfield, Mass., home.
Ardrey, who pleaded guilty to one count each of trafficking a person under the age of 18 and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, faces a sentence of between 10 years to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 15, 2014.
Ardrey’s guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations for New England; West Greenwich, R.I., Police Chief Richard N. Ramsay; Coventry, R.I., Police Chief Bryan J. Volpe; Warwick, R.I., Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney; and Medfield, Mass., Police Chief Robert E. Meaney, Jr.
According to information presented to the court, the victim met Stephen Ardrey in December 2012 in an online chat room. In January 2013, Ardrey told the victim that he had girls who worked for him as escorts. Over time communications between the victim and Ardrey via email and an online service called “TextNow” intensified in frequency, and became sexual in nature and explicitly. As the communications continued, Ardrey discussed selling the victim in order to make money so they could “go away” together.
According to the government’s evidence presented to the court, on September 9, 2013, the victim met Stephen Ardrey at the public library in Medfield, Mass. Video surveillance at the library showed the victim leaving with Ardrey late that afternoon. The victim was reported missing by her parents later that evening. After leaving the library, the victim and Ardrey traveled to Boston where Ardrey picked up money that had been wired to him by an associate in Missouri, who had worked as an escort for Ardrey in the past. The victim and Ardrey then traveled to Providence by train and then to a West Greenwich motel where a room had been reserved by Ardrey’s associate in Missouri.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning on September 10, 2013, Ardrey posted an advertisement on backpage.com as well as on other websites that displayed provocative photographs of the victim with an advertising banner which read “Sweet girl next door -19.” The text of the advertisement read: “Hey everyone! I’m the new girl in town. I am your sweet cute girl next door. So come see me. Older gentlemen only. 45 years of age and older.”
The investigation revealed that while the victim was in the motel room in West Greenwich, Ardrey had sexual contact with her on several occasions. According to the victim, Ardrey gave her “pointers” and “instructions” on different sex acts so that she could better respond when she worked as an escort. At least one person responded to the Internet ad and negotiated a price with Ardrey of $40 and two packages of cigarettes for an hour with the victim. The person visited with the victim on two occasions. During the second encounter, Ardrey remained outside the door until after the individual left, at which time he collected the payment from the victim.
On September 13, 2013, at about 6:30 a.m., the Coventry Police Department received a call from a local resident who observed a male and a female who fit the description of the reported missing girl from Medfield, Mass., walking along Rte.3 in Coventry. A responding officer recognized the young woman as being the missing person from Medfield, Mass. Ardrey provided the officer a Missouri identification card. The victim, who was nor carrying any identification, initially identified herself as “Rose,” the same name used in the backpage.com advertisement. According to the Coventry police officer, Ardrey instructed the victim to give her true name to the officer, which she did. Ardrey admitted to the officer that the victim was the same girl whose picture had been shown on television and who had been reported missing.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adi Goldstein. The matter is being heard by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, West Greenwich, Coventry and Warwick, R.I., Police Departments, and the Medfield, Mass., Police Department, with the assistance of the Boston Police Department.
Stephen Ardrey has been detained in federal custody since his arrest by Coventry police.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]AdvisoryRead the Press Release
The attached documents in the matter of the United States of America vs. Charles D. Moreau were filed today with the U.S. District Court in Providence.
The matter is scheduled to be heard by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., at 9 AM on Friday, February 28, 2014.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to Nearly Nine Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Scott Niemic, 36, of Swansea, Mass., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 105 months in federal prison for committing five “note-job” bank robberies in Rhode Island and Massachuetts in a span of twenty-six days in March and April 2012. A “note-job” robbery occurs when a note demanding money is passed but no weapon is shown.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Niemic to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Niemic pleaded guilty on October 9, 2013, to five counts of bank robbery.
Niemic’s sentence was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI, and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney.
At the time of his guilty plea, Niemic admitted to robbing a Plymouth, Mass., bank on March 22, 2012, of $4,923; a second bank in Plymouth on March 27 of $3,592; a Warwick, R.I., bank on April 3 of $8,100; a Bellingham, Mass., bank on April 10 of $5,045; and a Wellesley, Mass., bank on April 16 of $5,453.
According to information presented to the court, Niemic entered each of the banks wearing black wrap-around sunglasses and a baseball cap, and handed a note to a bank employee that stated that he was armed, that he was demanding money and that no dye packs were to be included with the cash. In some instances Niemic verbally told bank employees that he was armed. In four of the robberies, Niemic kept a cell phone to his ear purporting to be having a conversation with another person.
According to information presented to the court, investigators determined that the note left at the scene of the Warwick robbery on April 3 was written on a piece of paper torn from a receipt for motor vehicle excise taxes paid in Old Town, Maine. The investigation determined that the car was registered to Scott Niemic’s mother and that the defendant, who was living in Swansea, had possession of the vehicle. On April 4, police executed a court authorized search of the vehicle. Among the items seized was a piece of paper that matched the torn paper handed to the bank employee the day before. Police learned that Scott Niemic was also in possession of a second vehicle.
On April 23, 2012, an FBI agent who was a member of the law enforcement team investigating the bank robberies spotted Niemic operating a vehicle on Rte. 24 in Massachusetts and contacted Massachusetts State Police for assistance. A state trooper attempted to stop Niemic’s vehicle but Niemic refused to stop, instead fleeing onto the streets of Fall River. Niemic was apprehended after driving at speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour and crashing his vehicle. Investigators recovered nearly $8,100 in cash from Niemic’s vehicle.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha acknowledged the cooperation and assistance in the prosecution of this case by the offices of Plymouth County, Mass., District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Norfolk County, Mass., District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey; and Worcester County, Mass., District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.
The bank robberies were investigated by the FBI, and the Warwick, R.I., Plymouth, Mass., Bellingham, Mass., and Wellesley, Mass, Police Departments, with the assistance of Swansea and Westport, Mass., Police and the Massachusetts State Police.###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Two Retailers Sentenced to Prison for Food Stamp Fraud, Nine Others to Be SentencedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two convenience store retailers have been sentenced to federal prison, nine other convenience store owners, managers and employees are scheduled to be sentenced in March, April and May, all having pleaded guilty to federal food stamp fraud charges brought as the result of a sweeping two-year federal investigation into various conspiracies to defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as the food stamp program.
In September 2013, United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Retailer Investigations Branch; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; and the Rhode Island State Police announced the results of a sweeping investigation of convenience store owners, employees and others for their participation in various conspiracies and actions that defrauded the food stamp program of more than $3 million dollars.
The investigation revealed that store owners and/or employees allowed SNAP benefit recipients to use their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to exchange their SNAP benefits for cash, a violation of the program’s laws and regulations. In return, the defendants added a surcharge to the recipients’ withdrawal of SNAP benefits, usually an amount equal to that of the amount of cash benefit received by the recipient.
On Friday, Asra Qadir and Waqif Qadir, owners of Express Food Mart in Warwick, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the food stamp program, and Amir Rasheed, owner of Stop & Go convenience store in Providence, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the food stamp program, food stamp fraud and money laundering. Asra and Waqif Qadir are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi on May 15. Amir Rasheed is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22.
On December 19, 2013, Cristina Ramirez, owner of Cristina’s Market in Providence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi to12 months and 1 day in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years supervised release – the first 6 months to be served in home confinement, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $399,000 to the food stamp program. Ramirez pleaded guilty on October 4, 2013, to conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and money laundering.
Glenda Lopez, owner of the Dugout convenience store in Providence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi on December 19, 2013, to 18 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years supervised release – the first 6 months to be served in home confinement, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $398,000 to the food stamp program. Lopez pleaded guilty on October 4, 2013, to conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, money laundering and filing a false tax return.
, an employee of Stop & Go in Providence, pleaded guilty on December 9, 2013, to one count each of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and making false statements. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7; , manager of Corner Store in Providence, pleaded guilty on December 17, 2013, to one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6; , manager of Stop & Go in Providence pleaded guilty on December 20, 2014, to one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and seven counts of food stamp fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2014; , owner of the Corner Store and the Regency Mart in Providence, pleaded guilty on February 4 to one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, three counts of food stamp fraud, eight counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1;, an employee of the Regency Mart convenience store, pleaded guilty on February 4 to one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and four counts each of food stamp fraud and wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1; and , an employee of the Regency Mart convenience store, pleaded guilty on February 7 to one count of food stamp fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 2.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Richard B. Myrus.###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Warwick Resident Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Leonard O’Neill, 58, of Warwick, R.I., was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, and Cheryl DiPrizio, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Field Office of the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi ordered O’Neill to serve 10 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. O’Neill pleaded guilty on October 17, 2013.
According to information presented to the court, in May 2012, members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force were conducting an on-line Internet investigation of file-sharing networks to identify users possessing and sharing child pornography. On May 21, 2012, a Special Agent from NCIS assigned to the ICAC task force observed 235 files of child pornography being shared from an IP address in Warwick, R.I. The agent made a direct connection to the IP address and downloaded two image files and two zip files containing dozens of images of child pornography. The IP address was later identified as belonging to the defendant.
According to information presented to the court, on November 28, 2012, federal, state and local law enforcement members of the ICAC task force executed a court authorized search of the defendant’s Warwick residence and seized a laptop computer, two desktop computers, a video camera and two external hard drives. A forensic analysis of the computers and hard drives revealed 15,000 images and 2,430 videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts with adult males, including images involving infants, bondage and bestiality. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is attempting to determine the identity of the victims.
Leonard, who was not at home at the time his residence was searched, was arrested a short time later by members of the ICAC task force at his place of employment.
Leonard, who was released to home confinement on $50,000 secured bond following his arraignment in federal court on July 11, 2013, wasordered to self-surrender by March 20, 2014, to begin serving his term of imprisonment.The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force actively engages in investigative efforts to identify subjects involved in child exploitation-related activities. The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force Program, funded by the Department of Justice, is administered by the Rhode Island State Police and supports a national network of multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task forces engaged in investigations, forensic examinations, and prosecutions related to Internet crimes against children and technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation.
The Rhode Island ICAC task force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Bristol, Coventry, Jamestown, Middletown, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Warwick, and Woonsocket Police Departments, and agents from Homeland Security Investigations, United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service and United States Postal Inspection Services
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Woonsocket Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Christopher Marion, 26, of Woonsocket, R.I., was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Cheryl DiPrizio, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Field Office of the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police made the announcement.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith ordered Marion to serve 10 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Marion pleaded guilty on August 23, 2013, to one count of possession of child pornography.
According to information presented to the court, in June 2012, a Special Agent from NCIS was conducting an on-line Internet investigation of file-sharing networks to identify users possessing and sharing child pornography. The agent observed numerous files of child pornography being shared from an IP address in Woonsocket, R.I. The agent made a direct connection to the IP address and downloaded two movie files containing child pornography. The IP address was later identified as belonging to the defendant’s residence.
On November 16, 2012, a court authorized search of the defendant’s residence by agents from Homeland Security Investigations resulted in the seizure of a laptop computer. A forensic analysis of the computer revealed that it contained 552 images and 52 videos of prepubescent females engaged in sexual acts with adult males.
Marion was arrested by HSI agents on June 13, 2013, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with receipt and distribution of child pornography.
Marion, who was released to home confinement at the time of his arrest and initial appearance in federal court, was ordered to self-surrender by March 10, 2014, to begin serving his term of imprisonment.The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force assisted NCIS and HSI agents in the investigation of this matter.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
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[email protected]Lookout in Hobbs Act Robbery and Murder of Woonsocket Gas Station Manager Sentenced to 15 ½ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Kelley M. Lajoie, 35, formerly of Springfield, Mass., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 188 months in federal prison for her role as lookout in the September 2010 armed robbery and murder of Woonsocket gas station manager David D. Main.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Vincent B. Lisi of the FBI’s Boston Field Office, Col. Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, and Chief Thomas S. Carey of the Woonsocket Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, on September 20, 2010, Main, 49, was chased, shot to death at close range and robbed by Jason Wayne Pleau, 36, of Providence, as he approached the doorstep of a Woonsocket bank where he was preparing to deposit more than $12,500 dollars in cash belonging to the gas station. Lajoie admitted to the court that she acted as a lookout and alerted Jason Pleau when Mr. Main left the gas station to travel to the bank.
According to information presented to the court, earlier on the morning of September 20, 2010, Pleau, Lajoie and a third co-defendant, Jose Santiago, the getaway driver, visited the gas station to identify Mr. Main and to identify his car. After making a dry run with Pleau, Lajoie drove Pleau to an area near the back of the bank and dropped him off. Meanwhile, Santiago waited in a nearby cul-de-sac in a white box truck to be used by Pleau and Santiago to flee after the robbery.
Lajoie admitted to the court that she waited in her car across the street from the Shell gas station for David Main to leave. When he did, Lajoie placed a call to Jason Pleau and followed Mr. Main to the bank. Lajoie later reunited with Pleau and Santiago at an apartment in Providence. Lajoie admitted to the court that she and Santiago shared in about half of the more than $12,500 dollars in cash taken from Mr. Main by Jason Pleau.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Lajoie to serve 5 years supervised release upon completion of her prison term. Lajoie pleaded guilty on December 9, 2011, to one count each of Hobbs Act conspiracy; aiding and abetting a Hobbs Act robbery; and use of a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence.
Pleau, who pleaded guilty on July 31, 2013, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and carrying, using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence resulting in death was sentenced in October 2013 to serve life in federal prison.
Santiago, who pleaded guilty on Sept. 5, 2013, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence resulting in death was sentenced on February 13, 2014, to 40 years in federal prison.
The matter was investigated by the Woonsocket Police Department, Rhode Island State Police and the FBI, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rhode Island National Guard.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adi Goldstein and William J. Ferland of the District of Rhode Island and Trial Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section.###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Getaway Driver in Hobbs Act Robbery and Murder of Woonsocket Gas Station Manager Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jose A. Santiago, 36, of Springfield, Mass., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., to serve 40 years in prison for his role in the September 2010 armed robbery and murder of Woonsocket gas station manager David D. Main.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Vincent B. Lisi of the FBI’s Boston Field Office, Col. Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, and Chief Thomas S. Carey of the Woonsocket Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Main, 49, was chased, shot to death at close range and robbed by Jason Wayne Pleau, 36, of Providence, as he approached the doorstep of a Woonsocket bank where he was preparing to deposit thousands of dollars in cash belonging to the gas station. Santiago was the getaway driver of a box truck parked a block away from the bank in which Pleau fled moments after he robbed and fatally shot Mr. Main.
Pleau, who pleaded guilty on July 31, 2013, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and carrying, using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence resulting in death was sentenced in October 2013 to serve life in federal prison.
Santiago pleaded guilty on Sept. 5, 2013, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence resulting in death. No plea agreement was filed in this matter. At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Santiago to serve 5 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
Co-defendant Kelly Marie Lajoie, 36, of Springfield, pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2011, to Hobbs Act conspiracy, aiding and abetting a Hobbs Act robbery and use of a firearm during a federal crime of violence. Lajoie is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 19, 2014.
The matter was investigated by the Woonsocket Police Department, Rhode Island State Police and the FBI, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rhode Island National Guard.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adi Goldstein and William J. Ferland of the District of Rhode Island and Trial Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section.###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Rhode Island State Probation Officer Convicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. –A Rhode Island state probation officer assigned to the sex offender unit was convicted by a federal court jury in Providence on Monday on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. Gerald J. Silva, 59, of Coventry, was convicted on six counts of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Shelly Binkowski, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Coventry Police Chief Bryan J. Volpe; and Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
A joint investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Toronto Police Service, dubbed Operation Spade, resulted in the discovery of more than 10,000 customers who had videos shipped to the United States. Silva was arrested in September 2012 by U.S. Postal Inspectors when the investigation revealed that Silva was among the list of individuals who had purchased videos depicting child pornography from a Toronto based company and had the videos shipped to addresses in the United States.
According to the government’s evidence presented to the jury during nearly three days of testimony, in May 2011 Toronto Police Service detectives executed a court authorized search warrant at the business premises of Azov Films, which was producing child pornographic DVDs and selling them in over 90 countries. Detectives obtained Azov Films’ business records, which revealed that Silva was a customer.
The evidence revealed that between October 2011 and April 2012, Silva purchased 75 different videos depicting child pornography in 22 separate orders for $1,589 via the Toronto company's website. The videos, depicting minor and prepubescent males involving the lascivious exhibitions of the genitals, were shipped to Silva’s Coventry residence.
According to the government’s evidence, Postal Inspectors, assisted by Coventry Police and Rhode Island State Police troopers and officers from the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, executed a court authorized federal search warrant at Silva’s residence on September 27, 2012, at which time they seized numerous DVDs depicting child pornography and a laptop computer.
Silva argued to the jury that he ordered and collected the videos as part of a project he had undertaken in his role as a state probation officer. The jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges after less than one hour of deliberations on Monday afternoon.
Receipt of child pornography is punishable by a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and up to lifetime supervised release; possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.
Silva is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on May 16, 2014. At the Government’s request, Silva was ordered detained following his conviction.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the State of Rhode Island and the R.i. Department of Corrections Alleging Race and National Origin DiscriminationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced the filing of a lawsuit today against the State of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) alleging that the defendants are engaged in a pattern or practice of employment discrimination against African-Americans and Hispanics in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). Specifically, the lawsuit challenges the defendants’ use of a written examination and a video examination to screen and select applicants for entry-level correction officer (CO) positions at RIDOC as part of the department’s ongoing efforts to ensure that state and local government employers utilize non-discriminatory assessment tools in their hiring practices.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, alleges that the defendants require applicants for entry-level CO positions at RIDOC to undertake a multi-step selection process that includes, among other things, a written examination and a video examination taken on the same day. The complaint further alleges that the manner in which the defendants use the written and video examinations as part of their multi-step selection process disproportionately screens out African-American and Hispanic applicants, resulting in an unjustified disparate impact against these applicants.
Title VII not only prohibits intentional discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin and religion, but also prohibits employment practices that result in a disparate impact upon a protected group, unless the employer can prove that such practices validly predict an applicant’s ability to perform a job or there is a less discriminatory alternative that the employer can use. The department’s complaint states that the manner in which the defendants use the written and video examinations violates Title VII because such use is not “job related or consistent with business necessity,” as the law requires, and does not validly enable the employer to identify those applicants who are qualified for entry-level CO positions at RIDOC.
The department shares the goal of enabling public employers to hire qualified applicants to perform their critical public safety functions. In light of its findings and this shared goal, the department is seeking a court order requiring the defendants to stop using the challenged written and video examinations, develop selection procedures for entry-level CO positions at RIDOC that comply with Title VII and provide make-whole relief including, where appropriate, offers of hire, back pay and retroactive seniority, to African-Americans and Hispanics who have been or will be harmed as a result of the defendants’ use of the challenged examinations.
“Bringing an end to practices that have an unjustified discriminatory impact on the basis of race or national origin is a major priority of the Department of Justice,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “Employers must be able to show that examinations like those at issue here, that disproportionately screen out large numbers of African-American and Hispanic applicants, validly distinguish between qualified and unqualified applicants for the job. Otherwise, the examinations will not serve the employer’s purposes and will violate the law.”
Additional information about Title VII and other federal employment laws is available on the Civil Rights Division’s Web site at http://www.justice.gov/crt/.
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]United States Attorney Peter Neronha Announces Leadership Team AppointmentsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha today announced the appointment of Assistant United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch to the position of First Assistant United States Attorney. The position was most recently held by Kenneth P. Madden, who retired on January 31, 2014, after serving thirty-eight years in public service as a prosecutor.
Mr. Dambruch, who was appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney in January 2004 and Criminal Division Chief in February 2007, served a 10-month detail for the Department of Justice in the Regime Crimes Liaison Office in Iraq beginning in December 2005. Prior to his appointment as an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Dambruch served as a state prosecutor, including appointments as Chief of the Narcotics Prosecution Unit, Chief of the Newport County Office, Chief Prosecutor, and Deputy Criminal Chief. Mr. Dambruch is a 1982 graduate of Providence College and received his law degree from Boston College Law School in 1985.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha today also announced the appointment of Assistant United States Attorney Adi Goldstein to the position of Criminal Division Chief. AUSA Goldstein, who joined the United States Attorney’s Office in September 2002, and who was appointed Criminal Division Deputy Chief and lead Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Attorney in October 2009, also supervised the white collar crime unit which includes financial crimes, public corruption, health care fraud, and child exploitation cases.
Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office, Ms. Goldstein served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and as a law clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Ms. Goldstein is a 1995 graduate of Harvard University and received her law degree from Columbia School of Law in 1999.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha today also announced the appointment of Assistant United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus to the position of Civil Division Chief. The position of Civil Division Chief was most recently held by former Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Iannotti, who retired after thirty-one years of public service with the Department of Justice.
Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office in May 2007, Mr. Myrus was a partner in two Boston law firms specializing in patent litigation and served as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. A veteran, Mr. Myrus served in the United States Navy where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant as a helicopter aircraft commander and officer-in-charge of a helicopter detachment. Mr. Myrus was awarded the United Nations Humanitarian Service medal for the rescue of Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea and the National Defense Service Medal for the training of pilots during Operation Desert Storm.
Mr. Myrus, who is a 1984 graduate of Columbia University and a 1992 graduate of the University of San Diego, earned his law degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1995.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, “I have worked with these three outstanding Assistant United States Attorneys for many years, some of them for over a decade. They are highly intelligent, motivated and experienced attorneys, and I am confident that they will serve the people of Rhode Island extraordinarily well.”
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Pawtucket Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jamal Bannister, 20, of Pawtucket, R.I., and Dorchester, Mass., was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Pawtucket Police Chief Paul King.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith also ordered Bannister to serve 3 years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. Bannister pleaded guilty on October 17, 2013, to one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. No plea agreement was filed in this matter.
According to information presented to the court at the time of Bannister’s guilty plea, on June 27, 2013, members of the Pawtucket Police Department executed a court authorized search warrant at Bannisters residence. While searching the defendant’s bedroom, a Pawtucket detective discovered and seized a loaded .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol and additional ammunition. The serial number on the firearm had been ground off and was unreadable.
Jamal Bannister has been detained since his arrest. According to information presented to the court, records of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts show that Bannister was convicted of crimes punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year in December 2011.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen G. Dambruch and Adi Goldstein.
An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted Pawtucket Police Department detectives in the investigation of this matter.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]First Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth P. Madden Retires After Nearly 28 Years as Federal ProsecutorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – First Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth P. Madden, a federal prosecutor for nearly twenty-eight years, is retiring from public service today after serving a total of thirty-eight years as a local prosecutor. Mr. Madden served as a Rhode Island state prosecutor for ten years prior to his appointment as an Assistant United States Attorney in 1986.
Since joining the United States Attorney’s office in January 1986, Mr. Maddenhas served at various times as Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force, Senior Litigation Counsel and First Assistant U.S. Attorney. From 1975 until January 1986, Mr. Madden served as a Special Assistant Rhode Island Attorney General and an Assistant Rhode Island Attorney General. Mr. Madden is a 1972 graduate of Providence College and received his law degree from St. John’s University in 1975.
“During my four-plus years as United States Attorney, I have turned to Ken Madden nearly every day for his advice and counsel. There has never been a finer First Assistant United States Attorney. His combination of experience, wisdom and grace cannot be replaced,” said United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha.
United States Attorney Neronha added, “All Rhode Islanders should be grateful for the nearly forty years that Ken has worked tirelessly and with great distinction on their behalf. If the story of Ken Madden and his public service is ever written, those who have never met Ken will surely wish that they had.”
First Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth P. Madden was recently recognized by United States Attorney General Eric Holder and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director H. Marshall Jarrett with a 2013 Director’s Award, the most prestigious individual award presented jointly by the United States Attorney General and EOUSA.
First Assistant Kenneth P. Madden remarked, “I am very grateful to United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha for the faith and trust he had in me to appoint me as his First Assistant, and I consider myself very fortunate to have worked alongside so many dedicated federal and state prosecutors, support staff and law enforcement officers these many years.”
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Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Crack Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I.– Ulicssye Towns, aka Voomp, 35, of Providence, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Thursday to 60 months in federal prison for trafficking crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, J Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Divisionof the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
Towns was arrested by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Providence Police in May 2012, following an undercover investigation into his drug trafficking activities.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also sentenced Towns to serve 5 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Towns pleaded guilty on November 6, 2013, to one count of possession with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
According to information presented to the court at the time of Towns’ guilty plea, a lengthy investigation into Towns’ drug trafficking activities resulted in at least five purchases of crack cocaine from Towns by a confidential source who was working at the direction of ATF agents and Providence Police. As a result of those purchases, and additional information gathered by law enforcement, ATF agents and the U.S. Atorney’s Office obtained a court authorized federal search warrant for Towns’ Providence residence and his vehicle. A search of the residence and vehicle on May 2, 2012, resulted in the seizure of nearly 16 grams of crack cocaine found stuffed inside a shoe inside the residence and more than 19 grams of crack cocaine stashed in the housing surrounding the emergency parking break inside of Towns’ vehicle.
Towns has been detained in federal custody since his arrest.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Manufacturer and Distributor of Child Pornography Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – David Crisostomi, 38, of East Providence, R.I., was sentenced on Wednesday to 35 years in federal prison for using a prepubescent minor to manufacture child pornography and for possessing and distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Crisostomi to serve lifetime supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Crisostomo pleaded guilty on March 12, 2013, to three counts of production of child pornography and one count each of possession and distribution of child pornography. At the time of his guilty plea, Crisostomi admitted to the court that on at least three occasions he participated in the recording of child pornography with a prepubescent minor, and that he downloaded and shared child pornography with others.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, "A child's innocence, once taken, can never be fully recovered. The defendant preyed on the most vulnerable and the most deserving of our protection. Every day of his very long sentence is warranted. I want to thank all those who helped bring this defendant to justice, in particular the men and women from various law enforcement agencies who make up the Rhode Island State Police ICAC and the FBI, who consistently demonstrate extraordinary leadership in this critical area."
According to information presented to the court, on January 6, 2012, an undercover agent from the FBI’s Innocent Images Operations Unit observed that a user later identified as David Crisostomi was online and was sharing two folders containing child pornography. Three days later, an undercover agent observed that Crisostomi was online and was now sharing four folders containing child pornography.
On February 16, 2012, agents from the FBI and the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a federal search warrant at Crisostomi’s residence and seized numerous images and videos depicting child pornography, computers and other electronic devices.
Crisostomi has been detained in federal custody since his arrest on February 16, 2012.
Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police commented, “The underlying facts uncovered in this investigation resulted in this sentence. For more than the next three decades, this defendant will not be a threat to any children, which is comforting. I commend the investigators from the State Police ICAC Task Force, the FBI Agents and the prosecutors for bringing a predator to justice.”
“Mr. Crisostomi will sit for 35 years where he belongs,” said Vincent Lisi, the FBI Special Agent in Charge who is responsible for the FBI in Rhode Island. “The public should know we have many deeply committed special agents actively searching for individuals of Mr. Crisostomi’s kind. For others like him, his sentence should be a clear warning that there is nothing more important to the Rhode Island State Police, United States Attorney’s Office and FBI than ensuring the safety and protection of our children from those who harm them. We spare no effort when innocent children are manipulated or harmed by adults.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Two Detained on Federal Drug Trafficking Charges, Rhode Island FBI Safe Streets Task Force Seizes Two Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – – Jose E. Lopez Mauricio, aka “Flaco,” 28, of Warwick, R.I., and Jorge Guzman-Rivera, 28, of New Bedford, Mass., have been ordered detained in federal custody on drug trafficking charges following their arrest and the seizure of two kilos of cocaine by the Rhode Island FBI Safe Street Task Force, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI.
According to an affidavit in support of criminal complaints and a search arrest warrant in this matter, in February 2013, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation into the alleged drug trafficking activities of Jose Mauricio. According to the affidavit, between February 2013 and January 2014, an individual cooperating with law enforcement, and while under the surveillance of law enforcement, allegedly affected five drug transactions for varying amounts of heroin and crack cocaine. It is also alleged that in November 2013, while under the surveillance of law enforcement, the individual allegedly affected the purchase of two firearms from Mauricio.
According to the affidavit, it is alleged that in January 2014, Mauricio offered to sell two kilos of cocaine to the individual. The two spoke via telephone on numerous occasions and met in person to allegedly arrange for the sale of the two kilos of cocaine for $70,000. During at least one meeting which occurred outside of a Providence residence, an individual was observed by law enforcement watching the meeting from inside the residence, from a third floor window.
According to the affidavit, when an undercover FBI agent and a Providence Police Department Narcotics Unit undercover officer, posing as associates of the cooperating witness, returned to the residence to allegedly purchase the two kilos of cocaine Mauricio exited the building to meet them. As Mauricio exited the building he was detained by FBI Safe Streets Task Force agents. At the same time, agents entered a rear door of the building and made entry into the third floor apartment. Inside the apartment agents encountered and detained Jorge Guzman-Rivera, the individual observed by law enforcement watching from the window. Agents also discovered and seized two kilos of cocaine.
Jose Mauricio has been detained on one count each of possession with the intent to distribute heroin and possession with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine. Jorge Guzman-Rivera has been detained on one count each of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
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 William J. Ferland.The R.I. FBI Safe Streets Task Force, comprised of law enforcement agents and officers the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, and the Providence, Cranston and Woonsocket Police Departments, enhances the effectiveness of federal, state and local law enforcement resources through a well-coordinated initiative seeking the most effective avenues to investigate, prosecute and incarcerate dangerous offenders.
The mission of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force is to identify and target for prosecution criminal enterprise groups responsible for drug trafficking, money laundering, alien smuggling, crimes of violence such as murder and aggravated assault, robbery, and violent street gangs, as well as to intensely focus on the apprehension of dangerous fugitives where there is or may be a federal investigative interest.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Several Individuals Arrested in “Operation Check-Mate”Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin and Rhode Island State Police Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell announced today that several individuals were arrested over the past week as a result of “Operation Check-Mate,” a nearly two-year investigation into illegal and fraudulent check cashing schemes that allegedly cost banks in excess of $800,000.
Cooperating law enforcement agencies include the Warwick Police Department, the United States Secret Service, the Rhode Island State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit, Providence Police Department, Rhode Island Office of Attorney General Office and United States Attorney’s Office.
Arrest warrants were executed last Thursday for several individuals involved in the scheme. Five individuals were arrested and arraigned on Thursday in Providence County District Court. Four individuals were charged in federal criminal complaints, which were unsealed on Monday.
According to court documents, the fraudulent checks were allegedly negotiated in two aspects of a scheme - the “deposit/withdrawal” scheme and the “payroll check” scheme.
The “deposit/withdrawal” aspect of the scheme involved fraudulent checks, which were allegedly produced using non-existent business accounts (typically law firms, insurance companies, etc.). The fraudulent checks were then deposited into a legitimate bank account. After the fraudulent checks were deposited into the legitimate bank accounts, the monies were withdrawn from the bank accounts by the account holders, prior to the fraudulent check clearing or being identified as fraudulent.
The account holders allegedly participated in this because they were paid a part of the monies or given a “cut.” Often times, the account holders were unaware that illegal activity was occurring, as they were given a back-story for the activity. After the account holders received their cut, the remainder of the monies was allegedly divided throughout the participants in the scheme.
The “payroll check” aspect of the scheme involved fraudulent or counterfeit checks that were allegedly produced using actual businesses payroll accounts. At some point, payroll and business accounts were compromised and fraudulent checks were produced using the bank routing numbers and account numbers, drawing funds from these accounts. The fraudulent checks were produced to appear almost identical to the actual business checks, including the businesses markings/logos and authorized signature, and were produced with the name of the individual cashed the check.
The people who allegedly cashed the checks were recruited to participate in the scheme and were not employed by the business whose name was on the fraudulent check. The person who cashed the fraudulent check was given a cut with the reminder of the monies divided throughout the participants in the scheme.
The matter remains an open and ongoing investigation.
The following defendants were arrested and arraigned in Providence County District Court last Thursday:
42 Edgemere Avenue, Providence
Bail set at $100,000 with surety- Forgery & Counterfeiting (one count)
- Passing a Counterfeit Note (one count)
- Obtaining Money Under False Pretenses in Excess (“OMUFP”) of $1,500 (11 counts)
- Conspiracy (14 counts)
- Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Out of State (four counts)
- Criminal Solicitation (three counts)
- Attempted Larceny (one count
428 Prairie Street, Providence
Bail set at $100 with surety, held as a probation violator- Forgery & Counterfeiting (11) counts)
- Passing a Counterfeit Note (11 counts)
- OMUFP in Excess of $1,500 (one count)
- Criminal Solicitation (one count)
- Conspiracy (23 counts)
687 Broad Street, Providence
Bail set at $20,000 with surety- ATM Fraud (two counts)
- OMUFP in Excess of $1,500 (three counts)
- Conspiracy (11 counts)
- Criminal Solicitation (one count)
- Forgery & Counterfeiting (five counts)
- Passing a Counterfeit Note (five counts)
39 Hazel Street, Providence
Bail set at $20,000 with surety- OMUFP in Excess of $1,500 (five counts)
- Criminal Solicitation (two counts)
- Conspiracy (seven counts)
- Conspiracy to Commit and Offense Out of State (four counts)
1029 Atwells Avenue, Providence
Bail set at $25,000 with surety- Criminal Solicitation (three counts)
- OMUFP in Excess of $1,500 (three counts)
- Forgery & Counterfeiting (one count)
- ATM Fraud (one count)
- Passing a Counterfeit Note (one count)
- Conspiracy (six counts)
A state indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. The U.S. Constitution guarantees that a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
In addition, four individuals have been charged by way of a federal criminal complaint in U.S. District Court with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud.
- Jerry Zeah, 24, of Providence, made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court on January 22, 2014. He was ordered detained in federal custody.
- John Sumo, 27, of Providence made an initial appearance in federal court on Monday. He was ordered detained and then returned to state custody where he is being held as a bail violator.
- Federal arrest warrants have been issued for two others individuals, Garty Togbasi, 26, and Ernest Kar, 33, both of Providence.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Cranston Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Federal Prison for Trading Xanax Pills for FirearmsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. –Donald Robbio, 56, of Cranston, was sentenced today to 50 months in federal prison for trading the pharmaceutical drug Xanax for two firearms, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Divisionof the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Robbio was arrested on June 28, 2013, moments after he exchanged a significant number of Xanax pills for a 9 millimeter pistol and .380 caliber handgun with an undercover ATF agent.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Robbio to serve three years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Robbio pleaded guilty on September 12, 2013, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to information presented to the court, Robbio was convicted previously in state court on felony assault, firearm and manslaughter charges.
At the time of his guilty plea, Robbio admitted to the court that on June 21, 2013, he contacted an undercover ATF agent who was posing as an individual interested in purchasing a controlled substance and in selling firearms. Robbio told the agent he had 300 Xanax pills for sale and inquired if the agent had a “toy to play with.” Three days later, Robbio again engaged the ATF agent in a telephone conversation and arranged to meet the agent in person in order to provide a sample of Xanax pills he was offering. The next day, Robbio sold the agent 35 Xanax pills for $100, and agreed, at Robbio’s request, to meet again to exchange an additional $700 worth of Xanax pills for two firearms. On June 28, 2103, at Robbio’s request, the two men met in a parking lot in Cranston where Robbio exchanged a bag containing 140 Xanax pills for the firearms. Robbio was taken into custody immediately by agents from ATF.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Rhode Island Businessman Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Contraband CigarettesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. –Abdullah Alnahas, 36, of Cranston, owner and operator of a Cranston convenience store and a Providence laundromat, faces up to 10 years in federal prison for his participation in a contraband cigarette conspiracy that allegedly brought more than six million contraband cigarettes valued at more than $1.2 million dollars into Rhode Island from Virginia, and which allegedly cheated Rhode Island out of more than $500,000 in tax stamp payments.
Alnahas appeared before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on Thursday and pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to engage in contraband cigarette trafficking and contraband cigarette trafficking. Alnahas is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief Judge William E. Smith on May 9, 2014.
Abdullah Alnahas’s guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI; John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations for New England; 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 William G. Squires, Special Agent in Charge of the northeast region of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Abdullah Alnahas is one of eight defendants named in federal grand jury indictments returned in May and September 2013, that allege that beginning in July 2011, the defendants participated in a scheme to traffic contraband cigarettes into Rhode Island. It is alleged that several “shell” corporations were created in Virginia and that several vacant retail storefronts in Virginia were rented for the stated purpose of purchasing and reselling cigarettes in Virginia. The cigarette packages purchased included Virginia tax stamps, reflecting a Virginia tax of thirty-five cents per package.
However, according to the indictments, it is alleged that more than 30-thousand cartons (6 million) of cigarettes valued at more than $1.2 million dollars that were purchased in Virginia were shipped to Rhode Island for resale in a truck bearing Rhode Island War Veteran Plates. It is alleged that on numerous occasions the truck was driven by a Rhode Island man, while wearing his United States Army uniform, in an effort to gain favor and avoid law enforcement detection.
To date, co-defendants Valeria Mendez (Khalil) and Richard Larrain have filed notice with the court of their intention to plead guilty for their roles in the conspiracy and other alleged illegal activities. A trial date of April 8, 2014, has been scheduled for the remaining defendants, Bassam Kiriaki, Wissam Khalil, Bassam Khalil, and Najd Khalil. An arrest warrant has been issued for an eighth defendant, Nazir Khalil.
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 cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Troy L Antley, 44, of Providence, was sentenced today to the maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
Antley was arrested by Providence Police on June 2, 2013, following a brief but violent struggle with officers, after Rhode Island State Police Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell spotted Antley walking in the Smith Hill area with a loaded firearm stuck in his waistband.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court William E. Smith also ordered Antley to serve 3 years supervised upon completion of his prison term. Antley pleaded guilty on October 8, 2013, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to information presented to the court, after spotting Antley with the firearm, Rhode Island State Police Colonel Steven O’Donnell, unarmed at the time, alerted Providence Police and continued to follow Antley. Colonel O’Donnell continued to follow Antley after he entered a vehicle and began to drive away from the area. Responding officers quickly located and blocked Antley’s vehicle. As they did, Antley exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Several officers chased and quickly apprehended Antley, who fought with two of the officers while being detained.
A fully loaded .45 caliber handgun was recovered from the vehicle driven by Antley. The hammer on the gun was cocked back.
According to information presented to the court, Antley was previously convicted in R.I. state court on felony assault, robbery and drug trafficking charges.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted Providence Police in the investigation of this matter.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Meth Lab Dismantled, Pawtucket Man Detained on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sean Costigan, 51, of Pawtucket, was ordered detained in federal custody today by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on federal drug trafficking charges, following an investigation by the Warwick Police Narcotics Unit and the R.I. DEA Drug Task Force into the alleged manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine by Costigan, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Warwick Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney, and John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England field division.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed with the court, in May 2013, Warwick Police, and DEA Drug Task Force agents and officers began an investigation into the alleged trafficking of meth by Costigan. It is alleged that on at least four occasions, between October and December 2013, an undercover law enforcement officer purchased between 1.4 grams and 6.8 grams of meth from Costigan for between $100 and $400 dollars.
On January 16, 2014, DEA agents, DEA Drug Task Force agents and officers and Warwick Police detectives executed a court authorized search of a room in a Newport inn allegedly rented by Costigan, where law enforcement discovered materials used in the manufacture and distribution of meth. Members of the DEA Clandestine Laboratory Tactical Team discovered and seized multiple items associated with a methamphetamine manufacturing operation.
Costigan, who was detained overnight at the Warwick Police Department, made an initial appearance in federal court this afternoon on a criminal complaint which charges him with four counts of trafficking methamphetamine.
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 Pamela E. Chin.
The DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of law enforcement agents and officers from DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and the Cranston, East Providence, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick and Woonsocket Police Departments.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Twelve Firearms Seized, Scituate Resident Detained in Ongoing ATF, Scituate Police, U.S. Attorney’s Office Firearms Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An investigation by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Scituate Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office into the alleged trafficking of firearms from a Scituate, R.I., residence resulted today in the seizure of nine firearms and more than 30 marijuana plants from the residence, and the arrest and detention of Philip Debartolo, 29, of Scituate, on federal firearm and drug charges.
ATF agents, with the assistance of Scituate Police and DEA agents, executed a court authorized search of Debartolo’s residence this morning and seized six semi-automatic pistols – five with high capacity magazines, three revolvers and a significant amount of ammunition hidden beneath the floor boards of a second floor storage room. Agents and officers also seized 31 marijuana plants from the basement.
The investigation and arrest of Debartolo was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field divisionof ATF; Scituate Police Chief Colonel David M. Randall; and John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s New England field division.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, “This case is yet another example of a stark reality: the existence of a legal market for firearms does nothing to stem their illegal distribution. As with any other product, there is a ready and willing illegal gun market for those who, for good reason, cannot lawfully possess a gun or who simply want a cheaper price. Combatting this illegal market has been, and will continue to be, among the highest priorities of this Office, because, at bottom, it is an unregulated, free-flowing source of guns to those who would do their fellow citizens catastrophic harm.”
Guns, drugs and violence plague cities across the country,” said Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field divisionof ATF. “This investigation took a dozen crime guns off the streets and ensures that our neighborhoods are a little safer and that these firearms will never fall into the hands of individuals whose only intent would be to add to the violence.”
According to documents filed with the court, it is alleged that on several occasions an undercover ATF agent spoke with and met with Debartolo to arrange and to purchase three firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun, for between $300 and $400 dollars. It is also alleged that on numerous occasions Debartolo sold to the agent plastic bags containing approximately one ounce of marijuana, each for between $200 & $225 dollars.
Debartolo appeared today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond and was ordered detained on a federal criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms, possession of a firearm with an altered or obliterated serial number, possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun, and distribution and manufacture of marijuana. According to documents filed with the court, in 2005, Debartolo was convicted in Rhode Island state court on felony assault, drive-by shooting and firearm charges.
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 Milind M. Shah.###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Former Social Security Administrator Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft, Unauthorized Sale of Stock Certificates, Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Randolph Hurst, 50, of West Warwick R.I., a former Assistant District Manager for the Social Security Administration in Rhode Island, was sentenced Friday to 39 months in federal prison for stealing the identity of a Coventry, R.I., man and using his identity to fraudulently sell more than $160,000 worth of stock certificates belonging to the victim, and for failing to pay $61,999 in taxes owed the IRS.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Hurst to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of imprisonment and to pay restitution in the amount of $245,299.56, reflecting the current value and earned dividends to date of the stolen stocks. Hurst pleaded guilty on October 9, 2013, to one count each of aggravated identity theft, transportation of stolen securities and tax evasion; two counts of mail fraud; and three counts of filing a false tax return.
A co-defendant in this matter, Justin Silveira, 29, of Coventry, R.I., was sentenced Friday to 15 months in federal prison, to be followed by 2 years supervised release. Silveira pleaded guilty on October 9, 2013, to two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. Silveira admitted to the court that he lied to a grand jury which was investigating this matter. According to information presented to the court, during lengthy testimony before the grand jury, Silveira repeatedly falsely implicated a family member of the victim as having participated in the scheme. Silveira’s testimony caused the government to invest significant time and expense to investigate the false allegations.
The sentences were announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI; Cheryl Garcia, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York region of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; 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.
At the time of his guilty plea, Hurst admitted to the court that in September 201, he stole personal identifying information belonging to the victim and used it to open a joint account at a Providence brokerage firm in his name and in the name of the victim, without the victim’s permission. Two days after opening the account he provided documentation purportedly authored and signed by the victim, requesting the deposit of stock certificates owned by the victim. The victim never authorized the deposit of the stock certificates.
Hurst admitted to the court that in October 2010, without the victim’s knowledge, he requested that the stocks be sold and a check be issued in his name and in the victim’s name for $157,747.49, which represented a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the stocks. Hurst requested the check be sent by courier to the residence of Justin Silveira. On October 22, 2010, on the same day Hurst deposited the check into a bank account owned jointly by Hurst and his wife, Hurst requested a second check be issued in his name and in the victim’s name for, $3,980.46, which represented the remaining proceeds of the sale of the stocks. Hurst requested that the check be sent to Silveira’s residence. On November 8, 2010, the second check was deposited into a bank account shared by Hurst and his wife. Hurst admitted to the court that he and his wife spent the proceeds of the sale of the stock on personal items and personal expenses.
The defendants were ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service or the Bureau of Prisons on January 31, 2014.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by federal agents from the FBI; U.S. Department of Labor Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; and Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations.
This federal law enforcement action was brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants, including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.stopfraud.gov.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Former U.S. Postal Carrier Sentenced to Probation, Fined, Ordered to Pay Restitution for Theft of MailRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brett Beauchamp, 29, of Woonsocket, R.I., a former U.S. Postal Service carrier, was sentenced today to 3 years federal probation, fined $3,000 and ordered to pay restitution for rifling through greeting cards he was to have delivered and stealing some of the contents, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Rafael Medina, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG).
According to information presented to the court, based on customer complaints of tampered with or missing mail, on November 8, 2011, agents from the USPS OIG performed a live test and surveillance of Beauchamp while he was delivering mail in Woonsocket. Investigators were alerted by a beeper that indicated Beauchamp had opened a test greeting card. Agents confronted Beauchamp and retrieved 28 rifled greeting cards and letters from the rear of his Postal vehicle. They also recovered $100.00 in cash from Beauchamp, $65.00 the agents had placed in the test greeting card and an additional $35.00 Beauchamp admitted to having removed from other mail he opened that day.
Beauchamp pleaded guilty on October 16, 2013, to theft of mail by a Postal Service employee. He resigned his position as a Postal carrier prior to today’s sentencing hearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Aaron Young, 37, of Providence, an armed career criminal previously convicted and sentenced in state court on felony assault, robbery and drug trafficking charges, was sentenced today in federal court to 216 months in federal prison on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
Young was arrested by Providence Police in January 2013 during an investigation into his drug trafficking activities. Young has been held in state custody since his arrest by Providence Police as a parole violator on his previous state convictions.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi also ordered Young to serve 5 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Young pleaded guilty on October 28, 2013, to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to information presented to the court, on January 7, 2013, Providence Police and R.I. DEA drug task force agents executed court authorized search warrants at Young’s Providence residence. As officers and agents entered Young’s second floor apartment through a front door, officers outside the rear of the building watched as Young exited his apartment through a rear door, discarded a bag and exited the building. Young was detained as he left the building and the bag discarded by Young, which contained a total 2.1 grams of cocaine in five packets, was recovered. A search of Young’s apartment resulted in the seizure of a loaded 9mm handgun with 15 live rounds in the magazine and items used in the sale and distribution of cocaine.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr., with the assistance of R.I. Assistant Attorney General Jim Baum.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the R.I. DEA drug task force assisted Providence Police in the investigation of this matter.
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To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Senegal National Convicted of Making False Statements During Application Process for Permanent ResidencyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Serigne Diokhane, 39, of Woonsocket, R.I., a native of Dakar, Senegal, was convicted today by a federal court jury in Providence of making false representations to immigration officials when applying for permanent residency in the United States. Diokhane faces up to five years in federal prison, followed by up to 3 years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi on April 3, 2014.
Diokhane’s conviction was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney.
According to the government’s evidence, in February 2012, Serigne Diokhane applied to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) field office in Johnston, R.I., for permanent resident status in the United States. During an application interview, Diokhane signed a sworn statement denying he had ever used any other name in any situation or on any application. A routine background investigation and check of USCIS computer data files revealed that fingerprints taken from Diokhane matched a person identified as Mohamed Sy, 39, of Mauretania, who had submitted an application for asylum at the Newark, New Jersey Immigration Center in September 1998. A Warwick Police Department fingerprint expert examined both sets of fingerprints and confirmed they matched and belonged to Serigne Diokhane.
Serigne Diokhane was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested on June 12, 2013, on one count of making false representations to government officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Providence Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Pornography and Transporting It into the United StatesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Juan Carlos Santiago, 36, of Providence, R.I., was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for producing child pornography outside of the country and transporting it into the United States, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Santiago was arrested in December 2012 by Rhode Island State Police, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and agents and officers assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. An investigation by the Rhode Island State Police, the ICAC Task Force and HSI revealed that Santiago digitally recorded sexual contacts with a prepubescent minor in the Dominican Republic, which he then transported to the United States.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi also ordered Santiago to serve lifetime supervised release following his prison term, to register as a sex offender, and to pay restitution in the amount of $1,825 to the victim for expenses related to counseling services. Santiago pleaded guilty on February 4, 2013, to one count of production of child pornography outside the United States and transportation into the United States.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, in May 2012, a special agent with the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service assigned to the ICAC Task Force, while conducting an online Internet investigation focused on identifying users who traded child pornography, observed an IP address at Santiago’s Providence residence from which child pornography files were being traded. The agent successfully downloaded two files containing child pornography.
On October 26, 2012, ICAC Task Force agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police conducted a court authorized search of Santiago’s residence and seized two computers, digital storage devices, a digital camera and assorted CDs and DVDs. A forensic examination of the equipment by a Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes digital forensic analyst revealed numerous images of Santiago engaged in sexual contact with a prepubescent male. Based on GPS coordinates embedded inside the photographs, agents determined that the images were taken in the Dominican Republic in 2011. Further investigation by HSI revealed that Santiago made several trips to the Dominican Republic, including on or about the same dates some of the images were created.
At the time of his guilty plea, Santiago admitted to the court that he had engaged in sexual contact with a prepubescent minor while in the Dominican Republic on two occasions in 2011. Santiago admitted to the court that he photographed and created video recordings of the encounters, and that he transported the images back to the United States.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adi Goldstein.
The matter was investigated by the ICAC Task Force, Rhode Island State Police and Homeland Security Investigations.
The ICAC Task Force is a Department of Justice grant-funded program administered by the Rhode Island State Police, and is comprised of detectives from the Rhode Island State Police; Providence, West Warwick, Coventry, Warwick, Johnston, and Pawtucket Police Departments; and federal agents from ICE-HSI, United States Postal Inspectors’ Office and United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The objective of the ICAC Task Force is to form strong working relationships among federal, state and local law enforcement in order to effectively and efficiently prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute online child exploitation and child pornography crimes.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Providence Convenience Store Owner Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding the Food Stamp Program, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Cristina Ramirez, 37, of Providence, owner of Cristina’s Market in Providence, was sentenced on Thursday to twelve months and one day in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, the first eight months to be served in home confinement, for defrauding the Food Stamp Program and money laundering. Ramirez’s sentence was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha.At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi also ordered Ramirez to pay $399,000 in restitution to the Food Stamp Program, and to comply with all requests for information from immigration officials to ascertain her immigration status. Previously, Ramirez refused to provide information regarding her immigration status to law enforcement and to the court.
Ramirez is among ten individuals charged earlier this year as the result of a two-year federal investigation into various alleged conspiracies and actions to defraud the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as the Food Stamp Program, of more than $3 million dollars. Ramirez pleaded guilty on October 4, 2013, as charged in an information, with one count each of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and money laundering. She is the first person to plead guilty and to be sentenced in this matter.
The investigation, as detailed in court documents, identified five Providence area businesses where it is alleged that store owners and/or employees allowed SNAP benefit recipients to use their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to exchange their SNAP benefits for cash, a violation of the program’s laws and regulations. In this matter, it was alleged that Ramirez added a surcharge to the recipients’ withdrawal of SNAP benefits, usually an amount equal to half that of the amount of cash benefit received by the recipient. SNAP benefit funds are transferred electronically directly to accounts managed by the retailer.
According to information presented to the court, beginning in at least October 2010, Ramirez stole nearly $400,000 from the Food Stamp Program in less than three years. Ramirez and her two employees, her ex-husband and another person, both believed to be in the United States illegally, conducted the illicit business transactions.SNAP data maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, documents the growth in SNAP redemptions at Cristina’s Market from a monthly redemption rate of a few thousand dollars to a monthly redemption rate of up to more than $50,000. According to information presented to the court, Ramirez repeatedly withdrew the proceeds of her fraud in a manner that was designed to disguise its source, avoiding reporting requirements for transactions in excess of $10,000. Ramirez conducted $362,000 worth of transactions in this manner. The funds were used for personal and other non-business related expenses.
Ramirez was ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals on January 8, 2014, to begin serving her prison sentence. Ramirez is currently free on unsecured bond and was ordered to be monitored with the use of electronic GPS monitoring.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Richard B. Myrus.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Retailer Investigations Branch; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; and the Rhode Island State Police.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Armed Career Criminal Convicted on Federal Firearm Charge Faces up to Life in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Damien Gouse, 35, who is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence in Massachusetts on felony assault charges, faces 15 years up to life in federal prison after being convicted by a federal court jury on Wednesday of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
The government filed notice with the court that they will seek to have Gouse sentenced as an armed career criminal. According to court documents, Gouse was convicted on five occasions between 1998 and 2007 of violent felony crimes punishable by terms of imprisonment of more than one year.
The government presented evidence at trial that on November 29, 2007, at approximately 9:50 p.m., two Providence Police officers, on routine patrol in a marked police cruiser, observed a vehicle make a turn without using a turn signal. The vehicle proceeded at a slow speed with the officers behind it, and then turned abruptly into a church parking lot, again without signaling. The officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the parking lot.
According to the government’s evidence, as the officers approached the vehicle they observed Gouse, who was alone in the vehicle, reach across the middle console of the vehicle toward the passenger side floor attempting to conceal an item. One of the officers illuminated the passenger area floor with a flashlight where he observed and seized a .22 caliber handgun.
Gouse has been detained since his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on March 11, 2014.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gerard B. Sullivan, Richard B. Myrus and Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by the Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Rhode Island Estate Planning CEO, Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Obtaining Millions in Death Benefits in the Names of Terminally-Ill IndividualsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Joseph A. Caramadre, 53, president, CEO and majority owner of Estate Planning Resources in Cranston, R.I., was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for conspiring to steal and use the identities of terminally-ill patients to obtain millions of dollars in illicit profits from insurance companies and bond issuers. In addition, Caramadre was ordered by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith to serve 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, during which time he is required to perform 3,000 hours of community service to the elderly and terminally-ill individuals.
Raymour Radhakrishnan, 29, a former employee of Estate Planning Resources, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for his participation in the scheme. In addition, Radhakrishnan was ordered by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith to serve 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, the first six months to be served in home confinement, during which time he is required to perform 3,000 hours of community service to the elderly and terminally-ill individuals.
At today’s sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Smith announced that he would determine restitution in this matter at a later date. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan previously recommended to Chief Judge Smith that Joseph Caramadre pay approximately $46 million dollars in restitution to insurance companies and bond issuers, and that Radhakrishnan pay approximately $33 million dollars in restitution. Caramadre and Radhakrishnan pleaded guilty on November 19, 2012, prior to the start of testimony in the second week of their trial, to conspiracy to commit identity theft and wire fraud.
The sentences were announced by Peter F. Neronha, United States Attorney; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI; Kevin M. Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
“Both men are going to prison for what they did, as they should,” commented United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha. “The reality is that Joseph Caramadre saw death as a holiday. He saw it as a cause for celebration. He saw it as an opportunity to make money. Both defendants, particularly Mr. Caramadre, wrapped themselves in morality. Having sat through a week of trial and knowing as much about this case as I do, it is at best ironic. At its worst it is reprehensible.”According to information presented to the court, in the mid-1990s, Joseph Caramadre developed investment strategies that depended upon, among other things, the identity of terminally-ill individuals. On his own behalf, and on behalf of investors, friends and family members, Caramadre purchased variable annuities from insurance companies. The annuities offered death benefits upon the death of the person identified as the annuitant. These benefits included a guaranteed return of all monies invested plus, in many instances, a guaranteed profit and various other bonuses and enhancements.
According to information presented to the court, Caramadre and Radhakrishnan made misrepresentations to terminally-ill and elderly patients and their family members in order to obtain their personal identifying information. They used the information, including names, dates of birth, and social security numbers, to obtain more than 200 variable annuities and to open more than 75 brokerage accounts in order to purchase “death-put" bonds in the victims’ names without their knowledge and consent. Caramadre and Radhakrishnan either forged the signatures of terminally-ill people on account documents or obtained the signatures by means of misrepresentations. When the terminally-ill person died, Caramadre and others reaped substantial profits by exercising death benefits associated with the investments. Under the terms of these bonds, the owner of the bond is able to redeem the bond years or decades prior to the maturity date upon the death of the bond’s co-owner.
According to information presented to the court, Caramadre located terminally-ill individuals in various ways, including visits to AIDS patients at a House of Compassion, through family members and associates of the terminally-ill, and by soliciting individuals who were terminally ill to purchase life insurance policies. Caramadre also placed advertisements in a local Catholic newspaper that provided that there was a compassionate organization that would immediately give $2000 in cash to terminally-ill individuals. Dozens of terminally-ill individuals or family members responded to the ad. Caramadre gave Raymour Radhakrishnan, who began working for Caramadre in July 2007, the job of meeting with the people who responded to the ad for the purpose of obtaining their identity information and using that information on annuities and brokerage accounts.
“From Bernie Madoff to Mr. Caramadre and Mr. Radhakrishnan, devious schemes concocted for greedy purposes always end the same way,” said Vincent Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI. “Others who think they can victimize people for personal gain without ending up in the same company as them should think twice because our team of agents, investigators and prosecutors who specialize in white collar crime can’t be outmatched.”
“What makes these defendants’ conduct particularly disturbing is that they targeted individuals who were terminally ill,” said Kevin M. Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “It's difficult enough when a family member loses a loved one; to have to endure the additional financial strain brought about by this type of scam artist is just not right. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains vigilant pursuing criminals like Mr. Caramadre, and bringing them to justice.”
John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation stated, "Today's sentencing of Joseph Caramadre and Raymour Radhakrishnan brings to justice two individuals who have committed despicable crimes against our society. Not only have they defrauded insurance companies and financial institutions but they have taken advantage of a community of our most vulnerable citizens. Caramadre and Radhakrishnan benefitted from a sophisticated scheme that preyed on terminally ill individuals and allowed them to line their pockets with the fruits of their crime. Individuals who commit identity theft and fraud of this magnitude and with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit, deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. This investigation highlights the positive impact on justice which is obtained through the collaborative efforts of multiple Federal law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney's Office."
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee H. Vilker and John P. McAdams, with the assistance of paralegal Kellyann Anderson.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspectors and IRS – Criminal Investigation.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Convicted Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison for Being A Felon in Possession of A Firearm, Violating Terms of Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Fernando Santana, 27, of Providence, was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for violating terms of supervised release imposed at the time of sentencing on a previous federal conviction for drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi also ordered Santana to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Santana pleaded guilty on September 24, 2013, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Santana was arrested by Providence Police on May 22, 2013, following a brief foot pursuit, during which time he stashed a loaded .357 revolver belonging to him in a stack of mattresses. At the time of his arrest, Santana was serving a term of supervised release imposed in 2011, which followed a term of imprisonment of 37 months for drug trafficking.
According to information presented to the court, detectives and officers responded to a dispatch broadcast of an individual or individuals with a gun in a South Side neighborhood. As a Providence detective exited his vehicle to speak with two men who fit the description of the individuals described in the broadcast, Santana fled on foot. An officer in pursuit came upon Santana and noticed him grasping at his waist. As the officer continued the pursuit and came around the corner in a rear yard he noticed Santana retracting his hand from between a pile of mattresses. Santana was apprehended a short distance away. A loaded .357 revolver was retrieved from the pile of mattresses.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee H. Vilker and Richard B. Myrus.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted Providence Police in the investigation of this matter.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Twenty-four Individuals Imprisoned, Twelve Others Face Deportation in Sweeping Investigation Targeting Armed Drug Dealers and Gang MembersRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A sweeping, more than two-year investigation into the trafficking of heroin by armed drug dealers in Providence and surrounding areas has resulted in the imprisonment of twenty-four individuals, the arrest and detention of twelve others who face deportation on alleged immigration violations, and the dismantling of the MS-13 Providence street gang.
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Gas,” was conducted by a task force comprised of federal agents from the FBI, DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations, detectives and officers from the Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police, Cranston Police, Newport Police, Pawtucket Police and Woonsocket Police Departments, and prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office and the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General.
The investigation targeted the trafficking of heroin from the Dominican Republic and Guatemala to Rhode Island, and the distribution of that heroin by armed drug dealers in Providence and surrounding areas. The investigation led to the seizure of more than twenty-three kilograms of heroin, including the largest single seizure in Rhode Island, as well as the seizure of over 100 grams of cocaine, fifteen firearms, more than $400,000 in cash, and twelve vehicles. The drug trafficking investigation led to a subsequent investigation that targeted leaders, members and associates of the MS-13 Providence street gang who were involved in gang-on-gang violence, firearms sales and drug distribution.
The subsequent prosecution of those involved resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of twenty-four individuals, including the leaders and known members of the MS-13 Providence street gang on drugs, firearms, assault and arson charges, and of a convicted heroin trafficker who attempted to hire a person to murder his girlfriend.
In addition, twelve individuals identified as members and associates of the MS-13 Providence street gang and the SUR-13 street gang were detained by Homeland Security Investigations on alleged immigration violations. Many of the individuals have already been deported.
“Armed gang activity, and associated drug dealing, continues to plague Providence and other urban neighborhoods across our state,” said United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha. “History has taught us only too well: gangs and drug dealing inevitably lead to gun violence. To effectively combat this violence, we must continue to do more than simply wait for the shooting to stop and assess the carnage. Only a proactive approach, targeting the worst of the worst and bringing them to justice before the shooting starts, can lead to a safer Rhode Island.”
“This is an example where another team challenged ours and lost,” said Vincent Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division which is responsible for Rhode Island. “Gang members who want to fill the vacuum left by these arrests should know the Safe Streets Task force will always win over those who chose a life of crime by holding responsible those who put illegal guns on our streets, deal heroin in our neighborhoods and commit other crimes in our cities.”
"DEA is committed to the dismantling of criminal organizations that bring drugs and violence into our neighborhoods", said John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division. "Our commitment is unwavering and together with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners we will continue to target violent drug trafficking organizations operating throughout our communities."
“Cooperation among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors led to the successful disruption of the MS-13 gang in Providence. Targeting criminal activity by gangs and gang members before violence erupts is critical in bringing greater security to our urban communities,” said Attorney General Peter Kilmartin.
“As I have stated in the past, investigations like this are a message as to how we leverage our partnerships and combine our efforts to dismantle organized gang and drug activity. Operations like this are what makes the community safer and also sends a strong message to those involved in the gun, gang, and drug trade,” said Colonel Hugh Clements.
Among the defendants arrested, convicted and imprisoned as a result of “Operation Gas”
Jose Fernandez was arrested in April 20, 2011, following a lengthy investigation into his suspected heroin trafficking activities. In addition to numerous undercover purchases of heroin, law enforcement seized two kilograms of heroin discovered concealed inside car parts shipped from Guatemala to an auto dealership where Fernandez worked. During the investigation into Fernandez’s drug trafficking activities, law enforcement learned that Fernandez was attempting to hire a person to murder his girlfriend. Fernandez was convicted in federal court of attempted murder for hire as well as multiple heroin distribution charges. Fernandez is serving a sentence of 97 months in federal prison.
In the Fall of 2011, the FBI and DEA began investigating a Dominican drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin, and on occasion cocaine, to customers in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. According to information presented to the court, Jose Dume, Jr., was identified by law enforcement as the leader of this conspiracy. The investigation revealed that Dume purchased kilogram quantities of heroin from Ariel Hassel. It is estimated that over the course of the conspiracy, Dume purchased approximately 3 kilos of heroin, often in 500 to 600 gram increments, which he then sold to various customers throughout Rhode Island.
During the course of the investigation into Dume and Hassel’s drug trafficking and firearm trafficking activities, which included undercover drug and firearms purchases, the use of electronic monitoring and surveillance equipment, and the execution of court authorized search warrants and wiretaps, law enforcement seized four firearms, about 2.5 kilograms of heroin, over $400,000 in cash, jewelry valued at more than $60,000 and twelve vehicles from residences in Providence, Cranston, and West Warwick. The wiretap investigation led to the arrest and conviction of 14 individuals including Dume, Hassel, their partners and drug runners, as well as customers. Among those arrested was Vlady Tejada, a fugitive on federal drug charges out of the District of Massachusetts.
Dume and Hassel were arrested by federal agents on May 11, 2012. Dume pleaded guilty in October 2013, to federal conspiracy, heroin trafficking and firearm charges. He was sentenced on October 21, 2013, to 15 years in federal prison. Hassel pleaded guilty in July 2013 to heroin and cocaine trafficking charges. He was sentenced in July 2013 to 90 months in federal prison.In October 2012, the DEA arrested Jorge Daniel Estrada and Angel Feliz on charges of conspiracy to distribute 17 kilograms of heroin. In addition to seizing 17 kilos of heroin, police seized three vehicles. The arrests of Jose Fernandez, Jorge Estrada and Angel Feliz, prompted by information developed by Providence Police detectives, resulted in the seizure of a total of 19 kilograms of heroin valued at $4.5 million dollars, the largest single seizure of heroin in Rhode Island. Estrada and Feliz have been sentenced to 180 and 70 months in federal prison respectively.
In October 2012, Francisco Bonilla, the alleged leader of the MS-13 Providence street gang, was indicted by a Rhode Island state court grand jury on assault and weapons charges. He pleaded guilty in January 2013, and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence at the ACI. Bonilla, a citizen of El Salvador, will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his prison term.
In October 2012, Richard Ibenez, a member of the MS-13 Providence street gang, was indicted by a Rhode Island state court grand jury on conspiracy and arson charges. He pleaded guilty in January 2013, and is currently serving an 8 year prison sentence at the ACI.
Defendants charged in the U.S. District Court were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adi Goldstein, Paul F. Daly, Jr., Sandra R. Hebert, Milind M. Shah, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth P. Madden. Defendants charged in Rhode Island state court were prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General James Baum.
Drug and firearms charges
3 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release
Heroin Trafficking
70 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years supervised release
Faces deportation proceedings
MS-13 gang leader
Assault & firearms charges
20 years, 10 years to serve at ACI
10 years suspended w/probation
Heroin possession & distribution charges
5 years probation
Heroin and cocaine trafficking charges
90 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years supervised release
Faces deportation proceedings
SUR-13 gang member
Firearm possession
Six months confinement to be followed by 5 years supervised release
Conspiracy
24 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years supervised release
C-Block gang member
Conspiracy and firearm charges
51 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release
Leader of heroin trafficking conspiracy
Heroin trafficking and firearm charges
15 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years supervised release
Faces deportation proceedings
Conspiracy and heroin trafficking charges
15 years in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release.
Immigration detainer lodged
Heroin trafficking charges
70 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release
Heroin trafficking and murder for hire charges
97 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised releasee
Drug source for MS-13 gang
Conspiracy and cocaine trafficking charges
71 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years supervised release
e
MS-13 gang member
Conspiracy and arson charges
20 years, 8 years to serve at ACI
12 years suspended w/probation
Convicted at trial in June 2013 on charges of trafficking heroin
Detained
Firearm charge
24 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release
Heroin trafficking charges
80 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years supervised release
Faces deportation proceedings
Maintaining a drug involved premises and fraud charges
30 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release
Faces deportation proceedings
Heroin trafficking charges
90 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release
Faces deportation proceedings
Firearms charges
60 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release
Firearm source for MS-13
Firearm charges
37 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release
Cocaine conspiracy and distribution
70 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release.
Heroin and cocaine trafficking charges
71 months in federal prison to be followed by 4 years supervised release
Faces deportation proceedings
Heroin and cocaine trafficking charges
80 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised releaseGuatemala
MS-13 gang member
, Mexico
MS-13 gang member
Mexico
MS-13 gang member
Mexico
MS-13 gang member
, El Salvador
MS-13 gang member
V
MS-13 gang associate
A, Honduras
MS-13 gang member
F Guatemala
MS-13 gang associate
, 33, Guatemala
MS-13 gang member
L, Mexico
SUR-13 gang member
Guatemala
MS-13 gang member
J
MS-13 gang associateTo assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Providence Felon Detained on Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Darren Monteiro, 26, of Providence, has been ordered detained in federal custody on drug and firearm charges following an investigation into Monteiro’s alleged drug trafficking activities by the Providence Police Department’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements, Jr., and Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Boston Field Division.
According to an affidavit in support of a federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant filed with the U.S. District Court, it is alleged that on four occasions, between November 8 and November 19, 2013, Monteiro sold packets of heroin for $40 each to an undercover Providence Police detective. In addition, it is alleged that Monteiro arranged with the undercover detective to purchase a firearm and ammunition he allegedly intended to use to commit an armed robbery. Monteiro was arrested on November 21, 2013, moments after he allegedly took possession of a semi-automatic handgun and ammunition.
Monteiro, who was ordered detained on Friday by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond, is charged by way of a criminal complaint with four counts of heroin distribution and one count each of possession with the intent to distribute heroin, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime of violence.
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.
If convicted as charged, Monteiro faces statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment followed by a minimum of 3 years up to lifetime supervised release and a fine of up to $2,000,000 on each count of heroin distribution; up to 20 years imprisonment followed by a minimum of 3 years up to lifetime supervised release and a fine of up to $2,000,000 for possession with the intent to distribute heroin; up to 10 years imprisonment followed by up to 3 years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and a sentence of 5 years to life imprisonment, to be served consecutive to all other sentences imposed, followed by up to 3 years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime of violence.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Woonsocket Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Eddie Carrasquillo, 29, of Woonsocket, was sentenced on Friday to 121 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine and maintaining a drug related property, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New England Field Division, and Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas S. Carey.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith also ordered Carrasquillo to serve seven years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Carrasquillo pleaded guilty on May 16, 2013, as charged in a federal indictment returned in February 2013, to one count each of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine and maintaining a drug related premises.
As a result of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately one kilogram of cocaine, $409,120 in cash and a 2007 Honda vehicle.
According to information provided to the court, in January 2013, the Woonsocket Police Department’s Vice Unit received information and complaints about a suspected drug-house operating in a residential neighborhood near downtown Woonsocket. Area residents complained of a steady stream of vehicle traffic and visitors to and from the residence. In response, on January 9, 2013, Woonsocket Police and R.I. DEA Drug Task Force agents began a surveillance of the residence, and they recovered discarded items from the building’s trash that were consistent with items used in the preparation and distribution of drugs.
According to information provided to the court, on January 10, 2013, A Rhode Island State Police trooper stopped a vehicle shortly after it left the suspected drug-house. Inside the vehicle, the trooper discovered more than $78,000 in cash and a drug hide.
About 90 minutes later, Woonsocket Police attempted to stop a second vehicle which was seen arriving and leaving from the suspected drug-house. After stopping briefly, the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed but was stopped a short time later. Officers located and recovered a digital scale, a kilo of cocaine weighing 6.2 pounds, and a quantity of crack cocaine that had been tossed from the vehicle. The driver, Paul Noriega, 27, of Warwick was arrested.
Noriega, who has been detained since his arrest, pleaded guilty on March 8, 2013, in U.S. District Court, to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2013.
According to information presented to the court, a short time after Noriega’s vehicle was stopped, Carrasquillo was detained after leaving the drug-house, which was also his residence, in his 2007 Honda. A court authorized search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of $176,575 in cash found stashed in a laundry bag and two empty kilogram wrappers, which later tested positive for the presence of cocaine. A court authorized search of a bank safety deposit box in the name of Carrasquillo and a woman with whom he lived, resulted in the seizure of $154,520 in cash.
Carrasquillo has been detained since his arrest.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Three Detained on Federal Charges in Alleged Arson-for-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three individuals have been charged in federal court in Providence and are detained for allegedly conspiring and setting fire to an occupied multi-family dwelling in Providence in an alleged arson-for-profit scheme, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Divisionof the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Paré.
A federal indictment returned today charges Abraham Kerkula, 20, of Providence, and Gbabia Kollie, 27, of Johnston City, Tenn., with one count each of conspiracy to commit arson and arson affecting interstate commerce. A third defendant, Nakele Freeman, 19, of Providence, is detained in federal custody on an information filed with the court on December 9, 2013, charging him with one count each of conspiracy to commit arson and arson affecting interstate commerce. It is alleged that the three conspired and set fire to an occupied dwelling at 31-33 Ida Street in Providence, in the early morning hours of November 2, 2013.
Freeman and Kerkula were arrested on federal criminal complaints on November 15, 2013, and ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond. Gbabia Kollie, who was removed from an outbound international flight leaving Atlanta for Liberia and arrested by ATF agents on December 5, 2013, was ordered detained by a U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge in Atlanta. Kollie will be transported back to Rhode Island for prosecution.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, it is alleged that on November 1, 2013, Freeman asked Kerkula to give him a ride to a location where he, Freeman, was going to set fire to a building for “a lot of money.” Freeman and Kerkula allegedly traveled together to at least two retail outlets where Freeman allegedly purchased several items, including a five-gallon gasoline storage container and gloves. They allegedly also traveled together to a local supermarket where Freeman allegedly filled the storage container with gasoline.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, it is alleged that just after midnight, while Freeman was engaged in a series of telephone conversations with another individual, Kerkula and Freeman located and drove past the targeted property several times. A short time later, Kerkula allegedly drove back to the targeted property where Freeman allegedly removed the gasoline and other items from the vehicle and entered the property using keys he and Kerkula had retrieved earlier in the day.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, it is alleged that Freeman entered a vacant third floor apartment where he spread gasoline, and a fire ignited. Freeman fled the building and returned to the vehicle at a pre-determined location on a nearby side street. Once in the vehicle it is alleged that Freeman stated to Kerkula that the fire had not gone as planned.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, it is alleged that Kollie arranged with Freeman to set fire to building in return for a payment of $7,000. It is alleged that Kollie was the person with whom Freeman had several telephone conversations while in the vehicle with Kerkula.
The investigation into the circumstances leading up to the fire and into the fire by ATF and the Providence Fire Department’s Fire Inspection Office is continuing.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.
Conspiracy to commit arson and arson affecting interstate commerce are punishable by a statutory penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Civil Division Chief Retires from U.S. Attorney’s Office After 31 Years of Public Service with the Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Iannotti, Civil Division Chief at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, has announced his retirement after 31 years of public service with the Department of Justice. Mr. Iannotti, a Rhode Island native and Dean’s List graduate of the University of Rhode Island in 1979 and the New England School of Law in 1983, began his career in 1982 as a summer law assistant with the U.S. Attorney’s Office while still attending law school. Mr. Iannotti was named an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 1984 and Civil Division Chief in 2009.
Recognized by the Department of Justice as one of its foremost experts in the field of asset forfeiture, Assistant U.S. Attorney Iannotti was a key figure in the forfeiture by Google, Inc. of $500 million for illicitly accepting ads from rogue foreign pharmacies. $230 million of the forfeited funds were distributed to state and local law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island that participated in the investigation.
Other notable cases in which Assistant U.S. Attorney Iannotti played a key role in the forfeiture of millions of dollars of assets were the Stephen Saccoccia money laundering case and the case against Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer, GeneScience.
In the Saccoccia case, $6 million in assets as well as 83 bars of gold buried in the rear yard of a Cranston, R.I., home were seized from Saccoccia, a former coin dealer convicted of laundering drug trafficking proceeds for the Columbian drug cartels, and forfeited to the Government. In the GeneScience matter, a precedent setting case, $2.7 million was forfeited to the Government by GeneScience, for trafficking Human Growth Hormone in the United States.
In recognition of his expertise in the field of asset forfeiture, Assistant U.S. Attorney Iannotti was detailed to the Department of Justice in Washington in May 2007 where he served for more than two years as the Asset Forfeiture/Money Laundering Coordinator at the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. In addition, Assistant U.S. Attorney Iannotti taught asset forfeiture law and procedures to various members of the law enforcement community.
In addition to his lengthy list of accomplishments as a civil attorney, Assistant U.S. Attorney Iannotti successfully prosecuted numerous criminal cases in the U.S. District Court.
“Mike Iannotti has served the people of Rhode Island with distinction for more than 30 years,” U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha said. “Though he had many areas of expertise, he was truly one of the Department’s foremost experts in asset forfeiture, and was responsible for the return of millions of dollars to law enforcement agencies across the state. He has been a source of great strength to me during my tenure as United States Attorney, and his commitment to the work of this Office, and his talent and experience, will be sorely missed.”
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Rhode Island and the Department of Justice,” said Michael P. Iannotti. “I leave the U.S. Attorney’s Office with a feeling of accomplishment in public service, which would not have been possible had it not been, in part, for the many outstanding public servants I served alongside of for the past thirty years.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Iannotti’s last day with the United States Attorney’s Office will be November 29, 2013.
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Former Big Brother Volunteer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROVIDENCE, R.I. – Robert Brown, Jr., 42, formerly of Scituate, a former Big Brother volunteer, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI.
According to information presented to the court, beginning in September 2009, an FBI agent from the San Diego Division logged in to online file sharing programs often used for the sharing of child pornography. The agent was friended by Brown and was permitted by Brown to access and download his files. On at least three occasions, the FBI agent downloaded files containing images and videos depicting child pornography.
According to information presented to the court, the FBI investigation revealed that Brown was accessing and sharing the files from an Internet address at his former Scituate residence. In May 2010, FBI agents executed a court authorized search warrant at Brown’s residence and seized three laptop computers, 19 hard drives and portable digital storage memory cards, computer disks and thumb drives, a web camera and a digital camera.
A forensic examination of the items seized revealed approximately 13,000 images and 370 videos depicting child pornography. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified 2,297 images and 32 videos containing images of known children who were identified in 80 series depicting child pornography.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Brown to pay restitution to victims in the amount of $10,500; pay a fine of $17,500; and to serve five years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Brown pleaded guilty on August 6, 2013, as charged in a federal indictment returned in December 2012, to three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. No plea agreement was filed in this matter.
Brown was ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service on January 7, 2014, to begin serving his prison sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Two Arrested, Make Initial Appearance in Federal Court on Charges of Aggravated Identity Theft, Forging Endorsements on U.S. Government Checks, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Juliana Martins, 44, and Jairo Morales, 28, of Providence, R.I., were arrested by federal agents and made initial appearances today in U.S. District Court in Providence on charges of aggravated identity theft, theft of government property, forging endorsements on treasury checks and money laundering. The defendants were arrested by agents from Homeland Security Investigations, assisted by agents from the U.S. Secret Service and Internal Revenue Service Office of Investigation, as the result of an ongoing investigation into an alleged scheme to obtain federal tax checks with the use of stolen personal identifying information of others.
The arrests were announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Steven D. Ricciardi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service; and John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
According to information presented to the court, the defendants are alleged to have participated in a scheme to steal the identity of approximately forty individuals, nearly all of whom appear to live in Puerto Rico, including their names, social security numbers and dates of birth. It is alleged that they used the information to fraudulently obtain federal tax checks totaling more than $277,300. The investigation revealed that the checks were allegedly deposited into various bank accounts and then cash withdrawn in an attempt to conceal the scheme.According to information presented to the court, the investigation began in January 2013, based on information developed by Customs and Border Protection officers at Logan International Airport in Boston during a routine inspection of a laptop computer belonging to Morales as he passed through customs during a return trip to the United States from the Dominican Republic.
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.
Martins and Morales were released on unsecured bond following their initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan.
Theft of government property and forging endorsements on treasury checks are each punishable by statutory penalties of up to ten years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Money laundering is punishable by a statutory penalty of up to twenty years in federal prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison, to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and John P. McAdams.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Providence Felon Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – William McKinney 23, of Providence, was sentenced on Thursday to 37 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., and Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith also ordered McKinney to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. McKinney pleaded guilty on August 26, 2013, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to information presented to the court, on December 28, 2012, a Providence Police patrolman and a Rhode Island State Police trooper working together in a marked cruiser on routine patrol encountered McKinney. As the patrolman attempted to speak with McKinney, he pivoted the right side of his body away from the officer, began to back away, turned and ran. As the patrolman and State Police trooper pursued him through the backyard of a Southside residence, McKinney tossed a loaded handgun to the ground. McKinney was apprehended a short distance away and the officers retrieved the firearm, a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol which contained eight hollow point bullets.
According to information presented to the court, McKinney admitted to Providence Police that he had been in possession of the firearm because he had “beefs with people” and mentioned the recent homicide of a relative.
According to information presented to the court, McKinney had been convicted previously in state court on drug possession and drug trafficking charges.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Renoir Painting, Custom Built Sports Car Seized from Convicted Con Man Sold at Auction for $740,000Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Renoir painting and a custom designed sports car seized from imprisoned Rhode Island con man Rocco DeSimone, 60, have been sold at auction for $740,000, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and U.S. Marshal Jamie A. Hainsworth. DeSimone was convicted by a federal court jury in Providence in March 2011 of bilking an inventor and numerous investors out of more than six million dollars in cash, property and forgiven debt.
In separate auctions administered by the U.S. Marshals Service, a Renoir canvas artwork entitled "Paysage a Cagnes" seized from DeSimone sold for $551,000; a custom built 2006 Ford GT sports car seized from DeSimone sold for $189,000. The proceeds of the auction will be applied toward court ordered restitution by DeSimone to the victims of his scams.
“It is rare that the victims of remorseless, recidivist con-men like the defendant ever receive restitution of any kind,” said United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha. “I am grateful to Marshal Hainsworth and the Marshal Service for their outstanding efforts to this end. Perhaps during his long years ahead in federal prison, the defendant can reflect on the fact that someone else is driving the fancy car and admiring the expensive painting he once enjoyed while looting the bank accounts of others.”
U.S. Marshal Jamie A. Hainsworth added, “The Marshal Service is entrusted with taking custody of and disposing of property seized by federal law enforcement and ordered forfeited by the court. With each item seized we look for creative ways to obtain the most beneficial return of proceeds. It is particularly gratifying in this instance that the proceeds of the auctions will be returned directly to some of the victims of Mr. DeSimone’s scams and crimes.”
At trial, the government presented evidence that DeSimone convinced numerous investors to invest a total of $6,030,145 in cash, property and forgiven debt by making false representations regarding the sale and/or marketing of three inventions developed by two inventors: the Drink Stik - an invention designed to allow individuals wearing protective gear to drink fluids without having to remove the gear; the Song Tube - designed as an improved version of a gastrointestinal medical tube; and the Disk Shield - a protective shield for compact discs and DVDs. The government’s evidence showed that DeSimone used the money to fund a luxurious work-free lifestyle which included worldly travel, high-end cars, valuable collections of art works and artifacts, falconeering, and other recreational events like jamming with the rock band Aerosmith.
DeSimone, who was convicted of seven counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering, is currently serving a sentence of 192 months in federal prison. At sentencing, DeSimone was ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $6,030,145.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee H. Vilker and John P. McAdams. The matter was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Three Arrested and Detained in Central Falls Police, FBI Investigation into Alleged Crack Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three men arrested by Central Falls Police, the FBI and officers and agents assigned to the FBI RI Safe Streets Task Force were ordered detained in federal custody on Tuesday on charges of allegedly participating in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI, and Central Falls Police Chief James J. Mendonca.
Angel Vigo, 20, of Central Falls, Adalberto Negron, 30, of Woonsocket, and Edwin Nieves, 24, with a last known address in Pawtucket, were ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond during their initial appearance in federal court, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. The three men were arrested on Friday.
According to an affidavit in support of criminal complaints against Vigo, Negron and Nieves and filed with the court, it is alleged that on at least ten occasions an individual operating at the direction of law enforcement allegedly arranged for the purchase and accepted delivery of varying amounts of crack cocaine from Vigo, Negron and Nieves. According to the affidavit, telephone calls to arrange the alleged purchases of crack cocaine and the alleged deliveries of the drugs were monitored by law enforcement. The alleged deliveries took place in Central Falls and Pawtucket.
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.
Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base is punishable by a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, FBI RI Safe Streets Task Force and the Central Falls Police Department with the assistance of officers from the Cranston, Providence and Norton, Mass., Police Departments and the Massachusetts State Police.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Newport Man Detained on Federal Drug & Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ian Andrade, 36, of Newport, was ordered detained today by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on federal drug and firearm charges, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Newport Police Chief Gary T. Silva. Andrade was arrested by Newport Police on Friday.
According to an affidavit in support of an arrest warrant and a criminal complaint charging Andrade with one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime filed with the court, Newport Police executed court authorized search warrants on Friday at Andrade’s Newport residence and for his vehicle. Detectives seized approximately than 400 grams of cocaine and a loaded firearm from a hidden compartment discovered inside a rear passenger seat of the vehicle; nearly three-quarters of a pound of marijuana and a shotgun from Andrade’s residence; and $4,435 from Andrade’s person.
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.
Possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute is punishable by a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a statutory penalty of a minimum of 5 years and up to life imprisonment, to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pamela E. Chin and Stephen G. Dambruch.
The DEA and DEA Drug Task Force assisted Newport Police in the investigation of this matter.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Inmate Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Assaulting Federal Correctional OfficerRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Earl Francis Hart, 53, an inmate at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for assaulting a federal correctional officer in February 2013, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and United States Marshal Jamie A. Hainsworth.
Hart was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi to serve the sentence consecutive to a 30-year federal prison sentenced imposed in U.S. District Court in Boston earlier the same day the assault occurred at the Wyatt Detention Facility. Hart was convicted in October 2010 by a federal court jury in Boston on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to information presented to the court, on February 1, 2013, correctional officers at the Wyatt Detention Facility went to the cell where Hart was housed to lock him down following an alleged assault on another inmate. Hart refused commands to turn around and allow the officers to handcuff him. When officers entered his cell, Hart punched one of the officers repeatedly and continued to throw punches at four other officers who worked to subdue and handcuff him.
Hart pleaded guilty on November 8, 2013, to one count of assaulting a federal employee as charged in a federal indictment returned on April 10, 2013.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee.
The matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and investigators at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Warwick Man Ordered Detained on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sean Keener, 26, of Warwick, R.I., was ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Lincoln D. Almond today following an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint which charges Keener with one count each of possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography, a thumb drive was seized by HSI agents in Boston in June which allegedly contained photographs depicting child pornography and, among other information, an email address allegedly belonging to Keener. Among the sexually explicit photographs was that of a prepubescent child believed to be a 7-year-old girl from Rhode Island. HSI agents also linked the email address to an account on a Russian website where they discovered a folder allegedly created by Keener which contained several pictures of the same child.
According to the affidavit, based on an examination of Internet and cell phone company records, a social media website and information developed by Warwick Police, Keener’s residence and the identity of the 7-year-old child from Rhode Island who was depicted in the photographs was determined. A court authorized search of a Warwick residence where Keener was staying by HSI agents and Warwick Police resulted in the seizure of a computer allegedly belonging to Keener and which allegedly contained more than 600 images and videos, many of which depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
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.
Distribution of child pornography is punishable by a statutory penalty of between 5 and 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Possession of child pornography is punishable by a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Mastermind of Multi-Million Dollar Naval Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ralph M. Mariano, 55, of Warwick, R.I., and South Arlington, VA., a former senior systems engineer with the United States Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in Newport, R.I., and Washington, D.C., was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., today to 120 months in prison for masterminding a kickback scheme which defrauded the U.S. Navy of nearly $18 million dollars. Mariano pleaded guilty in May 2013 to conspiracy and theft of government funds.
Peter F. Neronha, United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island; Craig Rupert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Vincent B. Lisi of the FBI’s Boston Field Office; Cheryl DiPrizio, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; and John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Office of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi.
At the time of his guilty plea, Mariano admitted to the court that from 1999 to 2011 he used his position at NAVSEA to direct Russell Spencer, a computer software specialist in Rhode Island, to submit millions of dollars in fraudulent invoices to Navy contractor Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow (ASFT), a now defunct Roswell, GA., and Middletown, R.I., company and to ASFT subcontractors. Mariano admitted that he directed ASFT and ASFT subcontractors to pay Spencer the full amount of the invoices with government funding ASFT received from the Navy. The invoices, processed by Patrick Nagle, Chief Financial Officer of ASFT, totaled approximately $17,957,000.
Mariano admitted that he directed Spencer to distribute the funds to Mariano and to individuals close to him, and that he received approximately $3 million dollars in checks beginning in 2003 and bi-weekly $3,500 cash payments from 2004 to 2011.U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, “Nothing does more to erode trust in government than when a public official acts not in the public’s interest, but in his own. Mr. Mariano, whose sole obligation was to the United States Navy, and more broadly to the taxpayers, instead served only himself and his associates, committing fraud on a massive scale. He spent millions of dollars of taxpayer money in every conceivable way, money that otherwise would have been used to protect the people of this nation. His actions are indefensible, and he deserves every minute of the lengthy sentence he received today.”
At the time of his guilty plea, Mariano admitted to the court that in addition to the money he received, at his direction $2,567,028 was paid to his father, Ralph Mariano, Jr.; $1,692,650 was paid to his brother, Joseph Mariano and to his companies; $207,900 was paid to a veterinary laboratory company controlled by his sister, Michelle Mariano; $2,446,445 was paid to private entities controlled by Anjan Dutta-Gupta, CEO of ASFT; and $478,880 was paid to a company owned by Attorney Mary O’Rourke, of Warwick, R.I
“Mr. Mariano’s acts, while especially heinous individually, corrupted others, cost hard working Americans their jobs, and resulted in a tremendous loss to U.S. taxpayers, both financially and in their trust,” said Craig W. Rupert, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service Northeast Field Office. “Mr. Mariano’s actions directly affected the readiness of our naval forces, and his sentence demonstrates the continuing dedication of DCIS and our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute corrupt government officials. Consistent with our mission to "Protect America's Warfighters," DCIS remains vigilant to ensure the integrity of the DoD acquisition process and the safety and security of the U.S. military and the nation.”
“The FBI has a simple message of deterrence: It would be wise for any public official who is considering illegal acts to realize that we have successfully investigated nearly every conceivable corruption scheme that’s been concocted. Should they decide to betray the public’s trust, I promise we will bring them to justice,” said Vincent Lisi, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “We pursue these investigations because the cost of corruption is high and the American public relies on us to do so.”
Cheryl DiPrizio, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Northeast Field Office added, “At a time when the Navy is making difficult strategic choices due to funding constraints, it's particularly appalling that Mr. Mariano, who was employed to serve the Navy, has instead caused significant harm to the Navy, to Sailors defending our nation around the globe, and to the American taxpayers who deserve honest and competent government employees. NCIS will continue to dedicate significant resources and work with our law enforcement partners in identifying and investigating all those who seek to steal from or defraud the Department of the Navy."
John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation stated, “Today’s sentencing of Ralph Mariano brings to justice a key player in a public corruption scheme of massive proportions. Mariano and his co-conspirators developed a sophisticated scheme to defraud the government and they lined their pockets at the taxpayers’ expense. In addition to pleading guilty to conspiracy and theft charges, Mariano pleaded guilty to tax charges based on his failure to report these ill-gotten gains as income. Fraudsters should beware that such ill-gotten gains are taxable income. This investigation highlights the positive impact on justice which is obtained through the collaborative efforts of multiple federal law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
In addition to pleading guilty to conspiracy and theft of government funds, Ralph Mariano also pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. Mariano admitted that from 2006-2009, he failed to report $1,864,910 in income he received from Russell Spencer and that he failed to pay $726,650 in taxes to the IRS.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi ordered Mariano to make restitution to the U.S. Navy in the amount of $17,957,000; to pay a $10,000 fine; and to serve 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his imprisonment. Mariano was ordered to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons by November 26, 2013.
Anjan Dutta-Gupta, 60, of Roswell, GA., who pleaded guilty on April 28, 2011, to one count of bribery, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2013; Russell Spencer, 59, of Portsmouth, R.I., who pleaded guilty on July 25, 2012, to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and on April 19, 2012, to one count of lying to the FBI is scheduled to be sentenced December 5, 2013; Patrick Nagle, 52, of Marietta, GA., who pleaded guilty on September 13, 2011, to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15, 2013; Mary O’Rourke, 50, of Warwick, R.I., who pleaded guilty on May 30, 2013, to one count of theft of government property, will be sentenced on December 5, 2013.
Ralph Mariano, Jr., 82, of North Providence, R.I., who pleaded guilty on May 15, 2013, to four counts of tax evasion, was sentenced on August 16, 2013, to four years of probation.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lee H. Vilker, Terrence P. Donnelly and Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Defense - Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
This law enforcement action is part of President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The President established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources.
The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
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