District of Rhode Island
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Jason Pleau Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Murder and Robbery of David MainRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jason W. Pleau, 35, of Providence, R.I., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to life in federal prison without the possibility of release for the murder and robbery of Woonsocket, R.I., gas station manager David D. Main. Pleau chased, shot at close range and robbed Mr. Main on September 20, 2010, as he approached the doorstep of a Woonsocket bank where he was to have deposited receipts belonging to the gas station that he managed.
Pleau pled 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, death resulting. Pleau pled guilty as charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on December 14, 2010.
Pleau’s sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department's Criminal Division; Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin; Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas S. Carey; and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI.
Jose A. Santiago, 36, formerly of Springfield, Mass., a co-defendant in this matter, pled guilty on September 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, death resulting. Santiago is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2014.
A third defendant in this matter, Kelly Marie Lajoie, 35, formerly of Springfield, Mass., pled guilty on December 9, 2011, to Hobbs Act conspiracy; aiding and abetting a Hobbs Act robbery; and use of a firearm during a federal crime of violence. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adi Goldstein and William J. Ferland and Trial Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss of the Criminal Division's Capital Case Section.
The matter was investigated by the Woonsocket Police Department, Rhode Island State Police and the Federal Bureau of 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]Developer Richard Baccari, Churchill & Banks Companies Indicted on Federal Conspiracy and Bribery Charges in Ongoing North Providence Municipal Corruption ProbeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal grand jury in Providence today returned a two-count indictment which charges Richard P. Baccari, Sr., 71, of Narragansett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Churchill & Banks Companies, LLC, and his company, Churchill & Banks Companies, each with one count of conspiracy and one count of bribery, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI.
The indictment, a result of the ongoing investigation into municipal corruption in North Providence, alleges that Baccari and his company paid a $50,000 bribe to three now federally convicted and imprisoned North Providence town councilmen, Joseph S. Burchfield, Raymond L. Douglas III, and John A. Zambarano, in exchange for enough favorable council votes to approve a zoning change to a 6-acre parcel of land for the development of a supermarket. The indictment alleges that Baccari and Churchill & Banks paid the bribe through a middle-man, Robert S. Ciresi, a former attorney who was convicted and is imprisoned for his role in the bribery scheme.
According to the indictment, the three councilmen, Burchfield, Douglas and Zambarano, allegedly planned the bribe solicitation during a series of telephone conversations and meetings with one another and with Ciresi. The indictment alleges Ciresi was used by the councilmen as a middleman to facilitate communications between Richard Baccari and John Zambarano.
The indictment alleges that in October 2008, Ciresi accompanied Zambarano to Baccari’s office at Churchill & Banks for the purpose of discussing a bribe to secure the votes needed for the zoning change. The indictment alleges that Zambarano asked for and Baccari agreed to pay a $25,000 bribe in exchange for Zambarano delivering four council member votes in favor of the zoning change. It is alleged in the indictment that between October 2008 and February 9, 2009, Zambarano asked Baccari through Ciresi to increase the bribe amount to $50,000. According to the indictment, Baccari agreed.
The supermarket project was first presented to the Town Council in early October 2008, and came before the council on several occasions before a vote to approve the zoning change occurred on February 10, 2009. The vote to approve the project was 7-0. According to the indictment, the bribe money was delivered by Ciresi, on Richard Baccari’s and Churchill & Bank’s behalf, to Zambarano shortly after the council’s vote. Disbursement of the bribe money was completed the next day.
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.
Former councilmen Joseph Burchfield, Raymond Douglas III, and John Zambarano were arrested by FBI agents on May 6, 2010. In March 2011, Burchfield, Douglas and Zambarano pled guilty to their roles in the kickback scheme and are currently serving sentences ranging from 64 to 78 months in federal prison.
Robert Ciresi was convicted by a federal court jury in April 2011 of conspiracy, bribery and Hobbs Act extortion, and is currently serving a sentence of 63 months in federal prison.
If convicted of conspiracy, Richard Baccari faces statutory penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment; a fine of up to $250,000; and up to 3 years supervised release. If convicted of bribery, Baccari faces statutory penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment; a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 3 years supervised release.
If convicted, Churchill & Banks Companies, LLC faces statutory fines of up to a total of $1,000,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terrence P. Donnelly and John P. McAdams.The matter is being investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police, DEA, and the Internal Revenue Service - 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]Swansea Man Pleads Guilty to Five “Note Job” Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Scott Niemic, 36, of Swansea, Mass., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence on October 9, 2013, to committing five “note-job” bank robberies, announced 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. A “note-job” bank robbery occurs when a note demanding money is passed or an oral demand is made but no weapon is shown.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, Niemic pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery, admitting to the court that in a span of twenty-six days between March 22 and April 16, 2012, he robbed four banks in Massachusetts and one bank in Rhode Island.
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 he verbally told bank employees 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.
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 27th of $3,592; a Warwick, R.I., bank on April 3rd of $8,100; a Bellingham, Mass., bank on April 10th of $5,045; and a Wellesley, Mass., bank on April 16th of $5,453.
According to information presented to the court, investigators determined that the note left at the scene of the Warwick robbery on April 3rd was written on a piece of paper torn from a receipt for excise taxes paid for a motor vehicle registered 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. After locating the vehicle at the defendant’s residence on April 4, 2012, 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.
According to information presented to the court, 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. From Niemic’s vehicle, investigators recovered nearly $8,100 in cash.
Niemic is scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, 2014. At sentencing, Niemic faces statutory penalties on each charge of bank robbery of up to 20 years imprisonment; a fine of $250,000 fine; and 3 years supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The robberies were investigated by the FBI, and police departments from Warwick, R.I., Plymouth, Mass., Bellingham, Mass., and Wellesley, Mass, with the assistance of the Swansea and Westport, Mass., Police Departments and 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]North Providence Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal Prison on Drug Trafficking, Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Michael Domenech, 28, of North Providence, R.I., was sentenced on October 8, 2013, to 51 months in federal prison for trafficking crack cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
At sentencing, Domenech was also sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to serve three years supervised release upon completion of his term of imprisonment. Domenech pleaded guilty on July 10, 2013, to one count each of possession of cocaine base with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to information presented to the court, on January 17, 2013, as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, Rhode Island State Police executed a court authorized search of Domenech’s North Providence residence. During the search, State Police seized five plastic baggies containing approximately 1.2 grams of crack cocaine, nearly $1,400 in cash, various items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs, a loaded .22 caliber pistol and seventeen additional rounds of ammunition.
According to court records, Domenech was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court of a felony crime and sentenced to one year imprisonment to be followed by five years of probation. Domenech was serving his term of probation when he was arrested by Rhode Island State Police.
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]Former Social Security Administrator Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft, Mail Fraud, Unauthorized Sale of Stolen Stocks, Tax ChargesRead 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, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence on October 9, 2013, to stealing the identity of a Coventry man and using the victim’s identity to fraudulently sell more than $160,000 worth of stock certificates belonging to the victim. Hurst also pled guilty to failing to pay $61,999 in taxes owed to the IRS.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, Hurst pled guilty 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. Hurst faces up to 45 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1.4 million dollars when he is sentenced on January 10, 2014.
A co-defendant in this matter, Justin Silveira, 29, of Coventry, pled 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. At sentencing on January, 10, 2014, Silveira faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $750,000.
The guilty pleas 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 2010 he stole personal identifying information belonging to the victim and used it to open a joint account at Summit Brokerage Services in Providence in his name and in the name of the victim, without the victim’s permission. Hurst admitted that two days after opening the account he provided documentation to Summit purportedly authored and signed by the victim, requesting the deposit of two stock certificates owned by the victim. The victim never authorized the deposit of the stock certificates and was unaware that an account had been opened in his name.
Hurst admitted to the court that in October 2010, without the victim’s knowledge, he requested that Summit sell the stocks and issue a check 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. The check was sent by courier to the Coventry address of Justin Silveira. On October 22, 2010, the check was deposited into a bank account owned jointly by Hurst and his wife. Hurst admitted to the court that on the same date the check was deposited he requested a second check from Summit in the amount of $3,980.46, in his name and in the victim’s name, for the remaining proceeds from the sale of the stock, and that it be sent to the same address in Coventry. On November 8, 2010, the check was deposited into a bank account owned jointly by Hurst and his wife.
Hurst admitted to the court that he and his wife spent the proceeds of the sale of the stock, $161,727.95, on personal items and expenses.
The cases are being 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 law enforcement action is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 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 more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
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 R.I Doctor to Pay $1.2 Million for Fraudulent Billings to Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Dr. Hafeez Kahn, a former Rhode Island physician with practices located in Smithfield and East Providence, R.I., will pay the government $1.2 million dollars, twice the amount of money a Settlement Agreement states he fraudulently billed the Medicare and Medicaid programs, it was announced today by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office.
According to the Agreement, between August 2006 and December 2010, Dr. Kahn and two corporations he owned, U.S. Care Inc. and U.S. Care Pain Clinic LLC, overbilled the health care programs for services provided to some patients and falsely submitted claims for services never performed.
According to the Agreement, Kahn must make an immediate payment of $500,000 within 10 days and annual payments of $175,000 plus interest for the next five years beginning on or before September 1, 2014.
The matter, investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office, HHS-OIG, and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Rogers and R.I. Assistant Attorney General James F. Dube.
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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]Credit Union Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $437,000Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Crystal Ferreira, 27, of Fall River, Mass., faces up to 30 years in federal prison when she is sentenced in January, having pled guilty on October 4, 2013, to embezzling more than $437,000 from a Columbus Credit Union branch office in East Providence where she was employed as a supervisor, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; East Providence Police Chief Joseph H. Tavares; and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI.
At the time of her guilty plea to one count of embezzlement from a federally insured credit union, Ferreira admitted to the court that beginning in May 2012 she began taking large sums of money from the credit union’s vault, ATM, and cash shipments delivered to the credit union. According to information presented to the court, on September 18, 2012, during an investigation by East Providence Police into an unrelated robbery of the credit union, Ferreira admitted that she had been embezzling funds. She told police she embezzled the funds in response to a demand for cash being made to her by two men she said threatened her, her co-workers and their families. She later recanted the story of the demand for cash and the threats.
Ferreira admitted to the court that beginning in May 2012, she first took $10,000 from the vault, and replaced it with money from the ATM. She took another $10,000 a few weeks later. On another day, Ferreira admitted to the court, on several occasions she placed as much bundled cash as she could in shopping bags which she later removed from the credit union. In addition, Ferreira admitted to embezzling two bulk money shipments of $65,000 each which were delivered to the branch office but which she never entered into the computer system. A Credit union audit determined that Ferreira embezzled $437, 250.
Ferreira is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. on January 9, 2014. At sentencing, Ferreira faces statutory penalties of up to 30 years in federal prison to be followed by up to 5years supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Towbin.
The matter was investigated by East Providence Police with the assistance of the FBI.
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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]Computer Technology Firm CEO Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sojin Lim, 60, of East Greenwich, R.I., Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of General Technologies Corporation, d/b/a CompUtopia, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence on October 15, 2103, to one count each of bank fraud and money laundering, having defrauded the Rockland Trust Company of more than $5 million dollars, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; John G. Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston office of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI; and Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Lim admitted that she devised a scheme to defraud Rockland Trust Company in order to satisfy a demand for repayment of a $5 million dollar line of credit with Citizens Bank. Lim admitted to the court that she falsified bank documents and overstated company revenues in order to secure funding from Rockland Trust to finance repayment of the line of credit.
According to information presented to the court, in the spring of 2011, Lim and CompUtopia were informed that their line of credit would no longer be carried by Citizens Bank and that CompUtopia was required to seek funding elsewhere. Lim admitted to the court that she devised a scheme to obtain the funding from Rockland Trust Company by providing false, fraudulent and fictitious information and documentation. Lim falsely stated CompUtopia’s accounts receivables as $7,066,268.04, when in fact CompUtopia’s accounts receivables were substantially less. In June 2011, based on the information and documents provided to Rockland Trust Company, the bank deposited $4,878,378.85 in an account which benefited CompUtopia. In April 2012, the Rockland Trust Company loan was increased to $5,350,000.
According to information presented to the court, in late June 2011, Lim paid Citizens Bank $5,342,997.72 from funds provided by Rockland Trust and from a $464,610.37 loan taken against personal assets. CompUtopia filed for receivership in June 2012.
At sentencing on January 14, 2014, Lim faces statutory penalties of up to 30 years in federal prison; a fine of $250,000; and 5 years supervised release for bank fraud; and up to 10 years in federal prison; a fine of $250,000; and 3 years supervised release for money laundering.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. McAdams and Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the FBI and Rhode Island State Police.
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
[email protected]Bristol Man Who Admitted to Stealing More Than A Dozen Firearms Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – David Welch, 42, of Bristol, who admitted to a federal court judge that he stole more than a dozen firearms from a Rhode Island residence, was sentenced on October 1, 2013, to 120 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Welch to serve 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. In July, Welch pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, admitting to the court that in December 2012 he broke into a Portsmouth, R.I., home and stole more than a dozen firearms.
At the time of his guilty plea, Welch admitted that five firearms, a revolver and four semi-automatic handguns, seized by law enforcement from his residence during a court authorized search on December 27, 2012, were among the firearms stolen from the Portsmouth home. Welch admitted that he stole the firearms for the purpose of selling some or all of them. Welch admitted that prior to his arrest he had already sold or transferred several of the stolen firearms. Two of those firearms were later recovered by law enforcement.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by the Portsmouth, Bristol, Newport and North Kingstown Police Departments and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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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]Federal Firearm, Robbery, Drug Trafficking Charges Filed in Alleged Robbery and Shootout in Woonsocket ResidenceRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Federal criminal complaints have been filed in U.S. District Court in Providence charging Tyronne Seams, 27, of Woonsocket, R.I., and David Bunnell, 21, of Franklin, Mass., with conspiracy, use of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking and while committing a crime of violence, drug trafficking and Hobbs Act robbery in connection with an alleged robbery and shootout in a Woonsocket apartment on September 12, 2013, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas S. Carey.
In addition, Seams is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to an affidavit in support of criminal complaints filed with the court, in the early morning hours of September 12, 2013, Woonsocket Police responded to reports of gunfire at a multi-family residence. Upon arrival, Woonsocket officers encountered Seams and Bunnell allegedly leaving the building. According to the affidavit, the two men went back inside the building where they were located by the officers.
According to the affidavit, Bunnell was located in the basement where officers also seized a sawed-off shotgun and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Seams was located on the floor of a second floor landing suffering from an apparent gun shot. Police seized a packet containing approximately 200 grams of cocaine from Seams’ pocket and a .41 caliber revolver was located nearby.
According to the affidavit, inside a second floor apartment officers discovered a substantial amount of blood; numerous spent shell casings from at least two firearms; bullet holes in the kitchen counter, bathroom door and bathroom wall; an individual with a head wound from blunt force trauma; and materials allegedly associated with the preparation and sale of drugs.
According to the affidavit, another individual who allegedly suffered a gunshot wound while at the residence made his way out of the building before police arrived and drove himself to a nearby hospital.
According to the affidavit, the investigation revealed that Seams and Bunnell forcibly stole cocaine from inside the apartment and jointly inflicted physical violence on the apartment and persons inside the apartment in the course of the robbery.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.Woonsocket Police were assisted in the investigation of this matter by agents and officers from ATF, DEA Drug Task Force, Rhode Island State Police, North Smithfield Police Department and the Franklin and Blackstone, Mass., Police Departments.
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Sex Offender Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Register in R.I.Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jorge Mercado, 43, a convicted sex offender, was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison, the maximum sentence under the advisory federal sentencing guidelines, for failing to register as a sex offender when he moved from Florida to Rhode Island in January 2012, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and United States Marshal Jamie A. Hainsworth.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith also ordered Mercado to serve 5 years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. Mercado pleaded guilty on January 9, 2013, to violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to information presented to the court, in January 2002, Mercado pleaded guilty in Massachusetts state court to assaulting a child 14 or older. Based on the conviction, Mercado was obligated to register under SORNA and to keep his registration up-to-date, including any change of address in another state or jurisdiction.
According to information presented to the court, between July 2007 and August 2011, Mercado appropriately registered with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, but failed to register with Rhode Island law enforcement when he moved to Rhode Island in January 2012. Mercado was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Sex Offender Task Force and Narragansett Police in November 2012.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose.
SORNA provides a comprehensive set of federal standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States through the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs. Additionally, SORNA requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school, and to make periodic in-person appearances to verify and update their registration information.
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Convicted Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Fernando Santana, 26, of Providence, faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced in December, having pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Providence to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
It is also alleged that Santana violated the terms of his federal supervised release imposed in 2011, at which time he also received a term of imprisonment of 37 months for drug trafficking.
According to information presented to the court, Santana was arrested by Providence Police on May 22, 2013, following a brief foot pursuit. Santana admitted to the court that while fleeing police he stashed a loaded .357 revolver belonging to him in a stack of mattresses. He pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
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.
Santana is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi on December 12, 2013. At sentencing, Santana faces statutory penalties for being a felon in possession of a firearm of up to 10 years in federal prison to be followed by up to 3 years supervised release.
The case is being 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.
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Massachusetts Man Indicted in Providence for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that a federal grand jury in Providence, R.I., returned a five-count indictment yesterday charging John Fall of Milton, Mass., with one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the IRS, one count of tax evasion and three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false corporate and individual tax returns. The indictment was unsealed Thursday following Fall’s arrest.
According to the indictment, Fall was a real estate consultant who bought, sold and brokered real estate. Fall also participated in handling the financial affairs of his wife and her businesses, including her dental practice, Comfort Dental Inc., as well as Broad Street Investments. The indictment alleges that between 1999 and 2010, Fall used numerous nominees and business names to conceal his business and financial transactions. Fall also used multiple bank accounts, including commingled or “warehouse” bank accounts, in at least four states throughout the country, all in order to conceal his financial transactions as well as certain financial transactions of Comfort Dental and Broad Street Investments. To further disguise business and financial transactions, court documents allege that Fall used fake names and aliases to conceal his ownership and control over his nominee entities.
The indictment alleges that Fall filed false returns for 1998 and 1999, and failed to file any return for the years 2000 through 2010. The IRS audited Fall for the 1998 through 2000, assessing him taxes collectively totaling approximately $72,000. According to the indictment, Fall committed tax evasion by attempting to thwart IRS collection of these taxes by using multiple nominees, business names and fake names and aliases to disguise financial transactions and title assets, by using commingled bank accounts, by making extensive use of cash and by causing to be filed false and fraudulent documents in federal court disclaiming ownership and control over funds sought by the IRS to pay the taxes he owed.
The indictment further alleges that Fall caused tax returns that were filed by Comfort Dental for the years 2005 through 2007, as well as his wife’s individual tax returns for 2005 and 2006 to be false. Fall caused his wife’s businesses to make payments to his various entities which were falsely recorded as deductible business expenses. According to court documents, Fall also caused his wife’s individual tax return to reflect a capital loss for tax year 2006 when, according to the indictment, she received a capital gain on the sale of property.
When Comfort Dental and Fall’s wife were audited between 2008 and 2009, the indictment alleges that Fall attempted to obstruct the audit by encouraging his wife’s accountant not to provide the IRS with information requested through a summons, and by providing false and fraudulent information and documentation to the IRS concerning the nature of the payments by Comfort Dental and Broad Street Investments to his various entities. Fall also attempted to obstruct his wife’s compliance with an IRS summons.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The tax evasion charge carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The IRS obstruction charge and the aiding and abetting of false returns charges each carry a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by special agents with the IRS – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief John Kane and Trial Attorney Christopher O’Donnell with the Justice Department’s Tax Division.###
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]Superseding Indictment Names Eighth Defendant in Interstate Contraband Cigarette Conspiracy Charged by Way of Superseding IndictmentRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A fifteen-count superseding federal indictment returned by a grand jury in Providence on Wednesday names eight individuals and expands the scope of federal charges previously brought in a complex interstate contraband cigarette trafficking conspiracy allegedly responsible for the sale in Rhode Island of more than $1.2 million dollars of contraband cigarettes. The superseding indictment also includes charges related to alleged conspiracies to defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as the food stamp program, and the Social Security Administration.
Additional allegations of food stamp fraud and the unauthorized acquisition of food stamp funds contained in the superseding indictment come, in part, based on information developed during an ongoing joint federal and state investigation into more than $3 million dollars in alleged food stamp fraud in Rhode Island announced on September 5, 2013, by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha.
In May 2013, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Wissam Khalil, 40, of Central Falls, a Providence convenience store owner; his brothers Bassam Khalil, 49, and Najd Khalil, 25, of Pawtucket; Abdullah Alnahas, 36, of Cranston, a Providence convenience store owner; Bassam Kiriaki, 45, a Pawtucket accountant; and Richard Larrain, 23, of Providence, an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army Reserves, with allegedly participating in a conspiracy to possess, transport and distribute contraband cigarettes in Rhode Island. A seventh defendant, Valeria Mendez (Khalil), 30, of Central Falls, wife of Wissam Khalil, was charged with conspiring to make and making false statements to a government official in an application to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to participate as a retailer in the food stamp program.
In addition to naming the defendants charged in the indictment returned in May, the superseding indictment returned on Wednesday charges Nazir Khalil, 75, father of Wissam, Bassam, and Najd Khalil, with participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Social Security Administration. It is alleged that Nazir, who resides outside the United States, participated in a conspiracy to fraudulently apply for and collect Social Security disability benefits.
Additionally, the superseding indictment includes additional charges against several of the defendants previously named, including conspiracy to engage in money laundering; money laundering; structuring; conspiracy to engage in food stamp fraud; and food stamp fraud.
The superseding indictment alleges that Wissam Khalil, Bassam Kiriaki and another person conspired to produce a sworn letter submitted to the USDA in support of an application of Valeria Mendez (Khalil) to participate in the Food Stamp Program as a retailer, knowing that the contents of that letter were false and/or incomplete. It is alleged that the intent of the conspiracy was to mask family relationships as it pertained to the true past and present ownership of a Providence convenience store. It is alleged that the true information was withheld to ensure participation as a retailer in SNAP.
It is also alleged that several of the defendants conspired in various conspiracies to allow SNAP benefit recipients to use their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards to exchange their food stamp benefits for cash, a violation of the program’s laws and regulations. It is alleged that in return, the defendants added a surcharge to the recipients’ withdrawal of SNAP benefits, usually an amount equal to or more than that of the amount of cash benefit received by the recipient.
The superseding indictment was announced by Peter F. Neronha, United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island; 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 Investigations; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in 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 U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
On May 8, 2013, more than a dozen teams of federal and state law enforcement agents and officers executed federal arrest and search warrants, arresting seven individuals and searching ten locations where a significant quantity of contraband cigarettes, approximately $100,000 in cash, business records and four vehicles, all allegedly connected to the trafficking operation, were seized. The majority of cash and cigarettes seized were discovered stashed in sophisticated hides in several of the locations.
It is alleged that as part of the conspiracy to traffic contraband cigarettes into Rhode Island, in July 2011 several “shell” corporations in Virginia were created and vacant retail storefronts were rented in Virginia for the purpose of making it appear that cigarettes being purchased in Virginia for resale in Virginia. The cigarette packages purchased included Virginia tax stamps, reflecting a Virginia tax of thirty-five cents per package. It is alleged that between July 2011 and continuing until May 2013, more than 30-thousand cartons (6 million) of cigarettes valued at more than $1.2 million dollars were purchased in Virginia and shipped to Rhode Island in a truck bearing Rhode Island War Veteran Plates. It is alleged that on numerous occasions the truck was driven by Richard Larrain, while wearing his United States Army uniform. It is alleged that he wore his Army uniform in an effort to gain favor and avoid law enforcement detection.
It is alleged that the cigarettes were distributed and sold in Rhode Island at or near full-retail price, including a tax payment of $3.50 per package. It is alleged that the lack of payment of the cigarette tax to the state of Rhode Island resulted in a loss of approximately $1.05 million dollars of tax revenue.
An indictmentis 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 matters charged in the indictment were investigated by the Rhode Island State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, United States Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U. S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
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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/Wissam Khalil, 40
Central Falls, RI
Counts 1-15Bassam Khalil, 48
Pawtucket, RI
Counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Najd Khalil, 26
Pawtucket, RI
Counts 1, 2, 5, 6-11, 12-14, 15Valeria Mendez (Khalil), 31
Central Falls, RI
Count 15Nazir Khalil, 75
Central Falls, RI
Counts 3, 4Abdullah Alnahas, 35
Cranston, RI
Counts 1, 2Bassam Kiriaki, 45
East Weymouth, MA
Counts 1, 2, 15Richard Larrain, 24
Providence, RI
Counts 1, 2, 15Count I: Conspiracy
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCount II: Cigarette Trafficking
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCount III: Conspiracy to Obtain Social Security Benefits
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCount IV: Social Security Fraud
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCount V: Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Max Penalties: 20 years imprisonment; $500,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCounts VI-XI: Money Laundering
Max Penalties: 20 years imprisonment; $500,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCount XII-XIV: Structuring
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCount XV: Conspiracy to Commit Food Stamp Fraud
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised release###
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 to Plead Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft, Mail Fraud, Unauthorized Sale of Stolen Stocks, Tax ChargesRead 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, has agreed to plead guilty to stealing the identity of a Coventry man and using the victim’s identity to fraudulently sell more than $160,000 worth of stock certificates belonging to the victim. Hurst has also agreed to plead guilty to failing to paying $61,999 in taxes owed to the IRS.
According to a plea agreement filed with the U.S. District Court on Wednesday, Hurst will plead guilty 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, has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. It is alleged that Silveira lied to a grand jury which was investigating this matter. The plea agreements in this matter are part of a package plea agreement whereas both defendants must plead guilty or both agreements will be vacated.
The plea agreements were announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; 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; 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; 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.
According to court documents, including an indictment returned in this matter in November 2012, Hurst allegedly used personal identifying information belonging to the victim to open a joint account at Summit Brokerage Services in Providence in his name and in the name of the victim, without the victim’s permission. Hurst allegedly provided documentation to Summit purportedly authored and signed by the victim, requesting the deposit of two stock certificates owned by the victim. The victim claims he never authorized the deposit of the stock certificates and that he had not endorsed the stock certificates.
It is alleged in court documents that in October 2010, without the victim’s knowledge, Hurst requested that Summit sell the stocks and issue a check 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, and that the check be sent by overnight courier to the Coventry address of Justin Silveira. It is alleged that on October 22, 2010, the check was deposited into a bank account owned jointly by Hurst and his wife.
In addition, court documents allege that in October 2010, Hurst requested a check from Summit in the amount of $3,980.46, in his name and in the victim’s name, for the remaining proceeds from the sale of the stock, and that it be sent to the same address in Coventry. On November 8, 2010, the check was deposited into a bank account owned jointly by Hurst and his wife.
It is alleged that Hurst and his wife spent the proceeds of the sale of the stock, $161,727.95, on personal items and expenses.An indictmentis 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.
At sentencing, Hurst faces statutory penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release of up to 3 years and a fine of up to $250,000 for mail fraud; up to 10 years in prison followed by a term of up to 3 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for transportation of stolen securities; up to 3 years imprisonment followed by up to 1 year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000 for filing a false tax return; up to 5 years imprisonment followed by up to 3 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000 for tax evasion; and a mandatory consecutive sentence of 2 years in federal prison followed by up to 1 year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for aggravated identity theft.At sentencing, Silveira faces statutory penalties of up to 5 years in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release of up to 3 years and a fine of up to $250,000 for perjury; up to 10 years in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release of up to 3 years and a fine of up to $250,000 for obstruction of justice.
The cases are being 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 law enforcement action is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 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 more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, 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]10th Defendant Charged with Allegedly Participating in Food Stamp Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Mashhod Afzal, 25, of North Providence, an employee of the Stop & Go convenience store in Providence, one of five convenience stores previously identified in court records as locations where store owners and employees were allegedly participating in conspiracies to defraud the food stamp program, was named in a federal superseding indictment returned by a grand jury on Wednesday which charges him with conspiracy, food stamp fraud and lying to a federal agent, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha.
On September 5, 2013, United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha announced the findings to date of an ongoing two-year investigation which uncovered more than $3 million dollars of alleged fraud of the food stamp program in Rhode Island. At the time, United States Attorney Neronha announced criminal charges had been filed in federal court against nine Providence convenience store owners and employees.
It is alleged in court records that a pattern of conspiracies and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits abuse was revealed when federal law enforcement undercover investigators visited area convenience stores; examined thousands of documents, bank records and tax filings; and reviewed information and evidence seized during the execution of court authorized search warrants at several businesses on April 1, 2013.
It is alleged in court documents that store owners and/or employees allowed SNAP benefit recipients to use their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards to exchange their SNAP benefits for cash, a violation of the program’s laws and regulations. It is alleged that 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. SNAP benefit funds are transferred electronically directly to accounts managed by the retailer.
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 in U.S. District Court in Providence by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Richard B. Myrus.The investigation is being 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
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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]Missouri Man Ordered Detained on Federal Human Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Stephen Ardrey, 30, of Springfield, Mo., was ordered detained today by U.S District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan during his initial appearance in federal court on charges of sex trafficking children and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Ardrey was taken into federal custody on Thursday as a result of information developed during an investigation by the Coventry and West Greenwich, R.I., Police Departments, Medfield, Mass., Police Department, and agents from Homeland Security Investigations into the disappearance of a 17-year-old female who was reported missing on September 9, 2013, from the town of Medfield and who was located on Thursday in Coventry, R.I.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha acknowledged the outstanding efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island and Massachusetts working collaboratively to ensure the safe return of the victim to her family and for their efforts which led to the arrest and detention of Stephen Ardrey.
In addition, U.S. Attorney Neronha acknowledged and thanked the individual who alerted Coventry Police when he happened upon the victim and the defendant as they walked along a Coventry roadway. “This individual’s quick response by notifying law enforcement was paramount to putting an end to the anguish the victim’s family was experiencing not knowing their daughter’s whereabouts. By smartly alerting law enforcement, he furthered the investigation which led to the arrest and detention of the defendant.”
If convicted of sex trafficking children and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, Ardrey faces statutory penalties of a minimum mandatory 10 years up to life in federal prison; 5 years to lifetime supervised release following imprisonment; and up to a fine of $250,000.
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 Adi Goldstein.
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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]Computer Technology Firm CEO to Plead Guilty to Bank Fraud, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sojin Lim, 60, of East Greenwich, R.I., Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of General Technologies Corporation, d/b/a CompUtopia, has agreed to plead guilty to one count each of bank fraud and money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Rockland Trust Company of more than $5 million dollars, announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; John G. Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston office of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI; and Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
It is alleged in court documents that Lim devised a scheme to defraud Rockland Trust Company in order to satisfy a demand for repayment of a $5 million dollar line of credit with Citizens Bank. It is alleged that Lim falsified bank documents and overstated company revenues in order to secure the funding from Rockland Trust to finance repayment of the line of credit.
According to court documents, in the spring of 2011 Lim and CompUtopia were informed that the line of credit would no longer be carried by Citizens Bank and that CompUtopia was required to seek funding elsewhere. It is alleged that Lim devised a scheme to obtain the funding from Rockland Trust Company by providing false, fraudulent and fictitious information and documentation.
Court documents allege that Lim falsely stated CompUtopia’s accounts receivables as $7,066,268.04, when in fact CompUtopia’s accounts receivables were substantially less. In June 2011, based on the information and documents provided to Rockland Trust Company, the bank deposited $4,878,378.85 in an account which benefited CompUtopia. In April 2012, the Rockland Trust Company loan was increased to $5,350,000.
According to court documents, in late June 2011 Lim paid Citizens Bank $5,342,997.72 from funds provided by Rockland Trust and from a $464,610.37 loan taken against the defendant’s personal assets. CompUtopia filed for receivership in June 2012.
An informationis 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 maximum statutory penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in federal prison; a fine of $250,000; and 5 years of supervised release. The maximum statutory penalty for money laundering is 10 years in federal prison; a fine of $250,000; and 3 years supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. McAdams and Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the FBI and Rhode Island State Police.
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
[email protected]Indiana Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Black Money ScamRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Alvin Pennue, 32, of Indianapolis, Ind., was sentenced today to 21 months in federal prison for passing altered United States currency on two occasions and for inducing a victim to transport $5,000 from Massachusetts to Rhode Island as part of a Black Money scam, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Brian S. Deck, Acting Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the United States Secret Service.
At sentencing, Pennue was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and make restitution in the amount of $5,000 to one of his victims. Pennue was convicted by a federal court jury in Providence on June 19, 2013, of two counts of passing altered obligations of the United States and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property - inducing a victim to transport U.S. currency in interstate commerce as part of a scheme to defraud.
Black Money scams are schemes to defraud whereby individuals attempt to obtain money from a victim by persuading that person that large quantities of banknote-sized paper are really U.S. currency that has been dyed black, typically to avoid detection by customs agents. The victim is persuaded, with the prospect of sharing in the proceeds, to supply real currency to purchase supplies and otherwise facilitate a chemical transformation that will remove the black dye covering the supposedly genuine currency. In reality, except for a few genuine currency bills used to advance the scheme, the black money is usually black construction paper.
At trial, the government presented evidence that during October 2011, Alvin Pennue, through another person, passed to an undercover U.S. Secret Service agent two blackened $100 bills and two blackened $20 bills to a victim of the scam. Pennue persuaded the victim to withdraw $5,000 in $100 bills from his bank account in Massachusetts and to bring that money to Providence to invest in the black money scam.
The evidence showed that at the time of his arrest on October 28, 2011, Alvin Pennue and a second person were in possession of a suitcase containing supplies used to facilitate a black money scam. Pennue was also in possession of over $2,700, including twenty-three $100 bills.
Arrests warrants have been issued for two co-defendants in this matter, Saah Johnson, 36, of Fall River, Mass., and Anthony Chadheen, 35, of Providence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Towbin.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Providence Police Department, and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted the U.S. Secret Service 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]Former Bank Employee Sentenced for Embezzling Funds from Federal Tax ChecksRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Elvy Gomez, 40, of Providence, R.I., was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of community confinement for embezzling more than $95,000 from stolen federal tax checks, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation; and Brian S. Deck, Acting Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the U.S. Secret Service.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi, who recommended that Gomez be assigned to serve his sentence at the Coolidge House in Boston, also ordered Gomez to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his confinement, forfeit $34,376.37 and pay restitution in the amount of $95,559.
Gomez, a former employee of Bank of America, pleaded guilty on June 12, 2013, to one count each of theft of government property, forging an endorsement on treasury checks and money laundering.
At the time of his guilty plea, Gomez admitted to the court that he used his position at the bank to access a dormant checking account which he used to deposit stolen treasury checks and then withdraw the funds. Gomez admitted to obtaining an ATM card in the name of the person whose name appeared on the account, and that between April 2012 and August 2012, he deposited fourteen stolen treasury checks totaling $95,559 into the bank account and then withdrew the funds for his own personal use.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service.
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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 Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty in Robbery and Shooting Death of Woonsocket, R.I., Gas Station Manager; Faces up to Life in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jose A. Santiago, 36, formerly of Springfield, Mass., pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today 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, death resulting, for his participation in a conspiracy that resulted in the armed robbery and murder of David D. Main of Woonsocket on September 20, 2010. Mr. Main was chased, shot to death at close range and robbed as he approached the doorstep of a Woonsocket, R.I., bank where he was preparing to deposit receipts belonging to a gas station he managed.
Santiago, who has been identified in court records as the getaway driver following the robbery and murder of Mr. Main, was scheduled to go on trial on Monday, September 9, 2013. Santiago’s guilty plea was entered prior to the beginning of the second day of jury empanelment. At sentencing on November 22, 2013, pursuant to federal sentencing guidelines, Santiago faces between 30 years to life in federal prison. No plea agreement was filed in this matter.
Santiago’s guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin; Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas S. Carey; and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI.
Jason Wayne Pleau, 35, 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, death resulting. At the time of his guilty plea, Pleau admitted to the court that he robbed and murdered David Main as Mr. Main approached the bank. Pleau admitted to the court that he fled from the area in a vehicle which was parked on a nearby side street near the bank and was being driven by Jose Santiago.
Pleau faces up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith on October 25, 2013.
Kelly Marie Lajoie, 35, pleaded guilty on December 9, 2011, to Hobbs Act conspiracy; aiding and abetting a Hobbs Act robbery; and use of a firearm during a federal crime of violence. She is detained while awaiting sentencing. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The defendants are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adi Goldstein and William J. Ferland.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Woonsocket Police and Rhode Island State Police, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rhode Island National Guard.
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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]Federal Grand Jury Indicts Six, Three Others Set to Plead Guilty, 5 Businesses Identified in Food Stamp Fraud Investigation in Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A two-year criminal investigation 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 has resulted in federal indictments charging six individuals and the filing of federal criminal charges against three others who are set to plead guilty for their alleged roles in various 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.
At a news conference to announce the findings of the investigation to date and resulting federal charges, United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha identified five Providence area businesses named in court documents 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. It is alleged that 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. SNAP benefit funds are transferred electronically directly to accounts managed by the retailer.
United States Attorney Peter Neronha announced that over the past two years, a pattern of alleged conspiracies and SNAP benefits abuse was revealed when federal law enforcement undercover investigators visited area convenience stores; examined thousands of documents, bank records and tax filings; and reviewed information and evidence seized during the execution of court authorized search warrants at several businesses on April 1, 2013.
Among the individuals named in federal grand jury indictments returned on Wednesday, and in informations and plea agreements filed with the U.S. District Court on Wednesday, are owners, managers and/or employees of the Corner Store, Regency Mart, Stop & Go, Dugout and Cristina’s Market, all located in Providence.
In addition to the ongoing criminal investigation and resulting criminal charges announced today, over the past two years the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, administrators of SNAP, permanently disqualified 37 Rhode Island retailers from participating in the food stamp program and sanctioned 15 others for violating the program's laws and regulations. Violations ranged from allowing the purchase of unauthorized merchandise to trafficking cash.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, “The conduct alleged in the charging documents removed a tremendous amount of money from the food stamp benefit program that could otherwise go to feed a hungry adult or a hungry child. Such conduct on the part of some food stamp recipients is plainly improper, and subject to administrative action. Such alleged conduct on the part of retailers, motivated only by greed, is outrageous, and warrants the full attention of this Office and our law enforcement partners.”
USDA Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge William G. Squires Jr.said“The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was created to provide food and nutrition to those who truly need assistance. Those who are involved in fraud and abuse of SNAP and other USDA programs will be aggressively pursued by our office. Our joint investigative effort in Rhode Island has successfully uncovered and brought to justice several individuals and stores who sought to profit from the SNAP program through illegal schemes. The USDA Office of Inspector General will continue to dedicate resources and work with our Federal, State and local law enforcement partners in order to protect the integrity of these programs and to prosecute those who commit fraud.”
John Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation stated, “The IRS enforces the nation's tax laws, but also takes particular interest in cases where someone, for their own personal benefit, has abused our system of providing for our citizens who have the greatest needs. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are designed to help individuals with the most basic of human necessities. Fraud in the system takes our limited resources away from those in need and erodes confidence in the system. With both law enforcement and financial investigation expertise, Special Agents of IRS Criminal Investigation are uniquely qualified to assist state and federal law enforcement agencies with these types of cases by following the money. We are pleased with the developments in these investigations due to the cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners---the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office and the Rhode Island State Police.”
Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police added, “EBT Fraud affects the legitimate food stamp process, the economy, and confidence of the public with the proper distribution of funds to those who really need it.”
“I applaud the initiative of the law enforcement agencies present here today to address fraud in the EBT system,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin. “Since being briefed on this initiative by the United States Attorney many months ago, our goal has been to ensure that there is a coordinated effort to address those who defraud the system, and who therefore deprive our most needy citizens of the benefits they are entitled to. This case is yet another reminder of the fact that law enforcement functions best when the efforts of federal, state, and local agencies are coordinated towards a common goal, and we will continue to work together in the weeks and months ahead to ensure that those who have attempted to cheat the system are held accountable.”
The cases are being prosecuted in U.S. District Court in Providence by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Richard B. Myrus.
An indictment and information 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.###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/Mustafa Al Kabouni, 52
Cranston, RI
Counts 1, 3, 5, 8-30Mohamad Barbour, 53
North Providence, RI
Counts 1, 5, 11, 13Mohamad Amir Al Kabouni, 43
North Providence, RI
Counts 1-4, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14Mohamad Eid Al Kabouni, 22
Cranston, RI
Counts 1, 6, 7, 14-16Count I: Conspiracy to defraud the United States
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCounts II, III, IV, V, VI, VII: SNAP benefit fraud - $100 or more
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCount VIII: SNAP benefit fraud - $5,000 or more.
Max Penalties: 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCounts IX-XVI: Wire fraud
Max Penalties: 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCounts XVII-XXII: Money laundering
Max Penalties: 20 years imprisonment; $500,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCounts XXIII-XXX: Structuring
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised release
Amir Rasheed, 33
Flushing, NY
Counts 1-22Karuna Mehta, 43
North Smithfield
Counts 1-8Count I: Conspiracy to defraud the United States
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCounts II, III, IV, V, VI, VII: SNAP benefit fraud - $100 or more
Max Penalties: 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseCounts XVIII-XXII: Money laundering
Max Penalties: 20 years imprisonment; $500,000 fine; 3 years supervised releaseContact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]New Jersey Man Pleads Not Guilty to Transporting Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Daniel Berger, 27, of Haskell, New Jersey, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., today to a federal indictment charging him with one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI; Portsmouth, R.I., Acting Police Chief Jeffrey Furtado; and Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
According to information presented to the court, it is alleged that on July 24, 2013, Berger traveled from New Jersey to Rhode Island to meet with a minor female he befriended on the Internet. It is alleged that the defendant transported the minor to his residence in Haskell, New Jersey, with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Responding to an Amber Alert issued in Rhode Island for the young girl, local, state and federal law enforcement in Rhode Island and New Jersey worked collaboratively and located the victim in New Jersey. FBI agents from Newark assisted by local and state law enforcement officers recovered the victim shortly after midnight at Berger’s residence.
Berger was detained in New Jersey on a federal criminal complaint issued in the District of Rhode Island on a charge of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He was transported to Rhode Island on July 29, 2013, by the United States Marshals Service and was ordered detained following an initial appearance on July 30, 2013, in U.S. District Court in Providence.
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. If convicted of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, Berger faces statutory penalties of 10 years to life in federal prison, up to 5 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen G. Dambruch and Milind M. Shah.Portsmouth Police, Rhode Island State Police and FBI agents from Providence and Newark, N.J., were assisted by the New Jersey State Police and officers from the Ringwood, Wanaque, Paterson and Clifton, New Jersey, 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]U.S. Postal Letter Carrier Indicted for Allegedly Destroying, Stealing U.S. MailRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal grand jury in Providence on Wednesday returned a two-count indictment charging Matthew Golatto, 28, of Providence, a U.S. Postal letter carrier, with one count each of delaying delivery of mail and theft of mail, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Rafael Medina, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) - Northeast Area Field Office.
Golatto was charged by way of criminal complaint in this matter on July 17, 2013.
According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court, it is alleged that on July 8 and 9, 2013, after receiving information from an area resident a Postal employee recovered from two locations in Coventry a substantial number of pieces of mail allegedly discarded by Golatto. The mail was addressed to recipients in Coventry along routes assigned to Golatto.
In addition, according to court documents, on July 9, 2013, a substantial number of pieces of mail were allegedly recovered from Golatto’s personal vehicle, including 55 greeting card envelopes that had been opened. The contents of a number of the envelopes had been removed. USPS OIG agents recovered 36 retail gift cards from Golatto’s vehicle. Agents also recovered a package that had allegedly been opened which contained medicine mailed from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to a Coventry resident.
A criminal complaint and an indictment are merely allegations and are not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Golatto, who was released on unsecured bond following an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Judge Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on July 30, 2013, is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on August 13, 2013.
If convicted of delay of mail and theft of mail, Golatto faces statutory penalties of up to 5 years in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release and up to a fine of $250,000 on each charge.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee.
Agents from the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General were assisted by Coventry 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]2nd Defendant Sentenced to Federal Prison in International Conspiracy to Import and Distribute Prescription Drugs and Anabolic SteroidsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Patrick Cunningham, 44, of Cranston, RI, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for his participation in an international conspiracy to import and distribute prescription drugs and anabolic steroids, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Mark Dragonetti, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigation.
U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Cunningham to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Cunningham pleaded guilty on March 12, 2013, to one count each of conspiracy to distribute steroids and distribution of a misbranded drug.
Edmond Paolucci, 54, of Coventry, RI, a co-defendant in this matter, pleaded guilty in November 2012 to one count each of conspiracy to distribute steroids, possession with the intent to distribute steroids, distribution of a misbranded drug, and money laundering. He was sentenced on April 9, 2013, by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to serve 33 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.At the time of their guilty pleas, Cunningham and Paolucci admitted that from at least November 2009 until November 2011 they participated in a conspiracy to import various misbranded prescription drugs and bulk quantities of pills and injectable oil-based drugs shipped from Israel, Turkey and Bulgaria to postal boxes in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Through his co-conspirators in Rhode Island, including Patrick Cunningham, Mr. Paolucci used an underground laboratory to repackage the drugs into retail-size pill packets and 10 ml vials, bearing Sciroxx and Xsorox labels. The repackaged drugs were shipped to customers in the United States who had made purchases on websites operated by Mr. Paolucci and his Israeli co-conspirators. A significant portion of the proceeds from the sale of the misbranded drugs was sent back to co-conspirators in Israel.
According to information presented to the court, records obtained from money transfer service companies showed that from February 2009 to September 2011 Mr. Paolucci transferred in excess of $76,000 in proceeds from steroid and prescription drug sales to individuals in Israel.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
A task force led by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, conducted the investigation. The task force partnerships include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Rhode Island State Police, North Providence Police, East Providence Police, and the Rhode Island National Guard.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Mark Dragonetti, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation, acknowledged the assistance of international counterparts at the Israel Ministry of Health, Division of Enforcement and Inspection, and Jerusalem Customs and VAT who provided significant assistance in the successful investigation and prosecution 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]Justin Worley Sentenced to Federal Prison for Robbing Nine BanksRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Justin Worley, 34, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 73 months in federal prison, the high end of the federal sentencing guidelines, for robbing eight banks in Rhode Island and one bank in Massachusetts between February and September 2012, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith also ordered Worley to serve 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to make full restitution to the nine banks he admitted to robbing. Worley pleaded guilty on March 7, 2103, to nine counts of bank robbery.
At the time of his guilty plea, Worley admitted to the court that he robbed a financial institution in Seekonk, Mass., on February 23, 2012, and that he robbed eight financial institutions in Rhode Island between April 16, 2012 and September 18, 2012. Worley admitted that while using implied or explicit threats he robbed the banks of a total of $32,633.
Worley was arrested at a motel in Seekonk on September 19, 2012, by East Providence, R.I., and Seekonk, Mass., police. He has been detained since his arrest.
The robberies were investigated by the Barrington, Cranston, East Providence, North Providence, Pawtucket, Seekonk and Warwick Police Departments and the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Ferland and Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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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]Federal Indictment Charges Johnston Resident with Credit Card Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A five-count federal indictment returned on Wednesday and unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Providence charges Henry A. Fellela, Jr., 55, of Johnston, with obtaining the identity of a Smithfield resident and using that person’s identity and credit card to purchase more than $3,000 worth of goods. In addition, the indictment alleges that Fellela fraudulently obtained more than $58,000 in Supplementary Social Security benefits by falsely claiming that he was homeless while living with his wife and children in their Johnston residence.
The indictment, announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Kevin M. Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, Smithfield Police Chief Richard P. St.Sauveur, Jr. 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, charges Fellela with one count each of credit card fraud, aggravated identity theft and Social Security fraud, and two counts of theft of government funds.
According to the indictment and information presented to the court, it is alleged that an investigation by U.S. Postal inspectors and Smithfield Police revealed that Fellela stole the identity of a Smithfield resident and used that person’s identity and credit card to make several purchases including electronic goods and clothing totaling $3,077.13.
In addition, according to the indictment and information presented to the court, an investigation by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations determined that from March 2004, approximately three months after Fellela was released from federal prison to begin serving a 21-month term of supervised release on an unrelated matter, and continuing until about June 1, 2012, Fellela allegedly claimed to be homeless, and applied for and received Supplementary Security Benefits totaling $58,207.34. It is alleged that during the time Fellela claimed to be homeless and was allegedly collecting benefit payments he was actually living with his wife and children in their Johnston residence.
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.
Fellela, who was arrested earlier today by U.S. Postal inspectors, Smithfield Police, Johnston Police and an agent from the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations, was arraigned before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan. A plea of not guilty was entered. Fellela was released on $50,000 unsecured bond to home incarceration with electronic monitoring.If convicted, Fellela faces up to 10 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release and a fine $250,000 on the charge of credit card fraud; up to 10 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release and a fine $250,000 on each charge of theft of government property; 5 years imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 on the charge of Social Security fraud; and 2 years imprisonment for aggravated identity theft, to be served consecutive to all other sentences imposed.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Richard W. Rose.###
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 Men Sentenced to Federal Prison in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Luis Marte, 34, of Pawtucket, and Luis Fernandez, 26, of Providence, were sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms today for conspiring to possess and possessing with the intent to distribute over 800 grams of heroin, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Cranston Police Chief Marco Palombo, Jr.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi sentenced Marte to 70 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release; Fernandez was sentenced by Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi to 57 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years supervised release. Marte and Fernandez pleaded guilty in April as charged in a federal indictment to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
According to information presented to the court, on January 3, 2013, Cranston Police patrol officers observed a vehicle bearing an expired registration plate. While following the vehicle, the officers observed the driver commit traffic violations. They followed the vehicle to an apartment complex parking lot.
According to information presented to the court, as the driver and passenger were exiting the vehicle at the apartment complex, the officers ordered them to remain inside. The driver, Luis Fernandez, returned to the vehicle while the passenger, Luis Marte, remained outside the vehicle holding a brown paper bag. As officers gave Marte commands he dropped the bag which officers quickly recovered. Inside the bag officers discovered 696.4 grams of heroin. The pair refused to divulge to the officers why they had driven to the apartment complex.
According to information presented to the court, at the Cranston police station, officers located keys on both defendants to an apartment at the complex where they were arrested. Cranston police conducted a court authorized search of the apartment where they seized an additional 111.9 grams of heroin and numerous items used in the packaging and distribution of heroin, including thousands of blue and pink “stamp” bags commonly used to package heroin.
The defendants have been detained since their arrest.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
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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]Cocaine, Firearms Seized; Two Arrested in South County Drug Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An ongoing investigation into the alleged trafficking of crack cocaine in South Kingstown and Narragansett resulted in the arrest on Thursday of a Narragansett couple, Damon Graham, 33, and Ashley Sekator-Graham, 30, and the seizure of crack cocaine, cocaine powder and two firearms, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, South Kingstown Police Chief Vincent Vespia, Narragansett Police Chief Dean Hoxsie and John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division.
Graham was ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond following his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Thursday on a criminal complaint charging him with one count each of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Sekator-Graham was released to home confinement with electronic monitoring following an initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on Thursday on a criminal complaint charging her with one count each of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
According to an affidavit in support of the criminal complaints filed with the court, an investigation by South Kingstown Police, Narragansett Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into the alleged drug trafficking activities of the couple in South Kingstown included electronically monitored drug sales and the execution of a court authorized search of the couple’s Narragansett home. According to the affidavit, the search of the couple’s home resulted in the seizure of nearly 130 grams of crack cocaine, a 9mm handgun and ammunition, and more than $3,700 in cash.
In addition, a court authorized search of a storage unit in Narragansett resulted in the seizure of approximately seven ounces of cocaine powder and a .38 caliber handgun and ammunition.
A criminal complaintis 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.
South Kingstown Police, Narragansett Police and DEA agents are being assisted in this matter by the Rhode Island State Police and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pamela E. Chin and Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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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]U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier Indicted for Allegedly Destroying MailRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal grand jury in Providence on Wednesday returned an indictment charging Matteo Morelli, 34, of Warwick, a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier, with one count of delay or destruction of mail by a Postal Service officer or employee. It is alleged in court documents that Morelli discarded more than 1,000 pieces of mail that were addressed to individuals and business in East Greenwich and North Kingstown.
Morelli’s indictment was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Rafael Medina, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG), Northeast Area Field Office.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed previously with the court, in June 2013, the Postmaster for East Greenwich received complaints that mail sent via the U.S. Postal Service had not been delivered to intended recipients on routes assigned to Morelli. The Postmaster also received complaints of mail not reaching intended recipients along routes in North Kingstown assigned to Morelli.
According to the affidavit, following an interview with Morelli, USPS OIG agents discovered more than 1,000 pieces of mail allegedly discarded by Morelli inside a dumpster behind a school in Warwick.
Morelli is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on July 23, 2013.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.
Delay or destruction of mail by a Postal Service officer or employee is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and up to 3 years of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee
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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]Providence Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Nimera Seng, 31, of Providence, a member of the Providence Street Boyz, a Providence street gang, was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for being in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun after having been convicted of a domestic violence charge, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Kenneth J. Croke, Acting 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.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Seng to serve 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Seng pleaded guilty on April 15, 2013, as charged in an indictment returned on September 12, 2012, to one count of possession of a firearm by an individual convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to information presented to the court, a court authorized search of Seng’s residence on September 12, 2012, by ATF agents and Providence Police, resulted in the seizure of a 9mm handgun loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition. Seng admitted to the court that the firearm, which was discovered stashed in a bedroom bureau wedged alongside a drawer, belonged to him. Seng told police that he had purchased the gun on the street for $600 for protection.According to information presented to the court, Seng’s residence had previously been shot at on multiple occasions; and that multiple firearms had been seized from the residence in the past.
According to information on file with the court, in 2005, Seng was convicted in Rhode Island state court on a charge of domestic assault.
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]Providence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Passing Counterfeit MoneyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Russell Yates, 42, of Providence, was sentenced on Friday to 30 months in federal prison for possessing and passing counterfeit money, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Brian S. Deck, Acting Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the U.S. Secret Service.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith also ordered Yates to serve 3 years of supervised releases upon completion of his prison term. Yates pleaded guilty on March 14, 2013, to two counts of possessing and passing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes and one count of possession of counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes.
According to information presented to the court, the general manager of a Providence hotel contacted the U.S. Secret Service on February 23, 2010, to report that a counterfeit $100 bill had been passed by a guest registered at the hotel. U.S. Secret Service agents examined the $100 bill and determined that it had been printed on an altered genuine $5 bill paper – often referred to as “bleach” counterfeit.
According to information presented to the court, when U.S. Secret Service agents responded to a room registered by Yates, they were allowed to enter the room to search for additional currency. Yates turned over a significant amount of cash he had stored in his pants pocket. An examination by U.S. Secret Service agents of the cash revealed five additional counterfeit $100 bills that were the same as the counterfeit $100 bill passed to the hotel front desk, each bearing the same serial number, and three counterfeit $50 bills. In addition, the agents seized items used in the manufacturing of counterfeit currency, including two all-in-one scanner/printers, a laptop computer, paint brushes with dried green/black ink, latex gloves and masks, metal cookie sheets and aluminum foil, and a can of an oven cleaning agent.
Through further investigation, federal agents learned that three days earlier, employees at a take-out restaurant in Providence reported receipt of $150 in counterfeit $10 and $50 bills to the Providence Police. Review of video surveillance used by the store showed Yates and others he was associated with making several purchases at the store. The $50 bill had the same serial number a genuine $50 bill and of counterfeit bills seized from Yates at the time of his arrest at the hotel.
At sentencing, the court noted that Yates has spent nearly his entire adult life incarcerated, having been waived by the courts to adult status at age seventeen. Yates was previously convicted of racketeering, inciting a riot while incarcerated at the ACI, larceny and robbery. Yates most recent release from state prison occurred six months prior to his arrest by federal agents on counterfeiting charges.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.###
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 Barber Shop Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $230,000 in Federal Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Leticia Gonzalez, 40, of Providence, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence on Friday to embezzling more than $230,000 from stolen federal tax checks she deposited into a business account she manages at a Providence barber shop, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Phil Hall, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston office of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Brian S. Deck, Acting Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the U.S. Secret Service.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Ms. Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property, admitting that between April 2011 and May 2012, she deposited thirty-eight United States Treasury checks totaling more than $200,000 into the barber shop account. In addition, Gonzalez admitted that at least four electronic tax refunds in the names of third parties were deposited into bank accounts she controlled. The total amount of Treasury funds fraudulently converted by Ms. Gonzalez is approximately $231,065.
According to information presented to the court, an analysis of the bank account revealed that approximately $128,000 in cash was withdrawn from the account during the same period. In addition numerous purchases were made at various retail establishments in the Providence area.
According to information presented to the court, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent examined a random sample of ten tax returns associated with the refund checks; all ten were determined to be associated with fraudulent income tax returns, using false W-2 information and the names and social security numbers of people living in Puerto Rico. The IRS agent contacted each of the employers listed on the Forms W-2, and in every instance the employer confirmed that the listed person never worked at their company.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2013. Theft of government property is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison; 3 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
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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]Jason Pleau to Plead Guilty as Charged in Federal IndictmentRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – According to a signed Plea Agreement filed today in U.S. District Court in Providence, Jason W. Pleau, 35, will plead guilty as charged by way of a federal indictment for the robbery and murder of Woonsocket gas station manager David Main. It is alleged that Pleau robbed and shot Mr. Main on September 20, 2010, as he attempted to enter a Woonsocket bank to deposit receipts belonging to the gas station that he managed.
As required by the United States Attorneys’ Manual, the Attorney General has approved the filing of a Plea Agreement in this matter and the withdrawal of the Notice of Intent to Seek a Sentence of Death against the defendant: http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/10mcrm.htm#9-10.150
According to the court filing, Mr. Pleau will plead guilty as charged by way of an indictment returned on December 14, 2010, 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, death resulting.
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.
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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 Scituate Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Robert Brown, Jr., 42, formerly of Scituate, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to possessing nearly 2,300 images and more than 30 videos depicting child pornography involving prepubescent children, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Brown pleaded guilty 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.
According to information presented to the court, beginning in September 2009, an undercover FBI agent from the San Diego Division logged on to online file sharing programs often used for the sharing of child pornography. The agent was friended by Brown and was permitted by the defendant to access his files. On at least three occasions, the FBI agent accessed Brown’s files and downloaded files containing images and videos depicting child pornography.
The investigation revealed that Brown was accessing and sharing the files from an Internet address subscribed to him at his Scituate residence. In May 2010, FBI agents executed a court authorized search of 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 by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of the items seized revealed 2,297 images and 32 videos containing images of known children identified in 80 series depicting child pornography.Brown, who is currently free on unsecured bond, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 23, 2013. At sentencing, Brown faces statutory penalties of a minimum mandatory 5 years and up to 20 years in federal prison followed by a mandatory 5 years of supervised release for distribution of child pornography; and up to 10 years in prison followed by a mandatory 5 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.
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]Justice Department Releases Educational Video About Discrimination in Employment Eligibility VerificationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today the launch of a new educational video to assist employers in avoiding charges of discrimination in the employment eligibility verification form I-9 process and in the use of E-Verify. The video also helps educate employees about their legal rights. The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) within the department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which prohibits employers from discriminating against work-authorized individuals in hiring, firing, recruitment or referral for a fee, regardless of their citizenship status or national origin. The law also prohibits discrimination during the form I-9 and E-Verify processes.
OSC developed its latest video to address issues that frequently arise from calls to its hotline and charges filed. Employers sometimes incorrectly believe that they need to request more documents than are necessary for the employment eligibility verification form I-9. Additionally, employers using E-Verify may improperly request specific documents due to misunderstanding of E-Verify requirements. OSC’s new video highlights some practices that are not permissible and may lead to claims under the anti-discrimination provision.
“We believe this video will help both employers and employees across the country understand employment eligibility verification rules,” said Gregory Friel, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “Federal law prohibits discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process, and the Justice Department is committed to enforcing the law.”
The video may be viewed at http://youtu.be/VNHFDusJqRg
The latest OSC video is part of OSC’s educational video series that can be found here: http://go.usa.gov/2P6m. OSC also operates a hotline for employers and workers, frequently providing guidance to employers on how to avoid discrimination and educating employees on rights protected by the anti-discrimination provision. OSC offers live webinars for both employers and employees to educate employers on avoiding workplace discrimination and to educate employees about their rights. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under the immigration law, call OSC’s worker hotline at: 1-800-255-7688 (1-202-616-5525, TTY for the hearing impaired); call OSC’s employer hotline at: 1-800-255-8155 (1-202-616-5525, TTY for the hearing impaired); send an e-mail to: [email protected]; or visit OSC’s website http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.
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]Bristol Man Facing 10 Years in Prison on Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Bristol, R.I., man previously convicted in state court on multiple drug trafficking charges, admitted to a U.S. District Court judge in Providence today that in December 2012, he broke into a Portsmouth, R.I., home and stole more than a dozen firearms, five of which were recovered from his residence, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., David Welch, 42, pleaded guilty as charged in a federal grand jury indictment to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. According to a binding plea agreement filed in this matter and accepted by the court, Welch faces a sentence of 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on October 1, 2013.
At today’s change-of-plea hearing, Welch admitted to the court that he broke into a Portsmouth home on December 22, 2012, and stole more than a dozen firearms and other items. Welch admitted that five firearms, a revolver and four semi-automatic handguns, located by law enforcement in his bedroom during a court authorized search on December 27, 2012, were among the firearms stolen from the home in Portsmouth. Welch admitted to the court that he stole the firearms for the purpose of selling some or all of them to others.
Welch admitted to the court that prior to his arrest on December 27, 2012, he sold or transferred some of the stolen firearm to others. Two of those firearms have since been recovered by law enforcement.
An indictmentis 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.
Welch has been detained since his arrest.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by the Portsmouth, Bristol, Newport and North Kingstown Police Departments and agents from 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]Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man arrested in November 2011 when Providence Police discovered a loaded firearm and a bag of ammunition hidden among children’s toys in a bedroom in his residence was sentenced on Tuesday to 180 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr
Henry Lee, 30, was arrested by members of the Providence Police Department Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau on November 3, 2011, during an investigation into Lee’s firearm and drug activities. According to information presented to the court, detectives executed a court authorized search of Lee’s residence and seized a loaded .380 caliber handgun and a bag of ammunition discovered hidden in a rear bedroom inside a “Girl Gourmet” cupcake mixer box which was located among several toys in the bedroom.
In addition, several plastic bags containing various amounts of crack cocaine were discovered in a bureau drawer. A bullet proof vest was discovered in a kitchen closet.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, “The fifteen years that the defendant will serve in federal prison is a very long time. He deserves every minute. What makes this defendant’s conduct particularly dangerous, beyond his armed drug-dealing, is his possession of a bullet-proof vest, which could have only one purpose – to cause as much harm as possible to others, while remaining in relative safety.”
Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., added, “Firearms and drugs continue to be a danger in our community. With this outstanding arrest and significant sentencing of an Armed Career Criminal, we are sending a clear message that criminals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is another example of the positive working partnership between the Providence Police Department, ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Lee pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on March 27, 2013, to one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of body armor and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Lee to serve 5 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.
Lee was convicted previously in state court on two occasions on serious drug felonies and of having committed a violent felony.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
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]Federal Hud Investigation Results in North Providence Town Employee Reimbursing Hud Loan Program More Than $48,000; To Pay $78,000 in DamagesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Maria Vallee, 47, of North Providence, R.I., a municipal employee for the town of North Providence, will pay more than $78,000 in damages after having reimbursed nearly $48,000 of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) monies she received in the form of loans from the town of North Providence which she was not qualified to receive, according to a Civil Complaint and a Consent Judgment filed today with the U.S. District Court in Providence.
The CDBG loan program is a HUD program administered by various municipalities across Rhode Island to provide low interest loans to low and moderate-income families and the elderly to make necessary repairs to existing housing.
According to the Complaint, announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Cary A. Rubenstein, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, between April and July 2008, Vallee applied for and received a total of $47,895 in HUD CDBG loans, even though she was aware that her and her husband’s combined salaries of $125,000 exceeded maximum salary guidelines. The maximum aggregate family income for a family applying for a home repair loan from the CDBG program was $58,550.
The guidelines for HUD CDBG loans require that loan monies be used to make dwellings sanitary, decent and safe. According to court documents, the Vallees used the HUD CDBG loans to finance the installation of new siding, a bay window, replacement windows, a door, and a new deck on their North Providence residence. A subsequent request added monies to make cosmetic changes to stairs leading to the home.
According to the Consent Judgment, in addition to having reimbursed the town and the HUD CDBG loan program $47,895, the total amount of the loans, Vallee must also pay an additional $78,292.50 in damages.
The matter, handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan, was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.
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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]Sex Offender Sentenced to 65 Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Register for A 3rd TimeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Christian J. Morales, 30, formerly of Pawtucket and Woonsocket, R.I., and Blackstone, Mass., was sentenced today to 65 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender for the 3rd time, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and United States Marshall Jamie A. Hainsworth. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith.
Morales, convicted in Rhode Island state court in December 2006 on two counts of child molestation, has a lifetime duty to register as a sex offender under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
SORNA provides a comprehensive set of federal standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States through the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs. Additionally, SORNA requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school, and to make periodic in-person appearances to verify and update their registration information.
According to information presented to the court, Morales was arrested and charged in November 2008 and in June 2010 with failing to register as a sex offender after changing addresses in Woonsocket and Pawtucket.
Morales was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender for the third time on July 1, 2010, after Woonsocket Police became aware that Morales was no longer living at a Woonsocket address where he was registered. Morales was located in a Blackstone, Mass., apartment where he was living with his girlfriend and her 4-year-old child, and was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals Service, R.I. State Police, Woonsocket Police and Mass. State Police
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Rogers.
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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]Federal Grand Jury Indicts Vaughn Watrous on Five Counts of Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal grand jury in Providence today returned a five-count indictment charging Vaughn Watrous, 36, formerly of Providence, with five counts of bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Cranston Police Chief Colonel Marco Palombo, Jr., Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office.
The indictment alleges that between February 6 and February 14, 2013, Watrous robbed a total of five banks in Providence and Cranston. The indictment alleges that Watrous robbed four of the banks on consecutive dates.
Watrous, who will appear for arraignment in U.S. District Court at a date yet to be determined, has been detained at the ACI since his arrest by Cranston Police on February 14, 2013.
If convicted, Watrous faces statutory penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison; 3 years of supervised release; and a fine of $250,000 for each count of bank robbery.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The robberies were investigated by Providence Police, Cranston Police and the FBI.
An indictmentis 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]Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Rhode Island Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Unfair Employment PracticesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with Vincent Porcaro Inc. (VPI) resolving allegations that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). VPI is a Rhode Island company that provides warehousing, distribution, light assembly and packaging for regional, national and international companies.
The department’s investigation was initiated based on a referral from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The department’s investigation found that VPI, beginning in October 2012, required non-citizens to present specific U.S. Department of Homeland Security-issued documents to establish their identity and work authorization while not making similar requests of U.S. citizens. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from discriminating against noncitizens in the employment eligibility verification process by demanding more or different documents than U.S. citizens are required to present.
Under the settlement agreement, VPI agreed to provide training to its human resources personnel on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, pay $43,092 in civil penalties to the United States, create a $30,000 back pay fund to compensate individuals who suffered economic injuries as a result of VPI’s documentary practices, and be subject to monitoring by the department for a period of two years.
“Employers who create or change their employment eligibility verification policies and practices have an obligation to ensure that those changes are consistent with the anti-discrimination provision of the INA,” said Gregory Friel, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The division is committed to identifying and addressing employer policies and practices that do not satisfy that obligation.”The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The case was handled by Trial Attorney Liza Zamd. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under the immigration laws, call the OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2525, TTY for hearing impaired), call the OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-362-2735, TTY for hearing impaired), sign up for a no-cost webinar at http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc/webinars.php, email [email protected] or visit the website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.
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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]Federal Jury Convicts Providence Man on Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. –Cristian Jimenez, a/k/a Alacran, 32, of Providence, faces between ten years to life in federal prison at sentencing after a federal court jury on Monday convicted him of one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute heroin and three counts of possession and distribution of heroin, announced Unites States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office; and John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division.
Jimenez was one of eleven individuals identified by law enforcement as being members of a Dominican organization that trafficked heroin into Rhode Island. The other 10 individuals charged and arrested in this matter previously pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence.
The jury acquitted Jimenez of one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Gang Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Task Force, Rhode Island State Police and local law enforcement officers assigned to the task forces resulted in the execution of federal search warrants and arrest warrants in May 2012 in Providence, Cranston, North Providence, Pawtucket, and West Warwick, R.I. More than three kilos of heroin, approximately 200 grams of cocaine, approximately $450,000 in cash, a substantial quantity of high-end jewelry, five firearms - four of them loaded, and twelve vehicles - several of which contained “hides” were seized by law enforcement.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on numerous occasions Jimenez bought and sold significant quantities of heroin and directed the packaging and distribution of the drugs. The government’s evidence showed that Jimenez’s Providence residence was one of the primary locations used by the drug trafficking organization to package and distribute significant quantities of heroin.
Jimenez, who has been detained since his arrest on September 26, 2012, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith on September 13, 2013.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adi Goldstein and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth P. Madden.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI; Providence, Cranston and Woonsocket Police Departments and the Rhode Island National Guard.The DEA Drug Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and the Cranston, East Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, Warwick, Newport, and Woonsocket Police Departments.
Agents from the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation also played significant roles in the investigation.
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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 Rhode Island Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Funds from Federal Tax ChecksRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Elvy Gomez, 39, of Providence, a former employee of Bank of America, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence to embezzling more than $95,000 from stolen federal tax checks. Gomez admitted to the court that he used his position at the bank to access a dormant checking account which he used to deposit stolen treasury checks and then withdraw the funds. Gomez pleaded guilty to one count each of theft of government property, forging an endorsement on treasury checks and money launderings.
Gomez’s guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
According to information presented to the court, an investigation by IRS-CI determined that in January 2011, Gomez use his position as an employee of the bank to access a dormant checking account of an individual who moved to the Dominican Republic in 2009. He also obtained an ATM card in that person’s name. Gomez admitted that between April 2012 and August 2012, he deposited fourteen stolen treasury checks totaling $95,559 into the bank account and then withdrew the funds for his own personal use.
At sentencing, Gomez faces up to 10 years in federal prison; 3 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 on each charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi on September 6, 2013.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
Agents from the U.S. Secret Service assisted 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]Federal Jury in Rhode Island Convicts Indiana Man in Black Money ScamRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal court jury in Providence, R.I., on Wednesday convicted Alvin Pennue, 32, of Indianapolis, Ind., with passing altered United States currency on two occasions and inducing a victim to transport $5,000 from Massachusetts to Rhode Island as part of a Black money scam, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Brian S. Deck, Acting Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the United States Secret Service.
Black money scams are schemes to defraud whereby individuals attempt to obtain money from a victim by persuading that person that large quantities of banknote-sized paper are really U.S. currency that has been dyed black, typically to avoid detection by customs agents. The victim is persuaded, with the prospect of sharing in the proceeds, to supply real currency to purchase supplies and otherwise facilitate a chemical transformation that will remove the black dye covering the supposedly genuine currency. In reality, except for a few genuine currency bills used to advance the scheme, the black money is usually black construction paper.
The government’s evidence, presented to the jury during two days of testimony, showed that during October 2011, Alvin Pennue, through another person, passed to an undercover U.S. Secret Service agent two blackened U.S. $100 bills and passed to a victim two blackened $20 bills. Mr. Pennue persuaded the victim to withdraw $5,000 in $100 bills from his bank account in Massachusetts on October 21, 2011, and to bring that money to Providence to invest in the black money scam.
At the time of his arrest on October 28, 2011, Mr. Pennue and a second person were in possession of a black suitcase containing supplies used to facilitate a black money scam. Mr. Pennue was also in possession of over $2,700, including twenty-three $100 bills.
Alvin Pennue was convicted of two counts of passing altered obligations of the United States and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property - inducing a victim to transport U.S. currency in interstate commerce as part of a scheme to defraud.
Passing altered currency is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison; up to 5 years supervised release; and up to a $250,000 fine. Inducing interstate transportation of money for fraud is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison; up to 3 years of supervised release; and up to a $250,000 fine.
Pennue, who was detained following the verdict, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. on September 4, 2013.
Arrests warrants have been issued for two co-defendants in this matter, Saah Johnson, 36, of Fall River, Mass., and Anthony Chadheen, 35, of Providence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Towbin.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Providence Police Department, and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted the U.S. Secret Service 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]Department of Justice Reaches Landmark Settlement Agreement with Rhode Island and City of Providence Under the ADARead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into an interim settlement agreement with the State of Rhode Island and the City of Providence that will resolve violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for approximately 200 Rhode Islanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
This first-of-its-kind agreement addresses the rights of people with disabilities to receive state- and city-funded employment and daytime services in the broader community, rather than in segregated sheltered workshops and facility-based day programs exclusively with other people with disabilities. The department launched an ADA investigation in January 2013 into Rhode Island’s day activity service system for people with I/DD. The department’s initial investigation found that the majority of people receiving state- and city-funded employment and daytime services through segregated programs can and want to work and receive services in more integrated community settings. Under the ADA people with disabilities have the right to receive services in the most integrated settings appropriate for them.
This matter was initially brought to light by an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division, regarding improper subminimum wages being paid to people with disabilities working at TTP. This week, the Department of Labor revoked TTP’s certificate under the Fair Labor Standards Act Section 14(c).
The Department of Justice’s investigation has initially focused on a private provider, Training Thru Placement (TTP), as one of the largest facility-based employment service providers in the state’s system. The investigation also revealed that the school-based sheltered workshop at the Harold A. Birch Vocational Program at Mount Pleasant High School (Birch), was the point of origin for many people entering TTP. Since the department began its investigation earlier this year, the state and the city have worked cooperatively with the department to reach an agreement to resolve the violations.
The department found that the approximately 90 workers with disabilities at TTP were not in the most integrated setting appropriate for them and that the students in the sheltered workshop at Birch were at serious risk of unnecessary placement at TTP following their exit from school. TTP is located in a residential neighborhood, without easy access to stores, offices or public spaces. People with I/DD typically remain at TTP all day, packaging and labeling medical supplies, wrapping television remote controls in plastic or hand-sorting jewelry. The typical tenure at TTP is 15 to 30 years. TTP workers have little or no contact with persons without disabilities. According to TTP’s reports, TTP workers with disabilities make an average hourly wage of $1.57 per hour, with one individual making as little as 14¢ per hour.
The department found that people with disabilities at TTP are capable of working in real jobs with supports, and participating in activities in the community, such as volunteering, exercising, taking classes, going to museums, plays and sporting events. Many TTP clients had specifically and repeatedly asked for help to find and be supported in real jobs in the community. However, the state and city did not respond to their requests and did not make integrated employment services and community-based daytime activities available. For example, one person with I/DD, who has worked at TTP for approximately 30 years, said that he asked nearly every year to work in a hardware store, yet he was never assessed or received services or supports necessary for him to do so. When asked how he would feel about working in integrated employment, he said, “I’d feel I accomplished something . . . something to be happy about.”
The sheltered workshop at Birch was also found to discriminate against its approximately 85 students with I/DD because it cultivated, trained and prepared students to work at TTP as adults. The work that Birch’s students performed in the school’s sheltered workshop was similar to tasks performed by TTP’s service recipients. Students ages 14 to 21 with I/DD would participate in the Birch sheltered workshop for one or two 55-minute periods per day, sometimes to do work for TTP. At times when the Birch sheltered workshop faced deadlines, some students were removed from their regular classes and spent large portions of their school days in the workshop. Students were generally denied diplomas and received only “certificates of attendance.” Students at the Birch sheltered workshop were paid between 50¢ and $2 per hour, or were not paid at all, no matter what job function they performed or how productive they were.
The school provided virtually no opportunities for students to experience or prepare for real jobs and made direct referrals to adult sheltered workshops as the students neared the end of school. Because of the lack of integrated opportunities and direct referrals, invariably, the students would move on to an adult sheltered workshop, TTP, after they left school instead of to integrated work places.
“The Supreme Court made clear over a decade ago that unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities is discriminatory. Such segregation is impermissible in any state or local government program, whether it be residential services, employment services, or other programs,” said Eve Hill, Senior Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “Unfortunately, the type of segregation and exploitation we found at TTP and Birch is all too common when states allow low expectations to shape their disability programs. The reforms the state and city will undertake under this interim agreement will support people with disabilities to participate in their communities. Thanks to the vision and leadership of the State and the City, both the individuals and their communities will benefit.”
The state has now stopped providing services or funding for new participants at TTP’s sheltered workshop and facility-based day program, and the city has stopped providing services or funding to Birch’s in-school sheltered workshop. Over the next year, the state and city will provide supported employment services and placements to all adults at TTP and youth in transition from Birch to help them find, get, keep and succeed in real jobs. The services will be designed to help people access jobs in typical work settings where they can interact with non-disabled coworkers and customers, and enjoy the same employment benefits as non-disabled peers. When individuals are not working, they will have access to integrated day services.Under the agreement, individuals will receive supported employment and integrated day services sufficient to support a normative 40 hour work week, with the expectation that individuals will work, on average, in a supported employment job at competitive wages for at least 20 hours per week.
For students leaving Birch, the agreement requires a robust career development and transition planning process to ensure that youth can successfully move into community-based jobs, rather than to segregated settings like TTP. The department’s statewide investigation of the state’s day activity service system for people with I/DD will continue. The interim agreement is due to the efforts of the following Civil Rights Division staff: Regina Kline, Sheila Foran, Justin Park, Lance Simon and Chloe Holzman.Please visit www.ada.gov/olmstead to learn more about the Division’s ADA Olmstead enforcement efforts and www.justice.gov/crt to learn more about the laws enforced by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
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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 Charged with Witness Tampering in Joint Woonsocket Police, DEA InvestigationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Joshua Rojas, a/k/a Joshua Ramos, 19, of Woonsocket, and Victor Burgos, a/k/a Fat Boy, 20, of Providence, have been charged in federal court in Providence with witness tampering in connection with a joint Woonsocket Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation into the alleged trafficking of Fentanyl Acetyl analogue, a Schedule 1 controlled substance.
In addition, Burgos has been charged with one count each of possession with the intent to distribute Fentanyl Acetyl analogue and distribution of Fentanyl Acetyl analogue.The charges were announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas S. Carey and John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New England Field Division.
According to information presented to the court, it is alleged that Rojas and Burgos took threatening actions and made threatening remarks in an effort to intimidate a person cooperating with law enforcement in an investigation into the alleged trafficking of Fentanyl Acetyl analogue.
Burgos, who has been detained for violating terms of his release on a federal criminal complaint issued on May 17, 2013, charging him with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute Fentanyl Acetyl analogue, was charged by way of a federal grand jury indictment returned on June 5, 2013, with one count each of use of threat of physical force against a person with the intent to influence, delay or prevent the testimony any person in an official proceeding; distribution of Fentanyl Acetyl analogue; and possession with the intent to distribute Fentanyl Acetyl analogue.
Burgos is scheduled to be arraigned on June 11, 2013. If convicted, Burgos faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison on each charge.
Rojas, who was charged by way of a federal criminal complaint on June 4, 2013, with one count of intentionally harassing another person and thereby attempting to hinder, delay, prevent or dissuade any person from attending or testifying in an official proceeding, was ordered detained following an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan.
If convicted, Rojas faces a maximum sentence of up to 3 years in federal prison.
An indictment and a criminal complaint are merely allegations and are not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela E. Chin.
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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 Charged in Federal Court with Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Troy L Antley, 44, of Providence, is scheduled to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence on June 12, 2013, charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with being a 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 allegedly walking in Providence with a firearm stuck in his waistband.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed with the court, Colonel O’Donnell, unarmed at the time, alerted Providence Police and continued to follow Antley while relaying his observations. Colonel O’Donnell continued to follow Antley as Antley allegedly entered a vehicle and began to drive away from the area.
According to the affidavit, responding officers quickly located and blocked Antley’s vehicle. As they did, Antley allegedly exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Officers chased and quickly apprehended Antley, who allegedly fought with two of the officers while being arrested.
A fully loaded .45 caliber handgun was recovered from the vehicle allegedly driven by Antley. The hammer on the gun was cocked back. An examination of the firearm by ATF revealed that the fiream had been reported stolen.
According to information presented to the court, Antley was previously convicted in R.I. state court on felony charges for robbery, drug trafficking and assault with a dangerous weapon.
The case is being 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]Four Detained, Six Firearms Seized in Alleged Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Four men have been arrested on federal drug charges and ordered detained, and six firearms including a suspected automatic weapon were seized by federal, state and local law enforcement agents and officers in connection with a fifteen-month multi-agency investigation initiated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) into the alleged trafficking of cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy and a synthetic drug termed “Molly.” Law enforcement also seized additional amounts of drugs and cash, and discovered an alleged marijuana grow in the home of an individual with a medical marijuana caregiver card authorized by the State of Rhode Island.
According to an affidavit in support of criminal complaints and search warrants filed with the U.S. District Court, the investigation initiated by ATF and investigated jointly with DEA, and assisted by agents and officers from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island State Police and Cranston, Pawtucket, Providence, and Warwick Police Departments determined that the conspiracy was allegedly responsible for a significant quantity of drugs allegedly being trafficked to other drug dealers and to drug users. One of the defendants arrested is an alleged member of a street gang.
The investigation and arrests were announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Eugenio A. Marquez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of ATF; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New England Field Division; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in New England; United States Marshal Jamie A. Hainsworth; Colonel Steven G, O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; Cranston Police Chief Colonel Marco Palombo, Jr; Pawtucket Police Chief Paul King; Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.; and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney.
Arrested and ordered detained on Friday by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judges Patricia A. Sullivan and Lincoln D. Almond on charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; distribution of controlled substances; and use of a telephone to commit drug offenses were:
- Salee Yang, 29, of Pawtucket, the primary target of investigation. During the investigation, an undercover ATF Agent allegedly purchased a total of 137.1 grams of heroin, 235 grams of cocaine powder, 392.1 grams of crack cocaine, 471.7 grams and 112 pills consisting of a synthetic powdered drug termed “Molly,” and 100 Ecstasy pills directly from Yang for a total of $61,025. A handgun was seized from Yang. Yang’s Pawtucket residence was among the locations searched by law enforcement.
- Eric Negron, 48, of Pawtucket, according to information presented to the court, a supplier of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine to Yang. Negron’s residence and a barber shop in Providence where he is employed were among the locations searched by law enforcement.
- Peter Lietar, 37, of Pawtucket allegedly supplied Ecstasy and a synthetic drug termed “Molly” to Yang. During a search of Lietar’s residence, law enforcement discovered an alleged marijuana grow which was in the process of being harvested. According to information presented to the court, Lietar, who had previously been convicted of armed robbery in Massachusetts, held an expired Rhode Island medical marijuana card and valid Rhode Island medical marijuana caregiver card. A handgun and a rifle were seized from Lietar.
- Stanz Hun, 25, of Cranston, who, according to information presented to the court, was a customer of Yang and who allegedly operated his own drug trafficking business. It is alleged that Yang is a member of the 4/5th Mafia and PSB street gang. Law enforcement agents seized from Yang a suspected automatic weapon, two handguns, $600 in cash, and a small amount of marijuana. Hun’s residence was among the locations searched by law enforcement.
A criminal complaintis 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 Gerard B. Sullivan
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]Warren Man Arraigned on Federal Indictment Brought Following Alleged Armed Confrontation with R.I. State PoliceRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Daniel Ferro, 50, of Warren, R.I., arrested by Rhode Island State Police on May 24, 2013, after allegedly confronting two state troopers with a loaded shotgun, was arraigned in federal court in Providence on Thursday on an indictment charging him with one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Ferro was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 29, 2013.
The incident allegedly occurred when State Police troopers went to Ferro’s residence to speak with him regarding an ongoing federal law enforcement and Rhode Island State Police investigation into alleged threats and harassment allegedly directed at a former employer.
Ferro’s indictment and arrest was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, Robert L. Panella, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Region of the Department of Labor - Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, and Kevin M. Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
According to information presented to the court, Rhode Island State Police troopers went to Ferro’s residence on May 24, 2013, to speak with Ferro as part of ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor- Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the State Police into harassment, threatening communications and frivolous complaints Ferro allegedly directed toward a former employer. The employer fired Ferro in September 2011.
According to information presented to the court, when troopers arrived at Ferro’s residence, they observed Ferro’s car outside the house, a television was on inside the home, and a dog was inside the house. The troopers knocked on the front door, identified themselves as police and displayed their badges. Ferro failed to answer the door.
The troopers then knocked on a side door and various windows, repeatedly identifying themselves as police and stating they wanted to speak to Ferro. After about 5 minutes, Ferro allegedly let the dog out and emerged in the doorway allegedly holding a loaded shotgun. Ferro was ordered by a trooper to drop the gun. Ferro allegedly ignored the command and retreated into the house. The troopers retreated, took cover, and contacted Warren Police for backup. Ferro surrendered when Warren Police arrived on the scene, and a loaded 12 gauge shotgun was seized.
At arraignment before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A Sullivan, a not guilty plea was entered on Ferro’s behalf. Mr. Ferro was released on conditions which include home detention with electronic monitoring, mandatory mental health treatment, and a no – contact order which prohibits Ferro from making any contact with his former employer.
According to court records, Ferro was convicted of felony assault with a dangerous weapon in Rhode Island state court in 1994.
An indictmentis 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.
Felon in possession of ammunition is punishable by a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison; 3 years supervised release; and a fine of $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter is being investigated by United States Department of Labor- Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Rhode Island State Police, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Warren Police Department.
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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]