Western District of Washington
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Woodinville Man Sentenced to Four Months in Prison, Six Months of Home Detention for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
A Woodinville, Washington based company and its owner were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for violating the Arms Export Control Act and for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. The company, PRECISION IMAGE CORPORATION, is operated by owner, CHIH-KWANG HWA, out of his Woodinville home. HWA obtained contracts to supply circuit boards to the U.S. Navy, by falsely claiming the boards would be manufactured in the United States. Instead HWA illegally sent restricted information to a company in Taiwan for the boards to be manufactured there. The company was fined $300,000 for violating the Arms Export Control Act. HWA was sentenced for wire fraud to four months in prison, and six months of home detention as part of his two years of supervised release. U. S. District Judge James. L. Robart imposed the sentences.
According to the charging information and the plea agreements in the case, between 2009 and 2011, HWA obtained contracts worth $180,034 to supply circuit boards to the U.S. Navy. The Navy supplied technical data to PRECISION IMAGE that contained the technical specifications for the circuit boards. This technical data was designated on the United States Munitions List, International Traffic in Arms Regulations. As a result, this technical data could not legally be transmitted outside the United States without a license from the U.S. State Department. CHIH-KWANG HWA knew about this restriction at the time he received the technical data from the Navy. HWA did not get the appropriate licenses, and sent the restricted data to the Taiwan manufacturer. One of the transmissions occurred in September 2011, and the Taiwanese manufactured circuit boards were later provided to the Navy. In addition, many of the contracts awarded to HWA were set aside for companies that promised to manufacture the boards in the United States. HWA falsely represented to the Navy in connection with these contracts that the boards were being manufactured in the United States, when instead they were being manufactured in Taiwan.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Greenberg and Thomas Woods.
Justice Department Announces Settlement Agreement with Everett, Wash., Battery Company to Protect Employment Rights of Returning Military ReservistRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with All Battery Sales and Service (ABS) of Everett, Wash., to resolve a lawsuit it filed on behalf of Curtis Kirk, a U.S. Army reservist. The lawsuit alleged that the company violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by failing to properly reemploy Kirk in September 2010, after he returned from military service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The lawsuit also alleged that the defendant unlawfully demoted and then terminated Kirk’s employment without proper cause. If approved by the court, the settlement would resolve the allegations that the defendant violated the reemployment rights of Kirk.
ABS is a wholesaler, distributor and retailer of battery products, parts and services. According to the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the defendant violated USERRA by not properly reemploying Kirk in a position as a front counter representative, or in a position with comparable seniority, status and pay. The defendant reemployed Kirk in a lower status position than the one he held when he left for active duty service, with fewer guaranteed working hours, a less lucrative commission and bonus structure and fewer opportunities for promotion. ABS later demoted Kirk further and terminated his employment without cause, also in violation of USERRA.
Under the terms of the settlement, ABS must pay Kirk $37,500 to compensate him for lost or reduced wages and benefits. Among other things, the settlement also requires the defendant to provide training to ABS’ high-level officials and human resources staff on the USERRA rights and obligations of employers and covered employees.“Employers have a legal obligation to ensure service members get their jobs back when they return from military duty as required by law,” said Jocelyn Samuels, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting the rights of those who, through their courage and sacrifice, secure the rights of all Americans.”
“Just as our dedicated men and women of the military protect our freedoms overseas, we must protect their interests here at home,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “These soldiers have made many sacrifices, and the loss of a career or the job they are entitled to when they return home, cannot be allowed. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to enforcing the laws that protect the rights of those brave men and women who serve our country proudly.”
Subject to certain conditions, USERRA requires employers to promptly reemploy returning service members in the positions they would have held had their employment been not interrupted by military service or in a position of like seniority, status and pay. In addition, any individual with Kirk’s length of absence for military service who is reemployed cannot be terminated, within one year after the date of full and proper reemployment except for just cause.
The case was litigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Michael Diaz in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, in collaboration with Andrew Braniff, USERRA/USAO Program Coordinator, in the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has given a high priority to the enforcement of service members’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.usdoj.gov/crt/emp and www.servicemembers.gov, as well as on the Labor Department’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/main.htm.
Pierce County Man who Killed Two While Protecting his Marijuana Grow Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
A Puyallup, Washington man who shot and killed two men who had entered the garage where he was growing marijuana, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to manufacturing marijuana and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. JEREMY PETER CAPODANNO, 36, was arrested in April 2013. Use of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking carries a five year mandatory minimum term. Under the terms of the plea agreement, CAPODANNO is forfeiting nearly $670,000 in proceeds from the sale of two properties -- his Puyallup home and a second home in Kent, Washington. CAPODANO is also forfeiting a 2008 Mercedes, a 2008 Toyota pickup truck and five firearms seized at the crime scene. Sentencing is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton on January 17, 2014.
“The defendant’s conduct put the safety of our community and his family at risk. He armed himself expecting trouble, and unfortunately he got it,” said U. S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “Consistent with our enforcement priorities, we continue to focus on those who bring violence and use firearms to protect illegal drug businesses.”
On December 6, 2012, CAPODANNO shot two people who had broken into the garage of his Puyallup residence – killing both of them. In the garage loft was a marijuana grow with nearly 200 plants. When police officers arrived, they found CAPODANNO in possession of a Glock 17, 9mm semiautomatic pistol, which is the gun that CAPODANNO used to kill the two men. While searching CAPODANNO’S truck, police found additional marijuana as well as other weapons including a Bushmaster XM-15 assault rifle; an Intratec Tec-9 9mm pistol; a Benelli 12 gauge shotgun; and a Professional Ordinance MDL Carbon 15.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vince Lombardi and Matthew Thomas.
Former California Rap Artist Sentenced to 9+ Years in Prison for Bank Fraud, Access Device Fraud and Aggravated ID TheftRead the Press Release
A California rap artist who performed under the name “Guerilla Black” was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 110 months in prison and five years of supervised release for a scheme to use credit card numbers stolen in Seattle in other states, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. CHARLES TONY WILLIAMSON, 36, of Torrance, California, was on the user end of the fraud involving hacks of point of sale credit card processing at businesses in Seattle and Shoreline, Washington, and at various businesses across the U.S. WILLIAMSON purchased credit card numbers in bulk from a hacker based in Maryland and from various ‘carding’ websites so that he and his associates could use them for fraud. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “the impact of the crime is tremendous …from the banks and small businesses” to the runners who now have felony records.
“Undeterred by his first arrest and indictment, this defendant continued to direct platoons of co-schemers to use stolen credit card numbers and continue his digital crime spree,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “I commend the dedicated agents who tracked his fraud through cyberspace – using critical skills and techniques to trace both the hacks and the frauds to dismantle the network.”
WILLIAMSON was indicted in July 2012, following the investigation into point of sale hacking at a restaurant in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle and a retail store in Shoreline, Washington. Two men have already been sentenced for their roles in the hacking scheme. David Benjamin Schrooten, 21, a Dutch citizen arrested in Romania, where he operated a carding website making the credit card numbers available for fraud was sentenced in February 2012 to 12 years in prison. Christopher A. Schroebel, 21, of Keedysville, Maryland, who hacked into point of sale systems to steal credit card information was sentenced to seven years in prison in August 2012. Schroebel was a key supplier of credit card information to WILLIAMSON.
Between January 11, 2011 and February 26, 2012, WILLIAMSON received and possessed at least 27,257 stolen credit card numbers, including cards issued by American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover. The total number of stolen card numbers exceeds 30,000 following WILLIAMSON’s criminal conduct during the period of his pretrial release. Federal law allows for a formula to determine the scope of the fraud by attributing a loss of $500 per credit card number, resulting in an estimated fraud loss in this case of $15 million.
Records in the case reveal how WILLIAMSON communicated by email with co-conspirators, telling them that he wanted to purchase “dumps” of stolen credit card numbers “in bulk,” that is lots of 100, 500 or more. WILLIAMSON indicated that he wanted “freshly” stolen numbers so they would be easier to use, since the customers would not yet know their information had been stolen. Additional records show that while WILLIAMSON was on release pending trial, he continued his criminal conduct by producing counterfeit credit cards and using stolen credit card numbers. WILLIAMSON was rearrested following a lengthy investigation by the Manhattan Beach Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Electronic Crimes Task Force in Seattle and USSS Los Angeles Fraud Task Force. In his plea agreement WILLIAMSON admits the credit card fraud both before and after his arrest on the indictment in the Western District of Washington. WILLIAMSON has remained in custody since his arrest in January 2013.
The case was investigated by the Seattle U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force and Seattle Police Department as part of the Task Force, with assistance provided by the Manhattan Beach (California) Police Department and the Los Angeles Field Office, U.S. Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn Warma.
Washington’s Largest Used Car Dealership Pleads Guilty to Financial Reporting CrimesRead the Press Release
The largest volume used car dealership in Washington, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for failure to file a monetary transaction report, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. ZEIN AUTOMOBILES, INC., d/b/a Independence Auto Sales and Best Bet Auto Sales with locations in Lynnwood and Everett, forfeited $1.5 million to the United States, paid a $250,000 fine and entered into a corporate integrity agreement to ensure the illegal conduct does not happen again. The car dealership was the subject of searches by law enforcement in September 2013.
“This resolution takes substantial profit from a business that flouted the law to fatten its bank account,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “It should serve as a warning to others – we will enforce laws on currency reporting which are an important tool for keeping illegal conduct out of the stream of commerce.”
In the plea agreement the corporation admits that between January 2010 and September 2013, its employees and agents entered into cash sales of vehicles in excess of $10,000 and failed to report the cash sales to the IRS. In a search warrant affidavit describing the Drug Enforcement Administration led investigation, undercover officers and confidential sources repeatedly purchased vehicles for cash at the two dealerships. Posing as drug traffickers, the undercover agents told sales people they did not want the cash transactions reported. The undercover agents were very clear that they wanted the vehicles for drug trafficking purposes. The sales people assured the agents that they were familiar and comfortable with such transactions and proposed various schemes that they said would avoid the cash transactions reporting requirements. Such schemes are illegal.
Under the terms of the corporate integrity agreement, the company is required to keep a log and report every cash transaction in excess of $10,000. Both the sales managers and title clerks are required to ensure the reports are made to the IRS. During a two year probationary period, the company is subject to unannounced audits to ensure such reports are being made. The company has also agreed to publicize its guilty plea, penalties, and compliance plan in formats to be approved by U.S. Probation.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Seattle Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Vaughan and Robert Westinghouse.
Owners and Operators of Crime Riddled Motels Plead Guilty; Forfeit Properties, Car and more than $265,000Read the Press Release
The final two owners and managers of crime infested motels in Tukwila, Washington pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to maintain drug involved premises, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. In their plea agreements, JASPAL SINGH, 37, and KULWINDER SAROYA, 42, both of SeaTac, Washington, admit they knowingly operated drug involved premises at the Travelers Choice Motel and Great Bear Motor Inn and profited from the drug activity there. The men agree to forfeit the two motels, their home in SeaTac, more than $265,000 seized from their home and bank accounts and a 2007 Mercedes Benz. Today’s pleas mean that all three motels shuttered and seized by federal agents in August 2013 will be sold by the U.S. Marshals Service.
“We will use all of our tools to seize criminal proceeds, protect the public and hold people accountable. Since we shut these motels, the number of police calls to the immediate area has dropped by one-third,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “These defendants profited by knowingly operating motels that were a blight on the community, creating an unsafe environment and soaking up police resources to the detriment of the community. It is fully appropriate that this prosecution take the profit out of these criminal activities.”
Last week, a third defendant, LAKHVIR PAWAR, 41, the manager of the Boulevard Motel on Tukwila International Boulevard pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit any interest in that motel as well as more than $90,000 he accumulated from the criminal activity. All three men will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on February 28, 2014. The government has agreed to recommend no more than a year in prison for each defendant, but the judge is free to impose any sentence up to the maximum 20 years allowed by law.
According to records filed to seize the motels, the Tukwila Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) jointly-led investigation used undercover officers and people working with law enforcement to document criminal activity at the motels and the role the owners and managers played in that activity. SAROYA and SINGH admitted they would collect or would direct their staff to collect a $10 entry fee for those coming on the property seeking drugs or sexual services. The owners and/or managers would take the money and direct the customer to rooms to purchase drugs or sex. In some instances the person taking the “fee” would call the motel room to inform the dealer or sex worker that a customer was on the way. SAROYA and SINGH admitted today that they collected additional rental fees from the dealer or sex worker based on how many customers were sent to the room over the course of the day.
The investigation, search and seizure operation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Tukwila Police Department. Many additional agencies assisted the investigation including the U.S. Marshals Service; Department of Homeland Security; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Washington State Patrol; Seattle, Auburn, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, and Port of Seattle Police Departments; Valley SWAT Team; King County Sheriff’s Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; and Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Arnold, Jill Otake and Richard Cohen.
Brothers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Illegally Export Firearm Parts to ThailandRead the Press Release
Two brothers who were arrested in June 2013 in connection with a conspiracy to illegally ship firearms parts to Thailand, have pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. NARES LEKHAKUL, 36, a lawful permanent resident of Bellevue, Washington, pleaded guilty today and NARIS LEKHAKUL, 42, a Thai citizen arrested in June 2013 at SeaTac Airport pleaded guilty last week. Both men are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on January 24, 2014.
In their plea agreements the brothers admit that NARIS LEKHAKUL, while living in Thailand, identified the firearms parts he wanted ordered and shipped overseas. Initially the gun parts were sent to his brother NARES’ home in Bellevue, Washington, where NARES LEKHAKUL attempted to disguise the shipments which were sent on to Thailand. After one shipment was seized in 2011, NARIS LEKHAKUL recruited four other people to receive the shipments of firearms parts, disguise them, and send them on to Thailand. The co-conspirators did not obtain appropriate licenses to make the shipments. The co-conspirators would use fake names and fake invoices to try to avoid detection, and they packed various firearms parts in specific ways to try to avoid detection by x-ray scanners. Members of the group shipped various firearms parts with false labels. For example, in one instance they shipped magazines for .45 caliber handguns, while labeling them “Vented steel case for electronic components” or “replacement springs and metal caps for bottling machine.” Other shipments were labeled as “hobby parts,” or “glow in the dark marker sets.” In all, the group is believed to be responsible for more than 240 shipments of restricted firearms components. The defendants did not ship any assembled firearms or entire firearms disassembled.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence of four years in prison for NARIS LEKHAKUL, and 30 months in prison for NARES LEKHAKUL. Judge Jones is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence up to the five year maximum.
In addition to the LEKHAKUL brothers, these additional defendants have also pleaded guilty:
WITT SITTIKORNWANISH, 24, a U.S. citizen residing in the Los Angeles area;
WIMOL BRUMME, 41, a Thai citizen residing in Las Vegas;
SANGSIT MOWANNA, 35, a U.S. citizen residing in the Los Angeles area; and
SUPANEE SAENGUTHAI, 35, a Thai citizen residing in Berkeley, California.
The Department of State promulgates the United States Munitions List, which consists of categories of defense articles and services that cannot be exported without a license issued by the Department of State. The U.S. Munitions List includes the firearms’ parts and components shipped in this case. As a result, the export of firearms components requires an export license.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.Violent Federal Felon Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Attacks on Prison GuardsRead the Press Release
A federal felon who participated in a violent assault at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington in January 2012, was sentenced today to 28 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. ROY SCOTT FRITTS, 35, is already serving a life without parole sentence in Wyoming for an attempted murder conviction. U.S. District Judge James L. Robart ordered that the 28 year sentence be served consecutive to the life sentence imposed in Wyoming.
“This sentence works to ensure a dangerous felon never returns to threaten society,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “He persistently and repeatedly endangered the public, and in this case, the public servants we rely on to keep our prisons safe and secure. This violent and dangerous conduct will not be tolerated.”
According to records filed in the case, FRITTS and co-defendant Sabir Shabazz attacked a prison guard at the FDC on the morning of January 3, 2012. Shabazz beat the guard with a pipe. The men claimed the attack was an escape attempt, but video of the assault shows it was just a brutal attack. Other inmates intervened in the assault, likely saving the guard’s life. At the time of the assault, FRITTS was armed with a homemade knife called a shank. FRITTS threatened various officers with the shank during the melee. On July 10, 2013, FRITTS was convicted by jury verdict of one count of conspiracy to assault a federal officer, and three counts of assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.
FRITTS had been sent to FDC SeaTac for a mental evaluation following a crime spree across five western states. FRITTS had absconded from parole in Oregon, stole a truck in Nebraska, shot and attempted to kill the driver who had given him a ride in Wyoming, carjacked a car in Utah and tried unsuccessfully to carjack a second vehicle. When arrested he was armed with a semi-automatic .45 caliber handgun.
In asking for the lengthy sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “The attack on the officer was premeditated and carried out with shocking violence. The officer nearly died as a result of the attack and has been left permanently damaged. But for the intervention of other inmates, the officer would have been murdered. This was the worst officer involved assault in FDC SeaTac history. … Though FRITTS did not strike the blows, he is equally culpable. He helped plan out the attack, in anticipation of the assault he armed himself with a deadly weapon, and stood ready to assist while it was carried out.”
The FBI and Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) investigated the prison assault. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bruce Miyake and Mike Lang.
Former Attorney and Youth Baseball Coach Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
A family law attorney who previously practiced in Kent, Washington was sentenced today to 25 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for Production of Child Pornography/ Sexual Exploitation of Children, one count of Receipt of Material Constituting or Containing Child Pornography, and one count of Possession of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. DAVID S. ENGLE, 50, of Maple Valley, Washington was arrested in November 2012. ENGLE, who both volunteered in and ran a business involving youth baseball, has been incarcerated since his arrest. At sentencing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart took issue with a defense claim that these were not violent attacks saying, ”Molestation is violence… Sure, he didn’t threaten to break an arm… but this is violence, let’s be very clear on that.”
“This is a heart-wrenching betrayal of trust of the victims and the community,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “While nothing can undo this damage, the long sentence will protect the community and sends a strong message about the horrendous acts. Our advocates are resolved to do everything possible to support the victims as they deal with the horrific abuse.”
According to records filed in the case, ENGLE came to the attention of law enforcement following the investigation of an international movie production company that operated a website offering DVDs and streaming videos for sale. The materials depicted young boys in sexually explicit activity. Between 2005 and 2011, ENGLE purchased 184 different items from the website. The international movie production company was put out of business when agents seized its inventory and records. The company and the owners of the company are being prosecuted for child exploitation offenses, including the production and distribution of child pornography.
After law enforcement executed a search warrant on ENGLE’s home and storage locker in November 2012, they discovered more than 500 videos of ENGLE sexually molesting a young boy under the age of 16. Law enforcement later discovered additional evidence of ENGLE sexually molesting another young boy, also under the age of 16. ENGLE is being separately prosecuted for those offenses by the King County Prosecutor’s Office. Following forensic examination of a number of computers, DVDs, thumb drives, and floppy disks, investigators determined that ENGLE was in possession of tens of thousands of images of child pornography, and thousands of videos of child pornography.
In asking for a 30 year prison sentence, prosecutors noted that ENGLE betrayed the trust put in him by the community. “To then learn that Defendant had been charged with producing child pornography and molesting children added additional layers of anguish that can never be ameliorated. To the mothers of Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2, to all of the parents who put their trust in Defendant, to all of the children who called him “Coach,” to all of those involved in youth baseball for the pure enjoyment of the sport, and to the larger community, Defendant’s criminal conduct is especially monstrous,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marci Ellsworth.
Sea-Tac Airport Copper Thief Pleads Guilty to Theft of Public PropertyRead the Press Release
A repeat offender who stole thousands of feet of copper wire from runway light towers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport pleaded guilty October 17, 2013 to theft of public property, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. TIMOTHY LYNCH, 50, faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart on January 13, 2014.
According to records file in the case, the theft was discovered on February 12, 2013, when a Port of Seattle employee noticed damage to the fence surrounding the runway light structures near South 188th Street and Des Moines Memorial Drive. In total, approximately 7,200 feet of copper cable was stolen from Federal Aviation Administration towers, rendering them inoperable and potentially posing a threat to airline safety. LYNCH admits that he entered a secured area of Sea-Tac airport and removed copper cable connected to the light towers. Replacing the copper wire and repairs to damages cost the FAA more than $30,000.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the parties will recommend that the Court sentence Lynch to 30 months in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force which includes officers from the Port of Seattle Police Department, the Seattle Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by Executive Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Bates.
Manager of Tukwila Motel Pleads Guilty to Maintaining a Drug Involved PremisesRead the Press Release
A Burien man entered a guilty plea today in the case involving the seizure of three Tukwila, Washington motels that were operated as havens for drug dealing and sex crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. LAKHVIR PAWAR, 41, was the manager of the Boulevard Motel on International Boulevard in Tukwila. In his plea agreement, PAWAR admits to profiting from drug sales at the motel. Under the terms of the plea agreement, PAWAR will forfeit his interest in the motel and in about $90,000 seized in August 2013 when the motel and two others were seized and shut down by federal authorities. Under the terms of the agreement, if any of PAWAR’s relatives challenge the forfeiture, prosecutors can withdraw from the plea agreement. Prosecutors will recommend a prison term of not more than a year and a day in prison, and will recommend that PAWAR be barred from owning or managing motels and from working at any motel owned or managed by his family during three years of supervised release. Judge John C. Coughenour is not bound by the recommendation and can impose up to the 20 year maximum when PAWAR is sentenced before the court on February 28, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, PAWAR admits that between 2003 and 2013, he was the primary manager at the Boulevard Motel. Between 2007 and 2013, there were 33 drug related incidents, 27 assaults and 11 robberies at the motel. During that time period, PAWAR knew drugs were being sold at the motel and profited from the drug activity. PAWAR directed customers to the rooms where drugs were sold, first taking a fee from the customers. PAWAR also charged those distributing drugs higher rent than other people renting rooms at the motel.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agree not to seek forfeiture of two other motels owned by PAWAR and his relatives: the Everspring Inn on Aurora Avenue North in Seattle and the Rodeway Inn in SeaTac, Washington. However, the agreement states that should there be new evidence of similar illegal conduct at those motels, the government is not precluded from taking action including forfeiture.
The investigation, search and seizure operation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Tukwila Police Department. Many additional agencies assisted the investigation, including the U.S. Marshals Service; Department of Homeland Security; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Washington State Patrol; Seattle, Auburn, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, and Port of Seattle Police Departments; Valley SWAT Team; King County Sheriff’s Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; and Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Arnold, Jill Otake and Richard Cohen.
Skagit County Man Sentenced to 12+ Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A 29-year-old Anacortes, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 151 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. CONOR RYAN KELLY BRODERICK has prior convictions for sex offenses, and came to the attention of police following reports from two victims that BRODERICK was harassing them, and threatening to post explicit pictures of them on the internet. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly said he was troubled by BRODERICK’s previous convictions.
According to records filed in the case, BRODERICK was arrested November 3, 2012 by Anacortes Police after a stalking incident. The stalking followed a report to police by two different women claiming BRODERICK was threatening to post nude pictures of them on the internet unless they sent him additional pictures. While incarcerated, BRODERICK called an acquaintance and told the person to remove a memory card from his computer. Investigators who had been monitoring the jail calls, obtained a search warrant and ultimately determined the memory card and other media storage devices contained more than 100 images of child pornography. Later, while released on bail, BRODERICK entered into a “sexting” relationship with a girl in Kentucky who identified herself as a 14-year-old. BRODERICK has these prior convictions: Rape of a Child in the Third Degree (three counts), in Skagit County (2007) and Dealing in Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Activity (two counts), in Skagit County (2007).
In asking for the 151 month prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “The picture that emerges of the defendant is clear and consistent – he is a sexual predator who has a compulsion to have sexual contact with children and view child pornography. … Moreover, the defendant to date has shown no ability to control himself. In his previous child pornography case, he violated his probation by accessing the internet, viewing more pornography, and not completing his sex therapy treatment.”
BRODERICK was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerrod Patterson. The case was investigated by the Anacortes Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Former Army Officer Sentenced for Criminal Conflict of InterestRead the Press Release
A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army who served in Iraq as a contracting officer was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on October 15, 2013 for criminal conflict of interest, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. HAROLD L. BROEK, 49, served as Chief of Contracting at the Tikrit Regional Contracting Center in Tikrit, Iraq, and admitted in his plea agreement that he used his position of authority to benefit himself to the detriment of the United States. BROEK established a company, Global Motion, that received contracts from an Iraqi company to which he had awarded contracts. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle sentenced BROEK to three years of probation, with 60 days of home detention, 40 hours of community service and $52,400 in restitution. BROEK pleaded guilty July 23, 2013.
According to the records filed in the case, BROEK used his position of authority in the U.S. Army, his knowledge of government contracting, and his relationship with Rohit Goel and “Avalon International Limited” to contract with Goel and Avalon on government contracts. Before BROEK left Iraq in 2007, he directed his family in Washington State to form a company, Global Motion, for the purpose of receiving contracts from Goel and Avalon. While in Iraq, BROEK had entered into an illegal agreement with Goel whereby Goel would send certain government contracts, awarded by the United States to Goel and Avalon, to the new company formed by BROEK and his family. Pursuant to this arrangement, Goel agreed to award government contracts to BROEK’s new company, to pay BROEK’s new company 30% of the profit on such contracts, and to front necessary funds or finance any contract expenditures BROEK’s company would incur in purchasing goods to perform under the contracts.
Before leaving Iraq and returning to the United States, BROEK participated in awarding contracts to Avalon. Specifically, in July 2007, shortly before he left Iraq to return to Lacey, Washington, BROEK signed a waiver shortening the deadline on a contract for the purchase and delivery of line-of-sight radios. By shortening the deadline, BROEK decreased the chances that Avalon’s competitors might win the contract. Later in July 2007, one of BROEK’s subordinates in Iraq awarded a contract for line-of-sight radios, valued at $162,151, to Goel and Avalon. Goel, in turn, awarded the contract for line-of-sight radios to BROEK’s company, Global Motion.
In September 2007, Avalon fronted $99,978 to Global Motion to finance the purchase of the line-of-sight radios. To fill the line-of-sight radio contract, Global Motion spent $58,733 to purchase the radios and have them shipped to Iraq. Global Motion retained the balance of the funds from Avalon, making a profit of $29,871.90 on this deal.
According to tax returns, Global Motion made a profit in 2007 and 2008 of $52,400.16. Pursuant to the plea agreement, BROEK will make restitution payments to the United States in the amount of $52,400.16.
In sentencing documents, the United States argued that “it was clear that LTC Broek used his position and authority to enter into a business relationship with Avalon. Only LTC Broek had the contact with, experience with, and relationship with Rohit Goel to start or suggest a new business relationship. We also know that LTC Broek participated personally and substantially in his capacity as an Army Officer in at least one contract ultimately awarded to his family’s company, Global Motion. The many other contracts directed to Global Motion by Avalon, though awarded and directed after Broek left Iraq, also stink of fraud, corruption, and conflict. One has to ask why, and under what circumstances, a foreign contractor like Avalon would contract with Global Motion, a newly-formed company that had zero experience in contracting? In fact, the only reason Avalon contracted with Global Motion was because of LTC Broek.”
The case was investigated by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Reese Jennings and Marc Perez.
Nooksack Tribal Member Sentenced to 23+Years in Prison for Ax MurderRead the Press Release
An enrolled member of the Nooksack Tribe was sentenced October 11, 2013 in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 280 months (23+ years) in prison for second degree murder, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. LEVI EUGENE CHARLES, 26, admitted that he killed Sauk-Suiattle Tribal member Kenneth Joseph by striking him in the head and face with an ax. The murder occurred when 68-year-old Joseph awoke while CHARLES was burglarizing Joseph’s home on the Lummi reservation. Charles pleaded guilty on June 6, 2013. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones imposed five years of supervised release following the 23+ year prison term.
According to the plea agreement, CHARLES went to Joseph’s home the night of October 23, 2012. CHARLES knew Joseph and had been in the home. He admits he planned to break in and steal items to sell for cash. CHARLES picked up a miniature baseball bat outside the residence and carried it inside. Joseph heard the intruder and confronted him. CHARLES hit Joseph with the mini baseball bat multiple times and then grabbed an ax from near the front door of the house and hit the victim with that in the head and face. After killing Joseph, CHARLES threw a blanket over the body and hung blankets over the windows to conceal the crime scene. CHARLES stole an ATM card from Joseph’s wallet, and took a TV and other items from the house. CHARLES threw the small bat away in the woods and discarded the TV and other items at the end of the driveway. He used the ATM card a few hours later to take $420 from Joseph’s bank account.
CHARLES was arrested October 29, 2012 and was indicted December 19, 2012.
The case was investigated by the Lummi Police Department and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Vancouver Man Pleads Guilty to Arson ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A 60-year old Vancouver, Washington man pleaded guilty October 2, 2013 to conspiracy to commit arson in connection with a March 2003 arson, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. MARK DUANE FUSTON, also known as “Mau Mau,” admitted he used propane and various flammable liquids to burn down the ‘Desire Video’ store that was nearing completion on NE 94th Avenue in Vancouver. The fire destroyed the building causing some $850,000 in damage. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2013, in front of U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 37 months in prison. Judge Settle is not bound by the recommendation and can sentence FUSTON to any sentence up to the five year maximum.
According to the plea agreement, FUSTON was hired to torch the building. FUSTON and another man (now deceased) acted together to commit the arson. On the night of March 27, 2003, FUSTON rerouted a propane line into the building and placed a remote control incendiary device in the building. However, when the remote control device malfunctioned, FUSTON returned to the building and left a fuel trail to the building which he later ignited manually. The fire ignited the propane trapped inside the building causing the explosion and fire.
FUSTON was indicted March 27, 2013.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Vancouver Police Department and the Vancouver Fire Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory A. Gruber.
Lacey, Washington Repeat Offender Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Oxycodone TraffickingRead the Press Release
A Lacey, Washington man with prior felony drug convictions, was sentenced October 1, 2013 to six years in prison and five years of supervised release for possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute and structuring financial transactions, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. G.B. BROWN, 54, was arrested on June 9, 2011, following a South Sound Gang Task Force investigation. He was convicted following a jury trial on May 14, 2013. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle imposed the sentence.
According to records filed in the case, BROWN came to the attention of law enforcement as part of an investigation into oxycodone trafficking from California to the south Puget Sound region. Law enforcement was aware of multiple packages of oxycodone pills that were shipped to BROWN’s Lacey address. Prior to his arrest BROWN sought to purchase a large quantity of oxycodone pills from a person working with law enforcement. He made multiple withdrawals of large amounts of cash from his bank accounts on consecutive days in amounts just under the $10,000 reporting requirement, which he consolidated and used to pay for the $45,000 worth of oxycodone pills in his possession at the time of his arrest. Those withdrawals were the basis for the structuring count of conviction, as well as the court-ordered forfeiture of the remaining $49,300 in one of those bank accounts.
In asking for a lengthy prison term, prosecutors wrote to the court about the impact of oxycodone abuse on the community. “…The dependency created by the drug, and supported by Brown and drug dealers like him, often haunts users for the rest of their lives. Moreover, illicit drug users, themselves victims of their dealer’s greed, often end up then victimizing other people -- usually either by robbing or stealing, or by selling drugs themselves -- in order to fund their expensive but all-important drug habits. Not only is the health of the individual drug users harmed, but the health and public safety of the entire community is put at risk in many ways. Increased crime, some of it violent, either to support drug habits or simply committed by those high on drugs. Persons high on drugs getting into vehicular accidents or causing injuries or damage to property and lives in other ways,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
The case was investigated by the South Sound Gang Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory A. Gruber.
Former Prison Inmate who Ran Scam from State Penitentiary Pleads Guilty to Tax and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
A former Washington State Prison inmate who led a tax fraud scheme from prison, pleaded guilty October 1, 2013 to eleven counts of tax fraud and three counts of illegal possession of firearms, explosives and a ballistic vest, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. KENNETH RANDLE DOOR, 44, was indicted on the tax charges along with three other co-conspirators in April 2012. At the time of the tax fraud indictment, DOOR was already in custody on the weapons charges. Sentencing on the tax charges is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle on December 16, 2013. DOOR will be sentenced on the illegal weapons possession charges on December 12, 2013. At that sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton, prosecutors will argue that DOOR is an Armed Career Criminal and therefore should be sentenced at or above the mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
According to the indictment, in 2008 and 2009, the defendants conspired to file fake tax returns using the names and Social Security numbers of prison inmates to claim fraudulent refunds. DOOR was incarcerated at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Other conspirators were living in Tacoma and Puyallup. Using the internet the conspirators identified companies that had declared bankruptcy and had recently closed. The conspirators created fake W-2 forms indicating wages paid and taxes withheld from the individuals whose identities they used. Virtually all of these individuals were prison inmates at the time who had not been employed by the now defunct companies. The conspirators filed at least 31 false tax returns, attempting to obtain more than $145,000 in refunds. The conspirators obtained nearly $72,000 in fraudulent tax refunds.
DOOR’s co-conspirators in the tax scheme have been sentenced to terms ranging from eight months to 33 months in prison.
The tax case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The weapons case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Masada and Norman Barbosa.
Seattle Police and Community Partners Selected for $750,000 in Grants to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) and the International Rescue Committee in Seattle (IRC) will receive U.S. Justice Department grants in recognition of their leadership combatting human trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. The two grants, $500,000 to SPD and $250,000 to IRC, will continue the work of the Washington Advisory Committee on Trafficking (WashACT). The funding pays for investigators working on human trafficking cases, and for services to victims of human trafficking.
“This funding will support vital work combatting human trafficking in western Washington, where strong partnerships have built a model program,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “The task force made up of federal, state and local law enforcement and community partners has helped more than 100 victims and prosecuted more than 60 cases of human trafficking.”
WashACT has served as a model for human trafficking task forces around the country due to the uniquely successful collaboration among this multi-disciplinary team. WashACT was one of three task forces chosen to develop and lead intensive immersion leadership training for other human trafficking task forces sponsored by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Further, WashACT leaders contributed significantly to DOJ’s Anti-Trafficking Task Force and are regularly called on to provide training and technical assistance on human trafficking and multi-disciplinary collaboration locally, nationally and internationally.
“We appreciate the assistance of this grant in that it will help further the efforts of the department and others in fighting human trafficking. Ultimately, it’s about making the victims whole again,” said Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel.
“Nothing is more important in combating human trafficking than providing victims and survivors with the support they need to build new lives for themselves,” said Kathleen Morris, Program Manager for the Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network (WARN). “This funding will allow IRC in Seattle and our WARN partners to provide essential support and services to those affected by human trafficking in our community.”
The grant to the Seattle Police Department is from DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The grant to the International Rescue Committee in Seattle is from DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). The grants support the Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force taking a comprehensive approach to combating all forms of trafficking—sex trafficking and labor trafficking of foreign nationals and U.S. citizens (male and female, adults and minors). Awards made by BJA support law enforcement agencies to coordinate the goals, objectives, and activities of the entire task force in close collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and victim service provider partner. Awards made by OVC support victim service organization to coordinate the provision of a comprehensive array of culturally and linguistically appropriate services to all trafficking victims identified within the geographic area impacted by the task force.
Kenmore Financial Advisor Arrested for Mail FraudRead the Press Release
A long-time financial advisor who was stripped of his insurance producers license in 2012, was arrested today on a federal charge of mail fraud for liquidating a client account without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. EDWARD H. KAHLER, 64, is the owner of Key Resources, a Kenmore, Washington retirement consultation company which sells annuities and life insurance. The charge alleges that KAHLER used proprietary information from the company he used to represent to access customer accounts. KAHLER allegedly used that information to liquidate the customer account and use the money for his own benefit. KAHLER will make his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 2:00 PM tomorrow, October 1, 2013.
According to the criminal complaint, from 1983 to 2007 KAHLER was a financial advisor for Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company (VALIC), and was appointed by VALIC to sell its annuities. VALIC terminated KAHLER in 2007 when it discovered he was promoting competing annuities. Using information that he had in his files, KAHLER allegedly created profiles for former clients using the VALIC on-line system, and fraudulently caused VALIC to liquidate the clients’ accounts and send the proceeds to him for his personal use and benefit. In the instance described in the complaint, on Christmas Eve 2012, KAHLER liquidated the account of a client who had died in 1984, and used the $125,000 to fund a trip to Las Vegas, the payment on a BMW and other personal expenses. He also paid business expenses with the money.
Mail fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Arnold.
U.S. Attorney Durkan Announces Critical Hiring Grants for Law Enforcement and School Safety OfficersRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced today that five police departments in western Washington have been awarded Department of Justice grants to fund additional officers under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. The Seattle Police Department received the largest grant – $1.25 million – for ten officer positions. Auburn Police Department received $625,000 to fund five police positions. Pierce County, Port Angeles and Sequim each received $125,000 to fund the salary and benefits of one police officer. This year the grants are particularly focused on those departments developing school safety programs.
“In the wake of past tragedies, it’s clear that we need to be willing to take all possible steps to ensure that our kids are safe when they go to school,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “These critical investments represent the Justice Department’s latest effort to strengthen key law enforcement capabilities, and to provide communities with the resources they need to protect our young people. Especially in a time of increased challenges and limited budgets, our top priority must always be the safety and well-being of our children.”
“Every additional cop on the streets helps community safety. These grants focus on needs identified by communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “We know that 10 new officers in Seattle will help fight crime in troubled areas. And for some of our smaller communities, such as Sequim, the addition of one officer who can focus on school safety can improve the lives of hundreds of young people.”
In addition to the COPS grants to fund personnel, the Tacoma Police Department also received $43,344 to fund its at-risk youth project.
Overall the COPS Office funded awards to 263 cities and counties, aimed at creating 937 law enforcement positions. More than $125 million will be awarded nationally, including nearly $45 million to fund 356 new school resource officer positions.
“The COPS Office is pleased to assist local law enforcement agencies throughout the country address their most critical public safety issues,” said Joshua Ederheimer, Acting Director of the COPS Office. “Funding from this year’s program will allow many cities and counties to apply new sworn personnel to issues related to violent crime, property crime, and school safety.”
The COPS Hiring Program offers grants to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers. The program provides the salary and benefits for officer and deputy hires for three years.
Grantees for the 2013 hiring program were selected based on their fiscal needs, local crime rates, and their community policing plans. There was an additional focus this year on agencies requesting assistance in developing school safety programs that would include the hiring of a school resource officer. School resource officer positions funded by the COPS Office are sworn law enforcement positions that work within a school district or facility, interacting directly with school administrators and students.
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, COPS has awarded over $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 125,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance.
For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2013 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Identity Thief Who Burglarized Locked Mailboxes Sentenced to 3+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A mail thief who broke into locked mailboxes to steal checks and identities was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 44 months in prison and four years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. WILFREDO BERMUDEZ, 40, of Seattle, was arrested in November 2012 after 13 months of breaking into mailboxes in the Puget Sound region. BERMUDEZ stole mail in three different counties, including checks, driver’s licenses, and other items by breaking into victims’ mailboxes. He often threw away or destroyed the remainder of victims’ mail, and left the mailbox damaged or unusable in the process. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted the many victims who had mail stolen and their bank accounts violated saying, “It may seem like it is just the theft of one check, but it can be a disaster in that person’s life.”
According to records filed in the case, BERMUDEZ cashed or attempted to cash checks from 27 different victims, including a church. The loss amount in this case is nearly $80,000. After stealing the mail, BERMUDEZ would alter the payee and the amount of the stolen checks and cash them at various banks. Sometimes he made the checks payable to his own name, and on other occasions he used a stolen driver’s license and forged checks to be made payable to that identity. In some instances, he even wore a costume to make his fraud more convincing; in early November 2012, he cashed and attempted to cash forged checks referencing “heat and cold system replacement” while wearing a plumber’s outfit. BERMUDEZ was captured on surveillance video breaking in to the locked mailbox at a business plaza. The red Hummer he purchased with the proceeds of his crimes is visible in the video.
In asking for a sentence of more than four years in prison, prosecutors noted that many victims had their lives disrupted by the thefts, forcing them to make time consuming changes to various accounts, cancel vacations and change the way they use the mails. Employees of a victimized church had their paychecks delayed while the church changed bank accounts. One victim, a recent immigrant to the U.S., was pestered by creditors because BERMUDEZ had used his identity to run up big debts. BERMUDEZ has two prior state convictions for identity theft.
The lead investigative agency on the case is the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which was assisted by many local police agencies who responded to reports of mailbox thefts in King, Pierce and Thurston counties.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ehren Reynolds.
Justice Department Grant Awarded to Continue Anti-Violence Efforts in SeattleRead the Press Release
An innovative partnership led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office was awarded nearly $500,000 from the Department of Justice to continue efforts to combat gun violence in Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. The two-year Project Safe Neighborhoods grant will support a comprehensive strategy to reduce gun crimes, work with at-risk youth, bolster re-entry efforts, and improve data gathering in the East and Southeast police precincts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will lead a partnership of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Seattle Police Department (SPD), Seattle Neighborhood Group, South Seattle Community College, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, and research partner Michelle Maike.
“We must join together and use all tools to reduce gun violence in neighborhoods that have experienced far too much of it,” said U.S. Attorney Durkan. “That means supporting prevention efforts for at-risk youth, giving those re-entering our neighborhoods skills and support, and continuing our emphasis on prosecuting gun-related crimes. We are moving forward with proven community strategies, critical law enforcement support and extensive data gathering to keep our communities safe.”
The grant funding announced today will continue to fund a Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor to act as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, reviewing and prosecuting firearms-related cases. The grant also provides $90,000 for four youth prevention and intervention programs developed by Seattle Neighborhood Group. The programs include a chess club run by SPD Detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin, a youth-run record label, an urban writing project for teens, and a boxing program developed by a former gang member. The grant also provides $90,000 to South Seattle Community College to provide life skills training, workforce development and other education programs to ex-offenders returning to the target neighborhoods.
Additional funding is aimed at gathering data on the programs and evaluating which strategies are working. SPD will receive $20,000 for its crime analysis unit to purchase new equipment and gather data for the program. An experienced researcher, Michelle Maike, will receive $100,000 to analyze the data and help develop new strategies to combat gun violence. Additionally, $30,000 is targeted towards raising public awareness of the anti-crime efforts in impacted neighborhoods. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs will help administer the grant.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement over Border Patrol Traffic Stops on Olympic PeninsulaRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced today that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached a formal settlement with three men represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) over litigation regarding traffic stops on the Olympic Peninsula in Western Washington. Under the terms of the settlement, the Border Patrol will affirm its continued commitment to constitutional policing through a letter sent to the ACLU of Washington and the NWIRP. Additionally, within the next year, Border Patrol agents stationed at the Port Angeles Station will receive refresher training on traffic stops that require “reasonable suspicion” under the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Finally, for the next 18 months, the Border Patrol will provide certain forms they use to document traffic stops to the ACLU and the NWIRP, providing the groups with information regarding the frequency and the Border Patrol’s rationale for conducting such stops. The forms provided to the groups will not include any information identifying the drivers or occupants of the vehicles involved in the stops.
“This settlement is confirmation that we can both ensure the safety of our borders and protect all members of our communities in a constitutional manner,” said U.S. Attorney Durkan. “I appreciate the dedication and hard work of the Border Patrol, who are both the first line of defense against danger and the first to welcome millions of our visitors. I commend all the attorneys who worked to reach a settlement that moves us forward.”
In April 2012, three plaintiffs, Jose Sanchez, Ismael Ramos Contreras, and Ernest Grimes, filed suit against the Border Patrol, United States Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), and the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) alleging that Border Patrol agents were making traffic stops on the Olympic Peninsula without reasonable suspicion. The federal government denies that the Border Patrol has a practice of unlawfully stopping vehicles on the Olympic Peninsula and denies wrongdoing with respect to any of the stops involved in the litigation.
Today’s settlement requires both sides to pay their own attorney’s fees and does not involve any monetary payment to the plaintiffs. It brings the lengthy litigation to a conclusion and prevents the further expenditure of federal resources. The settlement agreement is posted on the U.S. Attorney’s website here.
The litigation was handled for the U.S. Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Cohen, and for the U.S. DOJ by Timothy Belsan from the Office of Immigration Litigation.
Last Member of Violent Take-Over Style Bank Robbery Crew Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
The final defendant of a violent bank robbery team pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. In all, seven defendants have entered guilty pleas to their roles in the string of bank robberies. JEANINE M. DANIELS, 32, of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty today. The other defendants are: CHARLES A. WILLIAMS, 40, KEVIN L. BROWN, 38; CURTIS W. SMITH, 22; and DOUGLAS L. SMITH, 22, all of Los Angeles, California; JANALISA ESTRADA, 33, Hollywood, California; and ANTHONY V. MOSLEY, 46, of Tacoma, Washington. All have entered guilty pleas and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones over the next few months.
According to records filed in the case, various members of the seven member ring participated in one or more of a string of takeover-style bank robberies in Washington, Ohio, Michigan and Colorado. During the robberies, subjects entered the banks in groups, covered head to toe in loose clothing and gloves, and demanded money while jumping over teller counters. The four robberies in Washington were: the May 25, 2012 robbery of a Wells Fargo branch on Pacific Avenue South in Tacoma; the September 6, 2012, robbery of a U.S. Bank Branch on Bridgeport Way in Lakewood; the October 22, 2012, robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank branch on Lake City Way in Seattle; and the December 20, 2012, robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank branch on 132nd Avenue NE in Kirkland. In their plea agreements, various members of the gang pleaded guilty to different robberies in Saline, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Temperance, and Jackson, Michigan, and Toledo, Ohio. DANIELS was initially contacted by law enforcement following a bank robbery in Denver, Colorado.
“The FBI is pleased that Ms. Daniels and her partners are ultimately taking responsibility for their actions,” said FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Laura M. Laughlin. “The harm they inflicted extends beyond the financial, to include the fear and trauma experienced by bank employees and customers, and the pain levied on their own families. While these seven subjects have accepted responsibility for robberies in Washington, Michigan, and Ohio, the South Sound Gang Task Force remains committed to investigating additional subjects and associated bank robberies. The task force combats gang violence in all its forms, and is dedicated to bringing criminals to face justice.”
The South Sound Gang Task Force (SSGTF) in Washington arrested five of the subjects on December 22, 2012 on state bank robbery charges. The SSGTF arrested the subjects as they prepared to board a Greyhound bus to Los Angeles, California. Investigators were waiting at the bus station, based upon information that the group frequently traveled to Los Angeles by Greyhound bus within days of a bank robbery.
The Tacoma, Washington-based SSGTF investigated the robberies in Washington state in partnership with the Lakewood Police Department’s Gang Unit and the FBI Seattle Safe Streets Task Force. The SSGTF is composed of members of the FBI Seattle Division, Lakewood and Tacoma Police Departments, the Washington State Patrol, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). FBI entities nationwide collaborated in the investigation, including the Los Angeles Field Office and the Ann Arbor, Denver, and Toledo Resident Agencies.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Dion and Kate CrishamWestern Washington Tribes Receive more than $10 Million in DOJ Grants for Enhanced Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice this week awarded more than $10 million to eight Indian Tribes in Western Washington to enhance services to crime victims and improve criminal justice in the tribal communities, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. The grant awards under various Justice Department programs are tailored to the needs identified by each tribe.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Tribes, and are confident these grants will help increase the public safety of each community,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “One size does not fit all, and I am pleased these grants will address specific needs on Tribal lands.”
The grants include nearly $2.6 million for crime issues related to alcohol and substance abuse:
- Swinomish Tribe ($349,379)
- Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe ($460,105)
- Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation ($407,108)
- Puyallup Tribe of Indians ($628,807)
- Squaxin Island Tribe ($750,000)
Two tribal communities were awarded grants to improve the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases, especially cases of child sexual abuse:- Tulalip Tribes of Washington ($383,283)
- Puyallup Tribe of Indians ($369,805)
Five tribes received significant funding to combat violence against women:
- Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Nation ($307,583)
- Cowlitz Indian Tribe ($711,000)
- Puyallup Tribe of Indians ($100,000)
- Swinomish Tribal Community ($700,000)
- Tulalip Tribes of Washington ($886,889)
In addition, tribes also received funding for their community oriented policing efforts providing for tribal police, training and equipment. The total grant awards to each of the seven tribes are listed here:
Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation
1,125,991
Cowlitz Indian Tribe
711,000
1,032,932
Puyallup Tribal Council
2,586,479
Quileute Tribe
784,446
Squaxin Indian Tribe
824,445
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
1,049,379
Tulalip Tribes of Washington
2,068,058
Total
10,182,730
A listing of all the grant awards is available here: http://www.justice.gov/tribal/docs/ctas-award-list-2013.pdf
Vancouver Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking in Counterfeit AirbagsRead the Press Release
A Vancouver, Washington man who imported and sold hundreds of counterfeit vehicle airbags on eBay and Craigslist, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to six months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. VITALIY YAREMKIV, 25, pleaded guilty in May 2013 to conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. YAREMKIV sold approximately 960 counterfeit vehicle airbags that he imported from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. These counterfeit airbags can be extremely dangerous and during testing have been known to catch fire, spew hazardous debris, and separate completely from the vehicle. U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton imposed three years of supervised release.
According to the statement of facts in the plea agreement, YAREMKIV operated a business, Vital Auto Parts and Sales, out of his Vancouver home. He allegedly imported counterfeit Honda, Subaru and Toyota airbags from sources in China and elsewhere, and sold them over the internet representing them as the genuine product. YAREMKIV sold at least 964 of the counterfeit airbags via eBay with a sales total of $137,243. YAREMKIV sold individual Honda airbags for an asking price of $110. Investigators believe that many of the airbags are sold to independent garages who install them in vehicles believing they have purchased a genuine airbag. YAREMKIV has agreed to pay restitution of $137,243 to Honda Motors Corporation and Toyota Motors Corporation.
In asking for a prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has tested some counterfeit airbags resulting in alarming failures. Driving a car equipped with a counterfeit airbag may be more dangerous than driving a car with no airbag at all in light of the potential for explosive shrapnel being thrown at the driver or passenger whose airbag fails…..While law enforcement has seized some of these airbags and has continued to attempt to identify others that entered the stream of commerce, identifying vehicles that are equipped with Mr. Yaremkiv’s airbags in the used (and often salvage) car market is extremely difficult. Some may continue to be installed in cars used on a daily basis for an indefinite amount of time presenting a continued risk of injury to unwary used car buyers.”
Information for consumers regarding counterfeit airbags is available here: http://www.safercar.gov/.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman Barbosa.
Skagit County Felon Sentenced to Long Prison Term for Possessing Guns and Body ArmorRead the Press Release
A felon who most recently lived in the town of Concrete in Skagit County, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing guns and body armor, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. LARRY L. PRESSLEY, 45, has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for conduct including raping an 11-year-old girl and a drive-by shooting where he fired into a home full of children. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said, “We have seen the havoc that is wreaked by people who should not have firearms.”
According to the plea agreement filed in the case, PRESSLEY was arrested on an unrelated charge on January 12, 2012. On January 20, 2012, law enforcement searched the home where PRESSLEY and his wife, also a felon, lived in Concrete, Washington. Inside the home officers found a bullet proof vest (body armor) and two firearms. One of the firearms had been reported stolen in Whatcom County, Washington. On May 14, 2013, PRESSLEY pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm and being a felon in possession of body armor. PRESSLEY has prior felony convictions for attempted assault (1991), drive-by shooting and illegal possession of a firearm (1999) and assault (2012).
“Larry Pressley has been terrorizing Skagit County for a quarter of a century,” said U.S. Attorney Durkan. “In 1987, he was involved in a brutal beating and robbery. Since then, he has racked up six more convictions for crimes involving violence, guns, or both. It is always troubling when a felon possesses a gun. When a man like Pressley has a gun – a man who actually fired into a home full of children – it is extremely alarming.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Department of Corrections, and Sedro Woolley Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Dion and Jill Otake.
Two Brothers Plead Guilty in case involving Illegal Guns, Drugs and Juvenile ProstitutionRead the Press Release
Two Tukwila, Washington brothers who were indicted earlier this year for illegal weapons possession, have pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. JAMAAL JOHNATHAN BOMBER, 30, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and sex trafficking of a child. FREDERICK N. BOMBER, 31, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. FREDERICK N. BOMBER faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly. Under the terms of the plea agreement for JAMAAL JOHNATHAN BOMBER, prosecutors and the defense must recommend between 15 and 20 years in prison when he is sentenced. Both men will be sentenced by Judge Zilly on December 19, 2013.
According to records filed in the case, both men made sales of weapons or drugs to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). In April 2013, FREDERICK BOMBER sold the agent a Browning .30-06 caliber rifle. FREDERICK BOMBER was prohibited from possessing the rifle because of prior convictions for drug offenses (2003, 2006) and bail jumping (2006).
According to his plea agreement, JAMAAL JOHNATHAN BOMBER sold crack cocaine to an ATF undercover officer on three different occasions in April and May 2013. JAMAAL JOHNATHAN BOMBER also offered the undercover officer prostitutes, and on June 14, 2013, JAMAAL JOHNATHAN BOMBER had five women go to a hotel room specified by the undercover officer. The women were detained by police. One woman was just 16-years-old. JAMAAL JOHNATHAN BOMBER assisted the woman in working as a prostitute and obtained the profits from the juvenile’s sex acts. JAMAAL JOHNATHAN BOMBER posted pictures as advertisements for commercial sex acts on backpage.com and other sites, and transported the juvenile to locations for sex acts. On the same day that the four women were detained by police, a search of JAMAAL JOHNATHAN BOMBER’s hotel room and car turned up crack cocaine as well as a 12-guage shotgun which he possessed to protect his drugs, the drug proceeds and himself.
Prosecutors will recommend not more than 20 years, and defense attorneys can recommend no less than 15 years for JAMAAL JOHNATHAN BOMBER. However, Judge Zilly is not bound by the recommendations and can impose any sentence allowed by law up to the maximum of life in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Seattle Police Department (SPD), and the Tukwila Police Department (TPD). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Ballard Resident who Repeatedly Sold Marijuana to Middle and High School Students Charged FederallyRead the Press Release
A resident of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood was arrested this morning on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, two counts of distribution of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. ALEJANDRO ANTONIO CASTILLO, 51, came to the attention of law enforcement in March 2013 after a middle school parent reported students were purchasing marijuana from CASTILLO’s home a block north of Ballard High School. Surveillance of the home and purchases by undercover officers revealed that CASTILLO and his associates were repeatedly selling marijuana to minors including high school and middle school students from area schools. CASTILLO will appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 2:00 today.
“The Department of Justice priorities on marijuana are very clear – and one of the highest priorities is preventing the distribution of marijuana to minors,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “The sale of marijuana to these teen-agers not only impacts their ability to learn, it disrupts the educational experience for other students. This conduct is the reason we have stronger penalties for those who distribute drugs within 1000 feet of schools, parks and other places where children congregate.”
“There was a gap in the law from the time I-502 passed until the legislature fixed the legal definition of marijuana that would have made the case extremely problematic for state prosecutors. We appreciate federal prosecutors stepping in to handle this serious case of dealing marijuana to minors,” said King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.
According to the criminal complaint on various dates in April 2013, Seattle Police detectives observed teens from Whitman Middle School and Ballard High School approach the home where CASTILLO lives with his family members and associates. The teens would go to the back door of the home, be there for a few minutes and leave. Some were observed to be holding plastic bags of what appeared to be marijuana as they left. On April 5, 2013, detectives observed 18 teens between the age of 14 and 18 approach the house in a three hour period beginning just before noon. Most of the teens appeared to come directly from Ballard High School.
On four different occasions undercover officers posing as juveniles purchased both marijuana and brownies laden with marijuana from CASTILLO or his associates. On April 24, 2013, Seattle Police served a search warrant at the home and seized approximately 1,200 grams of suspected marijuana which included approximately 99 marijuana cigarettes, nine trays of suspected marijuana brownies, four shotguns, one rifle, six handguns, and $4,755 in U.S. Currency. According to police reports, the home had previously been targeted in a home invasion robbery. Two men had fired a shotgun into the house, CASTILLO fired back with one of his firearms, but the robbers fled and no one was hit by gunfire.
Conspiracy to distribute marijuana, two counts of distribution of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs. Mr. Hobbs is a Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute gun and drug cases in federal court.
U.S. Attorney Durkan Joins Tribal and DOJ Leaders for Conference on Indian Country IssuesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan will join other Department of Justice leaders and U.S. Attorneys from the Pacific Northwest for a conference devoted to Native American Issues. The U.S. Attorneys from the Attorney General’s Advisory Council (AGAC) Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS) will meet in Hood River, Oregon next week, Sept. 17-19, 2013. Washington State Tribal leaders will meet with DOJ leaders to discuss strengthening offender reentry efforts, white collar crime, juvenile justice issues, defending Indian hunting and fishing rights, and support for the implementation of the 2013 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA 2013).
“With twenty-five recognized Tribes in the Western District of Washington, the safety and security of our Native Communities is one of our top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “These meetings with Tribal leaders can help tailor federal programs to meet the diverse needs of our Tribal partners – from large urban reservations to smaller rural tribes. I look forward to the opportunity to work on these issues with other U.S. Attorneys and Tribal leaders.”
On Sept. 18, U.S. Associate Attorney General Tony West and Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Karol Mason will join the U.S. Attorneys for a special joint session with Tribal leaders from Oregon, Washington and Idaho to be held in Celilo Village, Oregon.
“While we are mindful of the great progress that is being made by U.S. Attorneys and tribal justice systems across Indian country, I look forward to exploring with the NAIS and tribal leaders ways that we can strengthen our government-to-government relationships even more, work ever closer with tribal nations, and advance our shared goal of building safe, sustainable, and healthy communities,” said Associate Attorney General West.
Thirty U.S. Attorneys from districts with Indian country or one or more federally recognized tribes serve on the NAIS. The NAIS focuses exclusively on Indian country issues, both criminal and civil, and is responsible for making policy recommendations to the Attorney General regarding public safety and legal issues.
VAWA 2013 was signed into law by President Obama on March 7, 2013. This law contains provisions that significantly improve the safety of native women and allow federal and tribal law enforcement agencies to hold more perpetrators of domestic violence accountable for their crimes. Many of these critical provisions were drawn from the U.S. Department of Justice’s July 2011 proposal for legislation to combat violence against native women. The Department is exploring with tribal leaders how the Department can help support the new law’s implementation. This law generally takes effect on March 7, 2015, but also authorizes a voluntary pilot project to allow certain tribes to begin prosecuting additional cases sooner.
In June 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder launched a Department-wide initiative to enhance public safety in Indian country. Significant progress has been made since then, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices with Indian country jurisdiction have had a major role in this success.
In May 2013, the Justice Department released its first report to Congress, required under the Tribal Law and Order Act, entitled Indian Country Investigations and Prosecutions (ICIP). The ICIP report, based on data compiled from the case management system used by U.S. Attorney’s Offices (USAOs) with Indian country jurisdiction shows, among other things, a 54 percent increase in Indian country criminal prosecutions since Fiscal Year 2009.
The information contained in the report shows, among other things, the following:• The Justice Department’s prioritization of Indian country crime has resulted in a notable increase in commitment to overall law enforcement efforts in Indian country. Caseloads have increased overall from 1,091 cases filed in fiscal year (FY) 2009 to 1,138 in FY 2010 to 1,547 in FY 2011 to 1,677 in FY 2012. This represents a nearly 54 percent increase in the Indian country crime caseload.
• The report shows a new era of partnership between the federal government and American Indian tribes, including an unprecedented level of collaboration with tribal law enforcement. The increase in collaboration and communication strengthens the bond of trust between federal and tribal investigators, prosecutors, and other personnel in both federal and tribal criminal justice systems. As a result, tribal communities will be safer places to live, work and raise families.
Read more about the Justice Department’s efforts to support implementation of VAWA 2013: http://www.justice.gov/tribal/vawa-tribal.html
Read the entire ICIP report at www.justice.gov/tribal/tloa-report-cy-2011-2012.pdf
Read about the Justice Department’s efforts to increase public safety in Indian County at www.justice.gov/tribal/accomplishments.html
Leading Member of Drug and Weapons Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 20 Year Prison TermRead the Press Release
One of the leaders of a Mexican cartel connected to a drug and gun trafficking ring was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. VICTOR BERRELLEZA-VERDUZCO, 24, of Everett, Washington, pleaded guilty in April 2013 to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances; Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery; and Conspiracy to Possess Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. BERRELLEZA-VERDUZCO and his brother Cristian were the leaders of a large Mexico based drug and gun trafficking ring with ties to the violent Beltran-Leyva drug cartel. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said BERRELLEZA-VERDUZCO participated in “dangerous and serious crimes.”
“This case shows how much our community is impacted by the crime and violence spread by international drug cartels,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “I congratulate the dedicated agents and officers who not only intercepted the weapons destined for the cartel leaders, but also moved in to stop drug related violence being planned in our region.”
According to records filed in the case, VICTOR BERRELLEZA-VERDUZCO was involved in both the smuggling of meth and heroin from Mexico into the United States and in efforts to smuggle guns back to Mexico. In one phone call, monitored by law enforcement, VICTOR BERRELLEZA-VERDUZCO discusses obtaining a rifle with a grenade launcher, similar to the weapon in the movie “Scarface.” VICTOR BERRELLEZA-VERDUZCO was involved not only in gun and drug trafficking, but in efforts to use violence to collect drug debts or rip off rival drug trafficking organizations. Timely intervention by law enforcement stopped one home invasion robbery.
“This sentencing illustrates that violent drug smugglers will ultimately pay a high price for their crimes,” said Brad Bench, Special Agent in Charge of ICE HSI in Seattle. “These illegal drugs destroy lives and ruin our communities at home, and illegal weapons smuggled to Mexico add to the cartels’ reign of violence. This defendant seriously compromised the public’s safety and well-being in both countries. By sharing information and resources, HSI and its law enforcement partners have sent a strong message that this type of activity will not be tolerated.”
VICTOR BERRELLEZA-VERDUZCO was arrested at a Utah stash house in April 2012 with more than a kilo of heroin.
In asking for a long prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court that VICTOR BERRELLEZA-VERDUZCO “was a leading member of a violent drug and weapons trafficking conspiracy, with direct ties to a violent Mexican cartel… during the wire, Defendant’s father was intercepted discussing having just met the leader of the cartel, and Defendant’s brother Cristian was intercepted speaking with another very-highly placed cartel figure…. Victor and his family sent large amounts of cash back to cartel figures in Mexico, and at least attempted to move military-style firearms back to those same figures. Threats of violence were a frequent feature of this organization’s activities.”
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The case was investigated by the ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Lake Stevens Police Department, the Snohomish Police Department, Washington State Patrol, the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force and the Seattle Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi.
Pierce County Man Pleads Guilty to Hiring ‘Hit Man’ to Assassinate People in VietnamRead the Press Release
A 45-year-old University Place, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to Conspiracy to Kill Persons in a Foreign Country and Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. LONG VAN NGUYEN, admits that in 2012 he tried to pay to have various people in Vietnam killed. NGUYEN thought that he was hiring an assassin to carry out the murders when in fact he was dealing with undercover federal law enforcement agents. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 14 years in prison when NGUYEN is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik on January 10, 2014. However, Judge Lasnik is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
According to the plea agreement signed today, in March 2012 NGUYEN solicited an undercover Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent to assassinate people in Vietnam. NGUYEN had told others that he had sent $100,000 to a nephew in Vietnam, instructing him to spend only the interest earned by the money. Instead, the nephew spent all the money so NGUYEN wanted him killed. The undercover agent told NGUYEN he had associates in Vietnam who could do the killings. NGUYEN agreed to a plan whereby his nephew ‘Bon’ would show the ‘assassins’ who NGUYEN wanted killed. After identifying two proposed victims, NGUYEN then instructed the undercover agent that he wanted the nephew ‘Bon’ killed as well. A police officer in Vietnam, as well as an undercover FBI agent posed as possible assassins in the scheme. NGUYEN paid the undercover FBI agent additional money for the hit, and added four more people to the list of those he wanted killed. He provided pictures to the undercover Homeland Security special agent of the four he wanted killed. NGUYEN was arrested at his home on July 7, 2012 and has been in custody ever since.
Conspiracy to Kill Persons in a Foreign Country is punishable by up to life in prison and Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the FBI and law enforcement in Vietnam. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jill Otake and Ye-Ting Woo.Burien Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A registered sex offender with a prior conviction for child molestation was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison for receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. CHARLES GLENN PERKINS, 53, pleaded guilty in June 2013 following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez recommended that PERKINS be placed at a prison with sex offender treatment and imposed a 15 year term of supervised release following his prison sentence.
PERKINS was identified by law enforcement in the current case when he tried to enter Canada on December 29, 2012 and was denied entry due to his prior convictions for sex offenses. PERKINS is a registered sex offender in Washington State having previously been convicted of child molestation offenses in Kitsap County in 1987 and 1990. The Canadian Border agents sent PERKINS’s laptop for screening and investigators noted two pictures of nude children. Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations obtained a search warrant for PERKINS’s Burien residence. A review of his digital media revealed that he had received and possessed approximately 610 images and 10 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
PERKINS was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
The case was investigated by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerrod Patterson.
Violent Repeat Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
A repeat offender who was arrested in December 2011 with two firearms in his Tacoma apartment was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. JAMES QUINCY WILKINSON, 39, has prior convictions for burglary (1993), unlawful possession of a firearm (1994, 1999), Assault (1995, 98, 99) and assault of a child (2005). WILKINSON was released from prison in January 2011. Department of Corrections officers conducted the search after getting reports that WILKINSON was dealing drugs and possessing firearms. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle determined WILKINSON qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, saying that the case was “extraordinary.” The Judge stated that Wilkinson’s criminal history showed “indifference to the suffering and safety” of others, and found that a long sentence was required “for the protection of the public.”
According to records filed in the case, in December 2011, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and the South Sound Gang Task Force received reports that WILKINSON was dealing drugs and was armed. WILKINSON was on community supervision following a ten year prison sentence for assaulting and critically injuring a toddler. Community Corrections officers searched WILKINSON’s car and found crack cocaine. In his apartment they found two loaded weapons – one of them stolen. At a bench trial in September 2012, WILKINSON was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and an Armed Career Criminal. The finding mandates a sentence of at least 15 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Tacoma Police Department, the Washington State Department of Corrections, Lakewood Police Department, Washington State Patrol, FBI,
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the South Sound Gang Task Force.The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Dion.
Leader of ‘Ghost Riders’ Motorcycle Gang Pleads Guilty to Illegal Weapons Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
A leader of the Ghost Riders motorcycle gang in Pierce County pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun and being a felon in possession of explosives, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. KARL TWILLEAGER, a/k/a “King Karl”, 66, of Spanaway, Washington, has been in custody since his property was searched on June 13, 2013. When sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton on December 6, 2013, prosecutors and the defense will jointly recommend a five year prison term. However, Judge Leighton may impose any sentence up to the ten year maximum allowed by law.
According to the plea agreement signed today, on June 11, 2013, ATF agents searched a Spanaway storage locker belonging to TWILLEAGER and found more than two sticks of Emulsion explosives and four blasting caps. They also recovered six firearms, including three rifles, two shotguns, and a handgun, as well as additional ammunition and empty ammunition magazines. Two days later they searched TWILLEAGER’s home and a shed on the property that was used as the Ghost Rider’s clubhouse. They seized multiple rounds of different calibers of ammunition, and six more firearms, including four handguns, a rifle, and a J.C. Higgins model 20 12-gauge short-barreled shotgun, with a barrel length of approximately 15.5 inches with no serial number. TWILLEAGER was convicted of second degree murder in Grant County, Washington in 1994 and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms and explosives.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, the Washington State Patrol SWAT Team, and the South Sound Gang Task Force, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory A. Gruber.
Law Enforcement Arrests Eight Linked to Heroin, Meth and Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
In coordinated arrests this morning, the FBI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Seattle Police Department took eight people into custody for a wide ranging drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. Members of the conspiracy maintained drug stash houses throughout the Pacific Northwest. Search warrants were served today in Vancouver, Covington, Puyallup, SeaTac, Tukwila, Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. Some of the drug traffickers conducted their deals at a Mexican restaurant in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle: the Juan Colorado. The restaurant was closed today while law enforcement searched the premises. The defendants will make their initial appearances at 2:00 PM today in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
“The members of this drug trafficking conspiracy brought meth, cocaine and heroin to our communities preying on those with addictions to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “This lengthy investigation led to seizures of illegal weapons as well as street drugs. This strong law enforcement collaboration is essential to keeping our communities safe.”
According to court records, the investigation of the drug trafficking organization began in November 2011. Surveillance indicates the conspirators brought the drugs up from California and sold them at various locations ranging from auto wrecking yards in Auburn to outside restaurants at the Southcenter shopping mall. Many of the drug deals were made in or around the Juan Colorado Mexican restaurant on 14th Avenue South, Seattle.
“Today’s operation is just the beginning of the end for an aggressive drug and weapons trafficking organization,” said FBI Special Agent-In-Charge Laura M. Laughlin. “The FBI will continue to work with the Seattle Police Department, ATF and other law enforcement agencies to bring an end to the drugs, guns and violence that these criminals bring to our streets.”
“Mixing criminals, guns and drugs is a foul recipe for any neighborhood,” said Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel. “This organization spread its rotten ingredients throughout Puget Sound. Working together with our local and federal partners, we were able to ‘eighty-six’ this criminal enterprise, taking it off of the menu for good.”
Members of the drug conspiracy arrested today following their indictment by the grand jury for drug distribution include: JOSE AYALA MAZORAQUIL, 39, of Tukwila, Washington; ALFONSO ROJO LOPEZ, 26, and JOSEPH EDWARD BELL, 62, both of SeaTac, Washington; PEDRO VELAZQUEZ GOMEZ, 27, and BENJAMIN CASTRO, 45, both of Seattle, Washington. Three people were arrested on criminal complaints: VICTOR AMAYA CRUZ, 40, of Auburn, Washington for distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine and two additional defendants who will appear in court at 2:00 PM today.
The charges contained in the indictment and complaints are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force including officers and agents from the Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Today’s arrests and search warrants involved a number of law enforcement agencies: the King County Sherriff’s Office, Pierce County Sherriff’s Office, Tacoma Police Department and the Valley SWAT Team (Renton, Kent, Tukwila and Auburn Police Departments).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey Backhus and Kate Crisham.
DOJ Awards Grants to Seattle Police, Skokomish Tribe for Programs to Protect Children from PredatorsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced today that significant federal funding has been awarded to the Seattle Police Department and the Skokomish Indian Tribe aimed at keeping youth safe from sex predators. The Seattle Police Department received nearly $430,000 to fund its internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The Skokomish Tribe received more than $274,000 to fund sex offender registration and monitoring on tribal lands.
“There is no higher priority than the safety of our children both online and in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “These federal funds make a critical difference in both our urban and rural settings to the challenges faced by law enforcement. I congratulate the Skokomish Tribe and the Seattle Police Department for securing these grants through a competitive process.”
The grant award to the Seattle Police Department is from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and will fund a commander, detective, training and equipment for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The funding is part of the PROTECT Act of 2008 that targets the use of the internet to prey on children. Some of the funding will be used for outreach to schools and parents about emerging technologies that could be misused and pose a risk to children.
The grant to the Skokomish Tribe is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The funding will allow the tribe to hire a compliance officer to ensure sex offender registration and community notification. The grant will allow for greater community outreach and education and will allow the tribe to set up a kiosk at the Tribal Center where residents can get information about registered sex offenders in their community.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan on Federal Marijuana Enforcement Policy AnnouncementRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an update to its federal marijuana enforcement policy in light of recent state ballot initiatives that legalize, under state law, the possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults and provide for the state regulation of marijuana production, processing and sale. The Department also issued a memorandum to all U.S. Attorneys that makes clear that the Department will continue to enforce the Controlled Substances Act and details the federal interests that guide federal enforcement relating to marijuana. Based on assurances that Washington and Colorado will impose an appropriately strict regulatory system, the Department has informed the governors of both states that it is deferring its right to challenge their legalization laws at this time.
The following is a statement from Jenny A. Durkan, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington:
We have consistently focused on federal enforcement priorities in Western Washington, and have worked with our state and local partners to ensure the safety of our communities. That will not change. We will continue to enforce the Controlled Substances Act. We will continue an aggressive focus on the promotion and sale of drugs to minors, violence and the use of firearms, and the trafficking of marijuana across state or international lines. We will continue our work against organized criminal organizations and their underground economy, and against those who would use drug proceeds to fund other criminal activity.
The Department guidance is premised on the expectation that the state will implement strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems. This also is what Washington voters were promised and we expect no less today. I look forward to meeting with state leaders to hear how the promises of enhanced public safety will be met.
The continued operation and proliferation of unregulated, for-profit entities outside of the state's regulatory and licensing scheme is not tenable and violates both state and federal law. While our resources are limited, we will continue to enforce federal law in this arena by focusing on the critical public and federal interests outlined in the Department memo today.This is an important moment for Washington, and I remain committed to working with law enforcement partners to focus on our priorities and address threats to public safety.
The Department’s announcement and a link to the guidance memorandum can be found here: http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/August/13-opa-974.html.
Members of the public are also advised that it remains against federal law to bring any amount of marijuana onto federal property, including all federal buildings, federal lands including national parks and forests, military installations, and courthouses. Individuals that do so will be subject to federal penalties.
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Executive Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Bates at (206) 553-7970 or [email protected].
Feds Sieze Three Long-Time Problem Motels in Tukwila as part of Year-Long InitiativeRead the Press Release
Three motels on Tukwila International Boulevard, in Tukwila, Washington were seized and boarded-up by federal agents today following a year-long investigation of criminal activity in and around the motels, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. More than 400 law enforcement officers and agents participated in the serving of search and seizure warrants today on the Great Bear Motor Inn, Boulevard Motel and Travelers Choice Motel. In addition to the civil seizure of the motels, four people were arrested in connection with ongoing criminal activity at the motels, including three owner-operators. In 2011 and 2012, police responded to the motels for reports of rape, robbery, assault, drug transactions, gun crimes, prostitution, and possession of stolen property. During that time, the three motels accounted for approximately 17 percent of the Tukwila Police Department’s calls for service.
“Today we seek to hold the hotel owners accountable for their crimes, strip them of their criminal dens and make this area of the community safer,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “I commend the Tukwila Police Department and ATF for their work – which allows us to not just prosecute the defendants, but to solve a problem. Reducing crime on International Boulevard is a top priority for the residents of Tukwila and their representatives in government, and this operation is directly responsive to the community’s most pressing needs.”
According to records filed to seize the motels, (see Complaint here) the Tukwila Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) jointly-led investigation used undercover officers and people working with law enforcement to document criminal activity at the motels and the role the owners and managers played in that activity. According to the affidavit filed in the case, owners and managers would collect a $10 entry fee for those coming on the property seeking drugs or sexual services. The owners and/or managers would take the money and direct the customer to rooms to purchase drugs or sex. In some instances the person taking the “fee” would call the motel room to inform the dealer or sex worker that a customer was on the way. According to witnesses, the owner or manager would collect additional rental fees from the dealer or sex worker based on how many customers were sent to the room over the course of the day.
“These businesses have been a haven for violence and gang activity for several years. Today’s operation should have a lasting positive impact on crime in Tukwila,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jim Modzelewski. “ATF remains committed to partnering with other agencies to fulfill our mission of targeting violent crime.”
“The Mayor and Tukwila City Council have made public safety a priority for the citizens of Tukwila, and we are thankful for their support that has helped the police department create a safer place to live and conduct business,” said Tukwila Chief of Police Mike Villa. “Additionally, I would like to thank all of our officers, staff and partnering agencies that have made this operation a success. We are excited that jointly we have been able to make such a significant impact on crime in Tukwila.”
Since at least 2006, the three motels have consistently been among the top five motels in Tukwila with the highest calls for police service per room, with significantly higher ratios than other hotels in Tukwila. The Great Bear Motor Inn was identified and cited in August 2012, as a nuisance property by the City of Tukwila. The Boulevard Motel and Travelers Choice Motel had been sent warning letters in 2011 about being cited as nuisance properties.
Displaced residents from the seized motels will be offered transportation to a nearby church. At the church they will be fed and offered medical and mental health services, and assistance with housing and other needs from several City of Tukwila departments and other local, state and federal agencies. The City will be providing qualified low income residents with vouchers for groceries and transportation.
“The City of Tukwila expresses our deepest appreciation to the many federal, state, and local agencies who collaborated so well with our police department on this public safety action. This shows how we are all committed to improving public safety and creating great neighborhoods,” said Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton.
The investigation, search and seizure operation today was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Tukwila Police Department. Many additional agencies assisted the investigation and today’s operation, including the U.S. Marshals Service; Department of Homeland Security; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Washington State Patrol; Seattle, Auburn, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, and Port of Seattle Police Departments; Valley SWAT Team; King County Sheriff’s Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; and Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Arnold, Jill Otake and Richard Cohen.
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office from August 27 to 30 is Executive Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Bates at (206) 553-7970 or [email protected].
Press contact for the City of Tukwila is Commander Eric Drever of the Tukwila Police Department at (206) 858-3883 or [email protected].
Drug Trafficker who Hid Pounds of Heroin and Methamphetamine in Apartment Walls Sentenced to Long Prison TermRead the Press Release
A drug trafficker who came to the attention of law enforcement after his roommate was shot and killed in November 2012, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. JUAN HIDALGO-MENDOZA, 33, of Lakewood, Washington was convicted following a jury trial in May 2013 of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton referred to HIDALGO-MENDOZA’s apartment as “ground zero” for local trafficking activity and “a magnet for crime and violence” that drew the attention of armed intruders and led to the death of his roommate.
According to records filed in the case, emergency crews responded to the Greenwood Apartments on San Francisco Ave. SW, in Lakewood, just before 10:00 p.m. on November 12, 2012. They found Jaime Diaz-Solis with a fatal gunshot wound on the sidewalk outside the ground floor apartment he shared with HIDALGO-MENDOZA. According to witnesses, they heard a gunshot and later HIDALGO-MENDOZA dragged Dias-Solis from the apartment yelling for neighbors to call an ambulance. HIDALGO-MENDOZA said he was in his bedroom when the victim was shot by an intruder. On the night of the shooting a search of the apartment revealed two bricks of heroin weighing over three kilos, wrapped in duct tape, as well as an AK-47 style assault weapon and ammunition. Investigators also found a revolver in HIDALGO-MENDOZA’s bedroom closet. Hidden under the seat of HIDALGO-MENDOZA’s truck, investigators found $37,800 in cash. HIDALGO-MENDOZA was arrested in November for the drug conspiracy as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has a prior conviction in California for distributing heroin and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Two months after HIDALGO-MENDOZA’s arrest, and after the apartment had been rented to a new tenant, law enforcement learned there were additional drugs hidden in the unit. In the walls they found eight bricks of heroin wrapped in duct tape, and two bricks of methamphetamine wrapped in green cellophane. The hidden heroin totaled more than 13 kilos and the methamphetamine was nearly two kilos. The wrapping of the heroin was identical to the two bricks seized in November.
In asking for a significant sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Hidalgo-Mendoza is a repeat offender. He was caught, convicted, and imprisoned for selling heroin three years before this offense, in California. He was subject to court supervision for that offense at the time he came to Washington, ostensibly to obtain a driver’s license but almost certainly with designs related to the drug trade. That being the case, unlike first-time offenders, he cannot claim ignorance to the potential criminal consequences of drug trafficking activity, and was intimately aware of the hazards of the business (evidenced by his weapons) as well as the tragic impact drugs have on users.”
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The case was investigated by Lakewood Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). The Auburn Police Department assisted with the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Vogel and Steven Masada.
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office on August 27 is Thomas Bates at (206) 553-7970 or [email protected].
Washington State Organizations Receive Federal Grants to Combat Sexual Violence and Improve Drug TreatmentRead the Press Release
Two federal grants from the U.S. Department of Justice are aimed at intervening in the lives of those struggling with drug abuse or sexual or domestic violence, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. The largest grant, more than $975,000, goes to the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KSARC) to provide services to youth and young adults who have been impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking. The second grant, to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is aimed at supporting drug treatment for offenders in Washington’s jails and prisons. The $150,000 grant is from DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.
“These grants recognize the quality work being done in Washington to build a better future. Preventing domestic violence and stalking, and helping victims is critical to building safe communities and strong adults. KSARC has long been a national leader on these issues,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “As Attorney General Eric Holder noted last week, we also must provide services such as drug treatment to allow those reentering society from prison the best chance at success.”
The grant from DOJ’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) is designed to support comprehensive child- and youth-centered prevention, intervention, treatment, and response strategies to more fully address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking. The grant supports training for professionals, school based strategies, services for non-abusive parents and coordinating community responses. This project also supports innovative projects that engage men and boys to act as allies with women and girls to address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking. The King County Sexual Assault Resource Center will implement this comprehensive project which focuses on sexual assault. The primary targeted age groups include youth and young adults, ages 13-24 years old, with a special focus on the homeless and runaway youth population, LGBTQ and the Latino population.
The grant to DSHS will support the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program in the state’s jails and prisons. The goal of the RSAT program is to break the cycle of drugs and violence by reducing the demand for, use, and trafficking of illegal drugs. RSAT enhances the capability of states and units of local government to provide residential substance abuse treatment for incarcerated inmates; prepares offenders for their reintegration into the communities from which they came by incorporating reentry planning activities into treatment programs; and assists offenders and their communities through the reentry process through the delivery of community-based treatment and other broad-based aftercare services.
Washington State Awarded Nearly $5 Million to Enhance Criminal JusticeRead the Press Release
The U.S. Justice Department today awarded nearly $5 million in grants to improve criminal justice in Washington State, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. The largest grant, $3.6 million, will be funneled through the Washington State Department of Commerce. An advisory council made up of law enforcement, corrections, treatment and prevention professionals at the local, state and federal level selects the grant recipients throughout the state. Individual police departments also received $1.3 million in direct grants, and the University of Washington received more than $247,000 for its Wrongful Conviction Review Program.
“These Byrne grants, named for a young police officer who lost his life in the line of duty, are critical to the mission of our local police departments,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “These grant awards are key to helping police forces with scarce resources so they can better protect public safety.”
The City of Seattle and surrounding jurisdictions (Auburn, Bellevue, Burien, Federal Way, Kent, King County, Renton, Seatac, Seattle and Tukwila) applied together for the largest grant: $635,618. The money will go to a variety of law enforcement programs aimed at preventing and reducing crime and providing services to victims. Tacoma and surrounding jurisdictions (Tacoma Human Services, Pierce County Sheriff, Pierce County Prosecutor, Pierce County Superior Court and the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel) also did a combined application. The Tacoma group was awarded $286,619 for various community-based policing and prosecution programs. Priorities include youth violence, crime prevention and community policing.These are the other direct Byrne grants awarded today:
- Skagit County $10,050 for their Victim Offender Meeting Program.
- Bellingham $35,159 for their Active Shooter training for law enforcement agencies in the area to increase officer safety, improve integrated public safety response, and to save lives.
- Everett $54,339 to purchase a variety of equipment including trauma kits, SWAT training, ballistic shields, license plate readers and life vests.
- Clark County $92,769 and surrounding jurisdictions will use the grant for equipment and technology including a crime reporting and analysis system, ammunition, protective gear and a criminal and jail records system
- Thurston County $31,922 for computer equipment; case management transition and implementations; visual aid equipment; and training.
- University Place $10,323 to support community-based programs. Funds will be used for overtime and to augment crime prevention programs concerning personal and property safety.
- Snohomish County $41,155. The Sheriff's Office will use grant funds to support overtime costs incurred for training.
- Bremerton $25,688 to preserve the community resource specialist who oversees the landlord notification, neighborhood watch, and crime prevention programs in the community.
- Lakewood $59,756 to target the increasing crime of copper theft and identify and eradicate illegal scrap metal shops operating in the area.
- Kitsap County $53,590 to obtain new equipment and technology to improve service and provide a safe environment for officers and the community.
Significant funding, $247, 593, was awarded today to the University of Washington Wrongful Conviction Review Program, known as the Innocence Project Northwest. The Program provides high quality and efficient representation for potentially wrongfully convicted defendants in post-conviction claims of innocence. The goals of this initiative are to: provide quality representation to those who may have been wrongfully convicted; alleviate burdens placed on the criminal justice system through costly and prolonged post-conviction litigation; and identify, whenever possible, the actual perpetrator of the crime.
The Byrne Grants are named in honor of New York City Police Officer Edward R. Byrne, who was killed in the line of duty on February 26, 1988. Officer Byrne was just 22-years-old. The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) administers this program, which allows state and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime and to improve the justice system.
Musician and Record Producer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Soliciting and Accepting Investments for Fraudulent ProjectsRead the Press Release
A Vancouver, Washington musician and record producer pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud in connection with schemes to lure investors in non-existent music projects, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. KASEY ANDERSON, 33, admits in his plea agreement that he defrauded investors who believed they were investing in legitimate albums and concerts, including projects featuring major recording artists and celebrities. ANDERSON is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton on November 22, 2013.
According to the facts set forth in the plea agreement, ANDERSON admitted that between 2009 and 2011, he induced more than $500,000 in investments for a number of projects, including a compilation album and concert series featuring well-known artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and R.E.M. ANDERSON also sought investors for his own album and tours, and the record of another musician. As part of the solicitation for the compilation album, ANDERSON represented that a portion of the proceeds from the record would support the legal defense fund for the “West Memphis Three,” three men convicted of murder in Arkansas in 1994, who had garnered significant attention and support from people who believed in their innocence. ANDERSON claimed to have agreements signed by various music stars and a family member of one of the West Memphis Three. No such agreements existed. ANDERSON created fake email accounts for prominent music industry members and sent emails from those accounts to further convince investors his project was legitimate. ANDERSON also forged statements from a music-distribution company purporting to show that the project had earned $1.7 million from advance sales.In addition to the “West Memphis Three” project, ANDERSON solicited investors for three other music-related projects using forged documents and false representations. ANDERSON solicited investors to fund an album of his music, and provided false paperwork indicating that thousands of copies of the album had been sold, earning more than $1.4 million in royalties. In fact the album had earned less than $10,000 in royalties. ANDERSON provided other forged documents indicating he had earned royalties in connection with an album by an unrelated artist, when in fact the album had been released by another record label years earlier, and that a 2011 concert tour had earned more than $200,000. ANDERSON also sent investors forged bank account statements showing balances of hundreds of thousands of dollars more than existed in the accounts.
In all, ANDERSON took in nearly $526,000 from more than 30 investors. ANDERSON has repaid $160,258, leaving more than $365,580 in loss for investors. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Bates and Andrew Friedman.
Kent Man Pleads Guilty to Importing and Selling more than $500,000 in Counterfeit Luxury Vehicle AccessoriesRead the Press Release
A Kent, Washington man who sold more than $500,000 in counterfeit luxury vehicle parts and accessories pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to trafficking in counterfeit goods, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. GUOXIONG XIAN, 34, faces up to ten years in prison and a $2 million fine when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on November 22, 2013.
According to the plea agreement signed today, XIAN owns 3 Ways LLC, a company selling auto parts over the internet. XIAN primarily sold automobile accessories such as license plate frames, marque license plates, automobile logos and other decorative items for high-end automobiles. The automobile accessories XIAN sold did not impact the operational characteristics of any automobiles. In his plea agreement XIAN admits he imported the parts from China and that they were counterfeit parts bearing trademarks that belong to companies such as BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan and others. From November 2008, through April 2013, XIAN sold approximately $538,000 worth of counterfeit automobile accessories. In January 2013, XIAN sold various counterfeit car accessories to an undercover agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). XIAN sold them knowing they were marked with counterfeit trademarks.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence of no more than 18 months in prison. XIAN has agreed to make restitution to the following companies: BMW/Mini - $256,066; Mercedes-Benz - $109,620; Nissan/Infiniti - $13,361; Toyota/Lexus/Scion - $35,304; Suzuki - $26,054; Volkswagen/Audi - $20,434; Honda - $8,433 Yamaha - $6,218.03; Dodge/Chrysler/ Jeep - $13,326; General Motors Corporation- $20,075. Ten other car companies are owed amounts less than $6,000.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman Barbosa.
Former Chairman and Ceo of Skagit County Community Bank Pleads Guilty in Connection with False Information Provided to Bank RegulatorsRead the Press Release
The former Chairman and CEO of Summit Bank, a Skagit County community bank, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to Making a False Entry in a Report of an Insured Bank, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. JAMES E. BISHOP, 70, of Mount Vernon, Washington pleaded guilty to a criminal charge filed last week. In his plea agreement BISHOP admits that between 2009 and 2011, BISHOP and his son, who was the bank president, concealed from regulators the mounting number of loans that were in default. Summit bank was ultimately closed by state regulators and sold in May 2011. Under the terms of the plea agreement, BISHOP must be sentenced to a term of imprisonment between 12 and 41 months or both sides can withdraw from the plea agreement. Sentencing is scheduled before Chief U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman on November 15, 2013.
“Our economy depends on every bank following the rules. Banking rules protect individual depositors as well as our financial system,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “These defendants – both experienced bankers – took a myriad of steps to hide the true financial condition of Summit Bank from federal and state regulators.”
According to the records filed in the case, in 2005 JAMES E. BISHOP became CEO of Summit Bank and Chairman of Summit Bank’s Board of Directors. His son, James E. Bishop II, served as President of the bank, and both were significant shareholders in the bank. James E. Bishop II has also been charged in the case. The younger BISHOP served as president of Summit Bank from 2005-2011. According to the statement of facts in the plea agreement, the bank was required to file various reports with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) disclosing the loans the bank had made and the status of the loans. In his plea agreement BISHOP admits that between 2009 and 2011, he caused the bank to undertake financial transactions related to past due loans, which concealed the overdue loans in the quarterly reports that went to the FDIC, essentially hiding millions of dollars in loans that were past due, and causing the bank to appear financially healthier than it actually was. For example in one report on June 30, 2010, the Bank reported past due loans of approximately $6 million in outstanding loans, payments on which were past due for 30 or more days. In truth, the bank had at least $13 million in outstanding loans, payments on which were past due for 30 or more days.
“When we put our money in a bank, we also place our trust in those who operate it,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Laura M. Laughlin of the FBI Seattle office. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to bring to justice those who would violate that trust.”
“We are pleased to join our law enforcement colleagues and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in announcing this guilty plea,” said Wade Walters, Special Agent in Charge of the Western Region FDIC Office of Inspector General. “We are committed to ensuring the integrity of the banking industry and are especially concerned when bank insiders abuse their positions of trust and attempt to deceive the regulators. It is fitting punishment that Mr. Bishop will be imprisoned, fined, and prohibited from participation in the affairs of any federally insured financial institution going forward.”
As part of a civil enforcement agreement entered with the FDIC, which is incorporated into the plea agreement, BISHOP will pay $300,000 to the FDIC and agree to a lifetime prohibition from participating in the conduct of the affairs of any federally insured financial institution.
James E. Bishop II is scheduled for a plea hearing on September 5, 2013.
The case was investigated by the FDIC Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) and the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Diggs.Member of Romania Based Internet Fraud Ring Indicted for Wire Fraud for Scheme Falsely Advertising and Selling Boats and Vehicles on the InternetRead the Press Release
A member of a scheme to scam prospective purchasers of cars, boats, and RVs by using false internet postings and fake payment processing programs was arrested in New York on July 22, 2013, when he tried to enter the U.S. from Romania, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. JUAN CARLOS DE LA CRUZ PIOTE, 47, a native of Spain, and his co-schemers opened multiple bank accounts in the Western District of Washington, which were used to accept funds from victims who thought they were using a secure payment method to purchase vehicles advertised on the internet. In fact, the advertised vehicles – luxury cars, boats, or RVs – were never delivered, and the money was quickly wired out of the country or withdrawn from the accounts as cash. DE LA CRUZ PIOTE will be transported to the Western District of Washington for arraignment on the indictment returned on August 14, 2013.
According to records filed in the case, DE LA CRUZ PIOTE and other co-schemers opened multiple bank accounts using various foreign passports and identities. The conspirators set up the accounts with business names such as GMC AUTOS, LLC, CARS CONSULTANTS, LLC, AUTO FINANCIAL, LLC and MGA ENGINES, LLC. The conspirators would advertise various luxury cars, boats, and recreational vehicles on the internet on legitimate websites such as Craig’s List or Autotrader.com. The conspirators would correspond with potential purchasers using false names. When the purchaser was interested in buying one of the luxury vehicles, the schemers would have them wire funds to one of the business bank accounts claiming it was an “escrow account,” that would hold the funds until the purchaser received the vehicle. The conspirators would create counterfeit PayPal paperwork and web pages, or would have the victims make the payment through a service they created and called “Amazon Payments” – but the service was in no way associated with Amazon.com. The use of these names was a way to lull the purchasers into thinking they were dealing with a legitimate online seller.
The indictment alleges that between February and August of 2011, the conspirators took in more than $940,000, and from one bank account alone quickly made multiple withdrawals totaling more than $100,000.
One member of the ring has already pleaded guilty to wire fraud. In September 2012, Emilian Madalin Nita was sentenced to 42 months in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Reese Jennings.
Customs and Border Protection Officer and Wife Charged with Fraud over Education Reimbursement ClaimsRead the Press Release
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer living in Victoria, B.C. Canada, and his wife were arrested and charged today with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. with respect to claims for filing false claims for educational expenses, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.
JOHN ERIC WEAVER and his wife JOY WEAVER appeared in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today. WEAVER had been assigned to desk duty since the investigation began, and has now been placed on paid administrative leave.According to the complaint, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, like other federal employees stationed overseas, are eligible for an education allowance for their minor children. Those expenses include basic tuition for required courses and necessary elective courses, books and supplies required by the school, and local transportation on school days between the school and the employee’s home. The complaint alleges that in 2009 and 2010, JOY WEAVER created fictitious invoices from the school their children attended, claiming tuition that was twice the actual amount of tuition. JOHN ERIC WEAVER submitted the false documents and claims to the CBP Office of Administration. The fraud was discovered in June 2010 when a financial program specialist checked with the school to see if there were costs for books and supplies that should be reimbursed. When the school indicated the invoices did not reflect the accurate cost of tuition and had not been produced by the school, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) began its investigation. The invoices submitted by the WEAVERS were determined to be false. The complaint alleges that the couple filed false claims for education reimbursement of more than $8,000.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Conspiracy to file a false claim is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) with the assistance of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Internal Affairs, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General.The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marci Ellsworth.
Former Bellevue Developer Indicted for Tax Evasion and Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
A former Bellevue based developer and lender who spent millions on gambling, thoroughbred horse racing, private aircraft, country club fees and a Bellevue penthouse, has been indicted for tax evasion and social security number fraud. THOMAS R. HAZELRIGG, III, 67, of Rancho Mirage, California, will appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle today at 1:30 following his indictment for two counts of evading and defeating payment of tax, and two counts of Social Security number misuse.
The detailed indictment, returned by the grand jury last week, describes how HAZELRIGG first agreed to pay $533,454 in taxes owed for tax years 1989, 1990 and 1991 and then failed to pay the tax debt while living a lavish lifestyle that included private jets, multi-million dollar remodels, expensive artwork and high roller casino junkets. The Indictment also alleges that HAZELRIGG evaded payment of his taxes owed for 1994, for which he had filed a return showing tax owed, but for which he made no payments. The indictment alleges that between 1997 and 2007, HAZELRIGG illegally funneled income from his businesses into accounts that he controlled but that which he kept secret from the IRS and other creditors. HAZELRIGG used these accounts to pay for the multimillion dollar purchase and remodel of a Bellevue penthouse, two Chihuly glass chandeliers worth more than $460,000, more than one million dollars in chips at various casinos, country club memberships for himself and associates, the leasing of private jets, the use of a butler, and more than $160,000 on race horses.
The two counts of Social Security number misuse relate to HAZLERIGG opening bank accounts in 2009, using the Social Security number of his deceased father. HAZELRIGG allegedly used the number to hide the resources from the IRS.
The tax evasion counts are punishable by up to five years in prison. The misuse of Social Security number counts are also punishable by up to five years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Susan Loitz and Robert Westinghouse.
Former Hospice Nurse Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Tampering with Narcotic Pain MedicationRead the Press Release
A 34-year-old nurse from Anacortes, Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to one year in prison and three years of supervised release for tampering with consumer products and acquiring a controlled substance by fraud or misrepresentation, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. ERIN LINVOG, a former nurse at Fidalgo Care Center & Rosario Assisted Living, pleaded guilty in April 2013. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said LINVOG “showed reckless disregard of others’ pain and risk of overdose... The only reason you stopped was you were caught... you violated every single notion of what we expect from a nurse.”
According to the facts admitted in the plea agreement, in June 2010, LINVOG began working at the Rosario Assisted Living Center, an elder care facility in Anacortes, Washington, that offers skilled nursing and hospice care to terminally ill patients. LINVOG became credentialed as a registered nurse in November 2011. Sometime in late 2011, LINVOG began stealing narcotics from the facility for her own use. Using her position and authority as a nurse, she requested and received orders for morphine from pharmacies on behalf of Rosario patients, but then diverted entire bottles of narcotics rather than properly logging them into the assigned medicine carts. Moreover, in multiple instances admitted in the plea agreement, LINVOG removed liquid morphine from medicine bottles for her own use, and replaced the missing morphine with tap water, before returning the tampered bottles back to the facility’s medicine carts, where they could have been, and at times were, administered to patients.
The morphine was intended to alleviate the pain of various elderly patients in end-of-life care. LINVOG’s conduct meant that patients near the end of their life were receiving inadequate amounts of medicine to treat their pain and discomfort, and that medical staff did not have a clear picture of the appropriate dosage – since the morphine on hand was diluted. The conduct created the risk that patients could be overdosed if treated with non-diluted medicine, as well as the risk they would suffer needlessly in their final days. LINVOG’s conduct was discovered by the facility in February 2012, which led to her termination shortly thereafter.
At sentencing, Deborah Kelly, the daughter of one of LINVOG’s patients said, “My mom in her last month of life was suffering tremendously… The last year and a half I have been kicking myself that I trusted (LINVOG) to be a better person than she was.”
In asking for a 30 month sentence prosecutors wrote to the court: “Erin Linvog’s offense conduct is egregious, as she knowingly placed highly vulnerable patients at substantial risk of harm and, in some cases, knowingly allowed patients to needlessly suffer…. For the most part, the patients who received diluted pain medication are now deceased and cannot speak for themselves. Thus, families are left largely to speculate as to the consequences of Ms. Linvog’s actions and to question their role in placing their loved ones in such a vulnerable position or in failing to notice foul play. That is a terrible and an unfair position in which to leave these innocent individuals — sons and daughters who entrusted their ailing parent to trained professionals. The final chapter in their memory of the now-deceased loved ones has been forever tainted by the selfish acts of this defendant.”
The case was investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Anacortes Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Masada and Jerrod Patterson.
Attorney General Recognizes Appellate Chief of Western District of WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Helen ‘Micki’ Brunner, the Chief of the Appellate Unit in the Western District of Washington, was one of 154 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Attorney General Eric Holder and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director H. Marshall Jarrett with a 2013 Director’s Award.
In a personalized letter, Attorney General Holder noted that Ms. Brunner’s leadership “has made your office one of the most highly regarded United States Attorneys’ offices litigating in the Ninth Circuit. You have handled virtually every complex legal issue encountered by your office and served as a role model for many less experienced Assistant United States Attorneys.”
“Each day the members of the US Attorneys’ community go to work for the citizens of this country with one goal in mind – to do everything they can to protect the rights of all Americans,” said EOUSA Director Jarrett. “I am continually humbled by their resiliency, dedication, and unparalleled work ethic to accomplish this noble mission. Today’s awardees exemplify what it truly means to be a patriot and it is an honor to recognize them for their extraordinary service.”
U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan presented the award to AUSA Brunner today at a gathering at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Due to sequestration, the Awards presentation at the Justice Department in Washington DC was cancelled this year, and no financial awards were presented.
“Micki Brunner epitomizes the dedication, ethics and superior judgment we all strive for as attorneys. I am honored to count her as a colleague and friend,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “This award not only recognizes the superior work she has done this year on cases ranging from terrorism to fraud to environmental crime, it is a testament to years of dedicated public service.”
Ms. Brunner has been an attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington since 1989. Prior to joining the office she served in the Justice Department Environmental Crimes Section in Washington D.C. and was in the Office of Enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency.