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Monday 4 March 2024
Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to $30 Million Magazine Fraud Scheme Targeting EldersRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Canadian man has pleaded guilty on the first day of trial to his role in a $30 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Abdou Diallo, also known as Abdou-Rahmane Diallo, 36, of Montreal, Quebec, was a co-owner and operator of Readers Services, a Canadian-based company that carried out a telemarking fraud scheme. From 2011 through 2020, Diallo and other participants of the fraud scheme targeted people who had previously been victimized by fraudulent magazine companies and were currently being billed by one or more fraudulent magazine companies on an ongoing basis—and used this vulnerability to victimize them all over again through promises of being able to cancel their unwanted magazine subscriptions. Diallo pretended to be from the “magazine cancellation department” and offered to pay off the victims’ “outstanding balance” and cancel their existing magazine subscriptions in exchange for a large, lump-sum payment. In reality, the victims did not owe Diallo or his company any money and Diallo had no power or ability to cancel the victims’ existing magazine subscriptions or any outstanding balances. As a result of this “piggyback” fraud scheme, Diallo and other participants in the fraud scheme defrauded more than 20,000 victims—many of whom were elderly and vulnerable—across the United States out of approximately $30 million.
Diallo pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim to two counts of wire fraud. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 5, 2024.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Additional assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and Garrett S. Fields are prosecuting the case.
California Man Arrested for Smuggling Potent Greenhouse Gases into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Michael Hart of San Diego was arrested and charged with smuggling greenhouse gases into the United States from Mexico and then selling them for profit, in violation of regulations intended to curb the use of greenhouse gases and slow climate change.
This is the first prosecution in the United States to include charges related to the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act). The AIM Act prohibits the importation of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), commonly used as refrigerants, without allowances issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“It is illegal to import certain refrigerants into the United States because of their documented and significantly greater contribution to climate change,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to enforcing the AIM Act and other laws that seek to prevent environmental harm.”
“The illegal smuggling of hydrofluorocarbons, a highly potent greenhouse gas, undermines international efforts to combat climate change under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol,” said David M. Uhlmann, EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Anyone who seeks to profit from illegal actions that worsen climate change must be held accountable. This arrest highlights the significance of EPA’s climate enforcement initiative and our efforts to prevent refrigerants that are climate super pollutants from illegally entering the United States.”
“This office is at the forefront of environmental prosecutions, and today is a significant milestone for our country,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “This is the first time the Department of Justice is prosecuting someone for illegally importing greenhouse gases, and it will not be the last. We are using every means possible to protect our planet from the harm caused by toxic pollutants, including bringing criminal charges.”
According to the EPA, HFCs are potent greenhouse gases that cause climate change and are used in applications such as refrigeration, air-conditioning, building insulation, fire extinguishing systems, and aerosols. The global warming potential of an HFC can be hundreds to thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide. The use of HFCs has been rapidly increasing worldwide due to the global phaseout of ozone-depleting substances and increased demand for refrigeration and air conditioning.
The indictment alleges that Hart purchased refrigerants in Mexico and smuggled them into the United States in his vehicle, concealed under a tarp and tools. According to the indictment, Hart posted the refrigerants for sale on OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace and other sites, and sold them for a profit.
In addition to greenhouse gases, the indictment alleges Hart imported HCFC 22, an ozone-depleting substance regulated under the Clean Air Act. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol) is a treaty adopted in 1987 and ratified by virtually every country. The Montreal Protocol required the gradual phase out of ozone depleting substances, with different timetables for developed countries like the United States and developing countries like Mexico. In the United States, the Montreal Protocol was implemented in 1990 by an addition to the Clean Air Act, which covers Stratospheric Ozone Protection. That addition identified HCFC 22 as a regulated ozone depleting substance. Before 2020, EPA regulations that governed ozone-depleting substances made it illegal for anyone to import a regulated ozone-depleting substance in an amount exceeding that individual’s consumption allowance, subject to certain exceptions. On January 1, 2020, consumption allowances for HCFC 22 were eliminated and it became illegal to import HCFC 22 for any purpose other than for use in a process resulting in their transformation or their destruction.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is another international agreement designed to phase down the production and consumption of greenhouse gases such as HFCs, which are commonly used alternatives to ozone-depleting substances and are already controlled under the Montreal Protocol. The Kigali Amendment seeks to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs by 80-85% by 2047. The AIM Act authorized the EPA to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs in a stepwise manner. As part of the AIM Act, Congress added an additional list of regulated substances, which include HFC 32, HFC-125, HFC-134, HFC-134a, HFC 143 and HFC 143a. Refrigerants marketed as HFC 404a, 407a, 407c and 410a contain these regulated substances. The listed HFCs are some of the most commonly used HFCs and all are saturated, meaning they have only a single bond between their atoms and therefore have longer atmospheric lifetimes. Beginning on January 1, 2022, EPA regulations prohibit any person from importing bulk regulated HFCs, except by expending, at the time of import, a consumption or application-specific allowance issued by the EPA. No person may sell or distribute, or offer for sale or distribution, any regulated HFC that was imported illegally.
Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.
Bluefield Man Sentenced for Federal Fraud CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Matthew Huffman, 37, of Bluefield, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation, including 90 days on home detention with location monitoring, and ordered to pay $45,258.51 in restitution for theft or embezzlement in connection to healthcare services. Huffman admitted to stealing from the Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center while employed as its chief substance use disorder officer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2022 and January 2023, Huffman embezzled money from Southern Highlands including more than $5,000 it received from the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP). Southern Highlands is a non-profit medical treatment center that offers a variety of services including addiction treatment. COSSUP grants are distributed, in part, to treat and support those impacted by illicit substance use and misuse.
Huffman admitted that he forged signatures required to approve the use of COSSUP grants and other funds, and also used the names of patients and consumers no longer receiving services from Southern Highlands on the necessary forms. Huffman further admitted that he embezzled these funds for his personal gain, using the money to pay his utility bills, vehicle loan payments and to purchase gift cards and prepaid debit cards.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Owen Reynolds and Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-137.
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Bakersfield Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Luis Zambrano, 40, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from October 2016 to January 2017, Zambrano sold a pound of methamphetamine and nearly 12 ounces of heroin in four separate transactions involving a confidential source. A federal wiretap also revealed that Zambrano was the source of supply for Manuel Teodoro Aros, 49, of Santa Maria, from whom law enforcement seized another 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine in March 2017. In addition, the wiretap led to the seizure in June 2017 of another 4 ounces of heroin and nearly 6 pounds of methamphetamine intended for Zambrano.
Zambrano was brought to federal court pursuant to a writ following his conviction in May 2022 in Kern County Superior Court for solicitation to commit murder.
Aros previously pleaded guilty to his involvement in conspiring with Zambrano and was sentenced to 13 years and eight months in prison.
Zambrano is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on June 17, 2024. Zambrano faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Arion Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.Read the Press Release
A man, who was found with a firearm after being a convicted felon, was sentenced February 29, 2024, to 10 years in federal prison. Kevin DeWolf, age 34, from Denison, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 21, 2023, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon. Shortly after being indicted for the firearm charge, DeWolf set a vehicle on fire in Crawford County, attempting to fraudulently collect the insurance proceeds.
DeWolf was previously convicted of manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to manufacture or deliver controlled substance, in the Iowa District Court for Crawford County, Iowa on or about July 15, 2022. DeWolf also has a prior assault conviction.
DeWolf was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand and was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. DeWolf is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4021.
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Antisemitic Threats to Kill Yield Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Sean Pietila, 20, of Pickford, Michigan was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for making a series of violent threats on June 1-2, 2023, to kill Jewish people. At the time he communicated those threats, Pietila was living in Lansing, Michigan. Evidence recovered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicated that Pietila had identified a Jewish synagogue in East Lansing and a specific date in March 2024, and made a wish list of firearms and other weapons.
“Today and every day we will take swift action to detect and disrupt hate crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “No Michigander should live in fear because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other protected status. I’m incredibly grateful to FBI Michigan and our other law enforcement partners for their diligence and dedication.”
In November 2023, Pietila pleaded guilty to sending numerous messages containing threats to kill others to an Instagram user located outside of Michigan. Those messages, which included references to Adolf Hitler and antisemitic language, talked of Pietila’s desire and plans to engage in a mass shooting in a manner similar to a specific past mass shooter. During execution of a federal search warrant in June 2023, the FBI found typed notes in Pietila’s cell phone that indicated plans to engage in a mass shooting and to commit suicide. For his actions, United States District Judge Robert Jonker sentenced Pietila to serve 12 months and one day in prison, 3 years of supervised release following incarceration, and pay $10,648 in restitution.
“I am incredibly proud of the work of our office and appreciative of the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners in bringing the defendant to justice,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “There is absolutely no tolerance for threats of violence and intimidation in the state of Michigan and in our society. The FBI will vigorously pursue those who commit these actions.”
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, TRI-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), and Michigan State Police Emergency Services Team. Assistant United States Attorney Chris O’Connor prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Anchorage woman sentenced to 30 years for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage woman was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to produce child sexual abuse materials.
According to court documents, Denali Brehmer, 22, and her co-conspirator Darin Schilmiller, 25, conspired to murder Cynthia Hoffman in June 2019 while Schilmiller was residing in Indiana. While they were conspiring to commit Hoffman’s murder, they also conspired to coerce a minor victim to produce sexually explicit images, which Brehmer took and sent to Schilmiller via text message.
Brehmer and Schilmiller pleaded guilty to production of child pornography in front of the U.S. District Court in July 2023. Schilmiller is awaiting sentencing. Both defendants were sentenced by the State of Alaska to 99 years in prison for their roles in Hoffman’s murder.
In delivering the sentence, the court ordered Brehmer to serve a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and the rest of her life on supervised release.
“The harm Ms. Brehmer has caused to the victims and their families through the course of her conduct is unfathomable,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office will continue our unwavering commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to protect Alaska’s children and seek justice against perpetrators who choose to commit these reprehensible crimes.”
“This sentencing underscores the unrelenting efforts by law enforcement and prosecutors, at every level, to ensure that none of Brehmer’s ruthless crimes went unanswered or unpunished,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Vorndran of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to use every tool available to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who exploit and harm our most vulnerable.”
“Denali Brehmer’s actions are beyond heinous,” said Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle. “Overcoming the trauma the victim suffered due to Brehmer’s actions will be a life-long journey. This case is an excellent example of why various law enforcement entities working together through the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is so vitally important. Hopefully today’s sentencing will aid the victim in their healing process.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.
This case was brought 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Albany Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Charles E. Williams, age 35, of Albany, was sentenced today to 55 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force tracked Williams to a hotel in Albany County to arrest him for a kidnapping. When searching his hotel room on November 18, 2021, Deputy Marshals found a .357 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver. Williams was prohibited under federal law from possessing the firearm as a result of a prior New York State felony conviction for assault in the first degree.
Since committing this federal offense, Williams has also been convicted of additional felonies for kidnapping, robbery, assault and witness intimidation charges in state courts in Albany and Rensselaer Counties; and he faces additional armed robbery charges in Albany County.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 3-year-term of supervised release.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case with assistance from the North Greenbush Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted the case.
Alameda Resident Sentenced to Two-And-A-Half Years in Prison and Ordered to Pay Nearly $1.5 Million in Restitution to Victims of His Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Long Nguyen, who pleaded guilty last year to charges relating to a scheme to defraud at least 20 individuals out of millions of dollars, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.5 million in restitution and to forfeit $1 million, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was imposed by the Hon. Trina L. Thompson, United States District Judge.
Nguyen, 35, a resident of Alameda, California, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to four counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. In his plea agreement, Nguyen admitted that, between September 2015 and July 2021, he operated a scheme to defraud his victims by making false statements about himself, his investment opportunities, how he would invest his victims’ money, and what he in fact did with their money.
Specifically, Nguyen admitted making the following false statements, among others, to induce victims to give him money: that (i) he was a billionaire; (ii) other people who invested with him had received large payouts at a high rate of return; (iii) he was starting his own hedge fund; (iv) he had access to pre-IPO investment opportunities that he would and did invest victims’ money into; and (v) he managed a real estate investment trust that he would and did invest victims’ money into and that would provide victims with monthly income. Nguyen also admitted creating fake screenshots that purported to show victims’ growing investment account balances, and falsely telling victims not only that they were making money, but also that he would buy—and, in some cases, had bought—them Teslas and homes.
According to the plea agreement, Nguyen also admitted that he did not, in fact, invest the majority of the money he received from his victims. Rather, Nguyen admitted spending victims’ money for his own personal use and operating a Ponzi scheme by using money he had received from some victims to pay other victims back. And Nguyen admitted he devised and executed his fraudulent scheme with the intent to defraud his victims.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Nguyen perpetuated his fraud by lying to his victims when they asked for their money back, including by falsely telling them that he was being audited, that his accounts had been frozen, and that others, including his lawyer and the bank, were the source of the delay. He also sent fraudulent checks that his victims were unable to cash.
Nguyen was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2022 on four counts of wire fraud, all of which he pleaded guilty to. In addition to sentencing Nguyen to prison, Judge Thompson ordered the defendant to pay $1,494,496.89 in restitution to his victims and to forfeit $1 million. Judge Thompson also ordered Nguyen to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey Davidson is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lance Libatique and Marina Ponomarchuk. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Air National Guardsman Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Disclosing Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Jack Douglas Teixeira, a member of the United States Air National Guard (USANG) stationed in Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today to retaining and transmitting classified National Defense Information on a social media platform beginning in or around 2022 and continuing until his arrest in April 2023.
Teixeira, 22, of North Dighton, Mass., pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani who deferred acceptance of the plea until sentencing on Sept. 27, 2024. If the court accepts the plea, Teixeira faces 132 to 200 months in prison.
Teixeira was arrested in April 2023 and charged by criminal complaint with retention and transmission of National Defense Information (NDI) and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in June 2023. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest.
“Mr. Teixeira exploited his Top-Secret security clearance to share our nation’s secrets on a social media platform. He violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend and, in doing so, he undermined our national security and risked the safety of Americans serving overseas and our allies,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Every instance of mishandling classified information weakens our defense and compromises our ability to thwart potential threats. We cannot afford to underestimate the gravity of this conduct; it has far-reaching consequences that transcend individual interests.”
“Today, Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira admitted to endangering our national security by unlawfully disclosing classified national defense information. In doing so, he betrayed his oath to defend his country. His actions are a stark contrast to the pledge he made in 2019 to uphold the Air Force’s core values: integrity first, service over self, and excellence in all we do. Instead, he chose integrity last, himself over service, and failed to uphold the finest standards of this military branch,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI takes all breaches of classified information seriously and we will use all the resources at our disposal to identify and apprehend those who jeopardize the safety of this country and its citizens.”
“By knowingly and improperly posting classified national defense information on a social media platform, Mr. Teixeira callously disregarded the national security of the United States and betrayed the trust of the American people he swore to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “With today’s plea, the Department of Justice holds Mr. Teixeira accountable for his actions and makes clear the gravity of the responsibility to protect classified information and our national security.”
“Retaining and transmitting classified information is a crime – and U.S. government employees are trusted to secure and protect that information,” said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office. “To get to where we are today took the work of dozens of FBI employees, including special agents, intelligence analysts, and computer forensic examiners, who combed through and analyzed hundreds of documents and evidentiary items. The FBI and our partners across the globe are committed to identify and bring to justice those who make the choice to put our country at risk by publicly and recklessly disclosing classified information.”
Teixeira enlisted in the USANG in September 2019 and held a Top-Secret security clearance since 2021. Beginning in or around January 2022, Teixeira unlawfully retained and transmitted NDI classified as “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET” and/or Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), onto the social media platform Discord to persons not authorized to receive such information.
According to the charging documents, Teixeira used secured workstation at the Otis USANG Base to conduct hundreds of searches for classified documents containing NDI that were unrelated to his duties as an Information Technology specialist. On two separate occasions, Teixeira was warned by his superiors to no longer take notes on classified intelligence information and to stop conducting “deep dives” into classified intelligence information. However, Teixeira purposefully removed classified information and documents containing NDI without authorization and subsequently transmitted the information in written paragraphs to other users on Discord. Teixeira also posted images of classified documents to Discord, which bore standard classification markings – including “SECRET,” “TOP SECRET” and SCI designations – indicating that they contained highly classified United States government information.
Among the classified information Teixeira unlawfully transmitted was descriptions on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including troop movements on a particular date based on sensitive U.S. intelligence, gathered through classified sources and methods and contains national defense information.
The charges of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; AAG Olsen; and AD Sundberg made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Jared C. Dolan and Jason A. Casey of the U.S. Attorney’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Air National Guardsman Agrees to Plead Guilty to Unlawfully Disclosing Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
Jack Douglas Teixeira, 22, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, a member of the U.S. Air National Guard (USANG) stationed in Massachusetts, has agreed to plead guilty to retaining and transmitting classified National Defense Information on a social media platform beginning in or around 2022 and continuing until his arrest in April 2023.
Teixeira has agreed to plead guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information).
“By knowingly and improperly posting classified national defense information on a social media platform, Mr. Teixeira callously disregarded the national security of the United States and betrayed the trust of the American people he swore to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “With today’s plea, the Department of Justice holds Mr. Teixeira accountable for his actions and makes clear the gravity of the responsibility to protect classified information and our national security.”
“Mr. Teixeira exploited his Top-Secret security clearance to share our nation’s secrets on a social media platform. He violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend and, in doing so, he undermined our national security and risked the safety of Americans serving overseas and our allies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “Every instance of mishandling classified information weakens our defense and compromises our ability to thwart potential threats. We cannot afford to underestimate the gravity of this conduct; it has far-reaching consequences that transcend individual interests.”
“Today, Jack Teixeira admitted he retained and disclosed classified national security information, actions that benefit our nation’s adversaries and harm U.S. security,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Individuals granted security clearances are entrusted with protecting our nation’s most sensitive secrets, and Teixeira knowingly betrayed that trust and put the country at risk. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable anyone who would endanger our national security interests.”
Teixeira was arrested in April 2023 and charged by criminal complaint with retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in June 2023. He has remained detained in federal custody since his arrest.
According to the charging documents, Teixeira enlisted in the USANG in September 2019 and has held a Top-Secret security clearance since 2021. It is alleged that, beginning in or around January 2022, Teixeira unlawfully retained and transmitted National Defense Information classified as “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET” and/or Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), onto a social media platform to persons not authorized to receive such information.
Teixeira allegedly accessed classified documents containing National Defense Information from a classified workstation at the Otis USANG Base and transcribed and transmitted the information in written paragraphs to other users on the social media platform. Teixeira also allegedly posted images of classified documents to the social media platform, which bore standard classification markings – including “SECRET,” “TOP SECRET” and SCI designations – indicating that they contained highly classified U.S. government information.
The charges of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information each carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Jared C. Dolan and Jason A. Casey for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Air Force Police Officer Convicted of over $150,000 in Unemployment Insurance Fraud During the Covid-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Trevon Miller, 31, a former Air Force Police Officer at Edwards Air Force Base, pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges today for submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and June 2020, Miller submitted fraudulent claims in several states using his former name of Trevon Rodney. Miller told the state agencies that administer the unemployment insurance system that he was unemployed when he was an active-duty Air Force Police Officer the whole time. The claims were worth more than $150,000 and the money was put onto debit cards that were mailed to Miller.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Arelis Clemente are prosecuting the case.
Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Miller faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, which is one of the interagency COVID-19 fraud strike forces established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California, and focuses on large-scale, multistate, and egregious pandemic relief fraud. The strike force uses prosecutor-led, and data analyst-driven, teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief money.
Air Force Employee Indicted for Unlawful Disclosure of Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that David Franklin Slater, 63, of Nebraska, was arrested Saturday, March 2, after having been indicted in the District of Nebraska, for allegedly conspiring to transmit and transmitting classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information or NDI) on a foreign online dating platform beginning in or around February 2022 until in or around April 2022. Slater was a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska.
According to the indictment, Slater worked in a classified space at USSTRATCOM and held a Top Secret security clearance from in or around August 2021 until in or around April 2022, after retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army. It is alleged that Slater willfully, improperly, and unlawfully transmitted NDI classified as “SECRET,” which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a foreign online dating platform to a person not authorized to receive such information.
“As alleged, Mr. Slater, an Air Force civilian employee and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, knowingly transmitted classified national defense information to another person in blatant disregard for the security of his country and his oath to safeguard its secrets,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will seek to hold accountable those who knowingly and willfully put their country at risk by disclosing classified information.”
“Certain responsibilities are incumbent to individuals with access to Top Secret information. The allegations against Mr. Slater challenge whether he betrayed those responsibilities,” said U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr for the District of Nebraska. “We look forward to continuing our work with the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to ensure the safety of our country.”
“The FBI investigates those who choose to illegally use their access to classified information to put our national security at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “When people violate the trust given to them to safeguard our nation's intelligence, they put our country at risk. We will continue working shoulder to shoulder with our partners to protect the American people and uphold the constitution by safeguarding our country's classified information.”
According to the indictment, Slater attended USSTRATCOM briefings regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine that were classified up to TOP SECRET//SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (TS//SCI). Slater then transmitted classified NDI that he learned from those briefings via the foreign online dating website’s messaging platform to his co-conspirator, who claimed to be a female living in Ukraine on the foreign dating website. The co-conspirator regularly asked Slater to provide her with sensitive, non-public, closely held and classified NDI and called Slater in their messages her “secret informant love” and her “secret agent.” In response to these requests, Slater indeed provided classified NDI to her, including regarding military targets and Russian military capabilities relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Slater will make his initial court appearance tomorrow, March 5, in the District of Nebraska. If convicted, Slater faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to transmit and the transmission of national defense information. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Omaha Field Office and Air Force Office of Special Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Kleine for the District of Nebraska and Trial Attorney Emma Dinan Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Air Force Employee Indicted for Unlawful Disclosure of Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
A civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), at Offutt Air Force Base, was arrested Saturday, March 2, for allegedly conspiring to transmit and transmitting classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information or NDI) on a foreign online dating platform beginning in or around February 2022 until in or around April 2022.
According to the indictment, David Franklin Slater, 63, of Nebraska, worked in a classified space at USSTRATCOM and held a Top Secret security clearance from in or around August 2021 until in or around April 2022, after retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army. It is alleged that Slater willfully, improperly, and unlawfully transmitted NDI classified as “SECRET,” which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a foreign online dating platform to a person not authorized to receive such information.
“As alleged, Mr. Slater, an Air Force civilian employee and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, knowingly transmitted classified national defense information to another person in blatant disregard for the security of his country and his oath to safeguard its secrets,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will seek to hold accountable those who knowingly and willfully put their country at risk by disclosing classified information.”
“Certain responsibilities are incumbent to individuals with access to Top Secret information. The allegations against Mr. Slater challenge whether he betrayed those responsibilities,” said U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr for the District of Nebraska. “We look forward to continuing our work with the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to ensure the safety of our country.”
“The FBI investigates those who choose to illegally use their access to classified information to put our national security at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “When people violate the trust given to them to safeguard our nation's intelligence, they put our country at risk. We will continue working shoulder to shoulder with our partners to protect the American people and uphold the constitution by safeguarding our country's classified information.”
According to the charging documents, Slater attended USSTRATCOM briefings regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine that were classified up to TOP SECRET//SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (TS//SCI). Slater then transmitted classified NDI that he learned from those briefings via the foreign online dating website’s messaging platform to his co-conspirator, who claimed to be a female living in Ukraine on the foreign dating website. The co-conspirator regularly asked Slater to provide her with sensitive, non-public, closely held and classified NDI and called Slater in their messages her “secret informant love” and her “secret agent.” In response to these requests, Slater indeed provided classified NDI to her, including regarding military targets and Russian military capabilities relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Slater will make his initial court appearance tomorrow, March 5, in the District of Nebraska. If convicted, Slater faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to transmit and the transmission of national defense information. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Omaha Field Office and Air Force Office of Special Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Kleine for the District of Nebraska and Trial Attorney Emma Dinan Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Slater Indictment
Saturday 2 March 2024
Two Individuals Sentenced to Prison on Two Child Exploitation CasesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Eduardo Luis Marrero Casanova, 53, a religious leader in Cayey, was sentenced on February 27, 2024, by Chief Judge Raul M. Arias Marxuach, to 240 months of imprisonment for two counts of production of child pornography.
According to court documents, from December 2022, through January 25, 2023, Marrero Casanova used a cellular phone, as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce two fifteen-year-old male minors to engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, which includes the production of child pornography as defined in Title 18, United States Code. Also, Marrero Casanova did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor, and attempted to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct.
In a separate case, Alexander Joel Rivera-Santos, from Salinas, PR, was sentenced by Senior Judge Francisco A. Besosa on February 9, 2024, to 51 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession of child exploitation material, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B).
According to court documents, an investigation from HSI Phoenix into chat rooms utilizing the Viber chat application to exchange child pornography identified users who were members of a chat that was exchanging child pornography. Several users’ numbers were affiliated with phone numbers from Puerto Rico. Those numbers were referred to HSI San Juan for further investigation. An open-source database search revealed that one of the cellular phone numbers identified as a known member of those chat rooms was being used by Rivera-Santos. The results of the investigation revealed that from on or about May 6, 2021, through on or about June 24, 2022, Rivera-Santos, using a cellphone device which had internet capabilities, knowingly possessed, and accessed with intent to view, material containing images of child pornography, that is, sexually explicit images of minors and minors engaging in sexual acts, including images of prepubescent minors or minors who had not attained 12 years of age.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daynelle Álvarez Lora and Emelina Agrait Barreto prosecuted the cases.
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Porcupine Man Found Guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Wilbur Morrison, Jr., age 36, of Porcupine, South Dakota, of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on February 28, 2024.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum of 30 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life on supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Morrison was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023.
Morrison sexually abused a juvenile female on the evening of January 12, 2023, near Porcupine. This abuse was witnessed by two juvenile males. As a result of sexual abuse committed by Morrison, syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, was transmitted to the juvenile female victim.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for May 17, 2024. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former School Bus Driver Accused of Igniting a Bus Full of Children is Indicted and DetainedRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Michael Austin Ford, 58, of West Valley City, Utah, a former Granite School District Bus Driver, was ordered detained March 1, 2024, by a United States Magistrate Judge after he was accused of setting the school bus on fire on two occasions. Ford was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 21, 2024, for two alleged incidents of arson while driving the bus.
According to court documents, in February 2022, Ford allegedly set a Granite School District school bus on fire that had 42 children inside and did so while driving in traffic. As alleged in court documents, Ford used an ignition device to start a fire on the bus and was captured on video continuing to drive the bus, despite smoke billowing past his face towards the back of the bus where children were seated.
In April 2023, Ford was again driving a Granite School District bus in traffic when he was captured on video igniting a fire on the bus. Again, Ford continued to drive the bus with smoke billowing past his face. Days later, in April 2023, Ford was arrested by Granite School Police and questioned about the fire but was released.
Ford is charged with two counts of arson of a vehicle of an organization receiving federal funds. A jury trial is scheduled for April 29, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.3 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Thorpe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Friday 1 March 2024
Wagoner Resident Sentenced for Child NeglectRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Heather Robertson, age 48, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served of three days, plus six months of home detention with electronic monitoring, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for one count of child neglect.
The charges arose from investigations the Okmulgee County Sherriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On November 22, 2022, Robertson pleaded guilty to one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country. According to investigators, on or about September 8, 2021, Robertson willfully and maliciously failed to protect a child under the age of 18 from exposure to the use and possession of methamphetamine while responsible for the child’s health, safety, and welfare. The crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.
Veteran and wife indicted for defrauding VARead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. –A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas couple with fraudulently obtaining disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
According to court documents, James Bradford, 47, and Equanda Bradford, 45, of Junction City are charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of theft of public money, property, or records.
James Bradford, a U.S. Army veteran, and his wife Equanda are accused of providing false and fraudulent information to the VA, about his caregiver needs and her caregiving functions resulting in the receipt of $172,426 in disability compensation to which they were not entitled.
The Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General and the General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Skipper Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Versailles Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Explosive DevicesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Versailles, Ky., man, Bryan Carroll, 46, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and for carrying an explosive during the commission of a federal felony offense.
According to his plea agreement, on March 25, 2021, law enforcement was notified that Carroll was enroute to the University of Kentucky Hospital, and that had an active arrest warrant. Law enforcement then met Carroll outside the Emergency Department, where he was taken into custody. During a subsequent search of Carroll and his vehicle, law enforcement located a total of eight firearms (including a sawed-off shotgun), four explosive devices, and one improvised explosive bomb.
During his interview, Carroll admitted to having the firearms on him, when he was arrested, and acknowledged the additional firearms found in his vehicle. Carroll further acknowledged the “fireworks” in his vehicle, and admitted to constructing the metal can explosive devices, which contained nails. Carroll then told law enforcement that he had additional destructive devices at his home, and that he possessed a large quantity of explosive materials. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Carroll’s home where they located two additional firearms along with six additional improvised explosive bombs.
Carroll admitted that he possessed the firearms and explosives and that he was prohibited from doing so, based on his prior felony conviction, for complicity to traffic a controlled substance in the first degree, in the Woodford Circuit Court, from December 2015.
Under federal law, Carroll must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Chief Michael Murray, Versailles Police Department; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Chief Joe Monroe, University of Kentucky Police Department, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, FBI, Versailles Police Department, the Lexington Police Department, and the University of Kentucky Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Two convicted in multimillion-dollar adult daycare fraud schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury has returned guilty verdicts against a doctor and a clinic employee for receiving illegal kickbacks after ordering unnecessary lab tests and prescriptions, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for approximately three hours before finding Dr. Osama Nahas, 69, McAllen, and Isabel Pruneda, 53, Edinburg, guilty of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute following a two-week trial. Pruneda was also convicted for aggravated identity theft.
“Adult day cares are supposed to be places where the elderly and vulnerable feel safe, not vehicles for scheming doctors and staff to make illegal profits through kickbacks and get-rich quick opportunities” said Hamdani. “Nahas and Pruneda preyed on the elderly by bribing their way into adult care facilities, abusing the trust and respect that doctors and medical professionals ordinarily deserve. Today’s conviction sends a message that patients should never be seen merely as dollar signs and that kickbacks play no role in the services that doctors order.”
Nahas is the owner and physician at Crosspoint Medical Clinic in Edinburg. He would travel to adult day care centers around the Rio Grande Valley ordering unnecessary lab tests and prescriptions on behalf of elderly and vulnerable clients who were spending time there. Pruneda, a medical assistant at Crosspoint, assisted Nahas in the scheme, helping to forge patient signatures on consent forms and misappropriate expensive patient medications such as pain creams. Among other things, Pruneda would strip patient information off and remove creams from their boxes so that she could hand them out as “goodie bags” to incentivize patients to be tested.
From January 2016 to December 2017, Nahas and Pruneda ordered unnecessary lab tests and prescriptions which resulting in millions in losses. They directed those prescriptions and tests to companies who then paid them in kickbacks.
In June 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Crosspoint and found hundreds of thousands in stolen medications.
Nahas and Pruneda also bribed their way into the adult daycare facilities by offering kickbacks to the adult daycare owners disguised as “rent” payments.
The jury heard witness testimony revealing both Nahas and Pruneda accepted bribes in exchange for referrals, many of which were also disguised as “rent” payments.
Evidence revealed that both received tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks from January 2016 to December 2017.
Nahas attempted to convince the jury the payments he received were legitimate “rent” payments for the use of space, and Pruneda ordered all the prescriptions and lab tests without his consent. Conversely, Pruneda’s defense argued she was doing what Nahas taught her and following orders, and she denied committing any forgeries. The jury did not believe those claims and found both guilty as charged.
U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane presided over the trial and set sentencing for May 16. At that time, both face up to 10 years in federal prison for the healthcare fraud conspiracy and each substantive healthcare fraud conviction, while the kickback conspiracy carries another possible five years in prison. For aggravated identity theft, Pruneda must also serve a mandatory two years which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. They could also be ordered to pay up to $250,000 in fines.
Pruneda was taken into custody while Nahas was permitted to remain on bond pending their detention hearings set for March 4 and 8, respectively.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Texas Health and Human Services - OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Brad Gray are prosecuting the case.
Two Worcester County Men Sentenced for Trafficking Contraband Smokeless Tobacco to Evade over $2 Million in TaxesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Worcester County men were sentenced yesterday for conspiring to traffic in contraband smokeless tobacco.
Mohammad Hanif Balaparya, 63, of Shrewsbury, and Rakesh Garg, 53, of Holden, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to three and two years’ probation, respectively. In October 2023, the defendants pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to transport, possess, purchase and distribute in excess of 500 units of contraband smokeless tobacco. Balaparya additionally pleaded guilty to one count of transporting and possessing over 500 units of smokeless tobacco.
Throughout 2017, Balaparya rented commercial box trucks on an almost a weekly basis to drive to Bensalem, Pa. While in Pennsylvania, Balaparya purchased significant quantities of smokeless tobacco, using his own funds and funds contributed by Garg, that he transported back to his residence in Shrewsbury, Mass. Balaparya and Garg then sold the smokeless tobacco to certain convenience store owners in Massachusetts. By doing so, the defendants evaded over $2.3 million in excise taxes that wholesale distributors of smokeless tobacco in Massachusetts are required to pay. The defendants evaded an additional $1 million in Massachusetts excise taxes on cigars and other smoking products.
During a search of the defendants’ properties in December 2017, the contraband tobacco and approximately $140,000 in unlawful proceeds were seized. The Court ordered those funds forfeited and scheduled a further hearing to determine additional forfeiture and restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Geoffrey E. Snyder, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Shrewsbury and Holden Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm and Lucy Sun prosecuted the case.
Two Men Arrested and Indicted for Illegally Exporting Juvenile American Eels from Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on February 29, 2024, charging two Dominican nationals with smuggling goods from the United States, Lacey Act trafficking, and failure to heave to, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, on February 21, 2024, Saul Enrique José De La Cruz and Simon De La Cruz Paredes, knowingly exported and attempted to export juvenile American eels from the United States without declaring said merchandise to officials of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 554. The defendants were also charged with one count of Lacey Act trafficking for transporting and intending to sell the fish in violation of United States regulations, and one additional count of failure to heave to when they failed to obey the United States Coast Guard’s order to stop their vessel.
During a morning patrol, a Customs and Border Protection aircraft detected a suspicious vessel, approximately 39 nautical miles north of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The United States Coast Guard responded to interdict the vessel, which was flagless and outfitted for smuggling. Upon approach, the defendants failed to heave to, obligating the United States Coast Guard to neutralize the vessel. The defendants were caught on board in possession of approximately 22 bags of over 5,000 live American eels per bag that were being transported from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic.
The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) is a species of fish native to the Eastern United States and the Caribbean. The American eel is a “catadromous” species, meaning that it reproduces in saltwater systems and matures in fresh water (riverine) systems. American eel eggs hatch in the Atlantic Ocean’s Sargasso Sea, after which ocean currents carry the juvenile eels along the eastern American coast. Tidal fluctuations then wash the eels into freshwater river systems, including the rivers of Puerto Rico, after which they migrate upstream. At this juvenile stage, during which the eels are transparent and measure approximately 2-3 inches in length, the eels are referred to as an “elvers” or a “glass eels.” Once a glass eel matures, it will return to the Sargasso Sea in order to spawn.
American eels have not been successfully bred in captivity. The commercial market is therefore concentrated on the juvenile glass eel stage. Once captured, glass eels are typically sold to aquaculture facilities in Asia, where they are raised into adults and sold for sushi and other foods.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to enforcing federal environmental protection laws and to holding violators responsible for the harm they cause. These laws protect the animals, resources, and habitats within Puerto Rico,” said United States Attorney Muldrow.
“This case highlights the extreme measures smuggling organizations are undertaking in violation of U.S. fishing laws to access and sell baby American eels in the international market, an activity that threatens to endanger the American eel population in the Caribbean,” said Cmdr. Gerard Wenk, Sector San Juan chief of response. “We appreciate the close coordination and collaboration of our CBP and Puerto Rico Police partners that was instrumental in achieving a successful interdiction and apprehension of the two suspects.”
“One of our highest priorities is to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and investigate individuals and organizations who are involved in the unlawful commercialization of our nation’s fish and wildlife. The illegal harvesting of American eels poses a vital threat to the survival of this essential species and undermines legal fishery management, jeopardizing the ecosystem,” said USFWS Office of Law Enforcement Assistant Director Ed Grace.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. If found guilty, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement are leading the investigation in this case, with the collaboration of the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA). The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources has also provided valuable assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe, Environmental Litigation Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Three Onondaga County Residents Indicted for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Devon Drake, age 33, Lacey Fontaine, age 33, and Henry Townsend, age 28, each of Syracuse, have been indicted and charged with distributing and conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Drake is also charged with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division, made the announcement.
The charges filed against Drake, Fontaine, and Townsend carry a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
DEA is investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Metro-Jefferson Drug Task Force, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Carbone and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck are prosecuting the case.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeffery Glenn Bocephus Robinson, age 33, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 38 months in prison for possessing a firearm after being convicted previously of a felony offense.
The charges arose from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
On June 13, 2023, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm. According to investigators, on or about November 28, 2022, Robinson possessed a .22 rifle after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and despite knowing of such conviction.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Robinson will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for Armed Assault on Bank AgentRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nick Allen Mabray, age 37, and Gene Mabray, age 68, both of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, were sentenced for their roles in a January 2021 assault on a bank agent.
Nick Allen Mabray was sentenced to 84 months in prison for one count of Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, to be served consecutive to an additional 46 months each for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country, and one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country, to be served concurrently. Nick Allen Mabray was found guilty of these charges by a federal jury on August 15, 2023.
Gene Mabray was sentenced to 27 months for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country. Gene Mabray entered his guilty plea to the one count on July 5, 2023.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department.
According to investigators, on January 6, 2021, the Mabrays assaulted a RCB Bank agent at a foreclosed property in Park Hill, Oklahoma. At the conclusion of a court-ordered inspection of the property, Nick Mabray rammed the agent’s truck with his own vehicle, disabling it. As the agent dialed 911 for help, the Mabrays forced the agent from the rammed truck at gunpoint, Gene Mabray relieved the agent of the cellphone and a firearm, and Nick Mabray beat the agent with a firearm, threatening to kill him. The crimes occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. The defendants were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve their non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Moody represented the United States.
Swansea Man Sentenced to 5 Years’ Imprisonment for Taking $1.2 Million in SNAP BenefitsRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge ordered a Swansea man to repay the Government over $1.2 million after he admitted to using an East St. Louis market in a fraud scheme to obtain SNAP benefits.
Almahde H. Nijmeh, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful acquisition of SNAP benefits in August 2023. In addition to repaying the Government, Nijmeh was sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment and 2 years’ supervised release.
“Millions of Americans rely on SNAP benefits to provide nutritious food for their families, but individuals who misuse the program to commit fraud and enrich themselves are breaking federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
The federal government funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to provide food benefits to low-income families.
According to court documents, Nijmeh had been disqualified from the program in the past, but re-gained admittance into the program by re-applying using the names of various family members. In his latest venture, Nijmeh used East Side Meat Market in East St. Louis to accept SNAP cards loaded with benefits in exchange for cash and other ineligible items from at least August 2017 through November 2021.
“Homeland Security Investigations is dedicated to investigating individuals who commit financial fraud and attempt to profit from government programs like SNAP,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Kansas City. “This sentencing confirms HSI’s commitment to bringing these individuals to justice.”
According to the market’s licensing by the state, Nijmeh had put the property and the SNAP license in the names of other family members. Court documents, however, state Nijmeh was the de facto owner and operator of the business.
“This sentence serves as just punishment and notice to others who seek to defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General is committed to protecting the integrity of USDA’s programs. The USDA-OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who prosecuted the case, Homeland Security Investigations and the Illinois Department of Revenue, Criminal Investigation Division for their assistance with the investigation and helping bring Nijmeh to justice.”
Nijmeh and employees under his direction routinely purchased SNAP cards from customers in exchange for cash equal to 50% or less of the benefits. They also accepted SNAP benefits for ineligible items like alcohol and tobacco products, at times up-charging customers for the illegal transactions. In total, the scheme unlawfully acquired $1,239,546.79.
USDA-OIG, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Illinois Department of Revenue contributed to this criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed prosecuted the case.
Suburban Chicago Man Among Three People Charged with Swindling Investors out of More Than $3.9 MillionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man was among three people indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling investors, including a children’s charity, out of more than $3.9 million.
EDWARD L. WOOTEN, LEE S. ROSE, and JOHN L. KRCIL claimed to work for a Wyoming investment company called Black Lion Investment Partners Inc. Beginning in 2019, the trio falsely suggested to investors that they could earn substantial returns by participating in so-called “private placement” trading programs involving “investment grade fixed income securities” of “top-rated” banks or financial institutions, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The defendants fraudulently claimed that their trading programs yielded multi-million-dollar investment returns within short periods of time, and that investor funds would be returned if the programs failed to perform within 60 days, the indictment states. The charges allege that the defendants failed to use all investor funds to conduct trades, did not pay any trading profits to investors, and did not return all investor funds as promised.
The defendants instead converted investor funds to their own use and benefit, the indictment states. As a result of the fraud scheme, six investors, including an Oklahoma children’s charity, suffered losses totaling approximately $3,905,000.
Wooten, 51, of Macon, Ga., Rose, 82, of Deerfield, Ill., and Krcil, 55, of Hanover, Minn., are charged with wire fraud and interstate transfer of money taken by fraud. Wooten and Rose are also charged with money laundering and making false statements. Wooten also faces a charge of making false statements to the FBI, while Rose is charged with making false statements to a federal judge, the FBI, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The SEC provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Havey.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Wooten et al indictmentSt. Charles Man Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of 2 GirlsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles, Missouri on Friday admitted recording his sexual abuse of two young girls for years.
Ronald C. Lawrence, 25, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography.
Lawrence admitted sexually abusing two girls for years, starting when one was just 7 years old. He recorded that abuse and shared those images with others online. He also admitted downloading and possessing child sexual abuse material. A third girl told authorities that he touched her inappropriately in 2022. She said her abuse stopped when she punched Lawrence in the face.
The investigation began after multiple electronic service providers made cyber tip reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) stemming from the child pornography activity conducted by Lawrence, including Dropbox, Instagram and Google.
Lawrence is scheduled to be sentenced June 21. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson will ask for a sentence of 35 years in prison, the plea agreement says.
The FBI, the St. Charles County Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
Santa Barbara County Man Found Guilty of Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in Fatal Overdose to Fellow Jail InmateRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Lompoc man was found guilty by a jury today of aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl that resulted in the death of a fellow inmate at a Santa Barbara County jail and in the serious bodily injury of another jail inmate.
Kaelen Jacobkeali Wendel, 32, was found guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury, a felony that carries a 20-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a possible sentence of life imprisonment.
According to evidence presented at a five-day trial, in October 2022, Wendel smuggled fentanyl into a unit of the Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail. He packaged the powerful synthetic opioid in candy containers, according to court documents.
As the new inmate, Wendel handed some fentanyl to his co-defendant, Michael Villapania, 36, of Lompoc, in the expectation that he would receive jail commissary goods in exchange. Villapania then sold the drug to a victim identified in court documents as “J.V.” J.V. then shared the fentanyl with another victim, who is identified in court documents as “E.E.”
After ingesting the drug during the early morning hours of October 20, 2022, E.E. and J.V. overdosed. After an inmate alerted a custody deputy about the overdose, deputies and nurses administered multiple doses of Narcan – a life-saving medication used to reverse opioid overdoses – and performed CPR on both inmates. They revived J.V., but E.E. died.
United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled a June 21 sentencing hearing for Wendel.
Villapania pleaded guilty on February 1 to one count of distribution of fentanyl. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 7, at which time he will face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Suria M. Bahadue of the Criminal Appeals Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra Sloan Kelly and Kenneth R. Carbajal of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
San Diego Man Sentenced to 41 months for Bank, Tax Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 1, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Alvin Pates of San Diego was sentenced in federal court today to 41 months in prison for participating in a scheme to deceive banks by using straw borrowers and bogus financial information to obtain loans.
According to his plea agreement, beginning as early as July 2014 and continuing through at least April 2020, Pates admitted that he used the names, social security numbers, and credit of the straw borrowers to obtain loans and lines of credit that primarily benefited Pates.
At Pates’ behest, straw borrowers submitted false documentation provided by Pates showing they earned six-figure annual incomes from shell companies operated by Pates. Pates provided the straw borrowers with addresses and phone numbers for the shell companies, where Pates or others acting at his direction confirmed the false employment and income information when contacted by the financial institutions. Pates himself sometimes contacted the banks, pretending to be the straw borrowers, in order to ensure the straw borrowers could pass the security questions asked by the lenders.
Pates acknowledged in his plea agreement that he funneled the majority of the loan proceeds through the bank accounts of one of his shell companies to use for his personal benefit. For example, Pates admitted to using the funds for numerous personal transactions, cash withdrawals, personal living expenses for himself and his family, and to make payments to other credit unions. According to sentencing documents, during six years of the scheme, Pates supported his lifestyle, which included a penthouse apartment, a Corvette, a Mercedes, and a BMW, solely with the proceeds of his fraudulent schemes. In the midst of the scheme, Pates sent a message to one of his assistants, stating that “money is raining.”
According to sentencing documents, Pates recruited many of the straw borrowers from his church. The church members trusted Pates because he possessed an outward façade of morality and wealth. The straw borrowers believed they were starting a business with Pates, and willingly gave Pates 90 percent of the fraudulent loan proceeds as what they thought was their capital contribution. Pates promised the borrowers that he and his company would make all the loan payments. Pates did make the initial loan payments, using funds obtained from other fraudulent loans, only to default on the loans a few months later, ruining the credit and finances of the straw borrowers. Most of the borrowers were unable to pay off the loans; some filed for bankruptcy as a result.
After a number of church members had been financially damaged, Pates began attending another church, continuing the scheme using the name “Al Noble.” At today’s hearing, Pates was ordered to pay restitution of $45,500 to one individual who repaid the fraudulent loans.
In addition to the bank fraud, Pates also admitted to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for two taxpayers for the calendar year 2015. The tax return for one of the taxpayers falsely stated that the individual received “Other Income” in the amount of $538,462 and paid federal income taxes of $543,643, thus entitling him to a refund of $376,260. Pates supplied false Forms 1099 to the taxpayer to support the return and accompanied the taxpayer to the IRS to submit the false return. The Internal Revenue Service issued a refund check to the taxpayer for $376,260, which was ultimately returned to the IRS.
“This case is especially egregious because Mr. Pates didn’t just rely on the faith of his fellow churchgoers, he preyed on it,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “But the direct victims are not the only ones who were hurt; we all pay a price for bank and tax fraud when those costs are passed on.”
“Mr. Pates defrauded not only multiple financial institutions, but also his fellow Americans through these criminal schemes, for which he will now be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Following the money is our specialty and, especially when we combine our expertise with our federal partners, our investigations lead to convictions.”
“This arrest and sentencing are the culmination of hard work by numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies over the course of several years. The Secret Service will continue to investigate and pursue justice against those criminal networks who target the citizens of Southern California,” said Jason Reynolds, Special Agent in Charge with the San Diego Field Office of the United States Secret Service.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie K. Pierson and Loren G. Rene.
DEFENDANT Case Number 20CR2204-CAB
Alvin Pates Age: 54 San Diego, CA
a.k.a. Al Noble
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Bank Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1344(1) and 2
Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison, $1 million fine, forfeiture and restitution
Aiding and Advising Preparation of a False Tax Return—Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7206(2)
Maximum penalty: Three years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution
AGENCIES
U.S. Secret Service
IRS Criminal Investigation
Rutland Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on February 29, 2024, Brennan Bigelow, age 33, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 80 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Bigelow previously pleaded guilty to two robberies and, at the same change of plea hearing, admitted participation in two additional robberies and one attempted robbery all occurring from August to December 2022 at five Rutland, Vermont businesses: a convenience store on Woodstock Avenue, a gas station on South Main Street, a restaurant and a gas station on U.S. Route 4 East, and a pharmacy on Woodstock Avenue. In each robbery, Bigelow threatened a store employee with violence, brandished a pellet gun that resembled a firearm, brandished a knife, simulated a concealed handgun or threatened to shoot the cashier.
According to court records, Bigelow told one of his victims that he would shoot the victim in the face. Another victim remains fearful of being alone, experiencing sadness and anger, and wanting Bigelow to spend “life in jail.” Another of Bigelow’s victims reported replaying the robbery, especially when trying to fall asleep. Another explained the incident with Bigelow “was a short ordeal, but it was truly terrifying.” While detained in connection with this federal case, Bigelow was convicted of assaulting another prison inmate and is awaiting sentencing in that case in New York state court.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the Rutland Police Department for its investigation of this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Ophardt and Colin Owyang. Defendant Brennan Bigelow was represented by Peter Langrock, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Rio Rancho Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Social Security SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that James Anthony Sandoval was sentenced to 15 months in prison, and he must pay $55,261.20 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA). A federal jury returned 33 guilty verdicts of theft of government property and one count each of making false statements and false statements on a Social Security form against Sandoval, 58, of Rio Rancho, on Dec. 16, 2022.
A federal grand jury issued an indictment against Sandoval on June 15, 2022. According to evidence presented at trial and other publicly available court records, Sandoval became entitled to receive disability benefits in 2007 and the Social Security Administration (SSA) began issuing payments to Sandoval, including payments to his children and Medicare benefits. In November 2018, the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Cooperative Disability Investigations (CDI) Unit in Albuquerque began an investigation based on an allegation that Sandoval was intentionally concealing from the SSA his ownership, earnings and work activity at Traditions Past and Present, a thriving jewelry business with two locations in Albuquerque.
During the investigation, the CDI Unit determined that Sandoval founded the company in 2009 and was the designer and creator of the jewelry sold by the business. In August 2016, Sandoval signed various SSA forms, under penalty of perjury, in which he stated he had not worked since January 2007 and had not received any income since January 2007.
In February 2019, an undercover agent with the SSA-OIG spoke with Sandoval at the San Antonio Texas Stock and Rodeo show, where Sandoval had rented a vendor booth for his jewelry business. The booth had a sign displayed, “Traditions Past and Present Jewelry, My Heritage and Design by James Sandoval.” Sandoval told the agent he sells customized jewelry from the Santa Fe area and had been selling custom-made jewelry at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo for approximately ten years. Sandoval further stated that his jewelry items ranged from $500-$20,000, and he did not sell his jewelry to wholesalers.
On February 19, 2020, OIG-SSA Special Agent and SSA employees met with Sandoval at the SSA office in Rio Rancho. During the meeting, Sandoval told agents he had not worked since 2002 or 2003, and Sandoval denied making a profit or working at Traditions Past and Present. Sandoval did admit to traveling to trade shows on behalf of the business.
During the trial, the jury heard testimony from a former employee who stated that Sandoval was intentionally concealing his income from the government because he was receiving SSA disability payments. Other evidence presented included reports and photographs of Sandoval working at his jewelry business, Traditions Past and Present, as well as working at a vendor booth for his jewelry business at a trade show in Texas. The government also presented bank records of Traditions Past and Present and Sandoval’s personal bank records from 2014 to 2019 which included several transactions from the jewelry business to Sandoval’s personal accounts, all of which were controlled by Sandoval.
Between January 1, 2014, and April 1, 2019, Sandoval received SSA benefits totaling $182,735.10 and Medicare paid a total amount of $94,165.20 for the services Sandoval received from March 2015 to May 2021, which is the period he was not entitled to receive SSA disability benefits.
“Everyone deserves economic stability and dignity,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “Social security funds represent our collective commitment to taking care of our neighbors who can no longer work. When selfish business-owners draw benefits to which they are not entitled, they are stealing from every American’s paycheck and from every lawful beneficiary. Together with SSA-OIG, we will preserve the viability of the Social Security system. This case was spearheaded by OIG Special Agent Bianca Mendez, who tragically died before she could finish her work. Her colleagues at SSA-OIG and CDI finished where she left off and honored her legacy with this outcome.”
Upon his release from prison, Sandoval will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The SSA Office of the Inspector General Albuquerque CDI Unit investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Disability Determination Services, the New Mexico Office of Attorney General and SSA. Assistant United States Attorneys Raquel Ruiz-Velez and Kristopher N. Houghton are prosecuting the case.
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Richmond Man Sentenced for Successive COVID Fraud and Bank Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison for orchestrating successive schemes to defraud a COVID-19 relief program and steal funds through altered checks.
According to court documents, Davon Hunter, 26, used Instagram and word of mouth to recruit potential co-conspirators to provide their personal identifying information so that Hunter could submit fraudulent applications to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-19 relief program that was intended to provide loans backed by the Small Business Administration to certain businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other entities to help them retain their employees or stay afloat during the pandemic. Hunter submitted at least 23 fraudulent PPP loan applications to at least four financial institutions for fictitious businesses purportedly belonging to himself and 16 other co-conspirators. For instance, these applications contained false and fabricated gross income figures and false certifications that the businesses were in operation on February 15, 2020. Hunter and his co-conspirators fraudulently obtained over $500,000 in PPP loans. In exchange for preparing the fraudulent loan applications and supplying spurious supporting documents, Hunter demanded 25–50% of each loan obtained by the co-conspirators.
When the PPP loan program ended in 2021, Hunter turned to “card cracking”—a scheme to defraud financial institutions through the deposit of fraudulently altered stolen checks from small businesses. Hunter and his co-conspirators recruited at least 16 accountholders to provide their debit cards and personal identification numbers (PINs). They stole legitimate checks from various small businesses, altered the checks to make them payable to accounts controlled by conspirators, and deposited at least 16 altered checks purportedly worth over $150,000. Immediately after these deposits, they conducted successive transactions to quickly access the credited funds before the banks determined the deposits to be worthless. Despite knowing of the federal investigation, Hunter continued in his card cracking schemes. At the time of his arrest, Hunter possessed two additional altered checks purportedly worth over $27,000, along with several bank cards in the names of other people.
Even though he lacked verifiable, legitimate income throughout these schemes, Hunter flaunted his fraud proceeds and luxurious lifestyle on social media. His Instagram account and bank records reflect postings with thousands of dollars in cash and money orders and expenditures for expensive jewelry, $26,000 purportedly for veneers, gambling, the purchase of luxury goods and clothing from Dior, Saks, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and more, attendance at professional sports events, trips and vacations throughout the country, and the purchase of a Range Rover.
On October 31, 2023, Hunter pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. A separate hearing to determine Hunter’s restitution and forfeiture obligations will take place on May 14.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Ajay D. Lall, Acting Inspector in Charge for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; and Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Jordan-Detamore prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-90.
Quincy Man Pleads Guilty to $1 Million Counterfeit Check SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a million-dollar bank fraud scheme in which he deposited hundreds of counterfeit checks.
Hui Zhang, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2024. Zhang was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2023.
From in or around June 2020 through at least May 2022, Zhang opened fraudulent bank accounts under false identities into which he electronically deposited approximately 114 counterfeit checks – totaling more than $1 million. The counterfeit checks were drawn on the account of a Boston-based retailer. Zhang subsequently withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from these accounts via ATMs.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million, or twice the gross proceeds. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Olean man arrested, charged with attempted production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Greg Hirliman, 48, of Olean, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempted production of child pornography and transfer of obscene material to a minor, which carry a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 30 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in August 2021, the Olean Police Department received a report from a mother that her 12-year-old daughter (Victim 1) was contacted by Hirliman via text message, Facebook, and Facebook Messenger. Hirliman requested that Victim 1 send him naked photos of herself. In addition, Hirliman sent Victim 1 naked photos of himself, asked Victim 1 to meet him in person, and gave cigarettes to Victim 1. The Olean Police Department executed a search warrant for Facebook accounts associated with Victim 1 and Hirliman and requested assistance from Homeland Security Investigations to review the approximately 14,000 pages of data received from the execution of the search warrant. At the time, Hirliman was incarcerated in New York State on unrelated domestic violence charges. He was released on parole in January, 2024.
Hirliman made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Ocala Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Clinton Darnelle Kaham (24, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Kaham faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, on July 6, 2022, officers from the Ocala Police Department discovered Kaham, a gang member, in possession of a loaded firearm. The firearm had previously been reported stolen out of Marion County. A subsequent FBI forensic analysis found very strong support that Kaham was the source of the DNA profile developed from the trigger, grip, frame, and trigger guard of the firearm. Kaham has a prior felony conviction for possession of heroin (2021). As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Ocala Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Interstate Threat to Kill and Lying in Attempted Firearm PurchaseRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Guy Dambrosia (61, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of a threat to injure and making a false statement in connection with the attempted purchase of a firearm. Dambrosia faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on August 30, 2021, Dambrosia attempted to purchase a firearm from a local federally licensed firearms dealer. In completing the necessary paperwork to purchase the firearm, Dambrosia indicated that he was not a convicted felon even though he knew this to be false.
Later, on January 30, 2023, Dambrosia made an interstate telephone call to the victim’s office in Washington, D.C. and left an obscenity-laden, threatening voicemail stating that he would kill the victim.
This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police – Threat Assessment Section and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joe Wheeler III and Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.
Nurse Practitioner Sentenced to 70 Months for Unlawful Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Danielle Simonson, age 52, of Fort Ann, New York, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations, made the announcement.
In previously pleading guilty, Simonson admitted that from at least January 2020 through October 2022, she unlawfully prescribed controlled substances to a total of 54 patients. Simonson issued hundreds of unlawful prescriptions, including for the opioids hydrocodone and oxycodone, benzodiazepines (clonazepam, diazepam, and lorazepam), and the stimulants amphetamine (e.g. Adderall) and methylphenidate. For instance, Simonson admitted that she issued a total of 63 oxycodone prescriptions to two residents of Suffolk County, New York, without treating either of them for a medical condition. The Suffolk County residents usually paid Simonson by mailing her packages of cash concealed within DVD cases.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a $10,000 fine and ordered Simonson to serve a 2-year term of supervised release following her term of imprisonment. Simonson has already surrendered her nurse practitioner and nursing licenses to the State of New York, and surrendered her DEA registration (which had allowed her to prescribe controlled substances).
In a separate civil settlement agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Simonson admitted that she improperly prescribed controlled substances to 105 patients (including the 54 listed in her criminal plea agreement), often without ever examining patients and maintaining medical records justifying her decision to prescribe controlled substances. Simonson paid $200,000 to settle claims that the United States could have brought against her pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act.
The DEA and HHS-OIG investigated the criminal case, with assistance from the New York State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted the criminal case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Moran represented the United States in the civil matter.
North Charleston Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Derrick Maurice Simpson, 33, of North Charleston, was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Evidence presented to the court showed that beginning in 2020, Simpson arranged shipments of kilograms of cocaine from Harlingen, Texas to various locations throughout the Charleston area. Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Charleston Resident Office learned that with the assistance of his co-conspirators, Simpson would transport drug proceeds to Texas, where he would then arrange for parcels, typically in groups of three or four at a time and containing one kilogram of cocaine each, to be shipped via the United States Postal Service back to Charleston. During the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately eight and a half kilograms of cocaine and $195,000 in cash drug proceeds. Law enforcement estimates that Simpson and his co-conspirators shipped approximately 50 kilograms of cocaine into the Charleston area during the conspiracy.
United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Simpson to 336 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 10-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), the City of Charleston Police Department (CPD), the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), the Town of Summerville Police Department (SPD), the North Charleston Police Department (NCPD), the Mount Pleasant Police Department (MPPD), and the South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Sowards is prosecuting the case.
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New York Man Convicted by Jury of Sex Trafficking a Minor and Forced LaborRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Boston of sex trafficking a minor and forcing her to work at a strip club for his financial benefit.
Sherriff Cooper, 37, was convicted of sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud and coercion; transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; and forced labor. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2024. Cooper was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2021.
“Justice was served here. Mr. Cooper abused his position of trust to violently exploit an innocent 15-year-old girl for his own financial benefit. The repeated violence and trauma he inflicted on the victim would be unimaginable if it wasn’t all so shockingly real. No verdict can erase the pain he caused, but we hope the young victim in this case and entire survivor community know that this Office will do everything in its power to hold dangerous predators accountable, and that this particular defendant will be off the streets for many years,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This conviction does not happen without a tremendous, sustained effort by federal, state and local law enforcement partners who dedicate their professional lives to protect our children and ensure that exploitative traffickers like Mr. Cooper are held accountable.”
“The criminal acts that Sherriff Cooper were convicted of are stomach-churning,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Using physical threats to control another human being, to force them into sexual servitude, is unconscionable. It was imperative that FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force take him off the street. Unequivocally, our community is safer with Mr. Cooper behind bars, locked away where he can’t victimize anyone else’s child.”
In 2017, Cooper was working as a security guard at a residential program for pregnant teens when he met the victim, who was then 15 years old. He began a sexual relationship with her and, in early 2018, Cooper began sex trafficking the victim around Boston, posting advertisements for her on commercial sex websites and taking all the proceeds. He used violence, threats of violence and coercion to make the victim engage in commercial sex for his financial benefit.
Cooper transported the victim across state lines to sex traffic her in New York. While in New York, Cooper obtained a fake ID for the minor victim and forced her to strip at a club – again, keeping all the proceeds for himself. Cooper continued to use threats of violence, violence and coercion to keep the victim working at the club for his financial benefit.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
The charge of sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud and coercion provides for a sentence of a least 15 years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of forced labor provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and SAC Cohen made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the FBI New York Field Division and the Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings, Stephen W. Hassink and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Naples Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Dominic Lawrence Carsi (34, Naples) to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for distributing videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Carsi to a term of supervised release for life and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Carsi had entered a guilty plea on October 31, 2023.
According to court documents, on February 27, 2023, Carsi distributed videos of young children being sexually abused through his social media account to an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) located in Minnesota. Using the chat function in another social media app, Carsi wrote to the undercover agent that he had plenty more.
On April 11, 2023, agents with HSI in Fort Myers executed a search warrant for Carsi’s residence and seized Carsi’s cellphone and computer. The subsequent forensic examination of the devices revealed more than 600 images and over 570 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
On April 11, 2023, during an interview with agents, Carsi admitted that he watched and downloaded child sex abuse material. Carsi remembered the conversation with the undercover agent, and he admitted that he sent a video of a baby and another video of a four-year-old child being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, a member of the Southwest Florida Inter-Agency Child Exploitation and Persons Trafficking (INTERCEPT) Task Force, which also includes Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Montgomery County Man Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Francis T. DiCaprio, age 29, of Amsterdam, New York, was ordered detained today on charges that he received and possessed child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to a criminal complaint, on February 15, 2024, DiCaprio possessed a phone that contained numerous electronic files depicting the sexual abuse of children. The complaint also alleges that the phone contained a conversation on an encrypted instant messaging service wherein the apparent owner of the device solicited and received child pornography files. The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted of the charges in the complaint, DiCaprio faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. DiCaprio may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses and forfeit the device used in the offenses. DiCaprio would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The case is being investigated by FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and investigators from state and local law enforcement agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikayla Espinosa and Allen J. Vickey are prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Mobile Man Sentenced to 51 Months of Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile, Alabama man was sentenced today to 51 months of prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, William Corey Sanders pled guilty to three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sanders unlawfully possessed three different firearms on three different dates. Today, United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Sanders to 51 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jean Ferrer Leyva-Pazos, 21, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced March 1, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Leyva-Pazos to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Leyva-Pazos’ release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
Operating from at least June 2021 until October 2022, Leyva-Pazos and others were responsible for trafficking meth into the state. Officers from a variety of local, state, and federal agencies pieced the conspiracy together using electronic evidence, surveillance, and search warrants.
Together, the conspirators distributed over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing meth. On February 23, 2022, officers obtained a search warrant for a residence in Lexington, Nebraska, where the defendant and additional co-conspirators were staying. Leyva-Pazos was found in the basement of the residence with a duffle bag containing nearly eleven ounces of meth, items consistent with narcotic packaging, and over two thousand dollars. Searches at additional locations in the Lexington area netted additional meth and currency from other co-defendants.
This case was investigated by the CODE Drug Task Force, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Memphis Residents Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Federal Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jemarcus Maquel Williams, age 32, and Anfernee Deshon Sherrod, age 30, both of Memphis, Tennessee, were each sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiring to violate federal firearms offenses, including unlawful possession of a silencer and unlawful possession of non-serialized firearm.
The charges arose from investigations by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On June 1, 2023, Williams, Sherrod, and Andria Victoria Dowdy each entered guilty pleas to one count of Conspiracy to violate federal firearms offenses. According to investigators, the trio conspired to obtain firearms in the State of Oklahoma. On December 29, 2021, Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputies initiated a traffic stop of Williams and Sherrod on I-40 in Sequoyah County. Law enforcement ultimately discovered Williams and Sherrod in possession of six firearms with large capacity magazines and an unserialized silencer. At the time of the possession, Sherrod had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
Sentencing for co-Conspirator Dowdy is currently set for March 12, 2024.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Williams and Sherrod were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve their non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Supplying Drug Trafficking Biddeford Couple with FentanylRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.
According to court records, in August 2023, law enforcement encountered Darwin Mateo, 24, while executing a search warrant at the Biddeford residence of Michael and Jessica Bolster. Investigators discovered two large bundles of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl inside the residence. One bundle was located inside a backpack in a locked bedroom. The other bundle was discovered hidden at the bottom of the stairwell, a few inches from where investigators located Mateo. Each bundle contained numerous individual baggies, totaling approximately 541 grams. Mateo admitted to investigators that the backpack was his, and that he had traveled from Massachusetts to Maine to distribute the fentanyl.
Darwin Mateo faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million, followed by a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release. Michael Bolster pleaded guilty on January 18, 2024, for his role in the trafficking conspiracy and faces 5-40 years in prison. Jessica Bolster pleaded guilty on February 21, 2024, and faces up to 20 years. Each of the three defendants will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
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Long Island Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Quincy Homere was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 18 years in prison for his role as the mastermind of a November 9, 2015 armed takeover bank robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Hempstead, New York, which netted Homere and his co-conspirators more than $375,000 in proceeds. Homere pleaded guilty in December 2017 to armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the sentence.“Homere has been held accountable for committing a violent bank robbery while brandishing an assault rifle, terrorizing the employees and customers, including an elderly woman and young child—actions that easily could have resulted in the loss of life either inside the bank or to the brave responding officers,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Homere has now learned that the true payoff for robbing a bank is a long-term stay in prison.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Hempstead Police Department and the Suffolk County Police Department for their assistance on the case.
"The sentencing of defendant Quincy Homere for an armed robbery in Hempstead should set an example to anyone considering a similar crime that law enforcement and its partners will never stop and will continue with their investigations until the subject(s) are apprehended. Our communities are safer with defendant Homere incarcerated. Congratulations to all the dedicated investigators and their agencies for a job well done," stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.
On November 9, 2015, following extensive planning, Homere and his co-conspirators, including Anael Sainfil, executed the robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank branch on Fulton Avenue in Hempstead, New York. Homere entered the bank brandishing an AK-47 rifle accompanied by three armed co-conspirators, while a fourth co-conspirator stood guard. An armed takeover of the bank ensued. Tellers and customers, including an 8-year-old boy, were zip-tied and held captive, as the bank’s vault was emptied of over $375,000. A fifth co-conspirator monitored encrypted NCPD police radio frequencies in an effort to facilitate the defendants’ escape.
Homere was unaware that a teller had placed a wireless GPS tracker with the stolen money. Hempstead Police Department officers initiated a chase of the getaway vehicle that ended with the arrest of one of the co-conspirators that day and recovery of most of the bank proceeds.
In November 2016, Homere was arrested in Miami, Florida following an investigation by the FBI, NCPD and SCPD.
Co-defendant Sainfil was arrested in December 2016 by members of the FBI and SCPD. In January 2018, Sainfil was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery and brandishing firearms during a crime of violence. He was sentenced on February 26, 2020 to 219 months’ imprisonment for his role as a lookout in the robbery.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Misorek and Erin Reid are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant Sentenced Today:
QUINCY HOMERE
Age: 38
Hempstead, New YorkThe Defendant Previously Sentenced:
ANAEL SAINFIL
Age: 38
Bay Shore, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-652 (S-1) (GRB)
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Possession of a Machine Gun and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Detrick Anthony Michael Smith, 32, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 1, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Smith to 20 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Smith’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Smith pleaded guilty the charges on October 19, 2023.
Officers with the Lincoln Police Department executed a search warrant at the Smith’s apartment in Lincoln, Nebraska on April 6, 2022. The police located almost 3,500 grams of marijuana in the kitchen and bedroom area of the apartment. The marijuana was divided into numerous bags consistent with packaging for resale. The police also located digital scales, a heat sealer, a money counter, promethazine-codeine bottles, items containing THC, and a small quantity of cocaine. In the bedroom closet, the police located a duffel bag which contained two handguns. The two handguns were a Glock model 19, 9mm handgun with a loaded magazine, but with an empty chamber, and a Glock model 20, 10mm handgun loaded with an extended magazine, but with an empty chamber. The Glock model 20 had been modified with an aftermarket piece, commonly referred to as a “switch,” which illegally modified the gun to be able to fire fully automatic, rather than just semi-automatic. This illegal modification of the firearm to a machine gun was a significant factor in Smith’s sentence. Smith was home at the time of the search. Police located $11,624 in United States currency on Smith’s person.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Alphonso Johnson, Jr., 46, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 1, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Johnson Jr. to 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Johnson Jr.’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On August 10, 2022, Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force (LLCNTF) served a search warrant, at the home of Stacey Vanarsdale, a co-defendant in this case. Johnson Jr. was found in a bedroom within the residence. In the bedroom closet, investigators located a total of 365.9 grams of suspected meth, which was separated in 12-ounce quantity baggies. In the closet was $217.00 in U.S. currency and additional illegal narcotics. The suspected meth was sent to the lab, and the lab determined that there was about 346.35 grams of meth, of which at least 180 grams was actual meth. The co-defendant, Stacey Vanarsdale, is currently set to be sentenced on May 30, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force (LLCNTF).