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11 April 2024
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Bowling Green Man for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned an indictment yesterday charging a Bowling Green, Kentucky, man with wire fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division made the announcement.
According to the indictment, from October 2009 and continuing until May 2020, Kennith Ray Moore, 55, committed wire fraud by engaging in a scheme to embezzle $1,145,800 from his employer. Specifically, the indictment alleges Moore caused his employer to issue checks to him and to “KBM Solutions,” a company Moore created whose primary purpose was to receive the embezzled funds. The indictment further charges that Moore laundered money by transferring the embezzled funds to his personal checking, personal savings, and credit card accounts. The indictment also charges Moore with tax evasion for tax years 2017 to 2020.
If convicted, Moore faces a maximum sentence of 140 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is being investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Bowling Green Post of Duty Office and the USPIS Bowling Green Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Father and Daughter Charged in Fraud Scheme that Allegedly Exploited a Vulnerable AdultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Linda Laird, 59, and her father, James Blizzard, 80, both of Cordova, Maryland, are charged in a five-count indictment, unsealed today, with conspiracy to commit Social Security fraud and theft of public money, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult or elderly person, and fraud in the first degree against a senior citizen. The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia. The defendants appeared in District Court today and were released pending trial.
The indictment was returned on April 9, 2024, by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to court documents, beginning in November 2017, Laird and Blizzard conspired and engaged in a scheme to deceive the Superior Court of the District of Columbia into appointing them as co-guardians and co-conservators of a vulnerable adult. At the time, the vulnerable adult was 81 years of age and suffered from severe cognitive impairments that rendered her incapacitated and required her to reside in a nursing home located in Washington, D.C.
While the vulnerable adult resided in the nursing home, Laird and Blizzard were required, in part, to act as fiduciaries and apply the vulnerable adult’s money towards her support, care, habilitation, and treatment. Instead, the indictment alleges, Laird and Blizzard used their authority as co-guardians and co-conservators to redirect U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits intended for, and checking account funds belonging to, the vulnerable adult to their personal bank accounts for their own benefit. In total, Laird and Blizzard diverted more than $21,000 in Social Security benefits and obtained over $85,000 from the vulnerable adult’s bank account for their personal use. Laird and Blizzard did not use these funds to pay for the vulnerable adult’s care.
This case is being investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, and the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci, on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Farrell Resident Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Kenneth Miller, 62.
Miller previously pleaded guilty in this case to conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine between June 2020 and June 2021. Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that Miller assisted his co-defendants with cocaine trafficking by repeatedly allowing his Farrell apartment to be used as a location where powder cocaine was converted into crack cocaine, with Miller repeatedly receiving some of the cocaine in return.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, Hermitage Police Department, and Farrell Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Miller.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Extradited Colombian National Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Import Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LIBIA AMANDA PALACIO MENA was sentenced to 14 years in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. PALACIO MENA pled guilty on December 21, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Libia Amanda Palacio Mena's sentence marks a significant blow to drug trafficking networks, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to dismantling criminal enterprises. Through the collaborative efforts of law enforcement, this Office and our partners uncovered the complex network Palacio Mena and others orchestrated alongside FARC operatives and other violent drug trafficking organizations. This outcome underscores that those who conspire to flood our streets with narcotics will face stiff consequences for their actions.”
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings:[1]
PALACIO MENA conspired with her co-defendants and other individuals associated with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (“FARC”) — a violent organization based in Colombia that was dedicated to the overthrow of the Colombian government and responsible for the production and distribution of the majority of the cocaine that eventually reached the U.S. — to source and distribute tons of cocaine destined for the U.S. PALACIO MENA negotiated with individuals she believed to be narcotics traffickers from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (the “Mexican DTO”) seeking to establish a cocaine supply line from Venezuela to the U.S. These individuals, however, were actually confidential sources working at the direction of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (the “DEA”).
In dozens of communications recorded during the investigation, PALACIO MENA presented herself to the Mexican DTO as a broker for large cocaine and weapons transactions. PALACIO MENA touted her connections to, among others, Colombian political leaders, the FARC, and the Cartel of the Suns — a group of high-ranking Venezuelan officials who abused the Venezuelan people and corrupted the legitimate institutions of Venezuela to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the U.S. in partnership with the FARC. After exploring working with various drug traffickers and introducing the confidential sources to several possible partners for sourcing and transporting cocaine, PALACIO MENA ultimately introduced the confidential sources to one of her co-defendants, who agreed to use his political and logistics connections in Colombia to assist the venture.
In December 2021, to prove their bona fides and establish the quality of their supply, PALACIO MENA sold the confidential sources a five-kilogram sample of extremely pure cocaine from a FARC-associated farm outside of Medellín. PALACIO MENA was arrested in Colombia in February 2022, in the midst of negotiating a much larger partnership with the Mexican DTO, which they envisioned entailing the shipment of approximately 500 kilograms of cocaine per week.
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In addition to the prison term, PALACIO MENA, 50, of Medellín, Colombia, was sentenced to four years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit and Bogota Country Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s Office in Bogota.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Kaylan E. Lasky, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] Communications, conversations, and statements discussed and quoted herein are described in substance and in part, and many of these conversations occurred in Spanish.
Exeter Man Pleads Guilty to Lying to Obtain More than $100,000 in Social Security Disability BenefitsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An Exeter man pleaded guilty today in federal court in connection with obtaining disability benefits for which he was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
James Siano, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2024.
The defendant first applied for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) in December 2019, when he claimed he was disabled, unable to work, and had stopped working. He repeated those claims to the SSA multiple times through April 2021. The defendant also agreed to inform the SSA if he returned to work. However, the defendant worked as a hotel engineer regularly between 2019 and 2023, which made him ineligible for disability benefits. Overall, the defendant obtained over $105,000 in disability payments for which he was not entitled.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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.
The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
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El departamento de justicia llega a un acuerdo con una agencia de dotación de personal que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado un acuerdo conciliatorio con la empresa de dotación de personal Infinity Employment Solutions Inc. (Infinity), que anteriormente operó bajo el nombre de Express Employment Professionals of Mesquite, Texas. El acuerdo conciliatorio resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Infinity infringió la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) cuando discriminó a un trabajador en función de su estatus de ciudadanía, al rechazar sus documentos válidos y solicitar que proporcionara un documento específico para demostrar su permiso para trabajar.
«Se considera discriminación ilegal cuando los empleadores rechazan documentos válidos de un trabajador que demuestran su permiso para trabajar, debido al estatus de ciudadanía del trabajador», comentó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles se compromete a proteger a los trabajadores que sufren discriminación durante el proceso de contratación; se les hará rendir cuentas a aquellos empleadores que infrinjan los derechos civiles de nuestra nación».
Después de una investigación, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles determinó que Infinity rechazó la licencia de conducir válida de un residente permanente legal y la tarjeta de Seguro Social sin restricciones, aunque eran suficientes para demostrar su permiso para trabajar. La investigación también descubrió que la empresa exigía que el trabajador proporcionara una Tarjeta de Residente Permanente antes de poder empezar a trabajar. Como resultado, el trabajador perdió 20 días de salario.
En virtud de los términos del acuerdo, Infinity pagará una sanción civil, emitirá pagos retroactivos más intereses al trabajador y se someterá a requisitos de supervisión.
Conforme a las leyes federales, los empleadores no pueden rechazar un documento válido de autorización para trabajar de un trabajador en función del estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía del trabajador. De hecho, muchos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., incluidos los residentes permanentes legales, son elegibles para varios de los mismos tipos de documentos para demostrar su permiso para trabajar como lo son ciudadanos de los EE. UU. (por ejemplo, una identificación estatal o licencia de conducir y una tarjeta de Seguro Social sin restricciones). Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que los trabajadores mismos elijan y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parezca razonablemente genuina y relacionada con el trabajador.
La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminar al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien en el sitio web de la IER. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea en vivo o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected] ; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.
El Paso Man Indicted for Alleged Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A federal grand jury in El Paso returned an indictment charging an El Paso man with 10 counts related to the alleged operation of a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme.
According to court documents, Timothy France Johnson, 61, through his businesses, BOLO Entertainment LLC, BOLO Sports LLC and Shoot N’2 Sports LLC, allegedly defrauded more than thirty investors by fraudulently representing that their investments would be used to promote pre-season NBA games. The indictment alleges that Johnson held himself out as a third-party promoter of NBA pre-season games and convinced unwary investors to invest money with him to sponsor said pre-season games.
The indictment alleges Johnson collected more than $3 million in investor funds, using approximately $1 million of the deposited investment funds to pay fake investment profits to other clients and using the remainder of the investment funds for personal use. He’s alleged to have never disclosed the misappropriation or the extent of the losses of the investors’ funds.
Johnson is charged with seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. The defendant made his initial court appearance on April 9 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Castaneda of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the seven wire fraud charges and up to 10 years in prison for each of the three money laundering charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shane Romero and Micaela Glass are 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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Eden Prairie Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Eden Prairie woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1 million from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Monica Svobodny, 51, worked as the Supply Chain and Engineering Manager at a furniture manufacturing company located in Edina, Minnesota. Svobodny used her managerial position to embezzle funds and convert them to her own use and benefit. Svobodny regularly used company credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses such as designer clothing, spa services, and luxury hotel stays. To cover her fraud, she left unapproved credit card expenses as “pending” for accounting purposes. On more than 300 occasions, she used company cards to transfer funds to herself via PayPal to cover personal expenses. Svobodny also edited PayPal transaction receipts and fraudulently listed some of the expenses as payments to a defunct company.
In total, Svobodny knowingly and willfully embezzled more than $1,137,000 over a period of seven years.
Svobodny pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to one count of wire fraud before Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Edina Police Department with assistance from the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker is prosecuting the case.
Dulce Man Sentenced for Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man was sentenced to 54 months in prison after pleading guilty to assault of an intimate partner by strangling.
According to court documents, on or about July 8, 2022, Patrick Maestas, Jr., 34, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, had consumed a large amount of alcohol when he and his intimate partner, Jane Doe, began to argue. The argument escalated and Maestas assaulted and strangled Jane Doe in front of their child. The strangulation was so forceful that Doe could not breathe and began to black out.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Maestas will be required to serve 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Bell is prosecuting the case.
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Dominican Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States and Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for reentering the United States and distributing fentanyl after previously being deported.
Juan Carlos Santos-Ocasio, a/k/a “Cristhian Aybar-Done,” 44, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to six years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He will be subject to deportation upon the completion of his sentence. In October 2023, Santos-Ocasio pleaded guilty to one count each of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful reentry of deported alien.
In October 2007, Santos-Ocasio was arrested in the Bronx, N.Y. for heroin distribution conspiracy. In November 2008, Santos-Ocasio pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York and was subsequently sentenced to 37 months in prison. He was removed from the United States upon completion of his sentence in the summer of 2010.
Sometime after his removal, Santos-Ocasio reentered the United States unlawfully. In November 2022, he was arrested in Lawrence, Mass. for reentering the United States without authorization. In addition to being in the U.S. without authorization, Santos-Ocasio also distributed 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Dominic Coluccio, Former President of United Probation Officers Association, Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Union and Its MembersRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced that DOMINIC COLUCCIO, the former President of the United Probation Officers Association (the “UPOA”), the union that represents all current and former New York City probation officers, pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the UPOA and the UPOA’s active welfare fund and retirement welfare fund. COLUCCIO pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Dominic Coluccio promised to look out for all the hard-working active and retired probation officers who are members of the UPOA. Instead, as admitted today in federal court, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from them to fund his lavish lifestyle. Thanks to the hard work of the DOI and the Special Agents and career prosecutors of the Southern District of New York, Coluccio’s betrayal has been exposed, and he now faces jail time and significant financial penalties.”
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “This defendant, former President of the United Probation Officers Association and Administrator of the Association’s Welfare Funds, used his leadership role to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Association and its taxpayer-funded Welfare Funds, intended to benefit current and retired Department of Probation employees and family members. Today he takes responsibility for that conduct and agrees to pay $684,929 in restitution to the Association. DOI thanks the individuals who reported suspicions about misuse of funds to DOI, prompting this investigation, and the Office of the New York City Comptroller and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their commitment to hold accountable anyone who misappropriates public funds.”
According to the Information filed in the case and statements made in court:
The UPOA is a non-profit 501(c)(5) labor organization with the intended purpose of advancing the professional, health, and safety interests of its members – officers and supervisors in the New York City Department of Probation (“DOP” or “Probation”). The UPOA’s membership consists of all active and retired Probation Officers and Supervisors within DOP. COLUCCIO was President of the UPOA from in or about 1989 until in or about 2016.
From in or about 2010 until in or about 2019, COLUCCIO also served as Administrator of UPOA’s Active Welfare Fund and UPOA’s Retirement Welfare Fund (together, the “Welfare Funds”). The Welfare Funds, established through an agreement between the City of New York (the “City”) and the UPOA, are benefit plans that provide supplemental health and welfare benefits (principally dental and vision benefits) to eligible retired and current Probation employees, their spouses, and dependents. Both Welfare Funds are almost entirely funded by the City.
From in or about 2012 up to and including in or about 2019, COLUCCIO was engaged in a multi-faceted scheme to embezzle money from the UPOA and the Welfare Funds and to pay his personal expenses through money from the UPOA and Welfare Funds. COLUCCIO did this in several ways.
From in or about 2012 until in or about 2018, COLUCCIO funded his personal expenses charged to his personal American Express credit card, in part, through money obtained from the UPOA and the Welfare Funds. Specifically, COLUCCIO charged his personal credit card for, among other things, high-end meals and retail items, jewelry, luxury vacations and hotels, and a relative’s college tuition. COLUCCIO then caused the UPOA, typically through electronic transfers, to pay down his personal credit card balance.
From in or about 2012 up to and including in or about 2018, COLUCCIO misappropriated funds from the UPOA and Welfare Funds to fund an unauthorized individual retirement account in COLUCIO’s name. In or about 2012, COLUCCIO, without approval or authorization from the UPOA, created an IRA in the name of the UPOA and a sub-account in COLUCCIO’s name. These unauthorized transfers of funds from the UPOA to the IRA account were in addition to the pension payments COLUCCIO received from Probation and the UPOA.
In or about 2016, at or around the time of his retirement as President of the UPOA, COLUCCIO and the Welfare Funds entered into an agreement pursuant to which the Welfare Funds agreed to pay COLUCCIO, as Administrator of the Funds, “an annual salary equal to the Probation Department Commissioner’s salary. . . .” The annual salary was in addition to COLUCCIO’s Probation pension, UPOA pension, and UPOA severance. Notwithstanding this agreement, COLUCCIO, who effectively controlled the Welfare Funds’ bank accounts and payroll, caused the Welfare Funds to pay COLUCCIO a salary higher than the Probation Commissioner’s salary.
From in or about 2000, up to and including 2020, COLUCCIO submitted and sought reimbursement for medical, dental, and vision expenses that he and his dependents incurred. During that time period, COLUCCIO routinely authorized and concealed overpayments to him, his spouse, and his family members, i.e., payments that exceeded policy limits.
Through the scheme, COLUCCIO stole approximately $750,000 from the UPOA and the Funds.
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COLUCCIO, 75, of Bellmore, New York, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, COLUCCIO agreed to forfeit $750,000 to the United States and to make restitution in the amount of $684,929.00 to the UPOA and the Funds.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of DOI and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Comptroller’s Office Unit of Research and Investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Chiuchiolo is in charge of the prosecution.
Detroit Business Owner Charged with Possessing over 40 kilograms of Fentanyl in Basement Stash HouseRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Detroit gas station owner has been charged with several federal crimes stemming from his involvement with a Detroit-based stash house that held over 40 kilograms of fentanyl, a pill press, and a variety of other materials used to manufacture fentanyl pills, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Orville Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Chief Thomas Goralski, Livonia Police Department.
On March 28, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at three locations connected to Barry Willis, 55, a resident of Clinton Township and owner of a Detroit gas station. Officers searched Willis’s primary residence in Clinton Township, his gas station in Detroit, as well as his suspected stash house in Detroit. In the basement of the stash house, officers recovered over 40 kilograms of fentanyl in both pill and powder form, as well as a hoard of materials for manufacturing fentanyl pills such as a pill press, narcotics scales, and drug recipes. Officers further located two handguns at the stash house, one at Willis’s residence, and another at his gas station, as well as over $100,000 in cash from Willis’s Clinton Township residence.
“This case represents the largest law enforcement seizure of fentanyl in the state of Michigan to date. We are incredibly proud of our law enforcement partners who conducted this investigation and recovered these deadly substances before they could harm members of our community,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
“This amount of fentanyl has the potential to provide nearly two deadly doses to every man, woman and child living in the state of Michigan. We will continue to work with our partners to pursue anyone pushing poisons into our communities and bring them to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Greene.
"This major seizure of fentanyl has saved lives. The great partnerships we have with law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels in southeast Michigan, enable us to make these types of investigations successful,” said Chief Goralski.
Willis has now been indicted for possession of over 400 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the charges in the indictment.
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Livonia Police Department, including officers assigned to the Livonia Police Intelligence Bureau, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Michigan State Police and the Clinton Township Police Department also assisted with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Ramamurthy.DHS employee indicted for money launderingRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A deportation officer has been taken into custody on allegations he transported nearly $700,000 in what he believed to be drug proceeds, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Christopher Washington Toral, 48, Spring, is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison at 2 p.m.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment April 9, which was unsealed upon Toral’s arrest.
Toral is an employee of Department of Homeland Security (DHS), working as a deportation officer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On three occasions in 2023, Toral allegedly transported a total of approximately $700,000 in exchange for cash payments. In each instance, he believed the monies were proceeds from drug transactions, according to the indictment.
Toral transported $200,000 between Feb. 9 and 28, 2023, from Dallas to Houston, according to the charges. In early March 2023, he allegedly travelled from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston with $300,000 in U.S. currency.
If convicted, Toral faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine.
FBI and DHS – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Ferko is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Contractor Charged with Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a residential carpentry company was charged yesterday in connection with filing false tax returns for the company.
Marcelo De Oliveira, 39, formerly of Everett, was charged with four counts of filing false tax returns.
According to the charging documents, De Oliveira was the owner of DeOliveira Carpentry, Inc. It is alleged that from 2017 through 2020, De Oliveira cashed customer checks instead of depositing them into his business bank account and then did not report more than $3.1 million in business revenue to the Internal Revenue Service on his corporate tax returns.
The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $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 United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Colorado Man Indicted for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Louisville, Colorado man was indicted in connection with a firearm offense, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Shelby Theriault, 30, was indicted on one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Theriault was arrested on January 20, 2024, and he is currently in state custody. Theriault will appear in federal court in Concord on April 17, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, the defendant knowingly received and possessed a weapon made from a shotgun, with an overall length of less than 26 inches and a barrel length of under 18 inches and did not register this weapon with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Weapon.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $10,000. 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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Conway Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Clifton Park Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Kirkland, age 30, of Clifton Park, New York, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for attempting to entice and coerce a 12-year-old child into sexual activity.
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), made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Kirkland admitted that on August 11, 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with someone he believed was an adult offering the sexual services of a 12-year old girl, in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him. Kirkland also admitted that on August 11, 2022, he traveled to a hotel in Saratoga County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 12-year-old girl. Kirkland was arrested by law enforcement shortly after arriving at the location.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 10-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release. Kirkland will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The FBI’s Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force and Capital Region Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case. Each task force is comprised of FBI Special Agents, as well as state and local police investigators, including from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen J. Vickey prosecuted 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). 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.
Cheektowaga man pleads guilty to using stolen credit card numbers to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of gasRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Cross Malik Williams, 25, of Cheektowaga, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that between August 2022, and July 2023, Williams, along with co-defendant Kingsley Brown, purchased approximately 570 stolen bank cards from various online marketplaces. Williams and Brown then used a card-making device to load the stolen banking card information onto blank plastic bank cards with magnetic strips, which allowed purchases to be made using the victims’ funds from the victims’ bank accounts. Williams and Brown used, or allowed others to use, the stolen bank card information to purchase gas for other individuals. The gas customers would then pay Williams and/or Brown an amount of money less than the cost of the gas. As part of his plea agreement, Williams agreed that he was responsible for between $250,000 and $550,000 of total loss.
Charges remain pending against Kingsley Brown.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 25, 2024, before Judge Sinatra.
Carjacking and Robbery Charges Filed Against Three Men in D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 14-count indictment, filed in U.S. District Court, charges three District men in a spree of armed carjackings and commercial gunpoint robberies within Washington D.C. and suburban Maryland in March of 2024. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Kanard Bishop, 26, Edward LeRoy Brown, 24, and Khalil Boyd, 18, are charged with conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka “Hobbs Act” robbery); carjacking; using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and aiding and abetting.
According to court documents, the defendants targeted fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, and package delivery vehicles, and would work together to arrange for a car to be used to commit the robberies, either by carjacking or arranging the use of an associate’s vehicle. The indictment, filed April 10, 2024, alleges that on March 17, 2024, law enforcement responded to a report of an armed carjacking of a Mercedes Benz on the 4300 block of Southern Ave., SE, in which the perpetrators took the victims’ car, phones, wallet, and cash.
It is further alleged that, between 3 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on March 20, 2024, law enforcement received numerous reports of attempted armed robberies and carjackings including: around 3 a.m., at a McDonald’s restaurant in Capitol Heights, Maryland, where two masked, armed suspects climbed through a drive-thru window and attempted to open the register by pressing random buttons but were unsuccessful; less than an hour later, a carjacking on the unit block of 35th Street, NE, in which the owner of the car reported that three armed gunmen had just taken his 2018 Dodge Durango; at 4:11 a.m., an armed robbery at a Denny’s Restaurant on the 4400 block of Benning Road in which the employee couldn’t open the cash register so the gunmen ripped the register off the counter and fled; at 4:59 a.m., an attempted armed robbery at McDonald’s on the 7700 block of Landover Road, Landover, Maryland, in which one of the gunmen attempted to climb through the drive thru window but was pushed back out by the cashier; at 5:03 a.m., at a 7-Eleven on the 7500 block of Landover Road, where two armed gunmen entered and demanded cash; and at 5:26 a.m., a robbery at a 24hr market on the 5200 block of Marlboro Pike, District Heights in which the gunmen stole money and retail products.
On March 27, 2024, at 8:47, Prince George’s County police were called to Brooks Drive in District Heights, Maryland, for a reported carjacking of a 2022 Dodge Challenger. At 12:09 p.m., two men robbed a FedEx delivery truck at Burns and G Streets, SE. The armed men took several packages from the interior of the truck, robbed the FedEx employees of their personal belongings, and fled. The robbery was captured on surveillance cameras mounted inside and on the exterior of the truck.
On March 28, 2024, detectives working with the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Carjacking Interdiction Unit were conducting surveillance on a carjacked 2022 Dodge Challenger in District Heights. The Challenger stopped directly in front of a Game Stop store on the 5700 block of Silver Hill Road. Two men, later identified as Bishop and Brown, aka “Shiesty,” exited the vehicle. A man later identified as Boyd, aka “Lil Bill,” was behind the wheel. As detectives prepared to conduct a tactical block of the Challenger, they realized that two men were committing a robbery of the Game Stop. Detectives moved in shouting loud verbal commands. Bishop and Brown fled through the emergency exit at the rear with their firearms displayed. Detectives caught Bishop after a short foot pursuit. They recovered a loaded .40 caliber Glock 22 at the scene. Brown ran with a gun in his hand. A detective fired at Brown, striking him in the lower torso. Detectives recovered a .40 caliber “ghost gun” loaded with nine rounds. Boyd led police on a chase which ended after he crashed and tried to flee on foot.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington’s Violent Crime Task Force and the MPD Carjacking Task Force with significant assistance from the Prince George’s County Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Jackson and Omeed Assefi, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Toth.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine to ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VICTOR RODRIGUEZ-GOMEZ, also known as “Calami,” 49, of Desert Hot Springs, California, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 156 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine to Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force identified suspicious packages that were being mailed to a New Britain address connected to Rodriguez-Gomez and his associate, Ramon Ramos-Acevedo, who resided in New Britain. A court-authorized search of one package, which had been mailed from California, revealed approximately one kilogram of fentanyl and one kilogram of heroin. In July 2022, USPIS investigators in San Bernardino, California, contacted Connecticut investigators to report that a court-authorized search of a package that was addressed to a residence on Willow Street in New Britain revealed eight cell phones. On August 1, 2022, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the package in New Britain and observed Rodriguez-Gomez and Ramos-Acevedo take possession of it.
Investigators identified several additional suspicious packages associated with Ramos-Acevedo and, on August 11, 2022, observed Ramos-Acevedo in California mailing packages to an address in New Britain.
Investigators also developed evidence that Rodriguez-Gomez had an associate who used a van to transport narcotics from California, or another location in the southwestern United States, to addresses in Connecticut associated with Ramos-Acevedo. On August 25, 2022, investigators observed Ramos-Acevedo unloading items from the van in New Britain.
On September 7, 2022, the Connecticut State Police, which was assisting with surveillance, stopped a vehicle that Ramos-Acevedo was driving in Newington for a motor vehicle violation. Rodriguez-Gomez was a passenger in the vehicle. After a K-9 alerted to several items within the vehicle, a search revealed $179,578 in cash and nine cellphones. A subsequent search of a house in Farmington where Ramos-Acevedo claimed he was living resulted in the seizure of an additional $30,426 in cash.
On November 30, 2022, the Iowa State Patrol stopped Rodriguez-Gomez’s associate, Martin Cooper, who was driving the van that had been identified in August 2022. A search of the van revealed approximately 22 kilograms of cocaine and two kilograms of fentanyl, which was destined for Ramos-Acevedo in New Britain.
Rodriguez-Gomez has been detained since his arrest on December 4, 2022. On December 4, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Ramos-Acevedo pleaded guilty to the same charge on January 22, 2024, and is detained while awaiting sentencing.
Cooper pleaded guilty to a related charge in the Southern District of Iowa and also awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force. The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The USPIS Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone and Shan Patel.
Businesswoman Found Guilty of Tax and Mail FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Randolph woman was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Boston in connection with her involvement in a payroll tax avoidance scheme.
Lilian Giang, 56, was convicted following a three-day jury trial of four counts of failing to collect and pay over taxes and one count of mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for July 2024. Giang was indicted in March 2023.
“Every honest taxpayer is a victim of this type of crime. This defendant made hundreds of thousands of dollars after she decided that the rules we all live by don’t apply to her. Now she’s a convicted felon. This should send a clear message that if you engage in tax fraud, the consequences are very serious,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“The conviction of Lilian Giang demonstrates the IRS’s commitment to protecting all American taxpayers, especially those who are most vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge, Harry T. Chavis Jr., IRS Criminal Investigation Boston Field Office. “Giang operated her business under the guise of helping the vulnerable Vietnamese immigrant community, when in fact, she exploited them for her own self-enrichment by paying them below minimum wage, charging substantially more than she paid them, and evading paying her own fair share of taxes.”
Between 2015 and 2019, Giang owned and operated Able Temp Agency, a temporary employment agency in Quincy that served client companies in Massachusetts. The client companies paid Able Temp Agency for the temporary employees’ work on an hourly basis. Giang deposited those payments into bank accounts in the name of Able Temp Agency that she controlled, and then paid the temporary employees through a combination of checks and cash. By using cash payments, Giang hid over $3.2 million in payroll and avoided paying more than $800,000 in required payroll taxes. Giang also used false payroll numbers to obtain worker’s compensation insurance at lower premium rates.
The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of failure to collect or pay over taxes provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $10,000 and restitution. 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 IRS SAC Chavis made the announcement. The Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts provided assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Burnsville Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Burnsville woman has pleaded guilty to her role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Hoda Ali Abdi, 53, was the owner of Alif Halal LLC (“Alif Halal”), a grocery store located in Burnsville, which she enrolled as a food vendor in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. Between January 2021 through 2023, Abdi falsely claimed to have provided approximately $3 million worth of food for children through other co-conspirator’s sites. Abdi provided these co-conspirators with fake Alif Halal invoices that purported to show that Alif Halal had provided substantial amounts of food when, in reality, Abdi provided little or no food. As part of her guilty plea, Abdi admitted that some of her co-conspirators tried to cover up the fraud by directing her to lie to investigators by asserting, falsely, that Alif Halal had provided food to the co-conspirators’ respective businesses. Abdi also claimed, falsely, to have served more than 242,000 meals to children at her Burnsville site. Ultimately, Abdi received $1,275,710 in proceeds, which includes payments from the co-conspirators who received fake Alif Halal invoices.
Abdi, who is the 18th defendant to plead guilty to charges relating to the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, appeared yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, Chelsea A. Walcker, and Harry M. Jacobs are prosecuting the case.
Buffalo man going to prison on multiple gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Robert L. Williams, Jr., 42, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to transfer firearms purchased outside of state of residency, unlawful dealing in firearms, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between November 2017, and June 2018, Williams, without being a licensed firearm importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector, conspired with others to transfer firearms into the State of New from the State of Ohio. Williams, who resided in New York, asked others to assist him in conducting straw purchases of more than 20 firearms in Ohio, which were then transported into New York. On May 3, 2018, Buffalo Police officers responded to shots fired in a vacant lot next to Williams’ residence. Officers recovered two ammunition cases with magazines and a bag containing heroin in front of his residence. Inside the residence, in plain view, officers recovered a pistol, ammunition, and several firearms parts and accessories. Williams admits that he conspired with others to distribute heroin, including to some of the straw purchasers in exchange for the straw purchasers obtaining firearms for Williams.
On May 18, 2018, a search warrant was executed at Williams’ residence, during which law enforcement seized two additional firearms and ammunition. Williams was convicted of felony charges in 2004, 2006 and 2012, and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
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Brentwood Man Found Guilty of Insider TradingRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Brentwood man has been found guilty by a jury of participating in an insider trading scheme that netted more than $650,000 in illicit profits, the Justice Department announced today.
Shahriyar Bolandian, 35, was found guilty Tuesday of six counts of insider trading.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a five-day trial, in 2012 and 2013, Bolandian received material non-public information about two upcoming corporate acquisitions by publicly traded companies. Bolandian then used the inside information to trade in advance of the public announcements of Integrated Device Technology Inc.’s April 2012 planned acquisition of PLX Technology Inc., and Salesforce.com Inc.’s June 2013 acquisition of ExactTarget Inc.
As a result of his illegal trades, Bolandian’s personal share of the scheme’s illicit proceeds was more than $340,000, which he used, among other things, to cover previous trading losses and repay loans to family and friends.
United States District Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. scheduled a July 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Bolandian will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Ali Moghaddas of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting this case.
Beaver Falls Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearms ConvictionsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years of imprisonment on his convictions for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Robert Carpenter Jr., 39.
According to information presented to the Court, on July 25, 2022, the Beaver Falls Police Department executed a search warrant upon an apartment used by Carpenter. From the master bedroom, officers recovered 41.65 grams of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, 6.74 net grams of cocaine, and 30 pills in a nightstand that also contained Carpenter’s identification and two digital scales. A laboratory analysis confirmed that some pills contained fentanyl while others contained fluorofentanyl. In addition to the packaged narcotics, law enforcement seized two firearms, a 9mm caliber handgun and a 5.56 caliber semiautomatic rifle. Both firearms were loaded and had been reported stolen, with the semiautomatic rifle loaded with a 30-round capacity magazine and having an altered serial number.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Beaver Falls Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Carpenter.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal judge sentenced an Albuquerque man to 36 months in prison for the illegal sale of firearms, including machineguns, and the illegal possession and transfer of machineguns. Some of these firearms ended up in the wrong hands.
Marquez Martinez, 24, came to the attention of the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on January 10, 2023, when a fifteen-year-old West Mesa High School student was found on campus with two firearms. One of the firearms was a Glock modified with machine gun conversion device also known as a “switch,” a device that converts ordinary handguns into fully automatic weapons and are by themselves considered machineguns under federal law. The possession of machineguns, but for narrow exceptions, is illegal under federal law. The Glock was traced back to Martinez. Martinez was further identified via his Instagram account where he advertised handguns and machineguns for sale.
Later, on March 2, 2023, a Texas State Ranger conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by an individual suspected of a homicide. Officers searched the vehicle and recovered a Glock which was modified with a switch. The Glock was traced back to Martinez.
Then, on March 8, 2023, the APD Gun Violence Suppression Unit stopped a vehicle in Albuquerque. Officers searched the vehicle and recovered a Glock. The Glock was traced back to Martinez.
In addition to the recovered firearms, between February and March of 2023, law enforcement purchased the following items from Martinez through his Instagram account:
- 4 machineguns
- 3 firearms
- 6 strips of LSD
- 500 fentanyl pills
On May 11, 2023, a search warrant was executed on Martinez’s residence. Inside, agents recovered a silencer, ammunition, and 13 additional firearms.
During a subsequent interview, Martinez admitted to buying and selling “hundreds” of firearms and at least fifty in the six months prior to his arrest.
Upon his release, Martinez will be subject to 36 months of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement today.
This case was prosecuted, in part, under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted, and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick E. Cordova prosecuted the case.
Front of a machine gun conversion device
Back of a machine gun conversion device
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Affluent businessman turned repeat offender imprisoned for paying minor to produce child pornographyRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 62-year-old man residing in McAllen has been sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Luis Fabian Vela pleaded guilty Oct. 27, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Vela to serve 195 months in federal prison. The court enhanced the sentence after determining he was a repeat and dangerous offender against minors and because the offense involved a minor under the age of 16. In handing down the prison term, Judge Alvarez noted how Vela had community support throughout his life but turned to illegal sexual conduct when he was stressed. Calling his behavior sexually deviant, Judge Alvarez expressed concerns for the safety of the community due to these crimes occurring in the dark. Vela will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Vela is a prominent business owner who used his significant means to coerce minors into producing pornographic material of children for his own gratification, even going as far as instructing them how to take photographs of specific areas,” said Hamdani. “He boasted about his wealth to get what he wanted, but there won’t be much of that now…at least for the next 16 years.”
From Sept. 29, 2022, through Oct. 5, 2022, Vela operated a financial account listed under Birdiebistro, a business he owns, and began communicating with a 15-year-old child. Even after the minor told Vela their age, he continued to engage in those conversations which were at times sexual in nature and extremely vulgar. He then instructed the minor on how to produce child pornography and utilized the Birdiebistro account to pay for the files.
At the hearing, Vela expressed his apologies to his own family for all that has happened to him.
Vela will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
10 April 2024
Youth Sports Coach Admits Seeking Sex with TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former youth sports coach on Wednesday admitted arranging to have sex with someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl. The “girl” was really an undercover St. Louis County police detective.
Trevor White, 41, of Fenton, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. He admitted as part of his plea agreement that at 10:33 p.m. on Sept. 24, 2023, he initiated a text message conversation with a 13-year-old girl. White was friends with the girl’s parents. White asked for her photo, and in a series of messages about her clothing and their past interactions, sought a “positive response” from the victim. He ended by sending her a photo of himself shirtless.
The victim reported the suspicious conversation to her parents, who then contacted St. Louis County police detectives. The teen’s parents allowed a detective to use her phone, assume her identity and continue the conversation. Over several days, White became increasingly sexually explicit and sought to arrange a meeting so they could engage in sex. He also sent two explicit photos.
On September 29, St. Louis County detectives arrived at White’s home to interview him. White admitted participating in the text conversations, admitted asking the teen for a photo of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct and admitted arranging to pick her up and take her to a park to have sex with her.
White is scheduled to be sentenced July 16. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting 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 the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Youngwood Resident Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Youngwood, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Jackie Lynn Neubauer, 41, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Neubauer, as the manager of a car rental location, accepted credit card numbers of individuals obtained fraudulently from various conspirators, and knowingly processed car rental transactions as if they were legitimate. In total, Neubauer rented more than 140 vehicles in this manner, causing losses of more than $500,000.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than two years and up to 12 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Neubauer.
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to Prison for 2022 Firebombing of Madison BuildingRead the Press Release
Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today to 90 months in federal prison for attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive to a building in Madison. Roychowdhury attacked the building with a Molotov cocktail in the wake of the leak of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overruling Roe v. Wade. He targeted the building because it was occupied by an organization that opposed abortion. Roychowdhury pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2023.
“The sentence imposed today is the result of innovative work by the FBI and Justice Department prosecutors who tirelessly investigated this case,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “It is also a reminder that the Justice Department will hold accountable those who turn to violence as a means of intimidation.”
“The FBI will not stand for the use of violence or criminal activity to express personal views on any matter,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Today’s sentencing is the result of the FBI’s commitment to use all of our resources to aggressively pursue anyone who uses violent tactics in an attempt to impose their views on others.”
“Engaging in an act of terror – in this case, firebombing a business because of their beliefs – is criminal and unamerican. As today’s sentencing demonstrates, it won’t be tolerated,” said Director Stephen Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). “I commend the collaborative efforts by all the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, and I commend the expertise of ATF’s forensic laboratory, and the assistance from the ATF Boston Field Division, for their dedication. In this case, the DNA testing led to the swift arrest of this defendant and made the community safer.”
“Roychowdhury’s arson was an act of domestic terrorism,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “Domestic terrorism is cowardly and profoundly undemocratic. It is not speech; it is not an exchange of ideas; instead, it is an attempt to harm or frighten one’s fellow citizens, thus driving Americans apart and weakening the fabric of our democratic society. The U.S. Department of Justice, and this U.S. Attorney’s Office, with our local and federal law enforcement partners will never flinch from holding domestic terrorists accountable.”
On May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window; the jar was broken and the lid and screw top were burned black. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top; the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant. Outside of the building, someone spray painted on one wall, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and, on another wall, a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.” During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack.
In January 2023, after reviewing surveillance video of an individual spray painting “We will get revenge” on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Capitol, law enforcement observed visual similarities to the graffiti that had been spray painted at the scene of the firebombing the year before. In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect. Local police officers observed Roychowdhury dispose of food in a public trash can; the officers recovered the leftover food and related items and law enforcement collected DNA from the food. The contents of the bag included a quarter portion of a partially eaten burrito. Law enforcement swabbed the burrito for DNA and sent the swab to an ATF lab. On March 17, 2023, law enforcement advised that a forensic biologist examined the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compared it to the DNA collected from the food contents. The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual.
In March 2023, Roychowdhury travelled from Madison to Portland, Maine, and he purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City, departing March 28, 2023. Law enforcement arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport that day.
The Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Capitol Police Department, ATF, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and Dane County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with the assistance of the FBI Boston Field Office, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshal Service, and Transportation Security Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck for the District of Massachusetts handled the defendant’s appearance in Boston following his arrest.
West Mifflin Convicted Felon Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Possession of Firearms While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 36 months of imprisonment on his convictions for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and for committing that crime while serving a period of federal supervised release, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Roderick Ferguson, 22.
According to information presented to the Court, on April 3, 2022, the Baldwin Police Department responded to a vehicle crash where a driver was ejected and killed after striking a parked car. Bystanders pulled a passenger, Roderick Ferguson, from the damaged vehicle. Upon arrival, officers recovered a semiautomatic rifle loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition which had been in Ferguson’s possession prior to the crash.
Following Ferguson’s discharge from the hospital for his injuries from that crash, he was a rear passenger in a vehicle during an April 28, 2022, traffic stop conducted by the Whitehall Borough Police Department in relation to an expired registration. After providing a fictitious name and being instructed to exit the vehicle, Ferguson began moving around the seat and adjusting his body. Ferguson consented to a search of his person, with law enforcement then recovering a loaded .357 Magnum revolver from Ferguson’s underwear.
Prior to the time Ferguson possessed the loaded semiautomatic rifle and loaded revolver, he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in the Western District of Pennsylvania, for which Ferguson was sentenced by Judge Stickman to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of federal supervised release. Ferguson was still serving his term of supervised release at the time he possessed the loaded firearms. Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, and those who commit crimes while serving federal supervised release are eligible for additional prison terms.
In imposing sentence, Judge Stickman emphasized that Ferguson’s possession of loaded firearms within days of his release from his last federal sentence reflected a troubling willingness to disrespect the law.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Baldwin Police Department, Whitehall Borough Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ferguson.
Vermont Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Vermont man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition and possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution.
Jeffrey Baird, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to four years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. In January 2024, Baird pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In December 2021, law enforcement stopped Baird’s vehicle travelling north on Route 91 in Northampton. Baird had a fake paper license plate taped to his back window and had been driving without a valid driver’s license. Baird was taken into custody. During a subsequent search of Baird’s vehicle, a revolver and five rounds of ammunition were found along with 207 grams of methamphetamine in a Ziplock bag – which carried a street value of between $6,000 and $10,000. Additionally, three more rounds of ammunition were found on Baird’s person inside his Hell’s Angels vest.
Baird is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions for firearms offenses.
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; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Chief of the Springfield Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
United States Files Complaint Against Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Alleging Fraudulent Drug Price ReportingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act (FCA) against Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Regeneron), a New York-based pharmaceutical company. The complaint alleges that Regeneron fraudulently manipulated Medicare reimbursement for its drug, Eylea, by knowingly submitting false average sales price (ASP) reports to Medicare. Medicare uses ASP to set its reimbursement rates for Eylea and other drugs. The complaint alleges Regeneron inflated Eylea’s ASP by paying credit card processing fees for the benefit of physician-customers purchasing Eylea, without properly reporting these payments as price concessions to ASP. Regeneron’s failure to properly report credit card fees as price concessions caused the submission of false claims for Eylea and hundreds of millions of dollars in inflated reimbursements by Medicare.
Regeneron manufactures and sells Eylea, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat, among other conditions, neovascular (Wet) Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Wet AMD), a prevalent, usually age-related condition that impairs vision. Eylea is a leading Medicare expense, with payments of more than $25 billion between 2012 and 2023.
The United States alleges that Regeneron knew it was required to report all price concessions for Eylea, yet knowingly failed to include price concessions in the form of credit card processing fees that Regeneron paid to specialty drug distributors to benefit its customers. The United States alleges that Regeneron paid these credit card fees for Eylea purchases so that distributors would accept credit cards for physicians’ Eylea purchases while still charging those customers the lower cash price. These payments enabled Regeneron’s customers – typically retina and ophthalmic practices – to use credit cards to purchase Eylea without incurring an additional fee, while also taking advantage of the benefits of using credit cards, such as “cash back” and other credit card rewards. The United States alleges Regeneron internally attempted to disguise the payments as “bona fide service fees” (BFSFs), which are not considered price concessions, when it knew the payments were not BFSFs.
“The government alleges that Regeneron manipulated Medicare’s drug pricing process, by knowingly failing to report its payment of credit card processing fees as price concessions to its customers,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “By doing so, Regeneron greatly inflated the costs of its drug to Medicare over many years and enhanced its revenues. Falsely reported average sales prices cost the Medicare system hundreds of millions of dollars and we will make every effort to prevent such practices.”
“We will not permit pharmaceutical companies to flout price reporting requirements to maintain high drug prices,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting federal health care programs from improper actions by drug companies or others that drive up the cost of those programs at the taxpayers’ expense.”
“When drug companies submit average sales price reports to Medicare, those reports are expected to be truthful and accurate,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Reimbursement rate manipulation, as alleged in this complaint, threatens the integrity of the taxpayer-funded Medicare program, and we will thoroughly pursue such allegations.”
“Medicare, a crucial component of our nation’s health care system, draws from a finite pool of funds,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today, Regeneron is accused of siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars of those funds to pad their profits on the backs of taxpayers. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to investigate and bring to justice those who we believe are willfully defrauding the U.S. government.”
The government’s investigation was prompted by False Claims Act allegations brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the FCA, private parties, known as relators, can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The FCA permits the United States to intervene in and take over the action, as it has done here. If a defendant is found liable for violating the FCA, the United States may recover three times the amount of its losses plus applicable penalties.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, AAG Boynton, HHS-OIG SAC Coviello and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Seol and Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit along with Trial Attorneys Douglas J. Rosenthal, Asha M. Natarajan and Samuel R. Lehman of the Justice Department's Civil Division are handling the matter.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Reminds Correctional Facilities of Obligation to Ensure Access to Treatment for Opioid Use DisorderRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — As part of a comprehensive response to the acute opioid crisis, United States Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV has forwarded a letter to correctional facilities in the Eastern District of Kentucky, reminding them that refusing to provide required care for persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) can violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and that the U.S. Attorney’s Office intends to diligently enforce those protections.
The ADA, which prohibits discrimination based on disability, protects individuals with OUD and their access to treatment, including treatment with FDA-approved medication. The FDA has approved three medications to treat OUD: buprenorphine (Suboxone), methadone, and vivitrol. The ADA prohibits correctional facilities from categorically denying incarcerated individuals access to OUD medication, without individually assessing whether such medication is medically necessary to treat their disability. Policies or practices that likely violate the ADA include not only blanket denials of medication for OUD treatment, but also screening people from treatment based on criteria unrelated to individual medical need.
“Eastern Kentucky remains at the forefront of a devastating opioid epidemic, and we simply must engage in a comprehensive approach to combatting this community health crisis – including enforcement of requirements safeguarding treatments,” said U.S. Attorney Shier. “Access to medications that treat OUD saves lives and helps us in this fight. So, we are urging detention facilities to be mindful of their obligations under federal law, offering to work collaboratively with them to ensure these rights, and intending to do our part in enforcing them.”
The reminder letter furthers a broader effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment for individuals with OUD. Since 2022, the office has entered into three settlement agreements resolving allegations of discrimination against individuals with OUD: with a medical center, a Central Kentucky detention center, and an Eastern Kentucky detention center. The two agreements with detention centers involved allegations that the facilities failed to provide patients with medication for OUD.
For more information about the Justice Department’s work to address discrimination against individuals with opioid use disorder, please visit www.ada.gov/topics/opioid-use-disorder/. More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514 0301 or (800) 514 0383 (TTY) and on the ADA website at www.ada.gov.
For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/civil-rights. ADA complaints may be submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office by emailing [email protected] or by contacting the Office’s Civil Rights Hotline at (859) 685-4880.
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U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina, Department of Housing & Urban Development Office of Inspector General Host Community Conversation on Combatting Sexual Harassment in HousingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – United States Attorneys Michael Easley for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Dena King for the Western District of North Carolina joined the Civil Rights Division and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) in hosting a community conversation today focused on the use of the Fair Housing Act to prevent and address complaints of sexual harassment in HUD-assisted housing.
“In our ongoing commitment to ensure justice and safety for all, we are proud to co-host a community conversation with a focus on combating sexual harassment in housing,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This event represents a crucial step in our collaborative efforts to create a safe living environment for all people.”
“Abusing power and control over housing by committing acts of sexual harassment violates a person’s right to equal housing opportunities,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office remains steadfast in our commitment to enforce federal civil rights laws to combat sexual harassment in housing, protect vulnerable tenants and housing applicants, and hold accountable landlords, property managers, and owners who violate these statutes.”
“Sexual harassment of citizens who are pursuing safe and affordable housing will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “This reprehensible conduct is often inflicted on people who feel they do not have an avenue to seek help. We hope today’s seminar has provided our partner agencies and organizations with information that can be shared with citizens who may have fallen prey to this illegal activity.”
“Sexual harassment and sexual assault in HUD-assisted housing are discriminatory actions that violate a tenants’ rights to safe and fair housing,” said Inspector General Oliver Davis. “We are proud to work closely with our partners at
the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice and will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act by pursuing bad actors who take advantage of tenants and prospective tenants in violation of the law.”
The virtual engagement signified the partnership between the federal agencies to promote the health and safety of tenants residing in HUD-assisted housing by working together to bring justice to victims of predatory landlords and other housing providers who sexually harass or sexually assault tenants in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. The topics included discussions about the Fair Housing Act and tenant rights under the law, how to recognize and report sexual misconduct in housing, and case studies.
Participants included representatives from legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, and other community organizations who assist underserved and underrepresented communities with housing. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences, concerns, and expertise to forge future partnerships and provide resource assistance to beneficiaries when reporting allegations of sexual misconduct in housing.
If you or someone you know has information about or has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation—even if the events occurred years ago—report it to the HUD Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or visit the website at www.hudoig.gov/hotline.
You may also file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint.
You may also contact the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-844-380-6178 or visit www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other housing discrimination may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at:
Eastern District of North Carolina: (919) 856-4530
Middle District of North Carolina: (336) 333-5351
Western District of North Carolina: Charlotte (704) 344-6222 or Asheville (828) 271-4661
For more information on the three North Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Offices, priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit:
Eastern District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc
Middle District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdnc
Western District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc
U.S. Attorneys for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina and Federal Officials Host Community Conversation on Combatting Sexual Harassment in HousingRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dena J. King, Sandra Hairston, and Michael Easley, United States Attorneys for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, respectively, were joined today by officials with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) in hosting a community conversation focused on the use of the Fair Housing Act to prevent and address sexual harassment in HUD-assisted housing.
“Abusing power and control over housing by committing acts of sexual harassment violates a person’s right to equal housing opportunities,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office remains steadfast in our commitment to enforce federal civil rights laws to combat sexual harassment in housing, protect vulnerable tenants and housing applicants, and hold accountable landlords, property managers, owners, and others who violate these statutes.”
“Sexual harassment of citizens who are pursuing safe and affordable housing will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “This reprehensible conduct is often inflicted on people who feel they do not have an avenue to seek help. We hope today’s seminar has provided our partner agencies and organizations with information that can be shared with citizens who may have fallen prey to this illegal activity.”
“In our ongoing commitment to ensure justice and safety for all, we are proud to co-host a community conversation with a focus on combating sexual harassment in housing,” said U.S. Attorney Easley. “This event represents a crucial step in our collaborative efforts to create a safe living environment for all people.”
“Sexual harassment and sexual assault in HUD-assisted housing are discriminatory actions that violate tenants’ rights to safe and fair housing,” said Inspector General Oliver Davis. “We are proud to work closely with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice and will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act by pursuing bad actors who take advantage of tenants and prospective tenants in violation of the law.”
The virtual engagement signified the partnership between the federal agencies to promote the health and safety of tenants residing in HUD-assisted housing. Representatives of all agencies expressed their commitment to working together to bring justice to victims of predatory landlords and other housing providers who sexually harass or sexually assault tenants and/or prospective tenants in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. Discussion topics included information about the scope and use of the Fair Housing Act, tenant rights under the law, how to recognize and report sexual misconduct in housing, and case studies.
Participants included representatives from legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, and other community organizations who assist underserved and underrepresented communities with housing. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences, concerns, and expertise to forge future partnerships and provide resource assistance to beneficiaries when reporting allegations of sexual misconduct in housing.
If you or someone you know has information about or has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation – even if the events occurred years ago – report it to the HUD Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or visit the website at www.hudoig.gov/hotline.
You may also file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint
You may also contact the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-844-380-6178 or visit www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other housing discrimination may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at:
Western District of North Carolina: Charlotte (704) 344-6222 or Asheville (828) 271-4661
Middle District of North Carolina: (336) 333-5351
Eastern District of North Carolina: (919) 856-4530
For more information on the three North Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Offices, priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit:
Western District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc
Middle District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdnc
Eastern District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc
U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest and Extradition of David Campbell, Principal Drug and Weapons Supplier for MS-13 in HondurasRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; John J. Durham, the Director of Joint Task Force Vulcan (“JTFV”); Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”); Katrina W. Berger, the Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); and Douglas Williams, the Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the arrest and extradition of DAVID CAMPBELL, a/k/a “Viejo Dan,” a/k/a “Don David,” one of the principal narcotics and weapons suppliers to MS-13 in Honduras. CAMPBELL was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court after being extradited yesterday from Honduras.
In addition to CAMPBELL, the Superseding Indictment unsealed today also charges YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS, a/k/a “Alexander Mendoza,” a/k/a “Porky,” the top leader of MS-13 in Honduras, and three additional MS-13 leaders, JUAN CARLOS PORTILLO SANTOS, a/k/a “Juancy,” VICTOR EDUARDO MORALES ZELAYA, a/k/a “Cuervo,” and JORGE ALBERTO VELASQUEZ PAZ, a/k/a “Chacarron,” for racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. CAMPBELL and ARCHAGA CARÍAS were previously charged in 2021 in a Superseding Indictment in Manhattan federal court with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. ARCHAGA CARÍAS was subsequently placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, the DEA’s Most Wanted Fugitives List, HSI’s Most Wanted Fugitives List, and a $5 million reward was offered by the U.S. Department of State for information related to his arrest or capture. PORTILLO SANTOS and VELASQUEZ PAZ are in custody in Honduras. MORALES ZELAYA remains at large. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “MS-13 is one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world. My Office, the Justice Department, and our law enforcement partners will stop at nothing to pursue and hold accountable MS-13’s leaders, members, and associates, who, as alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today, are responsible for large-scale drug trafficking and violence throughout the United States and Central America. As alleged, David Campbell was, until his capture, one of MS-13’s major suppliers of drugs and guns, and he planned and coordinated violent acts with the top leader of MS-13 in Honduras, Archaga Carías. Campbell has now been extradited and will face justice in the United States, and a $5 million reward is offered for information leading to the arrest of Archaga Carías.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “Over the course of decades, MS-13 has sowed unspeakable violence in communities here in the United States and abroad. With the arrest and extradition of the alleged principal MS-13 drug and weapons supplier, the Justice Department is making clear that those responsible for flooding our communities with violence and deadly drugs will be held accountable in an American courtroom.”
JTFV Director John J. Durham said: “MS-13’s brutal violence is fueled by firearms, funded by narcotics trafficking, and disguised by money laundering. As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, David Campbell and his co-conspirators procured and sold multi-ton loads of narcotics, deployed firearms, including machine guns, and laundered the drug proceeds, all in furtherance of the organization. Thanks to the tenacious efforts and collaboration of our law enforcement partners, he now will face justice in a United States courtroom.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “Today's extradition of David Campbell and the announcement of charges against four other MS-13 leaders for their alleged involvement in trafficking multi-ton loads of cocaine and for allegedly perpetrating unspeakable acts of violence in our communities is a testament to the unwavering commitment of the men and women of DEA to save lives and hold drug traffickers accountable. DEA will continue to seek justice for all Americans suffering the devastating effects of drug poisonings and drug-related violence in our communities.”
HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger said: “Campbell’s arrest and extradition should serve as a clear message to those who support MS-13 and other transnational criminal organizations. HSI will not cease its relentless pursuit of all suspects involved in this case until they are captured and brought to justice.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams said: “Every day, MS-13 ravages American neighborhoods with violence, drugs, and death. David Campbell allegedly enabled the exportation of violence and poison onto American streets as Mara Salvatrucha’s primary supplier of cocaine and weapons. FBI Houston’s work to ensure Campbell now faces U.S. justice sends a simultaneous message to MS-13 around the world — we will not stop pursuing you, we will not stop dismantling your networks, and we will not rest until we’ve eradicated the violence you bring into our society.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1]
MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization that engages in acts of violence, including murders, kidnapping, assaults, extortion, and large-scale drug importation and distribution throughout Central America and the United States. ARCHAGA CARÍAS is the highest-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras. As the leader and highest-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras, ARCHAGA CARÍAS is in charge of, among other things, the gang’s drug trafficking operations; ordering and coordinating acts of violence, including numerous murders; and the laundering of drug proceeds. MORALES ZELAYA and VELASQUEZ PAZ are both leaders of MS-13 in Honduras and close associates to ARCHAGA CARÍAS. MS-13’s drug trafficking operations led by ARCHAGA CARÍAS, MORALES ZELAYA, VELASQUEZ PAZ, and others include the processing, receiving, transporting, and distributing of multi-ton loads of cocaine shipped through Honduras and into the United States.
ARCHAGA CARÍAS and other MS-13 members and associates acting at his direction also provided protection for other drug trafficking organizations (“DTOs”) engaged in transporting multi-ton loads of cocaine through Honduras and destined for the United States. ARCHAGA CARÍAS contracted out members of MS-13 as “Sicarios,” or hit men, to other DTOs for payment. In that role, MS-13’s Sicarios committed numerous murders for hire for DTOs trafficking cocaine through Honduras to the United States. ARCHAGA CARÍAS and MS-13 also supplied other DTOs with firearms, including machineguns, that were received from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and elsewhere. ARCHAGA CARÍAS – and MORALES ZELAYA, VELASQUEZ PAZ, and PORTILLO SANTOS, operating under ARCHAGA CARÍAS’s leadership – also ordered and coordinated murders of rival gang members and drug trafficking competitors in Honduras, as well as other members of MS-13 whom ARCHAGA CARÍAS believed had been disloyal to the gang.
CAMPBELL was one of the principal suppliers of cocaine and weapons, including machineguns, to MS-13 in Honduras. As an associate of MS-13 and close confidant of ARCHAGA CARÍAS, CAMPBELL planned and coordinated retaliatory acts of violence with ARCHAGA CARÍAS and assisted MS-13 and ARCHAGA CARÍAS in establishing businesses to launder the gang’s drug proceeds. CAMPBELL and MS-13 used businesses they owned or controlled to launder drug proceeds, including through banks in the United States.
MORALES ZELAYA and VELASQUEZ PAZ were both leaders of MS-13 in Honduras and close associates of ARCHAGA CARÍAS. MORALES ZELAYA and VELASQUEZ PAZ each coordinated the gang’s drug trafficking business, acts of violence (including murders) against rivals, and the movement of proceeds from the gang’s illicit activities.
PORTILLO SANTOS was a high-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras who reported to MORALES ZELAYA. PORTILLO SANTOS was responsible for leading MS-13 in one of the largest sectors in Honduras, which included the distribution and movement of large shipments of cocaine, acts of violence (including murders and kidnappings) of rival gang members, and contract murders carried out against rival drug dealers.
ARCHAGA CARÍAS and MORALES ZELAYA remain at large. The $5 million reward offered by the U.S. Department of State remains valid today. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of ARCHAGA CARÍAS or MORALES ZELAYA can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. More information can be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten, here: https://www.dea.gov/fugitives and here: https://www.ice.gov/most-wanted.
* * *
If convicted, CAMPBELL, 57, of Honduras; ARCHAGA CARÍAS, 42, of Honduras; PORTILLO SANTOS, 35, of Honduras; MORALES ZELAYA, 49, of Honduras; and VELASQUEZ PAZ, 41, of Honduras, face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years in prison.
A chart containing the charges and statutory minimum and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit; the FBI’s San Diego, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York Field Offices; the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division’s Safe Streets Gang Unit; HSI’s National Gang and Violent Crime Unit; and HSI’s New York and Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Field Offices. Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché in San Salvador, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) Executive Office, the Department of Justice’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, for their assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of CAMPBELL.
The case is being handled by JTFV and the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Robles, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Eason, and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Jacob Warren are in charge of the prosecution.
Since its creation in August 2019, JTFV has successfully implemented a whole-of-government approach to combatting MS-13, including increasing coordination and collaboration with domestic and foreign law enforcement partners; designating priority MS-13 programs, cliques, and leaders who have the most impact on the United States for targeted prosecutions; and coordinating significant MS-13 indictments, including the first use of national security charges against MS-13 leaders. JTFV has been comprised of members from U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including this Office, the Eastern District of New York, the Eastern District of Texas, the District of New Jersey, the Northern District of Ohio, the District of Utah, the District of Massachusetts, the Southern District of Florida, the District of Alaska, the Southern District of California, the District of Nevada, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. All Department of Justice law enforcement agencies are involved in the effort, including the FBI; DEA; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. In addition, HSI plays a critical role in JTFV. The Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General, have also provided critical support for JTFV’s mission.
OCDETF also supports JTFV in its mission. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MIN./MAX. PENALTIES
1
Racketeering conspiracy
YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS
DAVID CAMPBELL
JUAN CARLOS PORTILLO SANTOS
VICTOR EDUARDO MORALES ZELAYA
JORGE ALBERTO VELASQUEZ PAZ
Maximum of life in prison
2
Narcotics importation conspiracy
YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS
DAVID CAMPBELL
JUAN CARLOS PORTILLO SANTOS
VICTOR EDUARDO MORALES ZELAYA
JORGE ALBERTO VELASQUEZ PAZ
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
Maximum of life in prison
3
Using or carrying a machinegun during and in relation to, or possessing a machinegun in furtherance of, a narcotics trafficking crime
YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS
DAVID CAMPBELL
JUAN CARLOS PORTILLO SANTOS
VICTOR EDUARDO MORALES ZELAYA
JORGE ALBERTO VELASQUEZ PAZ
Mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison
Maximum of life in prison
4
Machinegun conspiracy
YULAN ANDONY ARCHAGA CARÍAS
DAVID CAMPBELL
JUAN CARLOS PORTILLO SANTOS
VICTOR EDUARDO MORALES ZELAYA
JORGE ALBERTO VELASQUEZ PAZ
Maximum of life in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Nigerian Defendants Plead Guilty to SextortionRead the Press Release
Nigerian court orders third defendant extradited to the United States; decision pending appeal
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, of Lagos, Nigeria, each pleaded guilty to conspiring to sexually exploit teenage boys in the Western District of Michigan and across the United States. The offense of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors requires a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; the maximum possible penalty is 30 years.
“Today’s guilty pleas represent an extraordinary success in the prosecution of international sextortion,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “These convictions will send a message to criminals in Nigeria and every corner of the globe: working with our partners both here and overseas, we can find you and we can bring you to justice.” He continued: “I hope these guilty pleas also bring a small measure of relief to the family of Jordan DeMay, who died as a result of this crime. Of course, the job is not done. The Ogoshi brothers await sentencing later this year, and we are still pursuing the extradition of the third defendant, Ezekiel Robert.”
The plea agreement describes the integrated roles played by Samuel and Samson Ogoshi in creating fake accounts, luring, and extorting victims. As part of their pleas, the Ogoshi brothers also agree to cooperate in the prosecution of others. The charges against Ezekiel Robert are still pending.
On August 13, 2023, Nigeria extradited the Ogoshis to the United States to face prosecution after a grand jury indicted the brothers in November 2022 for sexual extortion. On March 21, 2024, a Nigerian court ordered the third defendant, Ezekiel Robert, to be extradited to the United States. He has appealed that decision and the matter is before the Nigerian High Court.
“Financial sextortion is a rising and very serious threat targeting our minors nationwide and this case shook the very core of our Michigan community,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “We encourage the public to have open and honest conversations with their loved ones surrounding sextortion and to take heed of the warning signs. If you believe you or someone you know has become a victim of this crime, please contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Mekaru and Davin Reust, and investigated by the FBI, the Marquette Sheriff’s Department, and the Michigan State Police Cybercrimes Unit in Marquette with the cooperation and assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, and the Nigerian Attorney General’s Office – Ministry of Justice provided critical assistance securing the arrest and extradition of the defendants.
The charges in the indictment against Ezekiel Robert remain pending and are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For more information, below are the previous press releases, indictment, and plea agreements.
- Ogoshi Brothers Plead Not Guilty at Arraignment
- Two Nigerian Men Extradited to The United States After Being Indicted for International Sexual Extortion Ring
- Three Nigerian Men Awaiting Extradition for Committing Sexual Extortion
- Indictment
- Plea Agreement for Samuel Ogoshi (attached)
- Plea Agreement for Samson Ogoshi (attached)
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Two Essex County Men Charged with Carjacking and Firearm PosssesionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. –Two Essex County, New Jersey, men have been charged with carjacking a vehicle in Newark, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Arraqeeb Williamscook, 23, of East Orange, New Jersey, and Washir Singletary, 30, of Newark, are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking and one count of carjacking. Singletary is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Both defendants appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge José Almonte in Newark federal court on March 9, 2024, and were detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 9, 2023, the victim was waiting for his pick-up order at a restaurant in Newark. The victim was pumping air into the front passenger side tire while waiting for his food order when Williamscook and Singletary pulled into the parking lot in a Lexus that had been stolen out of Wall Township, New Jersey. Williamscook got out of the Lexus and entered the driver’s side of the victim’s vehicle. When the victim approached Williamscook, Williamscook brandished what appeared to be a firearm. As the victim ran into the restaurant to call for help, Singletary got out of the Lexus and changed places with Williamscook in the victim’s vehicle. Singletary drove away in the victim’s vehicle. Williamscook was apprehended in the restaurant parking lot attempting to flee in the stolen Lexus. Shortly after, Singletary returned to the restaurant parking lot with an unidentified conspirator in the victim’s car to retrieve the stolen Lexus. The unidentified conspirator drove away in the victim’s car and Singletary drove away in the stolen Lexus. Singletary was later apprehended after abandoning the stolen Lexus. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of a Ruger/Strum revolver.
The count of conspiracy to commit carjacking carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of carjacking carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and members of the Newark City Police Department, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ingrid Eicher of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
williamscooketal.complaint.pdfTwo Butte men sentenced for crimes stemming from illegal importation of pill presses from ChinaRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — Two Butte men who admitted to charges stemming from the illegal importation of two pill presses from China were sentenced this week, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
David Jesus Tapia-Padron, 34, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Tapia-Padron pleaded guilty in November 2023 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Co-defendant Austin Perry King-Terrell, 30, was sentenced on April 9 to three years of probation and fined $4,000. King-Terrell pleaded guilty in November 2023 to illegal importation of pill press.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in September 2022, two industrial tablet presses were illegally imported from China to the United States and addressed to a warehouse in Anaconda. The Drug Enforcement Administration intercepted the presses and then had them delivered. The DEA determined that King-Terrell had ordered the presses for Tapia-Padron and provided them to him. Each press was priced at $3,499 and could produce 4,500 to 6,000 pills an hour. Agents later searched Tapia-Padron’s residence and found large quantities of marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and a vacuum sealed package containing one kilogram of cocaine. Agents also located distribution paraphernalia, a money counter, money bands, several handguns and rifles, a mannequin wearing body armor and other items. Five days before agents searched his house, Tapia-Padron, using his mother’s name, ordered 50 kilograms of baby blue tabling mix to be shipped to him from California. In addition, the investigation determined that Tapia-Padron paid King-Terrell to buy what King-Terrell referred to as a “kief press.” Kief is a concentrated form of marijuana. Tapia-Padron regularly sold King-Terrell marijuana and offered him psilocybin mushrooms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case. The DEA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
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Three People Federally Indicted in Bowling Green for Methamphetamine Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on February 14, 2024, charging three people in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy and other related methamphetamine trafficking offenses. One of the three was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Director Ron Lafferty of the Barren River Drug Task Force made the announcement.
According to the indictment, the following three people were each charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute, and distribute, over 500 grams of a methamphetamine mixture between December 9, 2023, and January 18, 2024, in Warren County, Kentucky:
Trey Williams, 27, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky,
Brandy Cardenas, 25, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, and
Kelton Withrow, 28, of Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Each defendant also faces the following additional charges.
Trey Williams was charged with aiding and abetting in the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on December 19, 2023, and January 3, 2024. Williams was also charged with aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture on January 17, 2024.
Brandy Cardenas was charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on January 3, 2024, distributing 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture on January 17, 2024, and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture on January 17, 2024. Cardenas was also charged with possessing a Taurus G2C, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, in furtherance of her drug trafficking and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Kelton Withrow was charged with two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on December 19, 2023, and January 3, 2024. Withrow was also charged with distributing 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture on January 17, 2024.
Cardenas made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on February 15, 2024, and the Court ordered her released on special conditions pending trial. Williams made his initial appearance on March 27, 2024, and the Court ordered him detained pending trial. Withrow appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on April 9, 2024, and the Court ordered him released under special conditions pending trial.
All three defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI Bowling Green Resident Agency, the Kentucky State Police, and the Barren River Drug Task Force are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
x x x
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lawrence Eugene Blue, age 65, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for possessing a firearm after being previously convicted of a felony offense. This sentence is to be served concurrently with an 18-month term of imprisonment imposed for violating supervised release.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Probation Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On June 7, 2023, Blue pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm. On December 1, 2022, a United States Probation Officer discovered Blue in possession of a .22 caliber revolver and assorted ammunition. At the time, Blue was on supervised release for one count of a federal drug conspiracy conviction, a felony crime, and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Blue 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 Kevin Gross represented the United States at sentencing.
Superseding Indictment Charges Two District Brothers in Fentanyl Conspiracy, Distribution, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jevaughn “Ledo” Mark, 32, and his brother Angelo Mark, 30, were charged yesterday in a 17-count superseding indictment for participating in a conspiracy that distributed large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine in the metropolitan area. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jevaughn Mark is currently being held on charges that include eight counts of unlawful distribution (of fentanyl, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin) and distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl between January 10, 2024, and March 13, 2024. The charges stem from six controlled purchases in which undercover DEA and MPD taskforce officers (UC-DEA/MPD) contacted Jevaughn Mark and purchased narcotics. In each instance, the UC-DEA/MPD agents requested to buy “Special K” or ketamine from Jevaughn Mark. In every instance, Jevaughn Mark supplied a mixture of fentanyl and other substances, including heroin, but not ketamine.
After obtaining an indictment against Jevaughn Mark, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence in connection with his arrest. From his residence, agents recovered two firearms, cocaine, fentanyl, approximately $38,000 in U.S. currency, body armor vests, and drug trafficking paraphernalia. The same day, law enforcement also executed a search warrant at another residence tied to Jevaughn Mark, in which they located his brother, Angelo Mark. From Angelo Mark’s bedroom, law enforcement recovered seven firearms, 900 rounds of ammunition, dozens of pills, cocaine, fentanyl, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and approximately $50,000 in U.S. currency. Based on the evidence, both brothers were indicted in the current superseding indictment.
Both brothers are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine in the superseding indictment. Separately, Angelo Mark is charged in the superseding indictment with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and unlawful possession of a firearm after having previously been convicted of an offense punishable by a term exceeding one year. Jevaughn Mark’s additional charges in the superseding indictment include possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and unlawful possession of a firearm having previously been convicted of an offense punishable by a term exceeding one year.
The case is being investigated by the DEA’s Washington Division and the Metropolitan Police Department with the collaboration on the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Coley, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Shooting, CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Ann, Missouri to 18 years in prison for two carjackings and for shooting a store clerk in the mouth during a robbery.
On Dec. 26, 2021, James Furlow carjacked a 2017 Kia Sorrento SUV at gunpoint. He then tried to break into an ATM by shooting at it.
Later that day Furlow and Monya Jones robbed a Quick Mart in St. Louis County. Furlow shot the store clerk in the mouth during the robbery, seriously injuring him.
Four days later, Furlow carjacked a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan at gunpoint. After police spotted him, Furlow fled, first in the stolen SUV and later on foot, but was caught in a basement.
A dating app was used to set up both carjackings.
Furlow, now 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of carjacking and one count each of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, robbery and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Jones, now 23, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty to one robbery charge and one charge of possession, brandishing and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge Autrey sentenced Jones in February to 13 years and 10 months in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Ann Police Department, the Overland Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken 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.
Spokane Tribal Member Found Guilty of Assaulting His Partner with a Knife and Attempting to Suffocate HerRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a jury returned a verdict on April 9, 2024, following the trial of 40-year-old Marvin Samson Butterfly. Butterfly was found guilty of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country, Assault of an Intimate Partner and Dating Partner by Suffocating and Attempting to Suffocate in Indian Country, and Attempted Witness Tampering.
Evidence introduced at trial established that on September 16, 2023, officers with the Spokane Tribal Police Department were called to a home in Ford, Washington for a reported domestic assault. The victim told officers that Butterfly, who is an enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe, assaulted her. Butterfly was upset with the victim because the victim had let another woman shelter in her home because of the cold weather. Butterfly began shouting, took out a long knife and began stabbing the floors, doors, and furniture. Butterfly then assaulted the victim by holding the knife against her throat and said, “this is how you kill someone.” Butterfly pushed the victim down on the couch, placed his hand over the victim’s mouth and attempted to suffocate her. Butterfly used such force; it left a bruise. The victim was able to pry Butterfly’s fingers off her face. Butterfly then left the home in the victim’s vehicle. Officers found Butterfly the next morning asleep in the victim’s vehicle. He was arrested and taken to the Spokane County Jail.
On November 2, 2023, while in jail, Butterfly placed a recorded telephone call to his neighbor. During the call, Butterfly made several statements indicating he did not want the victim to testify. Butterfly encouraged his neighbor to stress to the victim that he would be coming home if she did not speak to investigators.
United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice presided over the trial, which began on April 8, 2024. Sentencing in this matter is set for July 10, 2024.
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe home free of violence. Native Americans experience some of the highest rates of violence in the country, a situation that is more tragic in light of the generations of trauma already suffered by Indigenous people, especially Native American women,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “By working with our tribal and federal law enforcement partners, we can continue to build trust and foster safer and stronger communities on Tribal lands and throughout Eastern Washington.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Spokane Tribal Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Ellis.
Southaven man sentenced to prison for lying on the form required to purchase a firearmRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Southaven man was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday to 20 months in prison for lying on ATF Form 4473 during the purchase of a firearm.
According to court documents, Lavoris Donte McGee, Jr., 22, traveled to a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL), in Southaven, Mississippi and purchased a Diamondback, Model AR-15, .300 blackout, semi-automatic rifle. McGee filled out the ATF Form 4473 required for the purchase of the gun and stated that he was not currently under felony indictment when, in fact, he was under indictment for assault on a law enforcement officer.
On April 10, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced McGee to 20 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“For the safety and well-being of all citizens, it is imperative that we hold accountable those individuals who illegally obtain and possess firearms,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “This office will continue to work alongside our local, state and federal partners to prioritize the prosecution of individuals who provide false information in order to possess guns when they are not legally allowed to do so.”
“Getting guns out of the hands of criminals is an essential element of the fight against violent crime and securing our neighborhoods,” said ATF New Orleans Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that dishonest individuals like this will be held accountable as we work to keep our neighborhoods safe as a top priority for ATF.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case with the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force, Southaven Police Department, and with assistance from the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted 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.
South Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland 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, Scarborough Police officers encountered Ethan Bubier, 41, in a parked vehicle and observed drug paraphernalia and a knife on the seat. Officers searched the vehicle and found a backpack with several containers of suspected controlled substances, including 20 individual packets of fentanyl powder, a scale, and empty plastic bags. Officers also found six additional packets of fentanyl as well as $1662 in cash. In total, investigators recovered more than 264 grams of fentanyl. A later search of Bubier’s phone revealed messages documenting what appeared to be his large purchase of narcotics days before the seizure as well as messages from potential buyers.
Bubier faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million followed by three years to life of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district 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 with assistance from the Scarborough Police Department. The Maine Attorney General’s Office also assisted with the case.
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Rutland Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Access Protected Computer Network of Medical Treatment FacilityRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rutland man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester to conspiring to access a protected computer of his former employer – a non-profit substance use and mental health treatment provider that operates recovery centers throughout Massachusetts.
Nathan Howe, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to time served (one day in prison) and three years of supervised released, with the first year to be served in home detention. Howe was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,565. The government argued for a sentence of 21 months in prison and restitution in the amount of $136,233. In October 2023, Howe pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer to obtain information and cause damage and one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer and impairing medical treatment.
Howe and co-conspirator Patrick Edmonds-Morin were employed by the non-profit until April 2021 and October 2020, respectively. Between September and December of 2021, Howe conspired with Edmonds-Morin to access records of the non-profit’s employees, listen to and view conversations between the employees, and create and deploy a computer program designed to impede the non-profit’s use of the network. In November 2021, Howe accessed the computer network and transmitted a command that shut down the network for the non-profit’s Westborough campus where individuals were receiving in-patient treatment. By shutting down the network, Howe made the non-profit’s electronic medical records system inaccessible at its sites across Massachusetts, impairing or potentially impairing the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment and care of patients.
Additionally, between July 2018 and November 2020, Howe and Edmonds-Morin conspired to commit wire fraud by obtaining cell phones from a cell phone provider which were intended for the non-profit’s staff and, instead, selling the cell phones to third parties for personal profit, typically in the amounts of hundreds of dollars per phone.
Edmonds-Morin pleaded guilty in June 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced May 15, 2024.
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 Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Romance scammers charged with targeting elderly in $3M fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Nigerian man who resided in Fulshear is set to appear in court on allegations he conspired to defraud over a dozen elder Americans who thought they were in romantic online relationships and sent millions to a network of fraudsters, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Darlington Akporugo, 46, is scheduled for a detention hearing at 9 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison.
Akporugo allegedly conspired with Jasmin Sood, 35, also of Fulshear, to commit wire and mail fraud.
Between approximately 2015 and 2022, the fraudsters allegedly used fictitious personas and sought out and contacted elderly victims online who were often widowed. The indictment alleges they used social networking and internet dating platforms and communicated with victims using email, text message and telephone to gain their trust. The scammers would then ultimately deceive them into transferring large sums of money to various fraudster-controlled or influenced mailing addresses and bank accounts, many Akporugo and Sood owned or controlled, according to the charges.
After establishing trust with the victim online, Akporugo and Sood approached at least one victim in the Houston area in person, according to the allegations. They then allegedly drove the victim to banks for the purpose of sending money to the fraudster network, convincing her to give Akporugo control of the victim’s banking access devices.
The indictment also charges Akporugo with aggravated identity theft and fraud in connection with an access device.
The scheme allegedly resulted at least 13 victims being defrauded of an approximate $3,123,073. The indictment includes notice of forfeiture for all illegally derived proceeds from the fraud scheme.
If convicted, both face up to 30 years imprisonment for each of the wire fraud counts and conspiracy. Akporugo faces an additional 10 years on the fraud in connection with an access device and another mandatory two years if convicted of the aggravated identity theft.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace Murphy is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Rock Hill Man Sentenced for Interstate Domestic Violence Resulting in the Death of WifeRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. —Lawrence Joseph Florentine, 56, of Rock Hill, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for interstate domestic violence resulting in the death of his wife, Nicole Zahnd Florentine, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, obstruction of justice and use of fire to commit interstate domestic violence.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed beginning in December 2019, police in York County responded to multiple 911 calls by Nicole during which she reported that Florentine physically abused her and threatened to kill her, burn her, and bury her. Florentine was arrested twice on domestic violence charges. On May 23, 2020, the couple’s Rock Hill home was destroyed by fire. During the fire, Florentine sent angry text messages and photographs that show he intentionally set the property on fire to destroy Nicole’s belongings. Arson charges are pending in state court.
On June 13, 2020, a groundskeeper for Hill Cemetery in Fredonia, Kentucky, discovered what appeared to him to be a makeshift grave. Officers with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office and the Kentucky State Police recovered a partially charred female body from the grave. A gas can was found near the grave. An autopsy determined that Nicole’s death was a homicide, and the cause of death was a .22 caliber bullet wound to the head.
Nicole and Florentine were traveling by car together in North and South Carolina in the days leading up to the discovery of her body in Kentucky. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a car matching the description of Florentine’s car around the cemetery before the body was discovered on June 13, 2020. A local hardware store clerk described Florentine as the man who came into the store on June 11, 2020, and after he complained about the $21.99 price, he purchased a gas can and a shovel. Security camera footage from a nearby gas station showed Florentine as he casually filled the gas can a short time later. Florentine’s sentence included a 10-year consecutive sentence because he used fire during the commission of interstate domestic violence.
Florentine fled Kentucky and arrived in Denver, Colorado on June 23, 2020, where he was arrested. During travel, Florentine discarded and concealed evidence, including the firearm he used to murder Nicole, cell phones, identification, and other personal belongings. During sentencing, prosecutors asked Judge Coggins to impose a higher sentence considering everything Florentine did to obstruct justice, including his deliberate efforts to hide Nicole’s death by hiding her body, frustrating law enforcement’s ability to identify her, and their ability to locate and arrest him. Judge Coggins noted that in addition to killing her, Florentine deliberately prevented Nicole’s family from learning of her death and that he deprived them the opportunity to properly mourn her.
“Nicole’s senseless murder reminds us that domestic violence can happen to anyone and we all must work to protect and support those experiencing abuse,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “We hope this sentence brings some measure of closure to her loved ones as they remember Nicole.”
In 2022, two years after his arrest, Florentine moved to dismiss the murder charge and argued that Kentucky did not have jurisdiction to prosecute him because the crime was committed in South Carolina. Prosecutors in Caldwell County Kentucky and homicide investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office asked federal authorities to prosecute the case. Domestic violence is primarily a matter of state and local jurisdiction; however, federal laws provide tools for prosecuting domestic violence offenders in certain situations involving firearms and interstate travel or activity.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Florentine to 360 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Florentine was also ordered to pay $5,800 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Kentucky State Police, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, York County Sheriff’s Office, Rock Hill Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leesa Washington and Benjamin N. Garner are prosecuting the case.
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Revere Man Charged with Armed Robberies of Two Local Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Revere man was charged yesterday in connection with the armed robberies of two Boston-area convenience stores in less than one week.
Jaquan Barrows, 26, was charged with two counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce, commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence. Barrows will appear in federal court in Boston later today.
According to the charging documents, on the morning of March 29, 2024, a male wearing a mask, dark clothing and an orange safety vest entered a Revere convenience store brandishing a handgun. The suspect allegedly walked behind the counter, demanded cash from the cash register drawer, additional cash and a cell phone from the store clerk. The suspect allegedly struck the clerk in the head with the firearm, took an ice cream bar from a store freezer and fled the scene.
It is alleged that less than a week later, on the morning of April 4, 2024, a male wearing a black mask and dark clothing entered an Everett convenience store and appeared to be shopping. After being asked to pay for his items, the suspect allegedly brandished a handgun, pointed it at the store clerk and demanded cash from the cash register drawer and fled the scene.
A subsequent investigation identified a Honda Pilot captured in the vicinity of the Revere convenience store. According to court records the vehicle was registered to an individual who resided with Barrows. Surveillance footage obtained from the Revere convenience store and from Barrows’ residence allegedly showed Barrows wearing clothing similar to the robber.
During a search of Barrows’ residence on April 4, 2024, clothing items matching the robber from the Revere robbery, as well as a handgun were allegedly found. Barrows was immediately taken into custody.
The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $ 250,000. The charge of using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison to be served consecutively to the penalty for the underlying crime, five years of supervised release and a fine of $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 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere and Everett Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.