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Tuesday 27 February 2024
Sidney Man Sentenced for Sex Offender Registration ViolationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jack Brown Wilson, 44, of Big Springs, Nebraska, was sentenced February 27, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for failing to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Wilson to time served. He will now begin a 5-year term of supervised release and still register as a sex offender.
Judge Gerrard noted that Wilson’s case was “unique” in that the investigation revealed that Wilson had attempted to register in Cheyenne County as a sex offender. However, Cheyenne County acknowledged that their system did not save his completed sex offender registration. Further investigation revealed the defendant’s attempt at registration fell outside of the time requirements under federal law. Mr. Wilson was given the opportunity to explain what had happened as the investigation commenced, but failed to attend the scheduled meeting and stopped answering his phone. Approximately a week later, he moved to another state. “You could have saved yourself a lot of pain with a little bit of effort” the Judge noted in imposing his sentence.
SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations. Wilson’ was required to register as a sex offender because he had been convicted of one count of sexual contact with a minor in 2017 in the District Court for Sedgwick County, Colorado. This conviction required that Wilson register as a sex offender in the state of Colorado, and by federal law, in any other state to which he moved. Wilson became a resident in Nebraska in 2021 and failed to register.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals.
San Antonio Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Supporting TerroristsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 160 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for conspiring to murder overseas and provide material support to terrorists.
According to court documents, Imad Eddin Wadi, 67, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Damascus, Syria, conspired to commit murder with terrorist groups and funnel funds to members and affiliates of U.S. designated foreign terrorist organizations, including al-Nusrah Front, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
On May 25, 2023, after a nine-day trial, Wadi was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to murder and maim in a foreign country, one count of conspiracy to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist groups, and one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists.
“By his own admissions, this defendant has been knowingly supporting this jihadi terrorist group for years,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “American citizens may never provide support to terrorist organizations, financial or otherwise, nor decide whose lives to target overseas. Thanks to the dedication and investigative skill by our partners in the FBI JTTF, Wadi’s financial support of terrorists has ceased, and he will spend the rest of his life under our watch.”
“The FBI’s top priority is to protect the United States from a terrorist attack. This sentencing highlights the FBI’s unyielding commitment to stop those who fund or assist foreign terrorist organizations or their affiliates,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron G. Tapp for the FBI San Antonio Division. “We are profoundly grateful for our partners on the San Antonio Joint Terrorism Task Force who work with us every day to protect the American people and who did exceptional work on this case.”
The FBI JTTF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and William Harris prosecuted the case.
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Retired sergeant imprisoned for sending child pornography via online chat groupRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 50-year-old Texas City resident has been sentenced for distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Ryan N. Curving pleaded guilty Aug. 22, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now ordered him to serve 120 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence as to how Curving, a retired police sergeant from the Paterson, New Jersey, Police Department, sent child pornography videos to five other individuals through Kik Messenger. In handing down the prison term, the court noted that Curving’s actions of distributing those videos perpetuates the harm caused to the victims that are being sexually abused in the videos. Curving was further ordered to pay a $5,000 assessment to the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act and a $5,000 assessment to the Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act. He will also serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Curving will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Curving hid behind a computer and watched helpless minor children being raped and abused,” said Hamdani. “It is deplorable that someone who worked as an officer for 25 years and took an oath to serve and protect the public, did just the opposite. This sentence demonstrates our dedication to holding anyone – regardless of their background – accountable for their part in the exchange of images that do nothing more than harm innocent lives.”
Curving had joined an online chat group on Kik that is known for the trading of child pornography and pictures of relatives as well as discussions and fantasies of familial sexual abuse.
Curving came to the attention of law enforcement after utilizing his Kik account to distribute child pornography. On Dec. 6, 2022, authorities executed a search warrant at his residence. At that time, he admitted to downloading and sending child pornography to other Kik users and had been curious about child pornography for two years.
Additionally, he admitted to creating a second Kik account in order to continue his conduct following the termination of his first one after administrators found child pornography in it.
Curving was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations-Galveston conducted the investigation with the assistance of police departments in Pearland and Galveston and the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo 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 tab on that page.
Readout of Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri’s Trip to GermanyRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General (A/AAG) Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division traveled to Berlin, Germany, to participate in and deliver remarks on Feb. 23 at the Bundesministerium der Justiz’s (BMJ) — also known as Germany’s Federal Ministry of Justice — International Conference on International Criminal Law titled, “Responding to crimes under international law: Holding war criminals to account.” She also met with international law enforcement partners and U.S. law enforcement assigned to U.S. Embassy Berlin to discuss law enforcement efforts between the two countries and advance the bilateral relationship with Germany on complex transnational criminal and national security matters.
A/AAG Argentieri was joined by U.S. Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression Jessica Kim and War Crimes Accountability Team (WarCAT) Director Christian Levesque, who also participated on different panels at the conference, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs former Attaché to Germany Andrea Tisi Austin.
On Feb. 22, A/AAG Argentieri met with U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission W. Clark Price to express the Justice Department’s gratitude for the Embassy’s support of Justice Department attachés. She then had a bilateral meeting with prosecutors of the German Federal Ministry of Justice, including Dr. Bernhard Böhm, who leads the International Criminal Law Division. She thanked them for the strong law enforcement relationship between the United States and Germany and cooperation on mutual legal assistance matters, as well as shared challenges. Following the meeting, she attended an evening reception at the Federal Ministry of Justice where conference participants were welcomed by German Federal Minister of Justice Dr. Marco Buschmann.
U.S. Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression Kim, A/AAG Argentieri, Deputy Chief of Mission Clark Price, former Attaché to Germany Tisi Austin, and WarCAT Director Levesque.
The BMJ organized and hosted an international conference on Feb. 23, with high-ranking representatives from government, the judiciary, lawyers, and victim representatives. The aim of the conference was to underline the need for and importance of continued cooperation at the international level in the context of addressing conflict-related issues in support of Ukraine. A/AAG Argentieri delivered remarks on the work that the department has done to assist Ukraine and participated on the first conference panel entitled, “Supporting Ukraine Two Years after the Russian Attack,” with German Minister of Justice Buschmann and his Polish counterpart, Dr. Adam Bodnar.
A/AAG Argentieri delivering remarks at the International Conference on International Criminal Law. Polish Minister of Justice Bodnar and German Minister of Justice Buschmann seated.
On Friday, A/AAG Argentieri met individually with Polish Minister of Justice Bodnar to strengthen ongoing cooperation with Poland in advancing accountability for Ukraine, including joint efforts in the Eurojust-based Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for atrocity crimes and at the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA). Separately, she met with President of Eurojust Ladislav Hamran to reiterate the value the department places in Eurojust and thank him for everything he has done to facilitate the Justice Department’s expanded partnership with Eurojust, which is exemplified by the three U.S. prosecutors assigned to Eurojust, including two liaison prosecutors and U.S. Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine Kim. A/AAG Argentieri also met with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin to express appreciation for their excellent law enforcement relationship and discuss how the United States can further efforts supporting Ukraine. Lastly, she met with Germany’s Acting Federal Public Prosecutor General Dr. Lars Otte to discuss continued cooperation and shared law enforcement priorities on Russian war crimes and other atrocities committed in Ukraine, and violent extremism impacting both countries. In her meetings, A/AAG Argentieri looked to bolster the close collaboration between the United States and the international community on bilateral justice matters.
From left to right: German Minister of Justice Buschmann, A/AAG Argentieri, Polish Minister of Justice Bodnar, and Ukrainian Prosecutor General Kostin.
A/AAG Argentieri and President of Eurojust Hamran.
“The Justice Department is working closely with our international partners to pursue comprehensive accountability for Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine,” said A/AAG Argentieri. “Our efforts are not limited to war crimes accountability, but through various initiatives and legal tools, targeting those responsible for fueling the Russian war machine — while holding the highest levels of leadership accountable for the aggression against Ukraine. I was honored to stand with our international partners to discuss furthering these efforts.”
A/AAG Argentieri and Germany’s Acting Federal Public Prosecutor General Dr. Otte.
During the visit, A/AAG Argentieri also visited the Topography of Terror Museum to learn more about the International Military Tribunals at Nuremberg and Tokyo, as well as other special tribunals and accountability mechanisms focused on accountability for aggression and war crimes committed during the war.
A/AAG Argentieri remains committed to continued cooperation between the United States and its European partners including Germany, Poland, and Ukraine.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced to 144 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, and $81,000 in restitution, for receipt and possession of child pornography. Klaus De La Fuente, age 27, pled guilty on September 11, 2023.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, De La Fuente, was found using peer to peer file sharing networks to receive and distribute child pornography during an investigation by the Cary Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security. Law enforcement officers identified child pornography files that were associated with De La Fuente’s IP address. Based upon this, a search warrant was executed at his residence on April 1, 2022.
When the search warrant was executed, multiple digital devices were seized including a cell phone that was actively downloading child pornography at the time. When all devices were forensically examined, law enforcement discovered De La Fuente had been collecting child sexual abuse images since 2018 and had amassed a large collection of images and videos. In total, De La Fuente possessed 8,839 images and 278 videos depicting child sexual abuse. The collection of images and videos included very young children, infants and toddlers.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided over the sentencing. The Cary and Raleigh Police Departments, the United States’ Marshals Service and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-101-BO.
Quincy, Illinois Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Quincy, Illinois man, Henry Speirs, 35, of the 700 block of Harrison Street, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough to 60 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual). After he completes his prison sentence, he will serve four years of supervised release.
Speirs was indicted in November 2020 and pleaded guilty in July of 2023. He has been detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest in 2020. Two co-defendants were previously sentenced, Brent Garner received a ten-year sentence and Brandy Friday received a five-year sentence. In total, Speirs was held accountable for 1,191.19 grams of methamphetamine.
The statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) are not less than 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, not more than a $5,000,000 fine, and not less than 4 years of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Springfield Field Office, Illinois State Police West Central Illinois Task Force, and Quincy Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Speirs was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program that brings 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.
Quincy, Illinois Man Found Guilty of Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – On February 23, 2024, Glenn Wooden, 39, of Quincy was found guilty by a federal jury of three counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.
Over two days of trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless, the United States presented evidence establishing the three controlled buys and the search of the defendant’s residence leading to the seizure of the drugs forming the basis of count four. Besides law enforcement agents, a DEA laboratory scientist testified as to the purity and weight of the methamphetamine. In total, the methamphetamine weighed 327 grams.
Sentencing for Wooden has been scheduled for July 2, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield, Illinois. At sentencing, Wooden faces a potential prison sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, not less than 5 years and up to life of supervised release and a maximum $10,000,000 fine.
The Illinois State Police West Central Illinois Task Force, and Quincy Police Department investigated the case with assistance from Adams County States Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Z. Weir and Sarah E. Seberger represented the government at trial.
Pryor Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact with a MinorRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – In June 2023, a federal jury found White guilty on two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 years of Age in Indian Country and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country.
Today, U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson sentenced Ricky Leroy White, 33, to 135 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, White will be required to register as a sex offender.
“Ricky White repeatedly preyed upon two children who should’ve been able to trust him. Both victims were courageous and testified in federal court exposing the abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office will not slow down our relentless pursuit to hold accountable perpetrators of child sexual abuse.”
According to court documents, from June 2010 through June 2017, White sexually abused two children who
lived with him. Prosecutors argued that White has shown no remorse for his actions and that he did not suffer from a
solitary lapse in judgment. White was calculated and deliberate with his sexual abuse and would take advantage of the two children while they were sleeping.White is a member of the Cherokee Nation. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The FBI and Mayes County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar, Leah Paisner, and Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Par Funding Principals Charged in a RICO Indictment in Addition to Pending Charges of Securities Fraud, Extortion, Tax Crimes, Perjury, and ObstructionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – A second superseding indictment was filed yesterday charging a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) by three principals of Complete Business Solutions Group, Inc. d/b/a Par Funding (“Par Funding”) and also charging various other crimes included in a previous superseding indictment, including securities fraud, extortionate collection of credit, tax crimes, perjury, obstruction of justice, witness retaliation, and witness tampering, announced United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. These principals are Joseph LaForte, 52, Joseph Cole Barleta (“Joe Cole”), 39, and James LaForte, 46.
A separate indictment was filed charging Joseph LaForte, and his wife, Lisa McElhone, 43, with tax evasion, a conspiracy to avoid paying taxes, and a scheme to avoid paying approximately $1.6 million in income taxes due to the State of Pennsylvania by fraudulently claiming that their residence was Florida, when in fact they resided in Pennsylvania.
According to the second superseding indictment, codefendants Joseph LaForte, Joe Cole, and James LaForte, and others, were part of an association-in-fact RICO enterprise that conspired to commit a number of predicate crimes, including crimes related to the fleecing of Par Funding’s many investors and the extortionate collection of credit from Par Funding’s many merchant-customers. The indictment alleges that when the defendants were sued civilly by the SEC in July 2020, which resulted in a receivership taking over control of Par Funding, the enterprise took various illegal steps to attempt to regain control of Par Funding and to “defeat” the government, including through acts of obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and retaliation. The enterprise was structured with Joe LaForte as its leader and final decisionmaker, and it operated through various family members and close associates.
The indictment alleges that the principal purposes of the LaForte Enterprise were as follows:
- to generate money for its leadership, members, and associates through the commission of various criminal acts, such as securities fraud, wire fraud, the extortionate collection of debt, obstruction of justice, and retaliation;
- to conceal from investors, auditors, the government, and law enforcement that its members were self-dealing and enriching themselves to the detriment of Par Funding’s investors;
- to conceal Joseph LaForte’s identity, criminal history, and role as the leader of the enterprise and the functional Chief Executive Officer of Par Funding from Par Funding’s investors, customers, and auditors, and from the government and law enforcement, including through misrepresentations, false statements, and other means;
- to use extortionate means, including threats of violence, to collect money owed to Par Funding by its merchant-customers;
- to maintain control over Par Funding after Par Funding was put under the control of a court-appointed receiver, including by acts of obstruction and retaliation intended to frustrate and interfere with the receiver’s efforts to control Par Funding; and
- to protect the enterprise and its members from detection, apprehension, and prosecution by law enforcement.
It is alleged that as part of their fundraising efforts, these defendants and their conspirators caused false and misleading information to be conveyed to investors regarding various issues, including:
- Joseph LaForte’s true name, his role at Par Funding, and his criminal history;
- Par Funding’s underwriting process;
- the diversity of the company’s MCA portfolio;
- Par Funding’s default rate;
- Par Funding’s financial success and profitability;
- the company’s insurance; and
- the defendants’ self-dealing.
For instance, the indictment alleges that although Joseph LaForte operated Par Funding and referred to it as his business, he concealed this ownership and control by using his wife, Lisa McElhone, as his nominee. Joseph LaForte also used several aliases, such as “Joe Mack,” while working at the company. It is alleged that Joseph LaForte, Joe Cole, James LaForte, and their conspirators engaged in this deception to conceal Joseph LaForte’s true role as the person operating the company and his significant criminal history from investors.
The indictment also alleges that Joseph LaForte and James LaForte conspired with an individual named Renato “Gino” Gioe to participate in the extortionate collection of credit. It is alleged that during the course of Par Funding’s operations, these individuals made hostile, threatening, and intimidating communications to Par Funding’s customers in person and over the telephone in order to collect on delinquent MCAs. For example, the indictment alleges that Joseph LaForte threatened to “blow up” a delinquent customer’s home in May 2019 and asked another delinquent customer in August 2019 whether the customer had heard of “cement shoes.” In addition, the indictment alleges that in May 2018, James LaForte told one customer that he was a “soldier for the family” who had torched people’s cars and kicked people’s teeth in.
Furthermore, the indictment alleges that Joseph LaForte committed a variety of tax crimes. It is alleged that Joseph LaForte committed tax crimes by failing to report millions of dollars in cash kickbacks that he personally received from a Par Funding customer, and by regularly paying cash wages to Par Funding employees but not withholding taxes from these wages or reporting them to the IRS.
It is further alleged that Joseph LaForte and Joe Cole each committed perjury twice during depositions in federal lawsuits against Par Funding, making misrepresentations regarding various matters. For instance, the indictment alleges that Joseph LaForte lied under oath about his knowledge of his wife’s role at Par Funding, Joe Cole’s role at the company, and the company’s default rate. The indictment alleges that Joe Cole lied under oath about who was on Par Funding’s credit committee (which Joseph LaForte ran) and who ran Par Funding.
Finally, the indictment alleges that Joseph LaForte and James LaForte engaged in obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and retaliation. Specifically, it is alleged that in late February 2023, on the streets of Center City Philadelphia, James LaForte, with the assistance of and in coordination with Joseph LaForte, physically assaulted counsel for the receiver for Par Funding in a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Southern District of Florida. Moreover, in connection with the same lawsuit, the indictment alleges that Joseph LaForte threatened to cause serious bodily injury to another individual in November 2022. Lastly, it is alleged that James LaForte made threats of violence to multiple parties in early 2023, in an effort to interfere with the SEC lawsuit, a federal grand jury investigation, and an anticipated federal prosecution, as well as to retaliate against these parties.
If convicted of all counts charged against them, the defendants are facing decades or more of imprisonment, and they also face full restitution, a fine, and a period of supervised release and/or probation.
In a separate indictment, it is alleged that Joseph LaForte and Lisa McElhone committed several tax crimes. For instance, it is alleged that the married couple defrauded the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania out of more than approximately $1.6 million of state taxes by falsely claiming to be residents of Florida, even though they worked, lived, and spent more than 300 days per year in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, the indictment alleges that Joseph LaForte and Lisa McElhone worked together to evade the payment of over half a million dollars of employment taxes that had been imposed on Joseph LaForte in connection with companies that he had operated in the mid-2000s.
An indictment charging Complete Business Solutions Group, Inc., doing business as Par Funding, with wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy, was also filed.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, and Pennsylvania State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Murray, Alexandra Lastowski, and Matthew Newcomer. The SEC in Florida investigated and litigated the civil securities fraud charges, which formed the basis of a portion of the criminal prosecution.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Own Every Dollar Gang Member Pleads Guilty to 2022 MurderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty plea today of MAYOVANEX RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Menorcito,” in connection with his criminal activities as a member of the violent gang Own Every Dollar (“OED”), including the 2022 murder of Anthony Savarese. RODRIGUEZ pled guilty today to several charges, including murder through use of a firearm, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On February 7, 2022, Mayovanex Rodriguez shot and killed Anthony Savarese in the head at point-blank range in the Bronx. That murder is just one of the many acts of violence that members and associates of OED have committed that have terrorized Washington Heights and surrounding communities. This plea is a reminder that this Office will relentlessly pursue any gangs who threaten the safety of New Yorkers and that gang members who commit violent crimes will be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
RODRIGUEZ is a member of the violent gang OED, a subset of the Trinitarios gang based in and around the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. The indictments in this case charge 24 members and associates of OED with numerous violent crimes, including five murders and 15 attempted murders.
On February 7, 2022, shortly after midnight, RODRIGUEZ attempted to commit a gunpoint robbery of 41-year-old Anthony Savarese on Andrews Avenue between West 183rd Street and West Fordham Road in the Bronx. During the attempted robbery, RODRIGUEZ shot Savarese in the head from point-blank range, killing him.
Nine other defendants previously pled guilty in the case.
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RODRIGUEZ, 29, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. RODRIGUEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken on May 30, 2024.
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 defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah L. Kushner, Kevin Mead, and Ashley C. Nicolas are in charge of the prosecution.
Norwell Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Norwell man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to felony narcotics charges.
Frederick Dechristoforo, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 6, 2024. Dechristoforo was arrested in November 2022 and indicted in December 2022.
In December 2021, a search was conducted at Dechristoforo’s residence in Norwell where several hundred counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl were recovered in the kitchen.Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Tolkoff and John Reynolds of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Nogales Man Indicted for Trafficking in FirearmsRead the Press Release
Firearms Trafficker Found with Multiple Rifles, Pistols, and Magazines
TUCSON, Ariz. – On February 21, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Jose Rene Murrieta, 30, of Nogales, on one count of Smuggling Goods from the United States, Felony Receipt of a Firearm, and Conspiracy to Smuggle Firearms Out of the United States to Promote a Felony.
The complaint alleges that on January 23, 2024, Murrieta attempted to exit the United States and enter the Republic of Mexico through the DeConcini Port of Entry. After a search of Murrieta’s vehicle, United States Customs and Border Protection Officers located multiple rifles, pistols, and magazines. During an interview, Murietta admitted he was smuggling the items to Mexico in exchange for money.
Smuggling Goods from the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Felony Receipt of a Firearm and Conspiracy to Smuggle Firearms Out of the United States to Promote a Felony carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted under 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.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel Walters, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00786-SHR-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-022_Murrieta# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.New Jersey man sentenced for COVID-19 fraudRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James Okolo, 61, of West Orange, New Jersey, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Michael DiGiacomo, who handled the case, stated that Okolo and others devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration out of over $700,000 in CARES Act money designated for businesses suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme involved the submission of fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster loan applications under the names of various businesses. Okolo’s role in the scheme was to find a bank account where the fraudulent loan proceeds were to be deposited.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso.
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Missoula man sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for trafficking methRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community was sentenced today to 11 years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kevin Dean McLeod, 54, pleaded guilty in October of 2023 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force began investigating McLeod in the Spring of 2023. McLeod sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant, and later to an undercover agent, for a total of five times during the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation.
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.
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Mississippi Man Indicted on Firearm and Counterfeiting ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Bryan Lyndell Chapman (26, Mississippi) with one count of manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, one count of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Chapman faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the counterfeiting offenses, up to 15 years in federal prison on the firearm offense, and payment of restitution to the victims he allegedly defrauded. The indictment also notifies Chapman that the United States intends to forfeit a Bushmaster Firearms pistol, ammunition, and a printer traceable to the offenses. Chapman was arrested on February 26, 2024, and ordered detained.
According to the indictment and public records, from 2023 into 2024, Chapman manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. He then defrauded businesses by passing the counterfeit currency. At the time of his arrest, Chapman was out on bond for a pending felony firearm charge in the state of Mississippi. He also was previously convicted of a felony in state court in Tennessee. As a convicted felon, Chapman is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office, and the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
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.
Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Ashton Louis Apachito pleaded guilty in federal court to assault of an intimate partner by strangling. Apachito, 19, of Mescalero and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to publicly available court documents, on July 19, 2023, Apachito assaulted his girlfriend, Jane Doe, at his mother’s house. Following the incident, Jane Doe left the residence to stay with her mother. Over the next several days, Apachito harassed Jane Doe by phone and threatened to throw all of her belongings in the road. On July 29, Jane Doe returned to the residence to collect her belongings, at which time Apachito attacked Jane Doe, pushing her to the ground, kicking her in the stomach multiple times and choking her. The next morning, Jane Doe called her mother and asked her to pick her up. Jane Doe’s mother reported the domestic violence to BIA and Jane Doe was transported to the Lincoln County Medica Center for treatment.
At sentencing, Apachito faces up to 10 years imprisonment.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
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Meridian Man Pleads Guilty to Escaping from Federal Re-Entry CenterRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man pleaded guilty today to escaping from a federal facility.
According to court documents and facts admitted by the defendant in open court, Timothy Louis Jones, Jr., 36, escaped the Bureau of Prisons residential re-entry center at which he was confined. Jones was permitted to leave the facility in the morning to go to work but was required to return to the facility each evening immediately after work. In November 2023, Jones went to work but never returned to the facility despite repeated calls from staff at the facility. Jones was eventually taken into custody in Alabama by the U.S. Marshals Service. Such conduct is prohibited by federal law.
Jones will be sentenced on May 7, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and U.S. Marshal Mark B. Shepherd made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.
Meriden Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KENNETH MICHAEL STROTHERS, 27, of Meriden, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to federal robbery charges.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation by the FBI and several local police departments into a series of armed robberies that occurred across Connecticut in early 2021. The investigation revealed that Strothers committed at least 10 robberies over an approximately two-week period.
Strothers pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (“Hobbs Act robbery”) and specifically admitted that he robbed businesses in Wethersfield and New Britain.
On February 9, 2021, Strothers entered the Valero gas station store at 930 Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield, used a firearm to pistol-whip the store clerk in the head, stole approximately $260 from two cash registers, and fled the scene in a stolen car. The store clerk was hospitalized with a serious head wound.
On February 10, 2021, Strothers entered Broad Street Pawn at 210 Broad Street in New Britain, used a firearm to pistol-whip a store employee in the head, stole approximately $2,000, and fled the scene with two associates in a stolen truck. Three children of the store owner hid in a bathroom during the robbery.
Strothers was arrested on February 12, 2021, and investigators seized from him the handgun he used during the robberies. He has been detained in state custody since his arrest.
At sentencing, Strothers faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. Under the terms of a binding plea agreement, if accepted by the court, the parties have agreed that an effective sentence of 14 years of imprisonment is appropriate in this case.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Britain Police Department, the Wethersfield Police Department, the Newington Police Department, the Cromwell Police Department, the West Hartford Police Department, the Meriden Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.
Massachusetts Drug Courier Sentenced for Transporting CocaineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Steven R. Windoloski, 33, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, was sentenced on February 27, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Windoloski to 51 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Windoloski’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On August 11, 2022, a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol conducted a traffic stop of a Mitsubishi Outlander in Hershey, Nebraska. Windoloski was the driver. Troopers searched the vehicle and located approximately 100 bricks of cocaine with each brick weighing approximately one kilogram. Windoloski knew he was transporting the cocaine and he intended to distribute it.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Using Straw Purchaser to Illegally Buy 33 Firearms in VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Temple Hills, Maryland man pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the straw purchase of 33 guns from Virginia firearms dealers.
According to court documents, Melvin Plowden, 34, a convicted felon, arranged for a co-conspirator with no prior felony convictions to purchase firearms on Plowden’s behalf, which Plowden resold. Plowden instructed the co-conspirator on which firearms to purchase and gave him money to pay for the firearms.
Between October 2019 and June 2020, the co-conspirator purchased 33 firearms from federal firearms dealers in Virginia, all on Plowden’s behalf. Of the firearms straw-purchased by the co-conspirator, 17 have been recovered in connection with criminal activity or from individuals prohibited from possessing the firearms, including Plowden. In June 2020, Plowden was arrested following an incident in Oxon Hill, Maryland, and one of the straw-purchased firearms was found in his possession.
Plowden is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cristina C. Stam and Megan Braun are 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 of Justice 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-198.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder for a Fatal Shooting in Northeast D.C. in November 2023Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Andre Hicks, 40, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to second degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Daniel Adams, 34, of Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 3, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, around 9:10 p.m. on November 25, 2023, Hicks approached 1705 Benning Road Northeast, Washington, D.C., on foot. Several people were standing inside and immediately out front of that address. The victim, Daniel Adams, was one of the people standing out front. After walking up to the address and going up its front stairs, the defendant stood for a moment by the front door, looking back in the direction of Mr. Adams. The defendant then pulled a gun out of his pants and held it to his side, away from and out of view of the victim. With the gun out, the defendant started to slowly walk back down the steps in front of that building toward where the victim was standing. Once the defendant had come within a few feet of the victim, he drew his gun up, pointed it at the victim, and started firing repeatedly. Hicks continued to fire at Mr. Adams as Mr. Adams ran away. Hicks then fled the scene. Mr. Adams was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his gunshot wounds and died the next day.
This case was investigated by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alec Levy.
Marijuana User Who Possessed Firearms Sentenced to Three Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who possessed multiple firearms, including one with a device to convert it into a fully automatic weapon was sentenced February 26, 2024, to three years in federal prison.
Jacqusyn Zechariah Grubb, age 21, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 29, 2023 guilty plea to possessing a firearm as a marijuana user.
Evidence in the case showed that Grubb possessed multiple firearms, including one that had a conversion device attached making it a fully automatic weapon, and high-capacity magazines. Grubb also possessed a personally made firearm, also known as a “ghost gun.” The court also found Grubb possessed a firearm in connection with the offense of possession for marijuana with intent to deliver.
Grubb was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Grubb was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Grubb is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-cr-1014.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Manhattan Man Convicted at Trial of Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Erin Keegan, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced the conviction of NELSON OLIVO on charges of narcotics trafficking conspiracy. The defendant was found guilty yesterday following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni. OLIVO will be sentenced on June 27, 2024, by Judge Caproni.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Yesterday, a unanimous jury found that Nelson Olivo agreed with others to sell large amounts of deadly drugs, including fentanyl, in New York City. Olivo posed a danger to the community through his involvement in the distribution of dangerous narcotics, including fentanyl—the deadliest drug our nation has ever encountered. Together with our law enforcement partners, this Office will continue to be hyper-focused on combatting the fentanyl crisis by holding narcotics traffickers, such as Nelson Olivo, responsible for their actions.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan said: “Nelson Olivo’s conviction signals the public’s understanding not only of the brazen severity of his crimes, but also of the continued, deadly impacts of the drug epidemic, especially fentanyl, on our country. HSI, in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, seized over 5,500 pounds of fentanyl in the first two months of fiscal year 2024 – with more than 3,000 pounds seized in November alone. I commend HSI New York and our law enforcement partners within the El Dorado Task Force for their continued efforts toward securing justice and, in turn, saving lives.”
According to the Indictment, public filings, and evidence presented at trial:
From about July 2022 to about October 12, 2022, OLIVO operated a stash house in the Bronx where he worked with co-conspirators to distribute wholesale and retail quantities of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and other narcotics.
On October 12, 2022, a search warrant was executed on OLIVO’s Bronx stash house after he and his co-conspirators were seen attempting to empty the house of evidence of their drug conspiracy. The search of the house and cars outside it recovered approximately one kilogram of pills containing methamphetamine; fentanyl in pill and powder form, including fentanyl mixed with the dangerous animal tranquilizer xylazine; additional narcotics; two kilo presses and a kilo stamp; and other narcotics paraphernalia and ammunition. At trial, text messages, photographs, video evidence, and wiretap recordings of the defendant’s phone, established that the defendant had returned to the U.S. in June 2022 to set up the stash house after having spent the prior 18 months in Colombia, where he participated in manufacturing large amounts of cocaine in a jungle laboratory. Below are photographs of some of the evidence recovered in this case.
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OLIVO, 46, of New York, New York, was convicted by a jury of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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 defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the El Dorado Task Force, which is comprised of law enforcement officers from HSI, the New York State Police, the Inspector General for the New York City Housing Authority, the Nassau County Sherriff’s Department, and the Fort Lee Police Department.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jane Y. Chong and Matthew R. Shahabian are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Owen Foley and Jayda Foote.
Man Sentenced for Smuggling Machineguns and Silencers into the United States, Which He Then Sold on Facebook MarketplaceRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for smuggling machineguns and firearm silencers into the United States, which he then sold on Facebook Marketplace.
According to court documents, John Patrick Gordon Dane, 36, ordered firearm parts from black-market websites. These parts included Glock switches, also referred to as auto-sears, which are small devices that can be attached to handguns, converting semi-automatic pistols into machine pistols capable of fully automatic fire. Because a switch causes a firearm to expel more than one projectile with a single pull of the trigger, the part is classified as a machinegun under federal law. Dane also purchased firearm silencers from the black-market websites. The firearm parts were shipped to Dane’s residence with manifests that disguised the contents of the packages.
On January 10, 2023, law enforcement officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Virginia Beach Police Department executed a search warrant at Dane’s residence. During the search, investigators found Dane in a shed on his property that he used to assemble and modify firearms. Investigators seized 17 firearms from the shed. The recovered firearms included an AR-15 rifle that had been converted to fire as a machinegun. Investigators also located a Glock firearm with a large capacity magazine, pictured below, that had a switch affixed to it in an attempt to allow it to fire fully automatic. Other firearms recovered from the shed included “ghost guns,” or firearms manufactured without serial numbers.
Dane had been previously convicted of a felony offense in 2012 in Virginia.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of the Virginia Beach Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle 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 of Justice 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-104.
Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threat to Michigan Election WorkerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Indiana man pleaded guilty today to sending a communication that included a threat of violence to an election worker in Michigan.
“Andrew Nickels threatened that he and millions of so-called ‘patriots’ would kill an election worker in Michigan. Among other threats, he said the local public official deserved a ‘throat to the knife’ for saying that there were no irregularities in the election,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Election officials and workers play a critical role in safeguarding free and fair elections. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who seek to undermine this core tenet of our democracy by threatening election officials with violence.”
According to court documents, on or about Nov. 10, 2020, Andrew Nickels, 37, of Carmel, called the clerk of a local municipality and left a voicemail threatening to kill the local official. As part of the message, Nickels stated, in part, “We’re watching your…mouth talk about how you think that there’s no irregularities…[Y]ou frauded out America of a real election.” Nickels then told the clerk that “you’re gonna pay for it,” and described how “ten million plus patriots will surround you when you least expect it.” He continued, in relevant part: “[W]e’ll [expletive] kill you…[Y]ou will [expletive] pay for your [expletive] lying ass remarks…We will [expletive] take you out. [Expletive] your family, [expletive] your life, and you deserve a [expletive] throat to the knife…Watch your [expletive] back…watch your [expletive] back.”
“No public official should face the violent threats that the victim in this case did, just for doing their job of ensuring the fairness and integrity our federal, state, and local elections,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Today’s guilty plea should send a clear message that those who engage in this egregious conduct will be held accountable.”
“Those who work to ensure the integrity of our democratic process should be able to continue without fear of intimidation or violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI will not tolerate threats against any local, state, or federal elections workers and will continue working with our law enforcement partners to mitigate such threats.”
Nickels pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Detroit Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson for the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threat to Michigan Election WorkerRead the Press Release
An Indiana man pleaded guilty today to sending a communication that included a threat of violence to an election worker in Michigan.
“Andrew Nickels threatened that he and millions of so-called ‘patriots’ would kill an election worker in Michigan. Among other threats, he said the local public official deserved a ‘throat to the knife’ for saying that there were no irregularities in the election,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Election officials and workers play a critical role in safeguarding free and fair elections. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who seek to undermine this core tenet of our democracy by threatening election officials with violence.”
According to court documents, on or about Nov. 10, 2020, Andrew Nickels, 37, of Carmel, called the clerk of a local municipality and left a voicemail threatening to kill the local official. As part of the message, Nickels stated, in part, “We’re watching your…mouth talk about how you think that there’s no irregularities…[Y]ou frauded out America of a real election.” Nickels then told the clerk that “you’re gonna pay for it,” and described how “ten million plus patriots will surround you when you least expect it.” He continued, in relevant part: “[W]e’ll [expletive] kill you…[Y]ou will [expletive] pay for your [expletive] lying ass remarks…We will [expletive] take you out. [Expletive] your family, [expletive] your life, and you deserve a [expletive] throat to the knife…Watch your [expletive] back…watch your [expletive] back.”
“No public official should face the violent threats that the victim in this case did, just for doing their job of ensuring the fairness and integrity our federal, state, and local elections,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Today’s guilty plea should send a clear message that those who engage in this egregious conduct will be held accountable.”
“Those who work to ensure the integrity of our democratic process should be able to continue without fear of intimidation or violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI will not tolerate threats against any local, state, or federal elections workers and will continue working with our law enforcement partners to mitigate such threats.”
Nickels pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Detroit Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson for the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Over two years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Terry L. Christianson, 66, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 26, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Christianson to 180 months’ imprisonment for the drug offense, a concurrent 120 months’ imprisonment for the firearm offense, and ordered that he forfeit $7,125. There is no parole in the federal system. After Christianson’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On March 27, 2022, officers in Lincoln, Nebraska stopped Christianson for a traffic violation. During the stop, an officer saw the handle of a handgun inside Christianson’s vehicle. Officers searched the truck and recovered a revolver, a safe containing $7,125, and a cooler containing approximately 340 grams (about 12 ounces) of actual meth. Christianson had previously been convicted of a felony offense.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Lexington Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that David Murcia-Retana, 21, of Lexington, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 27, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Murcia-Retana to 60- months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Murcia-Retana release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On May 25, 2021, in Lexington, law enforcement agents executed a controlled buy of meth from Murcia-Retana. A confidential informant (“the CI”) met with Murcia-Retana at a location in Lexington and provided Murcia-Retana with $1,200 in exchange for meth. The CI then provided the meth to the agents. The meth was laboratory tested and confirmed to be approximately 45 grams of actual meth.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Leader of Real Estate Investment Firm Admits Role in $658 Million Ponzi Scheme and Multimillion-Dollar Tax Evasion ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The shadow chief executive officer of National Realty Investment Advisors LLC (NRIA) today admitted orchestrating a scheme to defraud more than 2,000 investors in a $658 million Ponzi scheme and conspiring to evade millions of dollars in tax liabilities, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Thomas Nicholas Salzano, aka “Nicholas Salzano,” 65, of Secaucus, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Salzano admitted he made numerous misrepresentations to investors while he secretly ran NRIA behind the scenes. He also admitted to misappropriating millions of dollars from investors to enrich himself and his family and friends.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“For years, Salzano told lie after lie to investors, continuously deceived them, and operated his business as a Ponzi scheme, through which he stole money from thousands of investors. His greed and flagrant disregard for the law caused staggering losses in excess of $650 million. This office will continue to prioritize prosecuting individuals, like Salzano, to ensure that those who engage in rampant fraud are punished with long jail sentences and are ordered to make their victims whole.”
“Many people who decide to invest have to put a lot of faith in so-called financial experts, hoping their money grows and doesn’t one day disappear,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Salzano admits he played a role in a scam that cost investors $658 million. History has shown over and over and over again, Ponzi schemes don't ever pay out, yet criminals keep trying to beat the system. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners are doing all we can to help the victims in this case. We want others who may have faced a similar situation to contact us so we can help you as well.”
“Salzano not only victimized thousands of investors, but he also defrauded honest taxpayers by concealing his income from the IRS and evading his tax liability to the tune of millions of dollars,” IRS – Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis Jr., Boston Field Office, said. “Today’s guilty plea by Salzano demonstrates how IRS – Criminal Investigation will continue to use their financial expertise to identify and investigate these types of investor fraud schemes with our law enforcement partners.”
As part of his plea agreement, Salzano has agreed to a prison term of eight to 12 years, a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $8.52 million, and he has agreed to pay full restitution of $507.4 million to the victims of his offenses.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From February 2018 through January 2022, Salzano and others defrauded investors and potential investors of NRIA Partners Portfolio Fund I LLC (the “Fund”), a real estate fund operated by NRIA, of $650 million through lies, deception, misleading statements, and material omissions. These included the financial position of NRIA, the manner in which the defendants and their conspirators used Fund investor money, and Salzano’s managerial role at NRIA and his history of fraud.
The defendants executed their scheme through an aggressive multiyear, nationwide marketing campaign that involved thousands of emails to investors; advertisements on billboards, television, and radio; and meetings and presentations to investors. Salzano led and directed the marketing campaign, which employed deception, material misrepresentations and omissions, and falsified documents to manipulate investors, which were intended to mislead Fund investors into believing that NRIA was a solvent business that generated significant profits. In reality, NRIA generated little to no profits and operated as a Ponzi scheme, which was kept afloat by new investors. Despite investing almost none of their own capital into the business, the defendants misappropriated millions of dollars of investor money to support their lavish lifestyles, including expensive dinners, extravagant birthday parties, and payments to family and associates who did not work at NRIA.
Salzano concealed his true managerial role at NRIA in an effort to avoid scrutiny from investors of Salzano’s history of fraud at a large telecommunications company. In addition to defrauding investors, Salzano orchestrated a separate conspiracy to obstruct, impede, and impair the IRS in its effort to collect millions of dollars in outstanding taxes Salzano owed to the U.S. Treasury by, among other things, lying to the IRS, using a web of nominees, opening bank accounts in the names of phony entities, and using false and fraudulent company documents.
Conspiring to defraud the United States carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The securities fraud count and the wire fraud conspiracy count are both punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement, the maximum prison term that can be imposed on Salzano is 12 years. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Chavis in Boston; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation, with assistance from FBI Headquarters Criminal Investigative Division and the Department of Justice Tax Division.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Fayer, Lauren E. Repole, and John Mezzanotte, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division, with assistance from Trial Attorney Samuel B. Bean of the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division.
salzano.indictment.pdfJustin Gebo Pleads Guilty to Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Justin Gebo pleaded guilty today in connection with his possession of firearms as a prohibited person, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Justin Gebo, 29, pleaded guilty to two counts of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, including being in possession of a firearm while under indictment and being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2024.
According to the charging documents, on or about January 1, 2023, Gebo was in receipt of a Ceska Zrojovka (“CZ”) model Scorpion EVO 3, S2, 9x19mm short-barreled rifle, with an attached armbrace, while he was under felony indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. That firearm was later recovered during a homicide investigation on June 3, 2023, in Franklin, New Hampshire. In addition, on or about February 3, 2023, Gebo was in possession of a 17 Design and Manufacturing, model 17DM-15, multicaliber rifle, after he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The charge of felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm wile under indictment provides for a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police and the Laconia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W.R. Ward is prosecuting the case.
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Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Miami-Based Return PreparerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a complaint today seeking to bar a Miami-area return preparer from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others.
The civil complaint against Aniel Saint-Hilaire was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The complaint alleges that Saint-Hilaire, through his numerous business entities, prepares federal income tax returns for Miami-area taxpayers on which he claims fraudulent deductions and credits to purposely underreport the tax his customers owe and claim refunds they are not entitled to receive. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Saint-Hilaire prepared returns with false or inflated deductions, business expenses and business losses, as well as false claims for residential energy credits, fuel tax credits and other credits. The complaint also alleges that Saint-Hilaire hides his tax preparation activity by failing to properly identify himself on the tax returns that he prepares.
The government further alleges that Saint-Hilaire files thousands of tax returns each year, with approximately 99% of the returns he prepares claiming a refund. By repeatedly understating his customers’ tax liabilities, the complaint alleges that the United States has been harmed by Saint-Hilaire’s conduct, resulting in the significant loss in tax revenue of an estimated $16.5 million each year. According to the complaint, in addition to seeking an injunction against Saint-Hilaire, the government requested an order of disgorgement to prevent Saint-Hilaire from profiting from his violation of the internal revenue laws.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers guidance on the credentials and qualifications that taxpayers should seek from their return preparer.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
India- and New Jersey-Based Jeweler Charged with Multimillion-Dollar International Trade Fraud Scheme and Unlicensed Money TransmittingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An India- and New Jersey-based man who operated jewelry companies in New York City’s Diamond District was charged with spearheading a scheme to illegally evade customs duties for millions of dollars of jewelry imports into the United States and with illegally processing millions of dollars through unlicensed money transmitting businesses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Monishkumar Kirankumar Doshi Shah, aka “Monish Doshi Shah,” 39, of Mumbai, India, and Jersey City, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. He was arrested over the weekend and appeared appear on Feb. 26, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court. Shah was released on $100,000 bond, with home detention and location monitoring.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2015 through September 2023, Shah engaged in a scheme to evade duties for shipments of jewelry from Turkey and India to the United States. Shah would ship or instruct his conspirators to ship goods from Turkey or India – which would have been subject to an approximately 5.5 percent duty if shipped directly to the United States – to one of Shah’s companies in South Korea. Shah’s conspirators in South Korea would change the labels on the jewelry to state that they were from South Korea instead of Turkey or India, and then ship them to Shah or his customers in the United States, thereby unlawfully evading the duty. Shah would also make and instruct his customers to make fake invoices and packing lists to make it look like Shah’s South Korean companies were actually ordering jewelry from Turkey or India. During the scheme, Shah shipped millions of dollars of jewelry from South Korea to the United States.
From July 2020 through November 2021, Shah operated numerous purported jewelry companies in New York City’s Diamond District, including MKore LLC (MKore), MKore USA Inc. (MKore USA), and Vruman Corp. (Vruman). Shah used these entities to conduct millions of dollars in illegal financial transactions for customers – including converting cash to checks or wire transfers. Shah would also collect cash from customers and use conspirators’ jewelry companies, which were also located in the Diamond District, to convert the cash into wires or checks. At times, Shah and his conspirators moved more than a million dollars of cash in a single day. In exchange for their services, Shah and his conspirators charged a fee. None of Shah’s or his conspirators’ companies were registered as money transmitting businesses with New York, New Jersey, or the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
The wire fraud conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. The charge of operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an illegal money transmitting business carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Each count is also punishable by a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; special agents with Homeland Security Investigations New York, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso; and officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of New York/Newark, under the direction of Port Director TenaVel Thomas, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New York; Homeland Security Investigations in Seoul, South Korea; the Korea Customs Service in South Korea; the Seoul Customs Special Investigation Office in South Korea; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Paterson; the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department; the Morristown Police Department; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General; and the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marko Pesce and Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark, with assistance from William Kanellis of the Department of Justice Trade Fraud Task Force.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
shah.complaint.pdfHackensack Tax Preparer Admits Tax Evasion, Assisting in Preparation of 50 False Tax Returns, and Filing False Declarations on Quarterly Tax Returns for BusinessRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, woman today admitted to tax evasion, to helping her clients file falsified tax returns that generated larger refunds, and to filing false declarations on quarterly tax returns for her tax return preparation business, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Joshlyn Raye, 49, of Elmwood Park, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an information charging her with one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return; one count of tax evasion; and one count of filing a false declaration under penalty of perjury concerning a quarterly tax return on behalf of her tax return business.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2010 to September 2023, Raye was the owner of JB Tax Services, a tax return preparation business in Hackensack, New Jersey. She knowingly and willfully evaded her personal income taxes over three of those years; filed 50 false tax returns on behalf of her clients; and filed three false quarterly employment tax returns on behalf of her tax return preparation business. Raye used fabricated and inflated figures, including expenses and itemized deductions.
The counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return and filing a false declaration under penalty of perjury each carry a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of tax evasion carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of her plea agreement, Raye has agreed to pay the government restitution of $676,168, and to file amended tax returns. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the National Security Unit in Newark.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Re-Entering the CountryRead the Press Release
Defendant was Under the Influence of Alcohol During Single Vehicle Wreck, Killing Passenger
OKLAHOMA CITY – Last week, LUIS EMILIO XIVIR-COYOY, 30, of Guatemala, was sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison for illegal re-entry after prior removal from the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 17, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Xivir-Coyoy with illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to the Indictment, Xivir-Coyoy was found to be in the United States illegally after he was removed from the United States previously in 2012.
According to public record, in October of 2023, Xivir-Coyoy was the driver of a vehicle that struck a pole and caught fire in Oklahoma City. When first responders arrived, they found a passenger in the backseat of the burning vehicle who was trapped and severely burned. The passenger later died as a result of injuries. Public record further reflects that Xivir-Coyoy fled the scene following the accident, but was arrested a short time later by Oklahoma City Police. Xivir-Coyoy was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash and had an outstanding warrant from Oklahoma County for a driving under the influence charge in 2022.
On November 27, 2023, Xivir-Coyoy pleaded guilty to the federal immigration offense, and admitted he re-entered the United States after prior removal without consent.
On Thursday, February 22, 2024, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Xivir-Coyoy to serve 24 months in federal prison. In announcing his sentence, Judge Friot noted the extenuating facts and circumstances of the case and the need for deterrence.
Public records reflect that Xivir-Coyoy has state charges pending in Oklahoma County District Court related to the incident.
This case is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Dillon prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Grand jury indicts 2 local men in narcotics conspiracy, gun crimesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A federal grand jury has indicted two local men with crimes related to trafficking narcotics and illegally possessing firearms.
Raymond Gerard McClure, 42, of Dayton, and Christopher Michael Doerr, 32, of Middletown, are charged in an 8-count indictment.
According to the charging document, the defendants conspired from October 2023 until February 2024 to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.
The drugs included 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogue and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
On Feb. 7, it is alleged Doerr possessed bulk amounts of narcotics within 1,000 feet of Middletown Early Learning Center and Oakland Park.
McClure and Doerr are each charged with illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony crime and in furtherance of a serious drug offense.
The narcotics conspiracy as charged in this case is punishable by at least five and up to 40 years in prison. Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a serious drug offense carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit Division; and Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi is representing the United States in this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States 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 merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Four-Time Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kristian Ramos (43, Kissimmee) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Ramos faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on May 23, 2023, Ramos possessed a Beretta Nano 9mm handgun. At the time of the offense, Ramos had prior felony convictions for robbery with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance, and robbery. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sherriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.
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.
Four Individuals Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging and Price Fixing in Ongoing Investigation of Oklahoma Transportation Construction ContractorsRead the Press Release
Four erosion control company owners or managers pleaded guilty to rigging bids and fixing prices as part of a conspiracy targeting a total of over $100 million in publicly funded transportation construction contracts across Oklahoma.
Stanley Mark Smith, a company owner, pleaded guilty today. Roy Henry Henrich, a former owner and officer of another company, pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2023. Ryan Ashley Sullivan, an owner and executive of a third company, pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2023. James Travis Feazel, a former operations manager of a fourth company, pleaded guilty on Sept. 26, 2023.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City, Smith, Heinrich, Sullivan and Feazel conspired, along with others, to rig bids, fix prices and allocate contracts for erosion control products and services. Starting in 2017, Smith, Heinrich, Sullivan, Feazel and their co-conspirators agreed to raise prices and divvy up contracts across different areas of Oklahoma. As part of this criminal conspiracy, they often sent intentionally high-priced bids or outright refused to bid. Smith — whose company targeted over $42 million worth of contracts as part of the conspiracy — and Feazel — whose company targeted over $50 million worth of contracts — continued conspiring into April 2023. Heinrich — whose company targeted over $7 million worth of contracts — was part of the conspiracy until at least July 2021, and Sullivan was part of the conspiracy until at least April 2019.
“In Oklahoma and across the United States, Americans depend on transportation infrastructure as they travel to work, study, shop and visit family. Protecting fair and open competition for the public contracts that fund this infrastructure has never been more vital,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “These guilty pleas show that the Justice Department and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting anyone who uses criminal schemes to target infrastructure contracts.”
“Protecting fair and open marketplace competition is essential to protect taxpayers and to ensure consumers can trust publicly funded contracts” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “Corporate executives who conspire to rig bids and fix prices will be held accountable. I applaud the detailed work by the investigators and prosecutors in this case.”
“The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) is committed to ensuring that any activity related to price-fixing or bid-rigging involving federal taxpayer dollars for transportation projects in the State of Oklahoma, or elsewhere, is identified and thoroughly investigated,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of DOT-OIG’s Southern Region. “Together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues, we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to hold these offenders accountable and restore equity to the bidding process.”
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the FBI’s ongoing work to eliminate bid rigging and price fixing, and to hold those conducting these activities accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “These criminal acts cheat American workers and consumers while harming competitive markets. The FBI is committed to continuing this important work alongside the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners.”
The defendants each pleaded guilty to a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DOT-OIG and FBI Oklahoma City Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Bethany Lipman, Matthew Grisier and Marc Hedrich of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Farrior for the Western District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Four Individuals Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging and Price Fixing in Ongoing Investigation of Oklahoma Transportation Construction ContractorsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Four erosion control company owners or managers pleaded guilty to rigging bids and fixing prices as part of a conspiracy targeting a total of over $100 million in publicly funded transportation construction contracts across Oklahoma.
Stanley Mark Smith, a company owner, pleaded guilty today. Roy Henry Heinrich, a former owner and officer of another company, pleaded guilty on December 4, 2023. Ryan Ashley Sullivan, an owner and executive of a third company, pleaded guilty on November 6, 2023. James Travis Feazel, a former operations manager of a fourth company, pleaded guilty on September 26, 2023.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City, Smith, Heinrich, Sullivan and Feazel conspired, along with others, to rig bids, fix prices and allocate contracts for erosion control products and services. Starting in 2017, Smith, Heinrich, Sullivan, Feazel and their co-conspirators agreed to raise prices and divvy up contracts across different areas of Oklahoma. As part of this criminal conspiracy, they often sent intentionally high-priced bids or outright refused to bid. Smith — whose company targeted over $42 million worth of contracts as part of the conspiracy — and Feazel — whose company targeted over $50 million worth of contracts — continued conspiring into April 2023. Heinrich — whose company targeted over $7 million worth of contracts — was part of the conspiracy until at least July 2021, and Sullivan was part of the conspiracy until at least April 2019.
“In Oklahoma and across the United States, Americans depend on transportation infrastructure as they travel to work, study, shop and visit family. Protecting fair and open competition for the public contracts that fund this infrastructure has never been more vital,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “These guilty pleas show that the Justice Department and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting anyone who uses criminal schemes to target infrastructure contracts.”
“Protecting fair and open marketplace competition is essential to protect taxpayers and to ensure consumers can trust publicly funded contracts” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “Corporate executives who conspire to rig bids and fix prices will be held accountable. I applaud the detailed work by the investigators and prosecutors in this case.”
“The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) is committed to ensuring that any activity related to price-fixing or bid-rigging involving federal taxpayer dollars for transportation projects in the State of Oklahoma, or elsewhere, is identified and thoroughly investigated,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of DOT-OIG’s Southern Region. “Together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues, we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to hold these offenders accountable and restore equity to the bidding process.”
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the FBI’s ongoing work to eliminate bid rigging and price fixing, and to hold those conducting these activities accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “These criminal acts cheat American workers and consumers while harming competitive markets. The FBI is committed to continuing this important work alongside the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners.”
The defendants each pleaded guilty to a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DOT-OIG and FBI Oklahoma City Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Bethany Lipman, Matthew Grisier and Marc Hedrich of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Farrior for the Western District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Former peace officer convicted of drug trafficking and related crimeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 49-year-old resident of Houston has been convicted of attempted possession with intent to distribute heroin and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani.
A federal jury deliberated for eight hours before convicting Mohammed “Alex” Ahmed Kassem following a four-day trial.
Kassem is a former investigator with the Waller County District Attorney’s (DA) Office. At the trial, the jury heard how he escorted sham heroin and cartel drug money across state lines. He drove from Louisiana to Houston and Houston to San Antonio in his marked police vehicle on three separate occasions for which he was paid a total of $31,000.
Testimony further revealed Kassem hid money in his bulletproof vest and disguised the sham heroin in an evidence bag to avoid detection.
During the trial, audio and video recordings were presented of each transaction and related text messages. The jury also saw bank records of cash deposits made to Kassem’s personal account after each payment.
Kassem took the stand in his own defense claiming he had authority to commit these crimes. Kassem also maintained that he received implicit approval from the Waller County DA to conduct undercover investigations as part of his role at the DA’s Office. However, the jury heard testimony from his former employer which refuted those statements. The jury ultimately did not believe those claims and found him guilty.
“When Alex Kassem wore his Waller County peace officer credentials and Waller County-issued firearm while transporting what he thought were drugs in his Waller County-issued vehicle and then accepted what he thought was cartel drug money, he breached the most sacred of trusts—the trust a community places in its law enforcement,” said Hamdani. “Today’s conviction brings Kassem one step closer to exchanging his peace officer attire for prison-issued garb, and to restoring a trust once lost.”
“Alex Kassem was a criminal in disguise. He cloaked himself in his trusted position as a licensed peace officer and Waller County DA investigator while working to enrich himself by shamelessly moving money and drugs in his work vehicle and hidden in his police vest,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Kassem is now a convicted federal felon thanks to the relentless work of FBI Bryan agents and our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who unmasked his corruption and criminal ways.”
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal presided over the trial and set sentencing for June 13. At that time, Kassem faces up to life in prison for the heroin trafficking conviction and up to 20 years for money laundering. He could also be ordered to pay up to $10 million in fines.
Previously released on bond, Kassem was taken into custody following the conviction where he will remain pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and Heather Winter are prosecuting the case.
Former Washington Resident Indicted for Cocaine ViolationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Matthew Clark, 40, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about December 13, 2023, Clark possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. The Indictment further provides notice of Clark’s prior state court felony convictions for drug trafficking and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
As a result of the defendant’s prior criminal history, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $8 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Grantham Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Almost $240,000 from a Charity and Gambling the Funds AwayRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former Grantham man and current resident of Holly Springs, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord to embezzling almost $240,000 from LISTEN Community Services (LISTEN), an Upper Valley charity that offers multiple services for vulnerable individuals, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Kyle Fisher, 43, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2024. Fisher was charged on May 10, 2023.
Fisher was the Executive Director of LISTEN from approximately August 2016 through October 2022. As Executive Director, Fisher had full access to LISTEN’s finances, including its PayPal account, which it used to collect donations, and its bank account. The defendant made unauthorized transfers from LISTEN’s PayPal and bank accounts to accounts he controlled. He also wrote eight unauthorized checks payable to himself. Fisher then spent the stolen funds on personal expenses, primarily gambling at a casino in Massachusetts.
For example, on January 24, 2022, Fisher withdrew $4,787 from LISTEN’s PayPal account and transferred the funds to his personal bank account. Later that same day, Fisher made multiple withdrawals from his bank account, including at ATMs at the casino. He then deposited a substantial amount of cash into his personal casino account that day. The casino records showed that Fisher continuously gambled on January 24, 2022 and January 25, 2022, and lost a net of $6,719 across those two days.
Fisher also took steps to conceal his embezzlement from LISTEN. For example, he created a fake PayPal statement that showed over $94,000 in payments to Dell. Fisher also provided fraudulent invoices to LISTEN.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lebanon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
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Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Feb. 26, Elieser Sori-Rodriguez, 51, of Pompano Beach, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, for smuggling firearms from the United States to the Dominican Republic.
Sori-Rodriguez conspired to purchase firearms by means of a false statement and smuggle them out of the United States by directing co-conspirators to purchase firearms on his behalf, hiding the firearms inside boxes marked as household goods, and sending the firearms to the Dominican Republic using a freight shipping service. Co-defendants John Thomas Neal, Shane Sepersaude, and William Ilijic assisted Sori-Rodriguez in the conspiracy.
On Nov. 30, Sori-Rodriguez pled guilty to conspiracy to purchase firearms by means of false statement, three counts of purchase of firearms by means of false statement, smuggling firearms from the United States, and delivery of a firearm to a common carrier without written notification. Neal, Sepersaude, and Ilijic previously pled guilty to purchasing a firearm by means of a false statement and were sentenced.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Fort Pierce and ATF investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through the PSN program a broad spectrum of law enforcement and community stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to reduce violence crime and gun violence, and to make our local neighborhoods safer for everyone.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-14016.
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Fifth Defendant Sentenced for Laundering Proceeds of Scams Targeting Elderly U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The fifth and final foreign national convicted for laundering proceeds of a multi-faceted conspiracy, run out of Nigeria, that defrauded elderly U.S. citizens of more than $1.7 million through online scams has been sentenced to federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Dotun Olawale Alonge, 47, of Providence, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 18 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. He pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023, to a charge of money laundering conspiracy.
Elderly individuals in several states, including Rhode Island, were befriended by scammers feigning romantic intentions through online social media platforms and dating sites. Scammers then used the relationships and trust they built to convince victims to provide them with money to assist with business ventures or personal debt.
Other victims were falsely told they had won a sweepstakes, but that upfront cash payments were required to release the funds to the winner; yet other victims were scammed by paying rent to individuals who purported to own property they in fact did not own or control.
“Foreign nationals who believe that Rhode Island seniors are easy prey for fraud schemes should think again,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Preying on the emotions of vulnerable victims to gain access to their hard-earned savings is as despicable as it is devastating, and we and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to make sure that those responsible face justice.”
“These con men had no compunction about swindling elderly victims all over the country out of their hard-earned money and playing on their emotions to do so. What they did wasn’t just cowardly, it was cruel,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “There is no way we can make the victims of these schemes, many who have lost their life savings, whole again. Hopefully, they can find some solace in knowing these fraudsters are now spending time behind bars for their selfish, and disgraceful conduct. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will never stop working to shut down elder fraud schemes like this, to protect older folks from those who want take advantage of them. If you or someone you know has been victimized, please reach out to us.”
According to charging documents and information presented to the court, victims were instructed by scammers in Nigeria to wire cash to bank accounts or to mail payments in the form of cash or money orders to various mailing addresses in Rhode Island controlled by the defendant. To conceal the source and location of the funds, members of the conspiracy moved the money through multiple banks and businesses in Rhode Island, Idaho, and elsewhere. The majority of the proceeds were eventually sent on to Nigeria. Members of the conspiracy also used some of the money to purchase vehicles that were shipped to Nigeria.
Olabode Shaba, 36, formerly of North Providence; Dotun Olawale Oladipupu Shodipo, 44, of Providence; Samson Ikotun, 36, formerly of East Providence; and Oluwaseyi Akintola, 38, formerly of Moscow, Idaho, were previously convicted and sentenced to terms of incarceration in federal prison that range between time served (dating back to their arrest and detention) to 42 months. Each defendant has been ordered to pay approximately $455,750 in restitution joint and several with each other to individuals identified by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to be victims of the scams and who have requested repayment of their losses.
Several of the defendants are facing deportation proceedings after completion of their terms of incarceration.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a sixth defendant, Adetunji Abudu, 38, who is a fugitive from justice.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. McAdams and Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
United States Attorney Cunha thanks United States Customs and Border Patrol; United States Secret Service; Rhode Island State Police; Providence, North Providence, East Providence, and Johnston, RI, Police Departments; Seekonk, Newton, Norfolk, and Hull, MA, Police Departments; New York State Police; Murphysboro, IL, Police Department; Greybull, WY, Police Department; Grand Island, NE, Police Department; Boca Raton, FL, Police Department; Lake County, FL, Sheriff’s Office; Brecknock Township, PA, Police Department; East Ridge, TN, Police Department; and San Angelo, TX, Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
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Felon Pleads to Unlawful Possession of a Short-Barreled Rifle That Was Discovered in His Car Along with PCP and Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Clarence Faulkner, 42, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to federal firearms and drug charges, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Faulkner pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession with intent to distribute (phencyclidine) before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. Sentencing is set for May 31, 2024.
According to court documents, on November 4, 2023, MPD officers were patrolling on the 300 block of 61st Street, NE. They spotted a running unoccupied red sedan parked on the side of the street. Officers got out of their patrol car to investigate. They were able to contact the owner and advise him not to leave his vehicle running and unattended.
Parked in front of the red sedan was a gray Acura. Officers approached the Acura to make sure it had not been tampered with. In plain view, on the rear passenger floorboard, officers saw a clear plastic bag filled with a green leafy substance that officers recognized was a large quantity of marijuana. Officers then opened and searched the vehicle. Inside they recovered more than two pounds of marijuana, 108 grams of cocaine base, six fluid ounces of liquid phencyclidine (PCP), and a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol that had been modified into a short-barreled rifle. The short-barreled rifle was loaded with 28 rounds in a 31-capacity feeding device. Officers also found $38,891 in cash, a wallet with an ID for Clarence Faulkner, mail addressed to Faulkner, and Faulkner’s vehicle registration for the gray Acura in the vehicle. Police stopped and arrested Faulkner, who had been standing on a sidewalk nearby.
Federal law prohibits Faulkner from possessing a firearm because he has multiple prior felony convictions, to include prior convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm.
Faulkner faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Faulkner has been held since his arrest.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and ATF’s Washington Field Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer and Special U.S. Attorney Katherine Toth.
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Federal Jury Finds Minneapolis Bloods Gang Member Guilty of Firearms Violations After Shooting at 38th and Chicago AvenueRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Minneapolis man guilty of possessing ammunition as a felon after participating in a 2022 shooting at 38th and Chicago in South Minneapolis, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of August 7, 2022, Traigh Sean Tillman, 30, was involved in an altercation outside an abandoned Speedway parking lot located at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis. Surveillance video footage shows Tillman armed with a gun as he approached a parked car. Tillman opened the driver’s-side door and began to wrestle with the driver. During the scuffle, Tillman can be seen firing two shots. Tillman accidentally fired the second shot into his own leg. Tillman can then be seen on the surveillance video limping away from the vehicle. Records show he went to the Hennepin County Medical Center, where he provided false accounts of his injuries, then left the hospital against medical advice. According to the indictment, Tillman is a member of the Minneapolis Bloods street gang.
Because Tillman has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Following a two-day trial before Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court, Tillman was found guilty of one count of possession of ammunition as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department. the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and David M. Classen tried the case.
Falls Church Man Charged with Online Posts Threatening Local ChurchRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Falls Church man has been charged by criminal complaint with posting threatening messages online against the congregants of a Haymarket church.
According to the complaint affidavit, Rui Jiang, 35, posted various threatening messages on his Instagram account against Park Valley Church and its congregants. These posts allegedly began on September 23, 2023, and extended into the next day. An acquaintance of Jiang saw these posts and alerted law enforcement on September 24, 2023. A Prince William County Police officer, as well as the church’s private security team, located and detained Jiang on church premises. Jiang allegedly was found to be in possession of a firearm, ammunition, and a knife. The defendant had arrived at the church during a popular Sunday service time with a large congregation in attendance.
According to court documents, Fairfax County Police officers obtained a search warrant to enter Jiang’s residence and allegedly found a letter, dated September 24, 2023, that stated, among other things, “To the families of those men about to be slain – I am sorry for what I have done and about to do.”
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Amy Ashworth, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Prince William County; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Police for Prince William County, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Durham is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-mj-64.
A complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Dubuque Man Who Solicited Explicit Photos from an Eleven-Year-Old Girl Sentenced to Two Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed child sexual abuse material and solicited sexually explicit images from minor children was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison.
Steven Niedert, age 47, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 14, 2023, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Niedert admitted he communicated with an eleven-year-old girl in November and December 2017. The communications occurred using an app called AntiChat, which does not automatically retain copies of communications. During those communications, Niedert asked the girl to send him sexually explicit photos, including two photos in which the victim was digitally penetrating herself. The victim’s mother discovered the communications and reported them to the police.
Police officers used Niedert’s AntiChat and social media usernames to identify him as the individual communicating with the victim. Pursuant to search warrant, officers searched Niedert’s Dubuque home in January 2019. The officers seized numerous electronic devices. Officers discovered thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material on the devices. The files included the explicit images the victim had sent, as well as communications and images Niedert solicited from other minors.
Niedert was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Niedert was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Niedert is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Reinert and Tony Morfitt and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-1007.
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Defendant Sentenced for Violent Assault of FBI Special Agent and Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Cedrick Hill, 31, of Marietta, Ga., has been sentenced to 26 years of imprisonment for the violent assault of an FBI special agent and the sale of multiple kilos of methamphetamine. While trying to evade arrest, Hill drove a vehicle at high speed while the agent was trapped in the driver’s side door of the defendant’s truck, resulting in the agent’s hospitalization for two weeks and a lengthy recovery.
“Determined to escape at all costs, this defendant gravely injured an FBI special agent in the line of duty,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “No sentence can remedy the physical and emotional harm suffered by the agent because of Hill’s conduct, but hopefully this sentence will cause others to think twice before risking harm to law enforcement officers during the performance of their duties. This case is also an important reminder to the community of the risks faced by law enforcement officers daily and the respect and admiration they earn through exceptional acts of bravery taken to protect the public.”
“Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer is dangerous and an extreme threat to public safety. Hill showed absolutely no regard for the life of our agent and caused him extreme harm. We are thankful that the agent has recovered, and Hill is finally being held accountable for his crimes,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case is an important reminder of the risks that our law enforcement officers face every day to keep our communities safe and the length we will go to remove violent offenders from our streets.”
According to United States Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: On October 12, 2017, Cedrick Hill was indicted by a federal grand jury in a 30-defendant indictment alleging various gang-related and drug offenses. Hill was specifically charged with supplying gang members with approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine over the course of two drug transactions. Hill initially avoided arrest by going into hiding, traveling to multiple states via bus and rental cars.
Later, after determining Hill’s location in the early morning hours of January 4, 2018, an FBI special agent encountered Hill in the foyer of a hotel in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and attempted to arrest him. Hill initially complied with the agents’ instructions to put his arms behind his back, but then suddenly began resisting as the agent began to handcuff him. Hill then ran through the lobby of the hotel, jumped over a counter, and bolted from the hotel with the agent in pursuit. As Hill ran to his truck and climbed into the driver’s seat, the agent followed and became lodged in the driver’s side door.
With the agent caught in the door, Hill drove through the parking lot at a high rate of speed, dragging the agent, crushing him at various points of impact in an attempt to shake the agent loose, and breaking the agent’s arm and femur. With his free hand, the agent managed to discharge his service weapon, striking Hill twice. But Hill continued to drive at a high rate of speed, exited the hotel parking lot, crossed Interstate 285, and turned down an access road. Eventually Hill stopped the vehicle, opened the door, and released the seriously injured agent onto the side of the road. The agent managed to call 911 and request medical care for Hill and himself.
The agent’s injuries were extensive, requiring two weeks of hospitalization, multiple surgeries, and 18 months of rehabilitation. He suffered permanent nerve damage in his arm, among other lasting injuries.
U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg sentenced Hill to 26 years in prison, to be followed by 60 months of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Connellsville Resident Indicted for Creating and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of producing and distributing child sexual abuse material, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The two-count Indictment named James Paul Schwarz, 37, as the sole defendant in this case.
According to the Indictment, from in and around October 2022 to in and around September 2023, Schwarz took videos and photos of a minor victim engaged in sexual conduct, then distributed those materials to others.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Corporate Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining over $500,000 from his former employer, New England Sports Network (NESN).
Ariel Legassa, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Legassa was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $580,000 and a $1,000 special assessment. In November 2023, Legassa was convicted of seven counts of mail fraud and three counts of unlawful monetary transactions following a five-day jury trial.
“This was brazen fraud driven by the defendant’s greed. Mr. Legassa violated the faith NESN placed in him as a senior executive to game circumvent the company’s internal controls and line his own pocket. This type of criminal conduct is not just about the stolen money. The abuse of trust inherent in these types of sophisticated white collar schemes leaves a trail of victims,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“Supplementing your paycheck by scamming your employer is a really bad career move. But Ariel Legassa did exactly that, taking advantage of the trust NESN placed in him to steal over $575,000 which he used to fund a lavish lifestyle,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Justice demands that financial fraudsters like Legassa be held accountable for their crimes and today’s sentence ensures that he will pay for what he did with prison time and restitution.”
From approximately December 2020 to January 2022, Legassa orchestrated a scheme to defraud NESN. In early 2021, Legassa negotiated a contract with a New York company to provide web development services for NESN. At the same time, Legassa created a fake business under the same name as the new vendor. He then used this company to receive fraudulent payments from NESN.
During the life of the contract between the New York company and NESN, in addition to approving legitimate invoices from the New York company, Legassa created and approved 11 fake invoices from his fake business. In total, NESN paid Legassa’s fake company over $500,000. Legassa spent the funds on personal expenses, including a private plane, a Tesla, a BMW, a Land Rover and credit card bills. He also transferred the funds into other accounts under his control.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin A. Saltzman and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Carol E. Head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case.