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29 March 2024
Two Plead Guilty in Spree of Approximately Three Dozen Gunpoint ‘Hobbs Act’ Robberies and Attempted Robberies in the District and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephon Harrigan, 30, and Tavarus Thompson, 30, pleaded guilty this week to their roles in a 2022 spree of approximately three dozen armed robberies and attempted robberies of various commercial establishments, including gas stations, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, checking cashing businesses, and liquor stores in the District and suburban Maryland.
The pleas were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Harrigan pleaded guilty on Monday, March 25, 2024, and Thompson pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (also known as Hobbs Act robbery) and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence before U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton in Washington D.C. Judge Walton scheduled Harrigan’s sentencing for August 1, 2024, and Thompson’s for June 19, 2024.
Harrigan’s brother, Aaron Harrigan, 28, pleaded guilty on October 3, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery for his participation in four of the robberies. Aaron Harrigan was sentenced to 87 months in prison on September 25, 2023.
According to court documents, the spree began on January 12, 2022, with the gunpoint robbery of a gas station on 18th Street, NE, Washington, D.C. It ended on March 6, 2022, when law enforcement stopped a stolen car at the intersection of 1st Street and Gallatin Street, NW, and its occupants fled on foot. Stephon Harrigan forced his way into a woman’s vehicle and ordered her to drive him away, but the car collided with an unmarked MPD vehicle. Law enforcement then arrested him.
In the interim, Stephon Harrigan and/or Tavarus Thompson, along with, at times, other individuals, entered an additional 34 establishments while armed with at least one firearm. In general, they brandished at least one firearm and demanded money. They generally obtained money or other property of the establishments, as well as, at times, property belonging to individuals in the establishments.
On March 6, 2022, police captured Stephon Harrigan. Tavarus Thompson was arrested in South Carolina on March 18, 2022, and Aaron Harrigan was arrested on March 29, 2022.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Columbia, South Carolina Field Office, and the Mount Rainier, Maryland; Prince George’s County, Maryland; and Montgomery County, Maryland Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Kinskey and Andrea Duvall, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Fletcher.
Two Men Sentenced for Role in $9M Hospice Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of two California-based hospice companies, along with his biller and consultant, were sentenced yesterday for their respective roles in a scheme that resulted in stealing over $9 million from Medicare in false and fraudulent claims for hospice services.
Gayk Akhsharumov, 40, of Glendale, California, the manager and beneficial owner of San Gabriel Hospice and Palliative Care Inc. (San Gabriel) and Broadway Hospice Inc., was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $9,185,211 in restitution. Akhsharumov’s biller and consultant, Karen Sarkisyan, also known as Kevin Sarkisyan, 45, also of Glendale, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $3,688,050 in restitution.
According to court documents, from around January 2018 through May 2021, Akhsharumov used his two hospice companies to defraud Medicare of approximately $9 million. During the scheme, Akhsharumov concealed his ownership and control over the hospice entities from Medicare, inserted nominee owners, paid kickbacks to patient recruiters, and profited from the scheme. In April 2020, after San Gabriel had ceased operations, Akhsharumov used the company to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds. Akhsharumov submitted or caused the submission of fraudulent loan applications to the Small Business Administration for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and to a financial institution for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, for which San Gabriel received $50,000. He also stole approximately $91,483 in funds deposited into San Gabriel’s bank account through the Provider Relief Fund program, a Department of Health and Human Services program that was intended to rapidly distribute pandemic-related funding to health care providers that met certain criteria.
During the scheme, Sarkisyan submitted false and fraudulent Medicare enrollment forms for San Gabriel, falsely identifying a straw owner as the sole owner and manager and concealing the actual owners and managers. As a result, San Gabriel submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, which resulted in Medicare paying approximately $3,668,050 to San Gabriel, of which $3,180,677 was paid after Sarkisyan submitted the false enrollment applications.
Akhsharumov pleaded guilty on March 13, 2023, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Sarkisyan pleaded guilty on April 3, 2023, to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California; Special Agent in Charge Timothy B. DeFrancesca of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Acting Assistant Director in Charge Amir Ehsaei of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and the FBI Los Angeles Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Niall M. O’Donnell and Trial Attorney Patrick J. Queenan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, the program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Two Honduran Nationals Sentenced to Years in Prison for Selling Drugs in San FranciscoRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Two defendants in separate cases have been sentenced to multi-year prison terms for selling or intending to sell drugs in the Bay Area, including in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey.
Marcos Carcamo, 25, a Honduran national who was living in Oakland, was sentenced to 48 months in prison following his conviction in December 2023 on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Carcamo’s sentence was imposed by the Hon. Jacqueline Scott Corley, United States District Judge.
Raul Alexander Guisa-Ortega, 25, also a Honduran national who was living in Oakland, was sentenced to 36 months in prison following his conviction in December 2023 on a charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Guisa-Ortega’s sentence was imposed by the Hon. Susan Illston, Senior United States District Judge.
At sentencing, Carcamo admitted he possessed approximately 1.77 kilograms—that is, almost four pounds—of fentanyl, along with a lesser quantity of cocaine, all of which he intended to sell, when he was arrested in San Francisco on August 9, 2023. According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Carcamo admitted he mixed fentanyl with cutting agents at his residence in Oakland and that he traveled from Oakland to San Francisco four or five times per week to sell drugs. In a search of Carcamo’s residence, which he shared with his brother, officers seized, among other things, additional suspected drugs, including methamphetamine and heroin; a firearm and ammunition; a pill press and materials for mixing drugs; and almost $59,000 in cash.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Guisa-Ortega—who has three prior convictions, including one federal conviction, for selling drugs in the Tenderloin—sold drugs including fentanyl and methamphetamine to an undercover officer three times in August 2023. When officers arrested Guisa-Ortega on August 31, 2023, he admitted that he sold fentanyl, which he said he knew was often deadly. Officers found more drugs hidden in Guisa-Ortega’s car and in his house, both of which they searched following his arrest.
In addition to sentencing Carcamo and Guisa-Ortega to prison, Judges Corley and Illston ordered both defendants to serve three years of supervised release to begin after their prison terms are completed. Carcamo was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 25, 2023, and has been in federal custody since October 6, 2023. Guisa-Ortega was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 26, 2023, and was remanded into custody following his sentencing last week.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Yeh is prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Laurie Worthen and Jessie Chelsea. These prosecutions are the result of investigations by the San Francisco Police Department, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and California Highway Patrol.
Twice Convicted Bank Robber Sentenced to 13+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A bank robber who attempted to kidnap a Comerica employee was sentenced Thursday to more than 13 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Staci West League, 52, was charged via criminal complaint in May 2022 and indicted later that month. In September 2023, she pleaded guilty to bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced Thursday to 165 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr.
In plea papers, Ms. League admitted to robbing a Comerica Bank in Irving, Texas, on April 29, 2022 while brandishing a 9mm handgun.
According to court documents, Ms. League entered the bank at 4:02 p.m., approached a teller, and asked to speak to a manager. When the manager approached her window, Ms. League announced she was committing a robbery and demanded cash. Both the manager and the teller went to the vault to retrieve the money, which they placed into a blue courier bag. When the manager presented the bag to the defendant, she drew a handgun out of her hoodie and attempted to verify an amount. The manager returned to the vault, put more money into the bag, and gave it to Ms. League.
Ms. League then pointed her handgun at another bank employee and ordered him to walk out the front door and to her pickup truck. Remarking that she needed a hostage, she ordered him into the truck. As the defendant got into the driver’s side door, the employee was able to flee to a nearby fast food restaurant. Ms. League fled the scene. Ms. League immediately fled the scene and drove to the Irving Fire Department, where she told firefighters that she “did something very bad” as they waited for Irving police to arrive.
Law enforcement recovered the cash and the gun used in the robbery shortly after they arrested Ms. League.
The 2022 robbery was Ms. League’s second bank robbery; she was convicted of robbing the same Comerica Bank in 2019. (That conviction was the underlying offense for the felon-in-possession charge. )
According to court documents, Ms. League entered the bank around 4:54 p.m. on June 14, 2019 with something concealed under a blanket, then announced, “I want large bills.” A teller spotted a rifle peeking out from under the blanket, she went to the vault to retrieve cash, which she placed in a plastic bag and gave to Ms. League. The defendant said, “thank you” and walked out the front door.
She then drove directly to the police department to turn herself in. She pleaded guilty to bank robbery and was sentenced to 40 months in prison for that crime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Irving Police Department conducted both investigations. U.S. Attorneys Robert Withers, Jordan Ganz (fmr), and Shane Read (fmr) prosecuted the cases.
Three Montanans each sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in Missoula, Helena communitiesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — Three Montanans who admitted trafficking fentanyl in the Missoula and Helena communities were sentenced to more than five years in federal prison this week, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Defendant Nikolas Loren Pellant, 34, of Missoula, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. On March 28, co-defendants Lynsi Noel Barnes, 33, of Missoula, and Beau James Breneman, 44, of Helena, were each sentenced to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Each defendant pleaded guilty in November 2023 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in October 2022, federal agents intercepted a package that contained more than 300 fentanyl pills and was addressed to Pellant. Officers arrested Pellant when he accepted the package in a controlled delivery. The investigation determined that Pellant and his girlfriend, Barnes, had been selling fentanyl in the Missoula are for several months and that they acquired the drug through the mail and by making weekly trips to Spokane, Washington. The government further alleged that in January, the Montana Highway Patrol stopped Barnes as she was returning from one such trip and seized more than 450 fentanyl pills and other evidence of drug distribution from her vehicle.
In addition, the government alleged that in January 2022, law enforcement received reports of a rash of fentanyl overdoses in Lewis and Clark County. An investigation determined that Breneman was distributing heroin laced with fentanyl and that he had warned at least one customer to use small and diluted quantities of the drug because it was dangerous. Breneman admitted to distributing heroin laced with fentanyl. On May 31, 2023, Breneman and Barnes were passengers in a vehicle that was stopped in Shoshone County, Idaho. Law enforcement searched the car and found more than 300 fentanyl pills. Officers also found a plastic bag containing more fentanyl pills concealed on Breneman’s person.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Service, Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office and Shoshone County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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Substitute teacher admits to exploiting minor he met onlineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 42-year-old Mission resident has pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Juan Carlos Munoz met a 14-year-old girl from South Carolina on a social media/video chat site. He utilized a fake name and claimed to be a 19-year-old teenager and requested nude photos and videos of the girl.
Local law enforcement in South Carolina were able to determine his true identity and report the allegations to Texas authorities.
On Dec. 16, 2022, they located him at a local high school where he was employed as a substitute teacher. At that time, Munoz admitted to communicating with the minor victim and requesting sexually-explicit photos.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa will impose sentencing July 19. At that time, Munoz faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Munoz has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Homeland Security Investigations-Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of York County Sheriff Office in South Carolina.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia is prosecuting 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.
Stilwell Resident Pleads Guilty to ArsonRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Aaron Welch Earley, age 41, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Arson in Indian Country.
On March 14, 2023, Earley intentionally and maliciously set fire to and burned down a family home in Westville, Oklahoma. The total reported loss exceeded $100,000.
The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Jason. A Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Earley was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Statement from Acting U.S. Attorney Levy on First Federal Dogfighting Case Charged in the District of MassachusettsRead the Press Release
“This morning, John Murphy, of Hanson, Mass., was arrested after being indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture – in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
Court filings allege that on June 7, 2023, federal agents executed a search of Mr. Murphy’s residence in Hanson and seized nine pit bull-type dogs possessed for the purpose of animal fighting.
Federal agents also recovered from Mr. Murphy’s home many items commonly used with dogfighting operations, including:
- Veterinary supplies and disposable skin staplers, used to close dogfight wounds;
- Injectable anabolic steroids;
- Dog fighting literature and other dogfighting training equipment; and
- Break sticks, which are used by dogfighters to pry open a dog’s bite on another dog.
We have also filed a civil forfeiture action to forfeit the dogs seized to date during the investigation.
This is the first-time federal criminal charges have brought in the District of Massachusetts under the federal Animal Welfare Act. Dogfighting for entertainment and profit is cruel, it’s inhumane, and it is a felony under federal law.
Today’s arrest puts an end to the calculated brutality we allege Mr. Murphy perpetuated and should serve as a warning to others who engage in the barbaric practice of dog fighting.
The investigation remains ongoing.”
St. John the Baptist Parish Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LARRY TRICHE, age 52, a resident of Norco, La., was sentenced on March 27, 2024 by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to five (5) years probation, one hundred (100) hours of community service, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C) and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, between May 25, 2020, and July 2, 2020, TRICHE accompanied Ryan Fremin on three trips from Louisiana to the Houston, Texas area to purchase kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from Leonel Gonzalez, a Houston-based narcotics trafficker. On each occasion, TRICHE obtained a Houston area hotel room while Fremin drove to Houston to purchase the methamphetamine from Gonzalez. TRICHE and Fremin then returned to Louisiana, sometimes in separate vehicles, with TRICHE carrying the methamphetamine in his vehicle. Upon their return to Louisiana, Fremin took the methamphetamine from TRICHE and distributed it to local customers.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
Sex Abuser Sentenced to 122 Months for Decades-Old CrimeRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Charles Michael Moreno, 61, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 122 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Moreno pleaded guilty on May 15, 2023, to Sexual Abuse of a Minor, Abuse of a Minor, and two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact.
In 2018, the high-school-aged victim reported to a school counselor that Moreno, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, had committed sexual abuse on numerous occasions, beginning when the victim was in grade school. The events took place in both the city of Tucson and on the Tohono O’odham Nation. In 2020, Moreno was indicted by a federal grand jury on 14 counts of sexual abuse.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tohono O’odham Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Schmit, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-00687-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-041_Moreno# # #
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.Search Warrants Executed in Federal Drug InvestigationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Five federal search warrants were executed this morning and one person was arrested as part of an ongoing federal drug trafficking investigation.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that search warrants were served early today upon three residences in Wheeling, West Virginia, and two residences in Bellaire, Ohio, without incident. Quavonte Pugh, age 28, of Wheeling, was arrested for possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Pugh, who has a prior federal drug distribution conviction, was taken into custody at his Carmel Road home and transported to the Northern Regional Jail where he will remain pending a detention hearing.
During the searches, officers recovered controlled substances, firearms, and United States currency.
The case is being investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, which is comprised of officers and agents from the Wheeling Police Department, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Support for today’s enforcement operation was provided by the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms (ATF), and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Nogay and Clayton Reid and U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld.
Schenectady Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Thomas Ullman, age 47, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
In previously pleading guilty, Ullman admitted that from at least March 2020 through June 16, 2021, he used the Internet to access a teen dating website, pretend to be a teenage boy, and persuade girls to communicate with him through video chat and messaging. Ullman admitted that he instructed the girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct during those chats, including a then-15-year-old girl. Ullman further admitted that he engaged in the same conduct with girls as young as 13.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also sentenced Ullman to serve 15 years of post-imprisonment supervised release and ordered him to pay $5,000 in restitution to a victim. Ullman will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Rotterdam Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita prosecuted the case as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Santa Monica, California man sentenced to 5 years in prison for organized retail theft scheme spanning 23 statesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 27-year-old Santa Monica, California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison for his organized retail theft scheme that caused more than $664,000 in damage, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jaylan Amir Thomas was arrested in May 2023. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud on December 5, 2023. At his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said Thomas “persisted in this crime spree after being arrested and charged in multiple jurisdictions.”
“Mr. Thomas recruited others to his criminal scheme, and thus altered the trajectory of their lives with criminal charges in various states,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Despite advantages such as a stable home and college studies, Mr. Thomas chose fraud as his path and in the process created higher prices for consumers everywhere.”
According to records in the case, from March 2022, Thomas led a group that traveled the U.S., stopping at home improvement stores and renting two types of expensive construction equipment: jumping jack tampers and vibratory plate compactors valued between $1,500 and $2,000 each. Thomas used more than 150 fake IDs and dozens of fake telephone numbers to trick the stores into renting him the equipment. For each rental, he signed an agreement promising to return the machine on a specific date or pay a mounting fine. He acknowledged with each rental that failure to return the machine could lead to prosecution. Thomas paid small rental deposits with one of nine common debit cards, but he and a co-conspirator locked the accounts to prevent the stores from charging the card for the equipment. Thomas and others transported stolen goods in rental vans. He then sold the equipment on online marketplaces for about $700 per machine.
In all, Thomas and his crew stole more than 480 pieces of equipment from 190 home improvement stores in 23 states.
Thomas was ordered to pay $664,161.50 in restitution to the victim home improvement store.
Thomas was arrested four times in three different jurisdictions in relation to the scheme, but it did not deter him. He would bail out of jail and continue the fraud.
The group stole multiple items of equipment from stores in Federal Way, Tacoma, Vancouver, Covington, Longview, Bothell, Everett, Redmond, and Seattle.
Asking for a 51-month prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar wrote to the court, “Organized retail crime like Thomas’ thefts has a significant impact on our communities: An analysis from the Retail Industry Leaders Association estimates Washington retailers lost $2.7 billion to organized retail crime in 2021. Forbes Advisor ranked Washington as the number one state impacted by organized retail theft based on six metrics. Organized retail crime raises costs for consumers and threatens the safety of stores and employees.”
Judge Martinez noted that organized retail theft has been on the rise since the pandemic and costs U.S. residents some $30 billion a year.
“Mr. Thomas's multi-state retail theft scheme not only resulted in substantial financial losses for retailers but also highlighted the complex and widespread nature of organized retail crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “This orchestrated fraud operation, underscores the critical need for collaborative efforts, including robust public-private partnerships, to combat such threats effectively. Homeland Security Investigations played a pivotal role in unraveling this intricate network, emphasizing the importance of coordinated efforts between government agencies and private businesses in safeguarding communities from the pervasive impact of organized crime.”
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar.
Peruvian National Extradited for Overseeing Call Center That Threatened and Defrauded Spanish-Speaking U.S. ConsumersRead the Press Release
A resident of Lima, Peru, was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance today in Miami federal court, where he stands accused of operating a large fraud and extortion scheme.
Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, 40, was arrested on Feb. 26, 2023, by Peruvian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request. He has remained incarcerated in Peru since that time.
According to the indictment, the defendant managed and operated Peruvian call centers from January 2014 through February 2019. The defendant and his co-conspirators in Peru allegedly used Internet-based telephone calls to contact Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States. The call centers falsely told victims they had won raffles for free products, including computer tablets with English language courses. Many consumers expressed interest in receiving the free products. In later calls, victims were told they were required to make large payments to receive the products. When victims objected, the callers misrepresented that the victims had unlawfully failed to pay for or receive delivery of products.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals responsible for defrauding vulnerable U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. I thank the Republic of Peru, including the Peruvian National Police, for its assistance extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”
“Collaboration between countries enhances efforts to strengthen rule of law,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service thanks the Republic of Peru and our law enforcement partners who were determined to dismantle this transnational scheme to defraud U.S. consumers via the U.S. mail and telephonically. Together, we sent a strong message, globally, that justice has no borders.”
According to the indictment, the defendant and his co-conspirators falsely claimed to be lawyers, court officials, police officers, and representatives of a supposed “minor crimes court.” The defendant and his co-conspirators falsely told the victims that they had a contractual obligation to pay for and receive products and had caused legal problems for themselves and others by allegedly failing to do so. The indictment alleges that the callers also falsely threatened victims with court proceedings, arrest, negative marks on their credit reports, or immigration consequences if they did not immediately pay for the purportedly delivered products and settlement fees. According to the indictment, many victims paid because of these baseless threats.
At times, the defendant and his co-conspirators re-victimized the same victims with a related “restitution” fraud scheme. According to the indictment, the defendant and his co-conspirators placed additional calls to those victims who had already paid and, while posing as lawyers from a U.S. court, falsely represented that victims were entitled to restitution payments that would compensate them for their losses to the defendant and his co-conspirators in the first part of their scheme. The defendant and his co-conspirators fraudulently told these victims that they needed to pay a percentage of their restitution to a lawyer who supposedly brought a case and recovered restitution on their behalf. In reality, there was no lawyer, no restitution order, and no funds were returned to the victims who made these additional payments.
A seven-count federal indictment was filed against the defendant in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in November 2021 and was unsealed upon the defendant’s extradition to the United States. The defendant has been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and extortion. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. If convicted, Zuñiga faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
USPIS investigated the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida, State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Peruvian National Police and the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office provided critical assistance.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Carolyn Rice of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters involving threats against Spanish-speaking residents of the United States. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pascua Yaqui Tribal Member Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Assault with a VehicleRead the Press Release
TUCSON Ariz. – Gerardo Vasquez Valenzuela, 62, an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Indian Tribe and a resident of the Pascua Yaqui Indian Nation near Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Valenzuela pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury on September 13, 2023.
On August 14, 2022, a Pascua Yaqui Police Department officer was flagged down by a man who was yelling out in pain and bleeding heavily from his head. The man, who sustained multiple fractures and internal injuries, told the officer that he had been intentionally struck by a truck driven by Valenzuela.
Evidence collected connected Valenzuela’s truck to damage to a chain link fence at the scene. The victim’s belongings were found scattered along the tire tracks for approximately 50 feet, indicating he was dragged by the vehicle. Video evidence from a home surveillance system captured a vehicle matching the description of Valenzuela’s truck leaving the area. Valenzuela told officers that he had driven the truck earlier that day but denied being in a vehicle accident and denied hitting anyone with the truck.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pascua Yaqui Tribal Police, and Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra M. Hansen and Frances Kreamer Hope, District of Arizona, Tucson, and Pascua Yaqui Tribal Prosecutor Russell E. Boatwright, Prosecutors Office Pascua Yaqui Tribe, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01908-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-040_Valenzuela# # #
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.Okmulgee Resident Sentenced to Life for Two Counts of Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Amy Leann Hall, age 43, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to Life in prison for each of two counts of Murder in Indian Country, and 240 months in prison for one count of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Department.
On November 28, 2022, Hall pleaded guilty. According to investigators, during the early morning hours of November 1, 2018, Hall entered the room of her 18-year-old son and shot him in the head while he slept, killing him instantly. Hall proceeded to the bedroom of her 16- and 14-year-old daughters and shot both in the head as they slept. Hall’s 14-year-old daughter survived. Hall’s 16-year-old daughter never regained consciousness and died from her injuries four days later at the hospital. An Okmulgee County deputy dispatched to the scene spotted Hall’s vehicle and gave pursuit. After a chase exceeding 110 miles per hour, law enforcement apprehended and arrested Hall. The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“This crime was gut-wrenching and there is no question the sentencing is just. It is absolutely heart breaking to think a mother could be capable of shooting her own children while they slept,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “The FBI is responsible for investigating the most serious crimes in Indian Country and along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue these cases. We are committed to protecting all of the tribal communities we serve, helping victims, and ensuring that justice is met for violent offenders.”
“The horrific violence visited upon this family was unimaginable, and nothing will ever make things right,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Nevertheless, justice requires a careful consideration of all facts, including the interests of the surviving victim. Based on these considerations, the United States recommended a life sentence be imposed in this case.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Hall will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Oakland Resident Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Attempting to Illegally Export Firearms and Night Vision Rifle Scopes to the Sultanate of OmanRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO –Fares Abdo Al Eyani was sentenced to twelve months and a day in prison for conspiring to export defense articles and attempting to export defense articles. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Charles R. Breyer, Senior United States District Judge.
“Enforcing the nation’s export laws is an important objective for my Office,” said United States Attorney Ismail Ramsey, “because controlling our ports prevents the proliferation of weapons, protects our national security, furthers our foreign policy, and maintains our business competitiveness.”
“The illicit export of weapons overseas will not be tolerated by the FBI, and anyone attempting to do so will be held accountable,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Our office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, are committed to protecting our U.S. technology and citizens from anyone who tries to evade our laws and threaten our national security.”
“The sentencing of El Anayi for attempting to illegally export firearms and night vision rifle scopes to The Sultanate of Oman underscores the serious ramifications for international arms trafficking. Such actions not only pose significant risks to national security but also contribute to destabilizing regions and potentially fueling conflicts. It's crucial for law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant and prosecute individuals involved in such activities to prevent the illicit proliferation of weapons and technology. This case highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating arms trafficking and enforcing export control regulations. Justice has been served with the hard work and dedication of HSI, and partner organizations FBI, CBP Office of Field Operations San Francisco, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office San Francisco, and the Department of Justice National Security Division,” said San Francisco Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.
“Export controls exist to protect the security of the United States and its people,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp of the San Francisco Division. “Fares Abdo Al Eyani tried to move deadly weapons of war into a foreign country, and his actions had the potential to undermine U.S. foreign policy in a dangerously reckless manner. The FBI and our partners are committed to aggressive investigations that will keep U.S. citizens and interests safe both here and abroad.”
According to court documents, Al Eyani, 41, of Oakland, acquired no less than four firearms, with magazines and ammunition, and at least 44 rifle scopes, monoculars, and goggles with night vision capabilities in 2019. In November 2019, Al Eyani attempted to send the firearms to the Sultanate of Oman in shipping containers departing from the Port of Oakland. He concealed the firearms by disassembling them, wrapping them in aluminum foil, and then secreting them within automobiles inside the shipping container. Then, in December 2019, Al Eyani attempted to export the 44 rifle scopes, monoculars, and goggles to the Sultanate of Oman in two shipping containers departing from the Port of Oakland. Law enforcement searched the containers and seized the firearms, the magazines, and the ammunition, as well as the 44 rifle scopes, monoculars, and goggles with night vision capabilities. These actions thwarted Al Eyani’s unlawful scheme.
The commercial export of arms, ammunitions, implements of war and defense articles and services from the United States is governed by the Arms Export Control Act (“AECA”), 22 U.S.C. § 2778, and its attendant regulations, the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”), 22 C.F.R. §§ 120-130. The AECA authorizes the President, among other things, to control the export of “defense articles” deemed critical to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. The AECA also authorizes the President to designate goods as “defense articles,” require licenses for the export of such articles, and promulgate regulations for the export of such articles. By executive order, the President has delegated this authority to the United States Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”). Accordingly, the DDTC has promulgated regulations under the AECA, known as the ITAR. The ITAR defines a “defense article” as any item on the United States Munitions List (“USML”). Persons desiring to export items on the USML from the United States to a place overseas must first register with the DDTC and obtain individual export licenses prior to any shipment abroad.
Court documents establish that the four firearms, the magazines, and the ammunition, as well as at least seven of the night-vision rifle scopes, were defense articles prohibited from export without a license by the AECA and the ITAR. Al Eyani did not have a license to export the defense articles.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer ordered Al Eyani to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed.
In a separate sentencing, Al Eyani’s wife, Saba Mohsen Dhaifallah, 42 and also a resident of Oakland, was sentenced to three years of probation for making false statements to Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents during the investigation of this matter, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Her sentence was also imposed by Judge Breyer.
The National Security and Cybercrime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case in consultation with the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Customs and Border Protection.
Niles Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm as A FelonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced that on Wednesday Lawrence Edward Slaughter II, 19, of Niles, pled guilty to possessing a loaded firearm, which had been modified to a fully automatic weapon using a conversion device, as a convicted felon.
“Gun violence is an epidemic across America and here in Michigan that inflicts senseless suffering on community members,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “As we did here, we will continue to hold accountable felons who possess guns illegally as well as anyone who traffics or possesses illegal machinegun conversion devices that threaten the safety of our communities. Our commitment to public safety holds true for every corner of our District – both big cities and small towns alike.”
On September 23, 2022, Slaughter’s state probation officers conducted a home compliance check at his apartment in Niles, Michigan. During the check, the officers found a loaded 9mm Glock pistol in one of the bedrooms. The pistol also had a machinegun conversion device attached.
Slaughter is scheduled for sentencing on July 16 before Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou. He faces a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison.
“The access to illegal guns has plagued our communities for far too long and these machinegun conversion devices in particular are especially dangerous in the wrong hands,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Michigan. “By removing just one offender and the illegal weapons they acquire, we make our streets a little bit safer to live and work.”
“The Niles Police Department remains committed to ensuring our community’s safety by investigating illegal gun violence and possession,” Niles Public Safety Director James Millin. “We will continue to work with federal law enforcement authorities in that endeavor.”
The previous press release, press conference footage, and indictment can be viewed here.
The case was investigated by the Niles Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LaToyia Carpenter.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced for Fire Set in VergennesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Eddy Santiago, Jr., 30, of Clifton, New Jersey was sentenced today in the United States District Court following his guilty plea to using extortionate means to collect and punish the nonrepayment of a debt. United States District Judge Christina Reiss sentenced Santiago to 49 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
According to court records, Santiago was arrested by Vermont state law enforcement authorities on January 5, 2022, after he had set fire to a vehicle at a residence in the Booth Woods neighborhood of Vergennes earlier that morning. The fire destroyed two vehicles in the driveway and damaged the residence itself. Witnesses reported that Santiago had threatened to start a fire if the residents did not pay a large debt he thought they owed him for cocaine he had provided. Video cameras in nearby residences showed Santiago carrying a gas can and lighting the car on fire in the early morning hours of January 5, 2022; investigators also located gas station security camera footage showing Santiago filling a gas can in South Burlington approximately an hour before the fire and placing it in the front passenger seat of his vehicle. After Santiago was stopped and arrested, investigators found a partially filled gas can in the trunk of his vehicle.
Several law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation of Santiago, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Vermont State Police; the Vergennes Police Department; and the Middlebury Police Department. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the mutually supportive efforts of the agencies in their proactive investigation of drug crimes and their reactive investigation of the arson.
Santiago was represented by Kevin Henry, Esq. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher represented the United States.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay over $1.2 Million Following Conviction for Wire Fraud Related to Dog Training BusinessRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced that a federal judge sentenced 42-year-old Joseph Robert Merry, Jr., a resident of Plaistow, New Hampshire, to 51 months in prison for wire fraud.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, from 2017 to 2018, Merry engaged in a fraudulent scheme involving dog training businesses. During his plea hearing, Merry specifically admitted to convincing multiple individuals to invest in dog training businesses he reported to have started in Indiana, New Jersey, and Lee County, Alabama. In doing so, Merry made false claims about large prospective contracts.
To carry out his scheme, Merry occasionally pretended to be a potential customer. On one occasion, he falsely claimed to be a high ranking official of an energy company seeking to enter into a large contract with one of Merry’s dog training businesses. Through these falsities, Merry sought to gain the trust of his investors. Based on Merry’s misrepresentations, some of the investors spent additional money and made significant payments in anticipation of fulfilling the fictional contracts. In addition, numerous new employees moved to different states for jobs they expected to be have with one of these dog training businesses. However, the jobs never came. All the while, Merry used the proceeds of the investments for his own personal benefit.
During the March 27, 2024, sentencing hearing, the judge also ordered Merry to pay restitution in the amount of $1,271.790 to his victims, and to forfeit $1,515,000 in assets.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Opelika Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted.
Morristown Man Indicted for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Jordan Phelps, 34, of Morristown, Vermont, has been indicted for illegal possession of a firearm while being a user of controlled substances. He was arraigned on March 29, 2024, and United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Phelps detained pending further proceedings.
According to court records, on March 11, 2024, Jordan Phelps called the Morristown Police Department on four occasions and threatened to go to the home of a sworn member of law enforcement. The threatening phone calls were recorded, and law enforcement investigated Phelps. On March 13, 2024, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at Phelps’ residence that led to the seizure of a loaded Marlin Model 336 .30-30 Caliber Rifle from Phelps’ bedroom. Further investigation into Phelps revealed that he was an unlawful user of controlled substances.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Phelps is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Phelps faces a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Morristown Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Stendig. Phelps is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Ammunition Used During Shooting at Gas StationRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced the sentencing of a Montgomery, Alabama man for unlawfully possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony offense. On March 26, 2024, a federal judge sentenced 40-year-old Maricas Rondell Taylor, to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records and evidence presented during his September 2023 trial, following a brief argument, Taylor shot at a Montgomery convenience store clerk. Law enforcement recovered shell casings from the store that the jury linked to those Taylor fired during the shooting. Taylor has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
“Arguments that end with gunfire have become far too common,” said Acting United States Attorney Ross. “The defendant’s use of a firearm to settle a dispute not only put the clerk’s life at risk, but he also endangered everyone in the area. The 15-year sentence ordered by the judge was the maximum allowed by federal law, and was justified by Taylor’s complete disregard for the safety of others.”
This case was 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, with Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon W. Bates and Michelle R. Turner prosecuting.
Mississippi Man and Destrehan Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – RYAN P. MULLEN, age 43 and a resident of Jayess, MS., and DUANE A. DUFRENE, age 56, of Destrehan, LA., were sentenced on March 20, 2024 and March 27, 2024 respectively by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo for two separate cases involving conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Judge Milazzo sentenced MULLEN to 160 months imprisonment for both cases and she sentenced DUFRENE to 24 months imprisonment for the same two cases.
According to court documents, MULLEN and DUFRENE used fictitious entities, falsified tax returns, fraudulent financial statements, and fraudulent appraisals to defraud the lending institutions so that MULLEN and DUFRENE could purchase a residence in Jayess, MS. (using a state bank in Mississippi), The Briars bed and breakfast in Natchez, MS. (using a Mississippi credit union) and two other Natchez hotels (using an out of state commercial lender). The sale of the Jayess, MS. residence was premised on false financial information provided by DUFRENE to MULLEN, who then gave it to the Mississippi bank. The sales of The Briars and the two hotels were premised upon not only false information prepared by DUFRENE and given to the financial institutions by MULLEN, but also on inflated appraisals stemming from side sales agreements between MULLEN and DUFRENE. After the sales of the bed and breakfast and hotel properties, MULLEN paid DUFRENE $90,000. MULLEN used the proceeds to buy at least 20, some already governmentally seized, high-end luxury cars, a number of which have been seized. The loss from their fraudulent purchasing and flipping schemes totals approximately $6.5 million.
In the second fraud scheme, MULLEN conspired with DUFRENE, DILLON ARCENEAUX, LANCE VALLO, GRANT MENARD, and ZEB SARTIN to use several shell Louisiana corporations, devoid of assets, to defraud a Georgia based merchant cash company. MULLEN and DUFRENE helped establish ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN as the owners of the existing shell corporations. MULLEN and DUFRENE then created fake vendor accounts for the corporations, and MULLEN, along with another person, created falsified bank records for the companies. MULLEN then used an alias and represented himself to be a broker for the shell companies he helped create.
Through the aid of another broker, MULLEN supplied the victim merchant cash advance company with the fake vendor accounts and false bank records in order to obtain funding. The victim cash advance company approved the advances and began to electronically wire ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN millions of dollars in advances. MULLEN, ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN conspired to launder a portion of the funds by paying DUFRENE a fee for preparing the fake vendor contracts. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD, and SARTIN then closed their non-existent businesses before fully repaying the victim merchant cash advance company, resulting in overall losses to the victim of approximately $6.4 million. MULLEN again used criminally derived proceeds to purchase a number of high-end vehicles, that he stored at his home in Jayess, Mississippi.
In addition to incarceration, Judge Milazzo ordered MULLEN to serve 3 years of supervised release and pay $6,401,385.96 in restitution for one case. She also ordered that restitution in the other case, would be determined at a future restitution hearing. In addition to incarceration, Judge Milazzo also ordered that DUFRENE serve 3 years of supervised release and pay $6,401,385.96 in restitution. Each defendant was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.
“The crimes committed by the two defendants lost legitimate lenders’ money by receiving loans for fraudulently overvalued properties and nonexistent businesses,” said Lisa Fontanette, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and their law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who engage in financial fraud schemes.”
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation, for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit and Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.
Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison Again, for More Than 17 YearsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Raul Carbajal (34, Plant City) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Carbajal entered a guilty plea on November 21, 2023.
According to court documents, Carbajal, who was previously convicted in federal court for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, organized narcotics deals in the Plant City area, including three separate sales of approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine. Carbajal also admitted that he sold other narcotics, including cocaine.
Two of Carbajal’s co-conspirators were previously sentenced to federal prison. Uriel Rosales Carvajal was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months, and Ricardo Heras received 3 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Plant City Police Department as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.
McAllen Instagrammer convicted of soliciting sexual images from young childrenRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 23-year-old man has pleaded guilty to attempting to coerce and entice a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
From January to February 2020, Israel Ruiz used Instagram to solicit explicit images from children as young as nine.
The investigation revealed he used several tactics to obtain the pornographic materials including contacting the minor victims via the social media platform. He also intimidated the minors by threatening to post other nude images of them or their friends online if additional images were not given to him.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa will impose sentencing July 19. At that time, Ruiz faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cahal P. McColgan and Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Massachusetts Man Indicted for Stealing Postage Stamps Using Fraudulent ChecksRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Soto, age 32, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was arraigned yesterday on a federal indictment charging him with twelve counts of theft of government property, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced.
According to the indictment, Soto used fraudulent checks to purchase more than $30,000 worth of United States Postal Service postage stamps over the course of two days in Oneida County, Oswego County, and Onondaga County in August 2023.
The charges filed against Soto carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The USPIS is investigating the case with the help of the Fulton Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.
Massachusetts Man Arrested on Federal Dogfighting ChargesRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was arrested today in Hanson, Massachusetts, for allegedly possessing dogs for participation in a dogfighting venture at his Massachusetts home.
According to the criminal indictment, John Murphy, 50, of Hanson, was charged on nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. At his home, Murphy possessed items associated with participation in a dogfighting venture. This included intravenous infusion equipment, syringes, anabolic steroids, a skin stapler, forceps, equipment and literature for training dogs including a slat mill and a flirt pole, break sticks used to separate fighting dogs and a breeding stand used to immobilize female dogs during breeding to prevent harm while mating.
The United States also filed a civil complaint for forfeiture of 13 pit bull-type dogs seized by federal agents while executing a federal search warrant in June 2023 of Murphy’s residence and another residence in Townsend, Massachusetts. The dogs are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and are being cared for by a USMS contractor. The civil complaint also alleges that several of the seized dogs had scarring.
The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that Murphy frequently communicated with other dogfighters via Facebook. Murphy also allegedly posted several dogfighting-related photos to his Facebook account, including a photo of a pit bull-type dog with scarring and discolorations on its head and leg consistent with that of dogfighting, as well as a photo of a pit bull-type dog restrained in a breeding stand. Additionally, in 2019, 2020 and 2021, Murphy allegedly posted videos that depicted pit bull-type dogs physically tethered to treadmill-like-devices commonly used to physically condition dogs in preparation for a dogfight.
To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) complaint hotline at usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline or 1-800-424-9121.
For each charge of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, Murphy faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts, Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher P. Robinson of USDA-OIG’s Northeast Region, Interim Colonel John E. Mawn Jr. of the Massachusetts State Police and Director Joseph F. King of the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division made the annoucement.
USDA-OIG investigated the case with valuable assistance from Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; USMS; Maine State Police; New Hampshire State Police; Massachusetts Office of the State Auditor; Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and police departments of Hanson, Boston and Acton, Massachusetts.
Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danial E. Bennett and Kaitlin J. Brown for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the criminal case. Senior Trial Attorney J. Brett Grosko and Trial Attorney Caitlyn F. Cook of ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section and Asset Recovery Unit Chief Carol E. Head for the District of Massachusetts are pursuing the civil forfeiture case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The United States must establish that the dogs are subject to forfeiture by a preponderance of the evidence.
Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Received Sentence Enhancement for Lying to the CourtRead the Press Release
Tulsa, Oklahoma – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Malcolm Andre Jones, 32, of Broken Arrow, to 27 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for Wire Fraud. Judge Frizzell further ordered Jones to pay $20,665 in restitution.
According to the plea agreement, Jones admitted to submitting a false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application. Jones's application to the Small Business Association stated that he owned a landscaping business and that all loan proceeds would be used for that business. However, Jones did not own a landscaping business. He admitted to using the funds to pay bills and purchase a couch and an automobile. Jones used the funds and then had them forgiven.
After pleading guilty and while being on pretrial bond, Jones lied to probation officers, the government, and his attorney about significant matters during the presentence investigation. Jones submitted a forged college diploma, claiming he received a master’s degree in college. He stated that he was undergoing chemotherapy for kidney cancer and had more than $500k in debt. Jones went as far as lying about serving in the military. In court filings, Jones described deployments in detail and claimed he suffered from PTSD because a friend supposedly died in front of him. He presented fake military paperwork claiming he had been honorably discharged and received a Medal of Honor and Purple Heart, despite not having served in the military at all.
Jones received an enhanced sentence for obstruction of justice.
Jones was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, U.S. Small Business Administration, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Department of Defense – Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ammon Brisolara and Kristen Harrington prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Law Enforcement Partners Remind Drone Owners About 'No Drone Zone' in Airspace Surrounding the Francis Scott Key Bridge CollapseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Law enforcement will enforce local and federal laws regarding Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, during the ongoing recovery and salvage operations underway on the Patapsco River and areas surrounding the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
FBI Baltimore, in conjunction with the United States Attorney's Office - District of Maryland, and members of the Unified Command – Maryland State Police (MSP), Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the United States Coast Guard, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Synergy Marine – are reminding the public that the airspace is a 'No Drone Zone' and they are committed to identifying, investigating, disrupting and prosecuting the careless or criminal use of drones in the area.“Drone operators need to know that we take seriously any incursion in the restricted airspace around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Such incursions threaten the safety of those involved in the investigation of the bridge collapse and the recovery of victims. We will investigate and prosecute anyone who violates the ‘no drone zone,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.
“The FBI's message is simple: all drones are to stay away from the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. This is to ensure the safety of all first responders and crews in the area as well as to not interfere with their work," said William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office. "You will be charged federally if you fly a drone in a restricted area. It is harmful to the recovery operations, and it is illegal.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) on March 26 after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. The TFR extends for three nautical miles in radius, from the center of the bridge, and from the surface up to and including 1500 feet above ground level (AGL).
Law enforcement in the area is actively monitoring for illegal UAS/drone use and has responded to multiple drone incursions over the past few days.
There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding any UAS/drone use anywhere within the “No Drone Zone” established by the FAA. Anyone who attempts to fly a UAS/drone in any prohibited manner may be subject to arrest, prosecution, fines, and/or imprisonment.Information about all federal UAS/drone regulations can be found on the FAA website. The specific TFR can be found at: Key Bridge TFR.
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Kyle Man Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on March 27, 2024.
Evan Brown Bull, 38, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Brown Bull was found guilty following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota, in January of 2024.
The conviction stems from Brown Bull, a previously convicted felon, being found in possession of 11 rounds of Black Hills Ammunition brand, .380 AUTO caliber ammunition, 49 rounds of Blazer brand, 9x19mm Luger ammunition, and 49 rounds of PMC brand, .38 Special caliber ammunition. Because Brown Bull is a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing ammunition. The ammunition was found after Brown Bull came into contact with Rapid City law enforcement during a traffic stop in March of 2022.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Brown Bull was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Jefferson City Man Pleads Guilty to $12 Million Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo. man has pleaded guilty in federal court to a $12.4 million bank fraud scheme that included fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for four businesses.
Tod Ray Keilholz, 61, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah W. Hays on Thursday, March 28, to one count of bank fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Keilholz was the sole owner of TRK Construction, LLC, TRK Valpo, LLC, TL Builders, LLC, and Project Design, LLC.
By pleading guilty, Keilholz admitted that he engaged in a bank fraud scheme from Jan. 1, 2018, to Jan. 7, 2021.
Prior to the bank fraud scheme, Keilholz obtained three business loans totaling $3,526,771 from Hawthorn Bank between Aug. 31, 2017, and Sept. 21, 2018. One of these loans financed the purchase of property in Valparaiso, Indiana. As Keilholz’s businesses failed, these loans fell into default and sub-contractors sued him for unpaid invoices during 2019 and 2020. In February 2020, Hawthorn Bank initiated foreclosure proceedings. Keilholz delayed the foreclosure proceedings and paid off these loans and other past due debts with fraudulent PPP loans.
The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the PPP authorized forgivable loans, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration, to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.
Keilholz received a total of $12,430,932 in PPP loans for his four businesses. In each of those loan applications, Keilholz admitted, he failed to disclose his ownership in the other three businesses, and made materially false and fraudulent claims in the loan applications and supporting documentation. Keilholz falsely stated the businesses were in operation on Feb. 15, 2020, and eligible for PPP loans. He inflated the income of those businesses and claimed payrolls for employees who did not exist or no longer worked for him. Additionally, Keilholz applied for a $7,818,705 PPP loan for TRK Valpo but the loan was denied by the bank.
Keilholz received a $1,706,260 PPP loan for TRK Construction, a $3,618,815 PPP loan for TL Builders, a $3,903,857 PPP loan for Project Design, and a $3,202,000 PPP loan for TRK Valpo.
Keilholz admitted that he used PPP loan proceeds for unauthorized purposes other than legitimate payroll, lease and mortgage interest, and utilities as required by the PPP. Keilholz, through TRK Construction, had accrued substantial and delinquent indebtedness to a number of lenders, and all or part of these debts were satisfied by PPP loan proceeds.
The conviction for aggravated identity theft is related to Keilholz’s use of a former TRK Construction employee whose name and Social Security number were used without his knowledge or authoritization on wage reports in connection with a fraudulent PPP loan application for TRK Valpo.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Keilholz must forfeit to the government any property involved in, or derived from the proceeds of his bank fraud scheme, including a money judgment of $12,430,932, two properties in Jefferson City, one property in Valparaiso, one property in La Porte, Ind., four vehicles (a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado, two 2021 Chevrolet Silverados, and a 2019 BMW X5), a 2020 John Deer ZTrak, a 2020 John Deere Tractor, a Kubota Compact Track Loader, a Gents 43mm IWC Schaffhausen Perpetual Chronograph wristwatch, two Gents stainless steel Rolex Sea-Dweller self-winding automatic diver’s watches, and a Gents Citizen Eco-Drive Radio-controlled world time self-winding automatic watch with sapphire crystal.
Under federal statutes, Keilholz is subject to a sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison without parole, plus a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General; the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; the FBI; and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Iraqi Citizen Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Israa Sultan, age 43, of New York, New York, pled guilty today to making a false statement to federal authorities.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Port Director Timothy Walker of the Alexandria Bay Port of Entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), made the announcement.
On December 8, 2023, Sultan—an Iraqi national lawfully present in the United States—attempted to cross from New York into Canada using a United States passport. Canadian authorities refused to grant entry to Sultan, and they turned her over to CBP. Sultan falsely told a CBP Officer that she was the person depicted in the passport. When CBP searched Sultan, they recovered approximately 20 grams of cocaine.
Sultan faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, when she is sentenced on July 26, 2024. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
CBP investigated this case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.
Inmate Sentenced to 15 Years for Federal Carjacking During EscapeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Preston Shawn Whittington, age 28, of Waurika, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a statutory maximum sentence of 180 months in prison for Carjacking.
The charges arose from investigations by the McAlester Police Department, the Davis Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 31, 2023, Whittington pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, Whittington was an inmate at the Jackie Brannon Correctional Center in McAlester, Oklahoma, serving a state sentence for kidnapping. On March 30, 2021, Whittington assaulted the victim, stole the victim’s vehicle, and escaped. During the assault, Whittington threatened to kill the victim. Officers with the Davis Police Department later spotted the victim’s vehicle at a local gas station with Whittington inside. Whittington led police on a high speed chase, exceeding speeds of 100 mph before crashing the victim’s vehicle and fleeing on foot. Whittington stole a second vehicle before being captured in Wichita Falls, Texas, one day after his escape from prison.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Whittington will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
First Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Henson represented the United States.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared recently before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on March 26 was:
Brian Todd Olson, 37, of Helena, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Olson faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Olson was detained pending further proceedings. The Helena Police Department and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-04.
Appearing on March 22 was:
Terrence Derrell Milton, 34, of Spokane, Washington, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Milton faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Milton was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Tri-Agency Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-01.
Khalif Ali-Daquane Jackson, 36, of Decatur, Georgia, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Jackson faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Jackson was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Helena Police Department and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-04.
Brandon Lee Romero, 29, of Poplar, on charges of robbery, carjacking, transportation of stolen vehicle and assault with a dangerous weapon. If convicted of the most serious crime, Romero faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Romero was detained pending further proceedings. The Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services, Williston Police Department and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-10.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on March 28 was:
Joseph Patrick Mullaney, 46, of Butte, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge, Mullaney faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. The FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Montana Highway Patrol, U.S. Probation Office and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-08.
Scott Gilbert Apgar, 41, of Libby, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Apgar faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Apgar was detained pending further proceedings. Homeland Security Investigations, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-19.
Gerry Alen Albus, 64, of Elmo, on charges of theft of government money and Social Security fraud. If convicted of the most serious crime, Albus faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Albus was released pending further proceedings. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-18.
Teri Anne Bell, 57, of Columbia Falls, on charges of wire fraud. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bell faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Bell was released pending further proceedings. The FBI conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-17
Appearing on March 25 was:
Jerry Leon Kamps, 63, of Dillon, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Kamps faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Kamps was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, Dillon Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-04.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on March 21 was:
Jordale Thomas Redwolf, 36, a transient, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon. If convicted of the most serious crime, Redwolf faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Redwolf was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-29.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Indianapolis Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to a Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Pierre Burnett III, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, on July 22, 2021, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and detectives with the Metro Drug Task Force were conducting surveillance on a known drug house in Indianapolis. At approximately 3:45 p.m., Burnett exited the house with a black trash bag that contained rectangular, brick like objects and drove away in a red Dodge Ram.
At approximately 4:03 p.m., an Indiana State Police attempted to perform a traffic stop of Burnett. Burnett fled at a high rate of speed. After a brief chase northbound along River Road in Indianapolis, Burnett nearly struck multiple vehicles as he sped through intersections and the Trooper discontinued the pursuit.
Burnett drove to River Ridge Apartments in Indianapolis and discarded a black trash bag and orange backpack into nearby bushes. Officers later searched the bags and found them to contain approximately six kilograms of cocaine as well as $71,500 in banded cash.
DEA agents and Indiana State Police Troopers used a K9 officer to locate and arrest Burnett. On his person, the agents located $2,000 in banded cash and three grams of fentanyl in a baggie. Law enforcement officers also seized the red Dodge Ram and searched it, locating a loaded.45 caliber handgun in the driver’s side door.
“The federal prison sentence imposed against this armed drug dealer demonstrates that there will be serious consequences for those who traffic in deadly drugs with utter disregard for human life,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “Our federal prosecutors are committed to working closely with the DEA, Metro Drug Task Force, and Indiana State Police to take dealers off our streets because these poisons are ravaging our communities and loved ones.”
“The Indiana State Police will continue to engage with, and provide the necessary resources to its federal, county and local law enforcement partners in an effort to not only keep these dangerous and potentially deadly drugs out of our communities, but to also hold those responsible for transporting and trafficking them into those communities,” said Captain Ron Galaviz.
“The DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state and local partners to make our communities a safer place. Individuals like Mr. Burnett who are distributing multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine into our communities must be held accountable their actions,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge J. Michael Gannon.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Metro Drug Task Force, and Indiana State Police conducted this investigation together. This collaborative effort was essential to the outcome of the investigation. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Judge Brookman also ordered that Burnett be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Holyoke Man Pleads Guilty to Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Holyoke man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with a string of nine armed robberies of convenience stores across Western Massachusetts and firearms charges.
Alfredo Aldeco, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of using a firearm in relation to crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2024.
On Nov. 14, 2018, Aldeco and co-defendant Emilio Rivera robbed a clerk in a West Springfield convenience store at gunpoint. After forcibly taking cash and cigarettes from the clerk, Aldeco warned the clerk, “If you call the cops, I will come back and kill you.” The firearm used in the robbery was later found during a search of Rivera’s home – in a bedroom being occupied by Aldeco. At the time, Aldeco was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction.
The November 2018 robbery was the last in a string of nine robberies that took place in Holyoke, Chicopee, Northampton, West Springfield and Agawam over the two-week period following Oct. 25, 2018. In each of the robberies, Aldeco held store clerks at gunpoint.
On July 6, 2023, Rivera was sentenced to six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The charges of interference with commerce by robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence provides for a sentence of at least seven years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the West Springfield, Holyoke, Agawam, Chicopee, Northampton and Springfield Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Chief of the Springfield Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
Hanson Man Arrested on Federal Dogfighting ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hanson man was arrested today for allegedly possessing dogs at his Massachusetts home for participation in a dogfighting venture.
John Murphy, 50, was indicted on nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Murphy will appear in federal court in Boston at 10:45 a.m. today.
According to the indictment, Murphy possessed numerous items associated with possessing dogs for participation in an animal fighting venture at his residence in Hanson, Mass., including: intravenous infusion equipment; syringes; antibiotics; injectable anabolic steroids; injectable corticosteroids; a skin stapler; forceps; equipment used to train dogs, including a treadmill, a slat mill, a carpet mill, and a flirt pole; dog training and fighting literature; a hanging digital scale used to weigh dogs for matches; written training regimens; break sticks, used to separate fighting dogs; and a breeding stand used to immobilize female dogs during breeding to prevent harm while mating.
The United States also filed a civil forfeiture complaint against 13 pit bull-type dogs, seized in June 2023 from Murphy’s residence and another residence in Townsend, Mass. As alleged in the civil forfeiture complaint, several of the seized dogs had evidence of scarring. The dogs are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) being cared for by a USMS-contractor. Pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act, animals involved in violations of 7 U.S.C. § 2156 are subject to forfeiture to the United States.
At both locations where the dogs were seized, as alleged in the civil forfeiture complaint, the following items commonly associated with an illegal dogfighting operation were found: training equipment; veterinary supplies; dog fighting literature, DVDs, and/or CD-ROMs; kennels used to house dogs individually; and break sticks, which dogfighters use to force open a dog’s bite onto another dog’s body, specifically at the termination of a fight or while training.The civil forfeiture complaint also alleges that Murphy communicated with other dogfighters via Facebook where they discussed the results of dogfights, injuries sustained by fighting dogs, as well as breeding dogs. It is alleged that Murphy also belonged to private dogfighting Facebook groups used to share fight results, buy and sell fighting dogs and exchange information on training and conditioning fighting dogs, among other things.
It is further alleged that Murphy’s Facebook accounts contained a photo of a pit bull-type dog with scarring and discolorations on its head and leg consistent with that of dogfighting, a photo of a pit bull-type dog restrained in a breeding stand, and videos that depicted pit bull-type dogs physically tethered to treadmill-like-devices commonly used to physically condition dogs in preparation for a dogfight. One video allegedly depicted what appears to be live bait placed at the end of the mill to entice the pit bull-type dog to run faster and harder.To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General complaint hotline at: https://usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline or 1-800-424-9121.
The charges of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher P. Robinson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Joseph F. King, Director of the Animal Rescue League of Boston – Law Enforcement Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; U.S. Marshals Service; Maine State Police; New Hampshire State Police; Massachusetts Office of the State Auditor; Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and the Hanson, Boston, and Acton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danial E. Bennett and Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office and Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Environmental Crimes Section, are prosecuting the case. Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit for the District of Massachusetts, and Trial Attorney Caitlyn F. Cook of ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section are prosecuting the civil forfeiture case.
The details contained in the charging documents and civil forfeiture complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The United States must establish that the dogs are subject to forfeiture by a preponderance of the evidence.Gastonia Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for COVID-19 SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Gastonia, N.C., woman pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining $125,317 in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Kelly Bree Mosley, 48, entered her guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to plea documents and today’s court hearing, between May 2020, and April 2021, Mosley used false information to apply for loans from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). To obtain the loans, Mosley submitted applications on behalf of fictitious event planning businesses and in her own name that contained materially false information, including gross revenues, payroll expenses, number of employees, and operational costs and expenditures. Each time Mosley submitted an application, she certified under the penalty of perjury that the information was true and correct, and that Mosley would use the funds as directed by the EIDL and PPP programs. Based on the fraudulent applications, Mosley received approximately $125,317 in COVID-19 relief funds. Contrary to her claims, Mosley used the funds from the PPP and EIDL programs to pay her personal bills, invest in foreign currency, and to pay for plastic surgery, such as liposuction.
Mosley is currently released on bond. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine Mosley’s sentence at a later time, after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Fugitive Cuban national extradited from Spain and sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment for health care fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami federal district judge sentenced a longtime fugitive and Cuban national, Ariel Nuñez-Finalet, to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a massive 18-defendant conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud through various south Florida pharmacies. The judge also ordered Nuñez-Finalet to pay $1,910,222 in restitution.
From January 2011 to September 2014, Nuñez-Finalet was involved with a network of pharmacies that submitted more than 16 million dollars in successful, fraudulent claims to Medicare for medications that were medically unnecessary and not provided to patients. Nuñez-Finalet conspired with two leaders of the conspiracy who are still fugitives, Pedro Torres and Antonio Hevia, and others to defraud Medicare. Nuñez-Finalet served as the legal owner and registered agent of a fraudulent pharmacy, Lily & Rosy Pharmacy Discount Corp, and furthered the fraud at multiple other pharmacies. Nuñez-Finalet cashed checks and withdrew cash—typically just below the legal reporting limit of $10,000—to provide patient recruiters with funds they needed for illegal kickbacks. Those kickbacks were used to obtain Medicare beneficiary information necessary for co-conspirators to submit fraudulent claims. For just two of the fraudulent pharmacies at which Nuñez-Finalet committed fraud, he caused Medicare to pay over $1.9 million in fraudulent claims for prescription drugs, of which the Government traced over $500,000 to Nuñez-Finalet personally.
When Nuñez-Finalet and his co-conspirators were indicted in April 2016, Nuñez-Finalet had already fled to Cuba, where he lived for years until moving to Mexico in 2022. On March 21, 2023, Nuñez-Finalet flew to Spain, where he was arrested upon arrival pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida worked closely with the United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of International Affairs to submit a formal request for Nuñez-Finalet’s extradition to the United States, which was granted by the Government of Spain. On November 21, 2023, Nuñez-Finalet was surrendered to United States authorities and returned to Miami to face charges for the health care fraud conspiracy, after which he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Stephen Mahmood of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated the case. The FBI Legal Attaché office in Madrid, Spain and the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the extradition of Nuñez-Finalet. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi and DOJ Senior Litigation Counsel Jim Hayes of the Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman handled asset forfeiture.
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 16-cr-20267.
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Fort Wayne Man Convicted at Trial of Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Kendrick D. Bates, 39 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was found guilty of three drug trafficking offenses and one firearm offense late last night following a four-day jury trial, presided over by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 11, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Fort Wayne Police Department, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory, the Fort Wayne Police Laboratory, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Teresa L Ashcraft.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was also 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.
Former Postal Employee Sentenced for Embezzling U.S. MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that COI MORRIS (“MORRIS”), age 25, of New Orleans, La., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance, for stealing items from the mail he was entrusted to handle as a postal employee.
According to court documents, MORRIS was employed by the United States Postal Service as a mail handler at the processing center in New Orleans when he was apprehended stealing items from the mail.
MORRIS was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay restitution. MORRIS was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Former NYPD Officer Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Assisting Gang Leader’s Flight from the U.S. After Committing A MurderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that GINA MESTRE, a former New York City Police (“NYPD”) Officer, was sentenced to 70 months in prison in connection with her involvement in obstructing a federal grand jury investigation into the Shooting Boys gang and serving as an accessory after the fact to a murder committed by a member of the gang. MESTRE pled guilty to the charge on December 7, 2023, in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Gina Mestre betrayed and abused the trust placed in her by the NYPD and the people of New York. She swore to protect the public from criminal activity, but instead participated in significant crimes of her own by passing confidential information to a gang leader and helping him evade capture for the murder of a rival gang member. For violating her oath to the citizens of New York City and her fellow police officers, Mestre has been sentenced to spend more than five years in federal prison.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and other documents filed in federal court and based on statements made in public court proceedings:
MESTRE was an NYPD Officer assigned to the 52nd Precinct’s Public Safety Unit. In the summer of 2020, a major focus of both the precinct and the Public Safety Unit was the reduction of gun violence in the area. Much of that violence was attributed to members of the Shooting Boys, a violent street gang based in the University Heights section of the Bronx.
In or about June 2020, MESTRE began communicating with Andrew Done, a/k/a “Caballo,” the leader of the Shooting Boys. MESTRE and Done communicated through secret social media accounts and phone numbers and eventually began an intimate relationship, during which MESTRE provided Done and other gang members with confidential, non-public law enforcement information about the federal grand jury investigation into the Shooting Boys.
MESTRE warned Done, and other gang members, that federal investigators were preparing to bring a federal indictment against the Shooting Boys. MESTRE also warned Done about impending law enforcement operations, which enabled Done and other gang members to dispose of weapons and conceal other criminal activity before law enforcement arrived on scene. In addition, MESTRE disclosed the identity of a cooperating witness who provided information about the gang to law enforcement. Armed with this information, Done and other Shooting Boys assaulted the witness to prevent the witness from further cooperation and to send a clear message within the gang that the punishment for cooperation would be severe.
On or about November 5, 2020, Done shot and killed a rival gang member (“Victim-1”) as Victim-1 sat in his car on Cromwell Avenue in the Bronx. NYPD Detectives investigating the murder recovered security camera video (the “Video”) capturing Done’s commission of the murder. Several members of the 52nd Precinct, including MESTRE, were tasked with identifying the shooter in the video. In fact, MESTRE was ultimately one of several officers who actually identified Done as the perpetrator.
Despite identifying Done as the shooter and ostensibly participating in the NYPD’s efforts to apprehend him, MESTRE sent Done a copy of the Video to his phone and secretly communicated with Done the day of the murder and in the weeks afterwards. Specifically, MESTRE warned Done about law enforcement’s efforts to capture him, allowing Done to eventually flee from the United States.
In March 2022, 10 members of the Shooting Boys were charged in a 15-count indictment with various federal crimes, including racketeering conspiracy and murder. Done was charged with the murder of Victim-1 and was apprehended in the Dominican Republic several months later.
On November 17, 2022, Done pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and admitted to his role in the murder of Victim-1. On February 22, 2023, Done was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
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In addition to the prison term, MESTRE, 33, of Mohegan Lakes, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, Group 25, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic A. Gentile and James Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Healthcare Executive Director Indicted for Mail FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kevin Harrington, age 50, of Oneonta, New York, was arraigned yesterday on a federal indictment charging him with two counts of mail fraud, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced.
According to the indictment, Harrington was formally the executive director at First Community Care of Bassett, LLC (an affiliate of the Bassett Healthcare Network). During the course of his employment, Harrington submitted fraudulent expense reports seeking reimbursement for the purchase of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. As part of the scheme, Harrington provided invoices to his employer that falsely claimed he had paid thousands of dollars for medical equipment when no such equipment was ever purchased. Unaware that the invoices were fraudulent, First Community Care of Bassett issued and mailed checks to Harrington for reimbursement.
The charges filed against Harrington carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI is investigating the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.
Former Fugitive Sentenced to Six Years for Role in 2012 Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Oliver Jaramillo Brown, 34, of Tucson, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to six years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Brown pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine on June 27, 2023.
Brown was involved in a Nogales, Sonora-based drug trafficking conspiracy that used Tucson as a staging ground for distribution into the United States. Brown played numerous roles in the organization, including escorting loads of drugs driven into the United States by other conspirators, escorting loads of drugs to destinations in the United States, loading and unloading drugs from these vehicles, and assisting at a location where drugs were being stashed. Over the course of the government investigation, the United States seized more than 140 kilograms of cocaine, more than 60 kilograms of “ice” methamphetamine, over $1 million in bulk cash, and two firearms. On March 10, 2012, Brown fled to Mexico while the government was making arrests of the United States-based members of the conspiracy. Brown lived in Mexico for more than a decade before he attempted to return to the United States in late 2022 and was apprehended on the fugitive warrant in this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-14-1026-03-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-043_BrownFormer City of Miami police officer pleads guilty to attempted cocaine trafficking and attempted Hobbs Act extortion chargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On March 27, a former police officer with the City of Miami Police Department (MPD) pleaded guilty to attempted Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The charges arose from the use of his police position and authority, and MPD-issued vehicle and equipment to conduct two illegal traffic stops to steal what he believed were drug proceeds and seven kilograms of cocaine from the drivers.
Frenel Cenat, 41, who at the time of the crimes had been a police officer with the MPD since 2008, was using an MPD unmarked Black Ford Explorer as a “take home” vehicle. As an MPD police officer, Cenat was prohibited from engaging in any act of extortion or unlawful means of obtaining anything of value using his official position. In addition, Cenat was required to uphold the laws of the State of Florida and the United States, and he was not permitted to allow, facilitate, or assist individuals in breaking those laws, nor was he authorized to accept payments or things of value in exchange for allowing, facilitating, or assisting them in breaking state or federal laws.
A confidential human source (CHS) stated to law enforcement that they had been told by a mutual friend that Cenat had previously conducted traffic stops of individuals known to have engaged in drug transactions for the purpose of stealing the drugs and/or money those individuals were transporting. On Oct. 16, 2023, the friend introduced Cenat to the CHS at a meeting in Broward County, during which the three of them discussed an opportunity for Cenat to use his police officer position to stop an individual immediately following a drug transaction and steal approximately $50,000 in drug proceeds that the individual would have in their vehicle. Cenat indicated that he conducts the traffic stops outside of his jurisdiction and while off duty.
On Nov. 1, 2023, the friend, the CHS and Cenat planned for a traffic stop rip-off for Nov. 3, 2023. They discussed that the driver to be stopped would have approximately $50,000 in cash from the purported drug transaction, and Cenat requested the time and location of the deal, as well as detailed information about the driver.Cenat stated he would use this information when he conducted the traffic stop to scare the individual into believing they were being investigated and watched for some time so that the driver would be more likely to comply with his request for the money.
On Nov. 2 and 3, 2023, Cenat and the CHS engaged in numerous communications leading up to the traffic stop. On November 3, at a hotel parking lot in Miami Gardens, Florida, Cenat initiated these communications directly with the CHS. Cenat, in his MPD-issued unmarked vehicle, observed two drivers engage in a staged drug transaction in a parking lot. These drivers were actually FBI undercover employees. One of the drivers was given a backpack containing $52,000 in cash. Cenat followed that driver out of the parking lot and turned on his lights and sirens to conduct a traffic stop. During this stop, Cenat was dressed in black tactical gear, and had his MPD-issued firearm and taser visible in their holsters. Cenat introduced himself as “Officer Martez” and told one of the drivers that he had witnessed the drug transaction. Cenat gave the driver the choice of giving up the backpack containing the cash or going to jail. The driver gave Cenat the backpack containing the cash.
On Nov. 7, 2023, Cenat called the CHS and asked if he knew of a deal where Cenat could do another stop and get something like seven or ten kilograms of cocaine. Following up on the Cenat’s request, on Nov. 12, 2023, the CHS called Cenat about an upcoming deal in Deerfield Beach, Florida, on Nov. 16, 2023. The CHS told Cenat that the driver he would be stopping would have approximately six or seven kilograms of cocaine and at least $30,000 USD from a purported drug transaction.
On Nov. 16, 2023, Cenat called the CHS to tell him that he was at the parking lot in his MPD-issued vehicle where the deal was to take place. Then, the CHS messaged Cenat a description of the individual’s vehicle for the traffic stop. Two undercover FBI employees then engaged in a staged drug transaction in the parking lot. Cenat followed one of them out of the parking lot and turned on the lights of his MPD-issued vehicle to conduct a traffic stop. Cenat was dressed in black tactical gear, including his MPD-issued tactical vest with body armor in place, and had his MPD-issued firearm and taser visible in their holsters. Cenat introduced himself as “Officer Martez” with “Broward County Sheriff’s Office – Narcotics Unit” and told the driver that he had witnessed the drug transaction. Cenat went to the bed of the driver’s truck and took a duffle bag containing seven kilograms of fake cocaine and $80,000 and brought it back to his own MPD vehicle. Cenat then returned to the driver-side window of the vehicle and used the information received from the CHS to create the impression that he was under investigation. Cenat asked the driver “you want to go home tonight or spend 30 years in… federal prison?” The driver told Cenat that he wanted to go home. Cenat then told the driver that he now worked for him and had to answer when he was called. Having obtained the fake cocaine and cash from the driver, Cenat let him go.
Cenat left with the duffle bag containing the fake cocaine and cash and shortly thereafter was arrested by law enforcement officers. The duffle bag, the seven kilograms of fake cocaine and the $80,000 in cash from the traffic stop were found in Cenat’s unmarked MPD-issued vehicle. In addition, $2,000 in $100 bills from the Nov. 3, 2023, traffic stop rip-off were also found in his vehicle.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 13, at 9:30 a.m., before Senior U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn in Fort Lauderdale. Cenat faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of MPD announced the guilty plea.
FBI’s West Palm Beach Resident Agency and FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from MPD’s Internal Affairs Section, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
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 24-cr-60016.
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Firearms Smuggler Pleads Guilty to International Money Laundering and Smuggling Firearms from the United States into MexicoRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Angel Vasquez Balganon, 33, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on March 14, 2024, to Smuggling Goods from the United States and International Money Laundering. Vasquez Balganon is scheduled to be sentenced on May 23, 2024, by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.
Vasquez Balganon admitted that, between March of 2018 and January of 2021, and on April 6, 2021, he attempted to export and did export numerous firearms, some of which were recovered in Mexico. He also attempted to export and did export weapons components, ammunition, and accessories.
On April 6, 2021, Vasquez Balganon was arrested at the Nogales, Arizona Port of Entry attempting to smuggle high-capacity magazines that were concealed in his vehicle into Mexico. Customs and Border Protection officers found a shopping bag in the vehicle containing nine 30-round AR-15 5.56 caliber high-capacity magazines. Vasquez Balganon stated he knew about the magazines and knew he was prohibited from taking them into Mexico. Vasquez Balganon also stated that he expected to be paid $100 to transport the magazines from the United States into Mexico.
Further investigation revealed that, prior to his apprehension and arrest on April 6, 2021, Vasquez Balganon had attempted to export or exported 67 firearms, including a machinegun, an AK-103 style firearm, a Century Arms WASR rifle, and an FN SCAR 17 rifle, as well as 20,000 rounds of ammunition and ammunition links and 208 magazines. Some of the firearms were recovered in Mexico.
All the firearms, weapons components, ammunition, magazines, and accessories are designated on the United States Commerce Control List as prohibited by law for export from the United States into Mexico without a valid license. Vasquez Balganon did not possess a lawful export license or any other lawful authority to export these items from the United States into Mexico.
Vasquez Balganon also admitted that, from February of 2019 to March of 2021, in Arizona and elsewhere, he transferred $20,680 from a U.S. bank to a bank in Mexico with the knowledge and intent that these funds were to be obtained in cash in Mexico and used for the smuggling of firearms and weapons components, ammunition, and accessories that were illegally exported from the United States into Mexico.
A conviction for Smuggling Goods from the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
A conviction for International Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Raquel Arellano, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-02908-TUC-JGZ-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-042_Vasquez Balganon# # #
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.Felony Threats and Stalking Result in Six Year Prison Term for District ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eddie Tibbs, 34, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today to 73 months in prison for stalking, felony threats, felony destruction of property, misdemeanor destruction of property, and a civil protection order violation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In addition to the prison sentence, Superior Court Judge Erik Christian ordered Tibbs to serve three years of supervised release and a $500 payment to the fund established by the Victims of Violent Crime Compensation Act.
Tibbs pleaded guilty on January 30, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, Tibbs and the victim are former romantic partners, whose relationship ended in 2020. For over a year, the defendant proceeded to stalk, threaten, and intimidate the victim after their relationship broke up. From 2021 until early 2023, the defendant engaged in criminal conduct which included calling the victim’s phone several times and leaving voicemails insisting on speaking with her. Tibbs also threw rocks through the victim’s bedroom window, vandalized her car, showed up at her job unannounced, and threatened her and her family’s life, through phone calls and texts messages from real and fake phone numbers and emails. Tibbs’ dangerous conduct persisted, even after the victim obtained a civil protection order and was forced to move from her residence.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of all of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Richard Kelley of the Domestic Violence Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Felon Who Possessed Ghost Gun Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a ghost gun, a rifle, and high-capacity magazines was sentenced on March 28, 2024, to more than one year in federal prison.
John Wayne Brooks, age 62, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 21, 2023 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Information from a plea agreement and sentencing showed that Marion police officers executed a search warrant at Brooks’s residence on January 25, 2022. Officers found a Polymer80 Inc. PF94c, 9mm caliber pistol without a serial number, a type of firearm known as a “ghost gun,” under a pillow on Brooks’s bed. They also found a 9mm fifty-round drum magazine, two 9mm thirty-round magazines, and a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22, .22 caliber rifle in Brooks’s bedroom. Brooks was convicted of a felony narcotics offense in Illinois in 1999.
Brooks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Brooks was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-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.
Brooks 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 Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Marion Police Department and the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-53.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Federal Prisoner Pleads Guilty in Connection to Escaping from Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former New York man pleaded guilty today in federal court to escaping from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Michael Villanueva, 43, pleaded guilty to escaping from federal custody. U.S. District Court Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2024.
Villanueva was previously sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment by the District of Vermont for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely heroin and cocaine. In June 2023, he was transferred by the Bureau of Prisons from the federal facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania to the Hampshire House. At the Hampshire House, he was placed on house arrest and wore an electronic GPS monitoring ankle bracelet.
On January 10, 2024, Villanueva was told to report to the Hampshire House after authorities found inappropriate messages in his phone. That evening, at 6:41 pm, the Bureau of Prisons received an alert that Villanueva’s GPS monitoring ankle bracelet had been tampered with. Villanueva did not return to the Hampshire House. He was at large for three weeks before being apprehended in the Manchester area.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. 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 U.S. Marshals Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
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Federal Jury Convicts Oklahoma City Man of Mail Theft and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted DONALD EUGENE COOKS, 49, of Oklahoma City, of conspiracy to commit mail theft, possession of stolen mail, and witness tampering, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a four-count Second Superseding Indictment against Cooks, charging him with conspiracy to commit mail theft, two counts of being in possession of stolen mail, and witness tampering. On March 28, 2024, after a three-day trial, a federal jury found Cooks guilty on all counts.
According to evidence presented at trial, in July of 2022, Cooks and co-defendant IRVIN HERBERT SAWYER, 40, of Norman, conspired together to steal mail from an Oklahoma City Post Office. At the time, Sawyer was employed as a rural carrier associate, and knew the access code to enter the Post Office, which he shared with Cooks. The jury heard testimony that on July 19, 2022, on at least two occasions, Cooks entered the Post Office after hours using the code given by Sawyer. On the first occasion he successfully stole mail, which he took back to his motel room. Returning for more, Cooks and another person attempted to steal a large amount of mail, which they loaded into the bed of Cooks’ truck. However, while still loading the mail, the alarm was tripped and the Oklahoma City Police arrived before the mail could be taken from the parking lot. Cooks fled the scene but was soon detained and arrested. The investigation quickly led to Cooks’ motel, where Oklahoma City Police found several items of stolen mail in his room and empty mail packaging in the dumpster. The jury heard further testimony that in July of 2023, while in jail, Cooks had a message passed to a government witness attempting to intimidate the witness and keep them from testifying at his trial.
Following his conviction, Cooks faces up to 35 years in federal prison, and fines totaling up to $1,000,000, at sentencing. Sentencing will be set in approximately 90 days.
On July 18, 2023, Sawyer pleaded guilty to conspiring with Cooks to commit mail theft. Sawyer faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bow Bottomly and Charles Brown prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.