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Thursday 8 February 2024
Federal jury convicts Box Elder man of sexually abusing two childrenRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A federal jury on Feb. 7 convicted a Box Elder man of sexually abusing two children at a residence on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
After a two-day trial that began on Feb. 6, the jury found the defendant, Shawn Saddler, Sr., 57, guilty of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact. Saddler faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years of supervised release on the charge of aggravated sexual abuse and a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years of supervised release on the charge of abusive sexual contact.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for June 12. Saddler was detained pending further proceedings.
“There is no greater duty of our office than to hold accountable those who victimize children. Saddler’s crimes against these two young victims were disgraceful and it is a relief that the jury convicted him. While his crimes will always traumatize the victims, I hope they find a small measure of comfort knowing that Saddler won’t be able to harm them again. I thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Myers and our support team, along with the FBI and Rocky Boy’s Police Department, for their extraordinary work in investigating and prosecuting this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in 2021 and 2022 in a residence in Box Elder, on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, Saddler sexually molested and abused two girls multiple times. Both victims were under the age of 12 years at the time.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Myers is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Rocky Boy’s Police Department conducted the investigation.
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Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Trader of Engaging in Unauthorized Trading That Caused $30 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago trader has been convicted of fraud for engaging in unauthorized speculative bond trading that cost his employer and others more than $30 million.
A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Wednesday convicted KEITH WAKEFIELD, 50, of Chicago, on one count of securities fraud and three counts of wire fraud. Each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger did not immediately set a sentencing date.
The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil enforcement action against Wakefield, provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Franzblau and Bradley A. Tucker are prosecuting the criminal case.
According to evidence presented at trial, Wakefield worked as the head of fixed income trading for IFS Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer in Chicago. In 2019, Wakefield knowingly and fraudulently engaged in unauthorized speculative trading in U.S. Treasury bonds using his employer’s trading accounts, causing more than $30 million in losses to the employer and its counterparties. Wakefield attempted to conceal the unauthorized trades and losses by entering fake off-setting trades into a clearing broker’s order system, creating the false impression that he had profitably traded through a different clearing broker.
In addition to the fraudulent trading scheme, Wakefield from 2017 to 2019 embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from IFS Securities by falsifying the company’s books and records to create fake commissions that Wakefield knew were not actually owed to him.
Ex-FBI Agent Sentenced to 7+ Years in Prison for Secret Probation SchemeRead the Press Release
A retired FBI agent who convinced a Granbury woman she was on “secret probation” and conned her out of more than $700,000 was sentenced Tuesday to 87 months in prison followed by a term of three years supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
In August 2023, after 12 days of trial, a federal jury convicted William Roy Stone, Jr., 65, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity, and one count of false impersonation of a federal officer. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown.
Coconspirator Joseph Eventino DeLeon, 64, was also convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Mr. DeLeon is scheduled to be sentenced March 5, 2024.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Stone convinced his victim, C.T., that she was under “secret probation” for federal drug crimes in “Judge Anderson’s court in Austin, Texas.”
He and Mr. DeLeon told the victim that the fictious federal judge had appointed the two of them to administer the conditions of her six year “secret probation.” They required her to text them written reports of her daily activities, and to compensate them for their supervisory services, as well as any expenses they incurred. Copies of the multiple six figure checks she wrote them were admitted into evidence at trial. Over the course of eleven months, C.T. gave Mr. Stone more than $700,000 and Mr. DeLeon more than $50,000.
Mr. Stone and Mr. DeLeon insisted that C.T. was prohibited from disclosing her probation status to anyone, and would risk imprisonment and loss of her children if she did not comply with the terms of her probation.
When C.T. began to question the situation, Mr. Stone assured her everything he’d done was “legit.”
In order to further convince her the probation was real, the defendants monitored her cell phone communications, conducted physical surveillance of her, stated they had discussed C.T.’s probation with a psychiatrist, enlisted another person to impersonate the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration “Intelligence Center” in a message inquiring about C.T., and even placed spoof calls between Mr. Stone, C.T., and the fictitious Judge Anderson.
They urged her to distance herself from her family, claiming her family members wanted to take her inheritance away from her, and persuaded her to transfer her inherited assets out of a trust and into an account under her own name. At one point, they claimed Judge Anderson would discharge C.T.’s probation if C.T. agreed to marry Mr. Stone. Mr. DeLeon even carried a weapon in C.T.’s home while purportedly providing “protective services” for her.
The Texas Rangers and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Mr. Stone retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in October 2015. The Bureau provided valuable assistance during the trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenna Rudoff, Donna Strittmatter Max, and Marcus Busch prosecuted the case with the support of Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Miller and Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Pryor; Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is handling the forfeiture.
Essex County Man Admits Wire Fraud in $470,000 Kickback Scheme Involving Jersey City Condo ComplexRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted conspiring with two others in a kickback scheme to defraud the owner of a condominium complex in Jersey City of $470,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jonathan Smith, 56, of Montclair, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Smith’s conspirator, Nathaniel Obedos, pleaded guilty on July 6, 2023, before Judge Williams and is awaiting sentencing. Ranaldo Bennett, Smith’s other conspirator, was arrested and charged for the same conduct, and his case is still pending.
According to the publicly filed documents and statements made in Court:
From November 2018 through July 2020, Smith conspired with Bennett and Obedos to engage in a kickback scheme to defraud the owner of the condominium complex. Bennett was the complex’s lead property manager and Smith was its superintendent. Bennett and Smith steered repair and maintenance work to Obedos and his company. Bennett and Smith requested and received kickbacks from Obedos. To fund these kickbacks, Bennett and Smith falsified invoices that grossly inflated the value of Obedos’s work. Relying on those fake invoices, the complex paid Obedos the inflated prices, and Obedos then used the excess money to pay Bennett and Smith kickbacks. The complex paid Obedos and his company over $1 million for work that was actually valued at $500,000. Obedos used the overpayments to pay $460,000 in kickbacks to Bennett and approximately $30,000 in kickbacks to Smith.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for Smith is scheduled for June 10, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations against Bennett are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
smith.information.pdfEl Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con la Oficina del Sheriff en el estado de Washington sobre el acceso lingüísticoRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy un acuerdo para resolver las acusaciones de que la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de King, Washington (KCSO, por sus siglas en inglés), discriminaba a personas con un dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés), en contra del Título VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964.
En virtud de los términos del acuerdo, KCSO ha acordado tomar una serie de medidas para mejorar el acceso lingüístico para las personas LEP. El Título VI prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel y nacionalidad de origen (incluida la discriminación con base en el dominio del inglés) por parte de entidades que reciben apoyo financiero federal.
«El Departamento de Justicia se compromete a garantizar que nuestros organismos encargados del cumplimiento de la ley puedan proteger y servir a todas las personas de su comunidad, incluidas las víctimas de delitos, independientemente de su capacidad para hablar inglés con fluidez», dijo Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Este acuerdo conciliatorio mejorará la seguridad pública y la prestación de servicios lingüísticos para personas con un dominio limitado del inglés en el Condado de King».
«El acuerdo de hoy con la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de King ayuda a generar confianza en la comunidad», comentó Tessa M. Gorman, la Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Oeste de Washington. «Me complace que tan pronto como se presentó el problema ante la Oficina del Sheriff, la agencia se dio cuenta de que tenía que mejorar las políticas sobre el acceso lingüístico y acordó inmediatamente realizar cambios».
El acuerdo de hoy detalla un plan de dos años para la introducción de una serie de apoyos de acceso lingüístico para mejorar la comunicación entre los sheriffs adjuntos de la KCSO y las personas LEP. En virtud del acuerdo, la KCSO ha acordado contratar a un gerente del programa de acceso lingüístico; desarrollar directivas provisionales y finales que prohíban el uso de niños, familiares, transeúntes y otras personas no cualificadas para el apoyo lingüístico; participar en actividades de alcance comunitario con miembros de la comunidad y partes interesadas; desarrollar un programa de formación sólido y garantizar un proceso de reclamación accesible.
El Departamento de Justicia comenzó a interactuar con la KCSO después de que una organización comunitaria planteara inquietudes sobre un incidente entre un sheriff adjunto de la KCSO y un residente LEP. El Departamento de Justicia proporcionó asistencia técnica a la KCSO, lo que dio lugar a este acuerdo conciliatorio.
Este acuerdo fue negociado conjuntamente por la División de Derechos Civiles y la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Oeste de Washington.
El acuerdo forma parte de la Iniciativa del Orden Público para el Acceso Lingüístico (LELAI, por sus siglas en inglés) del Departamento, un esfuerzo nacional para ayudar a las agencias del orden público a superar las barreras lingüísticas en su trabajo diario. La iniciativa, dirigida por la División de Derechos Civiles en asociación con las Fiscalías Federales, proporciona recursos de asistencia técnica y herramientas que pueden ayudar a las fuerzas del orden público estatales y locales a proporcionar un acceso lingüístico significativo a las personas LEP, trabaja afirmativamente con las agencias de aplicación de la ley que desean revisar, actualizar o fortalecer sus políticas, planes y capacitación de acceso lingüístico y fortalece la conexión entre las agencias de aplicación de la ley y las partes interesadas de la comunidad LEP y las poblaciones LEP.
Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/es/crt e información sobre el dominio limitado del inglés y el Título VI está disponible en www.lep.gov. Encontrará más información sobre LELAI en www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Los miembros del público pueden denunciar posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Developer Sentenced for Conspiring with First NBC Bank President to Defraud First NBC BankRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – On February 5, 2024, United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion sentenced WARREN G. TREME (“TREME”), age 59, a resident of Metairie, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. TREME previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy for his role in the scheme that led to the downfall of First NBC Bank, the New Orleans-based bank that failed in April 2017.
TREME, who testified as a government witness at the January 2023 trial of former First NBC Bank President and CEO Ashton Ryan, was sentenced by Judge Papillion to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, as well as payment of $6,399,890.38 in restitution, to First NBC Bank’s successors. TREME is jointly and severally liable for the restitution amount with Ryan and William J. Burnell, the Bank’s Chief Credit Officer.
According to court documents, from in or around 2008 through April 2017, TREME had a banking relationship with First NBC Bank, individually and through various entities he controlled. TREME also co-owned several entities with Ryan. Because of this conflict of interest, Ryan should not have been involved with TREME’s loans. However, Ryan exercised authority over TREME’s loans, along with Burnell. Throughout TREME’s borrowing relationship at First NBC Bank, TREME lacked sufficient income and cash flow from his businesses to pay his loans and personal expenses. Ryan and Burnell disguised TREME’s true financial condition by making new loans to pay TREME’s existing loans.
Court documents further describe a scheme by Ryan and Burnell to take $400,000 from TREME’s business partners as part of a settlement. Rather than using the $400,000 to pay down an outstanding loan debt owed by TREME and his business partners, Ryan and Burnell gave $300,000 to TREME. TREME spent the money on gambling, a trip to the Caribbean, and expenses related to a real estate development company co-owned by TREME and Ryan. During a subsequent Board meeting, Ryan and Burnell falsely stated that the $300,000 was used to pay down the outstanding loan debt owed by TREME and his business partners.
Ryan was sentenced to 170 months in prison for his role in this scheme, while Burnell was sentenced to 48 months in prison. Both Ryan and Burnell were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the agencies that conducted this years-long investigation: the Federal Bureau of Investigation - New Orleans Field Office; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, Dallas Regional Office; and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. Payne of the Financial Crimes Unit, Nicholas D. Moses, Health Care Fraud Coordinator, J. Ryan McLaren of the Appellate Unit, and Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Cumberland County Man Sentenced to 28 Months’ Imprisonment for Fraud and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Zedan RaShwan, age 25, formerly of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, to 28 months of imprisonment, for wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, RaShwan pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to use the stolen identities and DEA registration numbers of healthcare providers to order fraudulent prescriptions at various pharmacies. RaShwan and his coconspirators obtained and distributed those prescription medications, which included the controlled substances and prescription medications Promethazine with Codeine, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and Clonazepam. RaShwan has been in custody since pleading guilty on March 1, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
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Clinton, Indiana, Woman Charged with Murder-for-HireRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on February 6, 2024, charging a Clinton, Indiana, woman, Davetta Cox, 31, with an alleged murder-for-hire scheme occurring from January 16, 2024, through January 26, 2024.
The indictment alleges in two counts that Cox sought to hire someone she believed to be a hitman to kill another individual. The indictment further alleges that Cox offered $6,000 for the murder of this individual.
Cox was arrested in Charleston, Illinois, on January 26, 2024, and has remained in the custody of law enforcement in Macon County, Illinois.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are up to 20 years imprisonment; up to a $500,000 fine; and up to a six-year term of supervised release.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Ritzer is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Canyon Country Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Santa Clarita man who is a former Navy SEAL was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) for surreptitiously filming nude minor victims with hidden cameras in a residential setting.
Robert Quido Stella, 51, of Canyon Country, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu.
At the conclusion of a four-day trial in May 2023, a jury found Stella guilty of three counts of production of child pornography. In April 2023, prior to trial, Stella pleaded guilty to access with intent to view child pornography and two counts possession of child pornography.
In 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a tip that Stella had accessed a dark web child pornography website.
On July 15, 2021, agents found collections of CSAM on Stella’s computer and two external hard drives. Stella concealed some of the collections in digital folders structures bearing misleading titles such as “federal contracts” and “tax returns.”
During the investigation, HSI agents also found hidden cameras that Stella placed, including one disguised as a USB charging block. According to evidence presented at trial, Stella used that hidden camera to film his minor victims as they undressed to shower and used the bathroom.
HSI later located approximately 17 videos and over 100 screenshots from those videos of minor victims naked and partially undressed. Stella hid these images under multi-level digital folder structures on a hard drive bearing misleading titles such as “course work.”
Stella has been in custody since his arrest in July 2021.
HSI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Catharine A. Richmond and Lyndsi C. Allsop of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
California Woman Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Marijuana Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ruby Ledesma, age 25, of Fresno, California, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC).
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf; and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
Ledesma admitted that she was a member of a marijuana and THC trafficking organization that shipped thousands of kilograms of marijuana and THC from Fresno to locations throughout the United States, including the Capital Region, between 2016 and June 2022. The marijuana and THC was shipped through UPS and FedEx from a shipping store, Fast Pack & Ship, in Fresno.
Fast Pack & Ship was owned by Ledesma’s brother, Sammy Olague, from 2016 through June 2018, when he sold the business to Nehemiah Fane, aka “Neil.” Olague received a portion of the purchase money for Fast Pack & Ship from Dwight A. Singletary II, aka “Nutt” and “Mike Jones,” and James Tyrell Daniels, aka “Red” and “Ghost,” helped manage Fast Pack & Ship when it was owned by Fane. In April 2020, Fane transferred ownership of Fast Pack & Ship to Singletary’s partner, McKenzie Merrialice Coles, aka “Kenzie,” who operated Fast Pack & Ship through M.M.M.C. Management, Inc. The defendant worked with Olague, Fane, Daniels, Singletary and Coles to ship the packages of marijuana and THC.
Ledesma also arranged for Singletary to obtain distribution-quantities of THC “edibles,” which Singletary, in turn, sold.
Ledesma was charged in an indictment with Singletary, Coles, Olague, Fane, Daniels and 18 other people charging marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, firearms offenses, and other crimes. Singletary, Coles, Fane, and Daniels have pled not guilty and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations.
In addition to Ledesma, Olague and five other defendants, Rosemary Coles, Latrice Mumphrey, Jazell Shuler, Victor Turner, and Kristle Walker, previously pled guilty and are pending sentencing.
The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Dustin C. Segovia are prosecuting the 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.
C-Block Member Sentenced to 384 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 384 months in federal prison after a jury convicted him of charges related to firearms straw purchasing and illegally possessing firearms and a machinegun.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, believing that a group of people contained a rival gang member, Dontavius Rashawn Sharkey, age 27 and a member of the C-Block gang, open-fired with two firearms into a crowd of people attending a baby shower at a Des Moines apartment complex. Three teens were struck by Sharkey’s bullets, causing serious injuries to each. All three survived. As noted in the government’s sentencing memorandum, “[h]is motive, that a rival gang member happened to be in that crowd, was unconscionable.”
Following the shooting, Sharkey, a convicted felon, recruited an individual to illegally purchase him multiple firearms from various gun stores in the Des Moines area. One of those firearms was recovered by law enforcement on November 2, 2022, during a search warrant at Sharkey’s Des Moines residence. During that search warrant, Sharkey ran from police with this loaded firearm, which he had converted to a machinegun with an auto-switch. Sharkey was captured by an ATF K-9.
Twenty-four months of his sentence resulted from the revocation of his federal supervised release. Sharkey was serving a term of federal supervised release at the time he committed these crimes. He had been released from federal prison on February 17, 2022, after serving a 60-month sentence for felon in possession of a firearm.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Sharkey will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The Des Moines Police have enjoyed a long-standing working relationship with the ATF, FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office,” stated Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert. “This partnership continues to pay dividends in our community, whereas violent criminals are held accountable for their actions. The collective efforts in this particular case are certainly impressive, and we vow to continue pooling our resources in a relentless pursuit of those individuals who compromise the safety our of citizens through gun violence.”
“The ATF has no greater mission than keeping firearms out of the hands of violent criminals. This case not only demonstrates the lengths to which criminals will go to acquire firearms, but more importantly, ATF’s expertise and commitment to investigating such violations of federal law,” said Bernard Hansen, Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City Field Division, ATF. “With our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office, we will continue to work tirelessly to bring those who disregard the safety of our communities to justice.”
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin M. Herrera and Adam J. Kerndt prosecuted the case This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department – Intelligence Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Des Moines Police Detective/ATF Task Force Officer Brian Minnehan was the lead agent in the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Brownsburg Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Sharing Thousands of Child Sexual Abuse Videos and ImagesRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Mario Parker, 22, of Brownsburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, in June of 2021, investigators discovered that an individual living in California had been sharing sexually explicit images and videos via the social media application Kik with someone later identified as Mario Parker. In chats over Kik, Parker learned that the individual from California worked in a daycare and had a sexual interest in children. Knowing that, Parker asked the daycare employee to distribute sexually explicit images and videos of the children in the daycare to Parker knowing that it would result in their sexual exploitation. In one of the Kik conversations, Parker admitted that he would like to adopt a daughter with the intention of raping her.
On June 30, 2022, officers executed a federal search warrant at Parker’s residence in Brownsburg and found a Samsung Galaxy cell phone. During a search of the phone, investigators located several graphic sexual abuse videos of children as young as three years old being forcefully tied down and raped by adult men, as well as videos depicting bestiality. In total, officers recovered thousands of images and approximately 889 videos of child sexual abuse from Parker’s cell phone and accounts.
In an interview with investigators, Parker admitted to using social media applications such as Kik, Snapchat, and Telegram to communicate about and share child sexual abuse material with users who shared his sexual interest in children.
“This pedophile revictimized hundreds of children across the world, many of whom we will never know. Even more disturbing, communicated with other like-minded criminals, sharing these horrific videos and their sick desires to perpetrate these abuses on even more children,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Sexual abuse of children is more widespread than decent people understand, especially the proliferation of abuse images online. Our federal prosecutors will continue to partner with the FBI to identify these criminals, and work to put them where they cannot harm any more of our children.”
The FBI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Parker be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for ten years following his release from federal prison and pay $24,000 in restitution to victims.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.
If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
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Brothers each sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for running multi-state cocaine ringRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Two brothers were sentenced in federal court here today for leading a long-running drug-trafficking organization that sourced bulk amounts of narcotics from Los Angeles and Houston to Dayton and Charlotte, North Carolina.
The government argued at sentencing that Roger Earl Walton, Jr., 44, of Concord, North Carolina, and Shawn Lee Walton, 50, of Charlotte, North Carolina, were sophisticated drug distributors, who, from 2014 until 2020, led a lucrative conspiracy to traffic kilogram quantities of cocaine.
Roger Earl Walton, Jr., also known as “Mike,” was sentenced to 168 months in prison. Shawn Lee Walton, also known as “Swoop,” was sentenced to 151 months in prison.
“Drug trafficking, by its very nature, is devastating to communities,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners across multiple jurisdictions, the Waltons can no longer harm our cities.”
According to court documents, the Waltons and four other defendants conspired to traffic at least 3,000 kilograms of converted drug weight. The six defendants were charged by indictment in August 2020. As part of this case, law enforcement has seized more 25 kilograms of cocaine and more than one million in cash from the drug-trafficking organization.
Over the course of the narcotics conspiracy, law enforcement in various jurisdictions conducted multiple stops, searches and seizures of the Walton drug-trafficking organization. They include at least half a dozen law enforcement interactions in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Ohio.
The coconspirators convicted and sentenced as part of this case include:
Name
Also Known As
Age
City of residence
Sentence imposed
Noah Alexander Sherrill
704 Noah
36
Dayton
48 months in prison
Rauland Pollard, III
Saki, Sockey
38
Dayton
51 months in prison
Glynn Sewell
Frezzy
42
Charlotte, NC
100 months in prison
Louis Walton
26
Charlotte, NC
24 months in prison
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the sentences imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. Newman.
U.S. Attorney Parker recognized the critical assistance of the Oklahoma COMIT Task Force, the Charlotte Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and Beaumont, Texas, police departments, the Cabarrus County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office and the DEA in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Smith and Rob Painter and Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe, now with the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering Asset Recovery Section, represented the United States in this case.
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Brooklyn Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for COVID-19 Fraud Scheme and Fraud on NYCHARead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHANETTE LEWIS was sentenced today to three years in prison for her role in two fraud schemes. LEWIS participated in a scheme to commit COVID-19 pandemic fraud by (i) defrauding New York City’s COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program, and (ii) committing unemployment benefits fraud. LEWIS also committed a fraud in which she submitted fabricated documents to the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) — such as purported Orders of Protection bearing Judges’ names, purported letters from a District Attorney, and purported letters from healthcare professionals attesting to alleged medical issues — in order to secure public housing benefits for her customers. LEWIS’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Chanette Lewis exploited multiple lifelines offered to New York City residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of her schemes misappropriated identifying information of hardworking individuals, including medical professionals whose services were vital during the pandemic. For her brazen crimes, Lewis has now been sentenced to prison.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information, court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:
LEWIS’s COVID-19 Pandemic Fraud Scheme
During 2020 and 2021, LEWIS conspired to commit COVID-19 pandemic fraud in two ways.
First, LEWIS defrauded the COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program (the “Program”). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City created the Program. Funded by New York City and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Program provided free hotel rooms for qualifying individuals throughout New York City. In total, the Program was open to (i) healthcare workers who needed to isolate because of exposure to COVID-19; (ii) patients who had tested positive for COVID-19; (iii) individuals who believed, based on their symptoms, that they were infected with COVID-19; and (iv) individuals who lived with someone who contracted COVID-19. As stated on the City’s website describing the Program, such individuals “may qualify to self-isolate in a hotel, free of charge, for up to 14 days if you do not have a safe place to self-isolate.” Those who wished to book a hotel room through the Program could either call a phone number or use an online hotel booking platform.
LEWIS defrauded the Program in several respects. First, she secured free Program hotel rooms for herself by falsely claiming to be a healthcare worker. Second, she sold at least approximately 1,936 nights’ worth of fraudulently obtained hotel rooms to customers who were ineligible for the Program. Third, LEWIS abused her employment, which was supposed to be in service of the Program. Specifically, LEWIS worked at a call center that handled phone calls and certain reservations for the Program for several months in 2020. As a result of her employment, LEWIS had access to legitimate healthcare workers’ identifying information. LEWIS abused her position, including by misappropriating healthcare workers’ identifying information, revealing the Program’s inner workings to co-conspirators, and making unauthorized sales of Program hotel rooms to ineligible individuals. For instance, LEWIS sold a co-defendant personal identifying information of at least five healthcare professionals, as well as certain “codes” to use when booking hotel reservations through the Program, such as an employee ID number and license number. LEWIS also advertised to potential customers that when hotels asked for a healthcare worker’s identification, LEWIS would supply a purported paystub and a letter falsely asserting that the individual was a healthcare worker.
Second, during 2020 and 2021, LEWIS committed unemployment benefits fraud in New York State by fraudulently obtaining such benefits for herself and also by stealing the identity of an incarcerated individual and conspiring to obtain unemployment benefits issued for the benefit of that individual. In total, LEWIS fraudulently obtained approximately $47,000 in unemployment benefits.
LEWIS’s Fraud on NYCHA
During 2020 and 2021, LEWIS participated in a separate conspiracy to defraud NYCHA. LEWIS submitted fabricated documents to NYCHA — such as purported Orders of Protection bearing Judges’ names, purported letters from a District Attorney, and purported letters from doctors attesting to alleged medical issues — in order to secure public housing benefits for her customers, including transfers to larger NYCHA apartments. In total, LEWIS submitted fraudulent applications to NYCHA on behalf of more than approximately 30 individuals, a number of whom in fact received the public housing benefit they requested based on fraudulent documentation submitted by LEWIS.
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In addition to her prison term, LEWIS, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $289,536 and to pay restitution of $360,330.
LEWIS’s three co-defendants — Tatiana Benjamin, Tatiana Daniel, and Heaven West — previously pled guilty. On February 1, 2024, Benjamin was sentenced principally to one year and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of $294,624, and forfeiture of $51,088; and West was sentenced principally to time served, three years of supervised release, restitution of $59,644, and forfeiture of $23,684. Daniel’s sentencing is scheduled for March 6, 2024, at 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of agents, investigators, and analysts from the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Intelligence Analysts for their support and assistance in this investigation. He also expressed gratitude to the New York City Police Department, the New York State Department of Labor, and the DOL-OIG Atlanta Regional Office for their assistance.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.
Boone County Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Burlington, Ky., man, David L. Mitchell, 73, was sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 48 months in prison, for possession of child pornography. He also was ordered to pay over $20,000 in victim restitution.
According to his plea agreement, on June 29, 2022, law enforcement travelled to Mitchell’s home and requested permission to enter his residence to discuss an investigation. During a consensual search of his home, law enforcement found a USB device and hard drive that Mitchell admitted contained pornographic material of minors, and he also admitted that he had accessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the past through the Internet. It was discovered the devices contained over 100 unique digital images and over 100 unique digital videos of minors, including minors under the age of 12, engaged in sexual conduct.
Under federal law, Mitchell must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Mitchell was also ordered to pay $23,000 in victim restitution.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI Northern Kentucky. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Billings meth, fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings woman who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl pills in the community after law enforcement found drugs, firearms and cash in a vehicle in which she was an occupant was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Shaynee Renee Gibbs, 45, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in November 2022, Laurel Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop of a Cadillac occupied by Gibbs and co-defendant Aaron Meeks. In an initial search of the vehicle, officers located a firearm and drug paraphernalia. Later, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the vehicle and a package Gibbs and Meeks had said they were awaiting. The package contained approximately 3.8 pounds of meth and fentanyl. In the Cadillac, agents located fentanyl pills, a 9mm pistol, a 9mm rifle, multiple rounds of ammunition and $12,461 in cash. Meeks told law enforcement that he and Gibbs were picking up drug packages of meth and fentanyl coming from Arizona for co-defendant Cynthia Pruett. Gibbs told law enforcement that Pruett was distributing large quantities of meth and fentanyl and storing drugs at a storage unit. Pruett was sentenced previously to 15 years and three months in prison for her conviction in the case. Meeks and a third co-defendant, Jacob Taylor West, are pending sentencing for their convictions in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Billings Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, Laurel Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Barred Broker Dealer Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for $1.2 Million Investment Fraud and Fraudulent $96,000 CARES Act LoanRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 45 months for defrauding 14 victims of more than $1.2 million and fraudulently obtaining a loan of approximately $96,000 meant for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Anthony Mastroianni Jr., 49, of Manalapan, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information charging him with two counts of wire fraud. Judge Kirsch imposed sentence today in Trenton federal court.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“This defendant admitted defrauding investors by taking the money they entrusted to him and using it for his personal benefit, rather than investing it. He did this after already having agreed never to work as broker. Investors need to know their money is being used for their best interest, and not to line the pockets of criminals. Mastroianni is now realizing the price that must be paid for stealing from innocent victims.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2016, Mastroianni consented to being permanently barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which prohibited him from acting as a broker or intermediary in securities transactions. Despite that debarment, Mastroianni admitted that from January 2017 to August 2022 he defrauded victim investors, many of whom were senior citizens, by falsely and fraudulently claiming that he would generate large investment profits for them through his company, Global Business Development & Consulting Corporation. Instead of investing the money as promised, Mastroianni used victim funds on personal expenses. In total, Mastroianni defrauded 14 victims of approximately $1.2 million.
Mastroianni also exploited the ongoing global pandemic by submitting a false and fraudulent application to obtain approximately $96,300 from a federal COVID-19 emergency relief loan meant for distressed small businesses. As with his investment fraud scheme, Mastroianni misused the loan proceeds to make personal purchases and cash withdrawals.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch also sentenced Mastroianni to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $1.3 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Honors Local Attorneys as Part of 2023 Attorney General’s AwardsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the recipients of the 70th and 71st Attorney General’s Awards, honoring Justice Department employees and others for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws. Recipients from both 2022 and 2023 were selected from a group of more than 800 nominees. Four Assistant United States Attorneys serving in the Northern District of California were among the persons who received awards during the ceremony in Washington, D.C.
“Each of today’s recipients has served with distinction, and in so doing, they have enabled the Justice Department to advance its work on behalf of the American people,” said Attorney General Garland. “Their exceptional leadership, heroism, and dedication have benefited people and communities across the country.”
“I am extremely proud to see the hard work of this team recognized by Attorney General Garland,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey. “The guilty verdicts and sentencings in the Theranos case could not have been achieved without the dedicated efforts of team members who spent many hours reviewing millions of pages of documents, organizing many skillful presentations, and delivering careful arguments in furtherance of justice for the people of the United States. The recognition is well-deserved.”
The awards presented include the John Marshall Award, named for the fourth Chief Justice of the United States. The award recognizes outstanding professional achievement by attorneys of the Justice Department. Recipients of the 2023 John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation include Northern District of California Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Leach, Kelly I. Volkar, John C. Bostic, and Jeffrey D. Nedrow for their work in United States v. Holmes and United States v. Balwani. These prosecutions were also the product of outstanding work by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Schenk, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (in particular, Special Agent Mario Scussel and Special Agent Adelaida Hernandez), the U.S. Postal Inspections Service (in particular, Special Agent Christopher McCollow), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (in particular, Special Agent in Charge George Scavdis), as well as the assistance of Madeline Wachs, Lakisha Holliman, Sara Slattery, Elise Etter, Susan Kreider, Lynette Dixon, Sahib Kaur, and Leeya Kekona. These criminal cases arose from fraud committed by defendants Elizabeth A. Holmes and Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani in connection with Theranos, Inc., a now-defunct blood testing company based in Palo Alto and Newark, Calif. Each defendant was convicted in a separate trial, after which Holmes was sentenced to 135 months (11 years, 3 months) in federal prison for defrauding investors in Theranos of hundreds of millions of dollars and Balwani was sentenced to 155 months (12 years, 11 months) in federal prison for fraud that risked patient health by misrepresenting the accuracy of Theranos blood analysis technology and that defrauded Theranos investors.
A list of all the recipients of the 70th and 71st Attorney General’s Awards can be found here.
Wednesday 7 February 2024
Virginia Man Sentenced to 5 Years Probation and Ordered to Pay over $1.5 Million in Restitution for Defrauding the United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Carissa Messick, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, announced that Jerry Shrock was sentenced to 5 years’ probation and ordered to pay $1,542,769.70 in taxes, interest, and penalties. Shrock, 48, of Meadowview, Virginia, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2022, to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prior to sentencing, Shrock paid more than $430,000 toward his tax debt.
According to court records, beginning in January 2005, David Wellington and his business partner Stacy Underwood operated National Business Services, which promoted, sold and created Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) under New Mexico State Law. For many clients, National Business Services would open bank accounts under the names and IRS employer identification numbers (EINs) of the LLCs, and the clients – whose names were not associated with the bank accounts - would have access to the funds in those accounts. Clients received debit cards, online bank access information and pre-signed checks with Underwood’s signature, which clients could use to access the money despite the bank never associating the client with the account.
In his plea agreement, Shrock admitted that he contacted National Business Services in 2006 for help avoiding federal taxes by incorporating a business in New Mexico. Shrock spoke with Underwood and Wellington and became a client of National Business Services.
Wellington and Underwood created three LLCs in New Mexico for Shrock: White Top Enterprise LLC; Poultry Enterprises LLC; and TALC Properties LLC. Shrock was not listed on the Articles of Organization. Instead, Underwood was listed as the “Organizer,” and National Business Services was the initial registered agent for each of the three LLCs.
On May 9, 2011, Underwood opened a bank account in the business name of White Top Enterprise, LLC, utilizing the company EIN. Underwood was the sole signer on the bank account. Shrock’s name was not associated with the account. Underwood provided Shrock with online access to the bank account and a book of pre-signed checks with her signature. Between May 9, 2011, and June 30, 2015, Shrock caused approximately $4,875,940 to be deposited into the White Top Enterprise LLC bank account, and over the same time period, Shrock and his wife withdrew or caused the withdrawal of approximately $4,875,940. Among the withdrawals was a wire transfer of approximately $352,216 for the purchase of a home.
Prior to his indictment in this case on June 23, 2021, Shrock did not file a personal or business tax return with the IRS reporting the White Top Enterprises LLC income. At the time of the White Top Enterprise LLC deposits and withdrawals, Shrock had a large outstanding IRS lien of approximately $1,026,858 for unpaid taxes, penalties and interest. the White Top Enterprises LLC bank account enabled Shrock to generate and deposit income while evading the outstanding assessment and avoiding personal and business taxes on the income.
On April 24, 2023, Wellington pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Under the terms of his agreement, Wellington faces up to 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release.
On Oct. 21, 2022, Underwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Under the terms of her agreement, Underwood faces up to 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case.
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Utica Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of RestaurantRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Nay Thar, age 25, of Utica, New York, was sentenced today to serve 157 months (13-years and one month) in federal prison for committing the armed robbery of a restaurant in Utica, and use of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun to commit the robbery, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Chief Mark Williams, City of Utica Police Department, New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James, Acting Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville.
As part of his previous guilty plea, Thar admitted that on August 5, 2022, he used an unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun to rob the Zam Zam Restaurant in Utica. Upon entering the restaurant wearing a ski-mask, Thar pointed the sawed-off shotgun at an employee and demanded she open the cash register. After she fled to the rear of the restaurant without opening the register, Thar stole a donation box on the counter containing cash for a charity, exited the building, and fled in a car. New York State Parole officers who happened to be in the area responded with Utica Police (UPD). After a short vehicle pursuit, Thar was taken into custody by Utica Police. The ski-mask, unregistered shotgun, and stolen money were recovered from the car Thar was driving.
Thar was also sentenced today to serve a 5-year term of post-incarceration supervised release following completion of his prison sentence.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Utica Police Department (UPD), the New York State Police (NYSP), and Officers of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (Parole) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick prosecuted (with assistance from the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office) the case as 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.
Utah Drug Trafficker Admits to Selling Narcotics, Sentenced to 65 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Luis Alexander Coronado, 25, of Herriman, Utah, was sentenced to over 5 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release and the forfeiture of $23,074 by a U.S. District Court Judge as a result of a guilty plea. Coronado engaged in a serious drug trafficking offense involving large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl in the District of Utah.
According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Coronado possessed heroin that he intended to distribute. On March 7, 2023, Coronado was arrested after a search warrant was executed at his residence. In his home, agents found approximately 3500 grams of heroin, 41,000 pills containing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, all of which Coronado admitted he intended to distribute to others. Agents also seized $23,074, which Coronado admitted was obtained by selling drugs. See prior press release here.
“Community safety is a top priority,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “I want to thank law enforcement and my office’s prosecutors for their commitment to removing narcotics from criminals like Coronado who put our communities at risk."
“The amount of illicit drugs seized from Luis Coronado was enough to potentially kill thousands of Utahns,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Countless lives have been destroyed by the overdose epidemic and the FBI and our partners will pursue those who fuel these addictions in our communities.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney, Vernon G. Stejskal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Union Man on Supervised Release Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — William Michael Hall, of Union, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Hall had been released from federal prison in April of 2020, following a 10-year sentence for a previous federal drug offense, and was still on federal supervised release at the time of the incident.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in early 2021, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration learned that Hall was receiving large shipments of drugs through the mail. Additionally, agents seized telephone messages between Hall and a drug distributor in Ohio showing that Hall had been supplying the distributor with large quantities of fentanyl and other drugs since at least August of 2020. Finally, on July 29, 2021, deputies with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office intercepted a courier Hall had recruited to transport drugs from Atlanta. A search of the courier’s vehicle revealed approximately one kilogram of fentanyl and five kilograms of methamphetamine. Deputies also determined that Hall was traveling in tandem with the courier in a nearby vehicle.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Hall to 210 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. Furthermore, because Hall was on federal supervised release at the time of his offense, the court sentenced him to serve an additional 30 months in prison consecutive to the sentence imposed, bringing his total sentence to 20 years. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office collects more than $24 million in civil and criminal actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
Seattle- U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced today that the Western District of Washington collected more than $24 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $12,306,908 was collected in criminal actions and $11,958,411 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Western District of Washington worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $41,493,471 in civil cases pursued jointly by these offices.
“Overall, our collections have increased significantly over prior years and that is a win for taxpayers and crime victims who benefit when we are able to collect restitution and settlement funds,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Of particular note is the $40 million settlement in a False Claims Act matter involving telecommunications for health care in Alaska.”
In May 2023, the Western District of Washington recovered $40,252,546 as part of the settlement in the GCI communications False Claims Act Case. The Anchorage Alaska based corporation resolved allegations that it knowingly inflated its prices and violated Federal Communications Commission (FCC) competitive bidding regulations in connection with GCI’s participation in the FCC’s Rural Health Care Program.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Western District of Washington working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $4,765,255 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects more than $6 million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
BILLINGS — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced today that the District of Montana collected $6,041,422 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $1,876,130 was collected in criminal actions and $4,165,292 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the District of Montana worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $52,813,479 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, the Department of Justice collected $48,185,752 from Atlantic Richfield Co. and $4,627,717 from Kalispell Regional Medical Center.
“These collections come from both criminals who owe victims money, as well as those who owe debts or civil penalties to the American taxpayer. After we obtain criminal convictions or civil judgments, our office’s financial litigation program is tasked with ensuring money is paid to victims and as these numbers reflect, they have great success. Their service is essential to executing our criminal and civil judgments, and I thank them for their tireless work and dedication to crime victims and the American people,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
Funds collected from civil judgments include:
- $2,940,474 from Dr. David Bellamah and Bellamah Vein & Surgery for settlement of alleged False Claims Act violations.
Funds collected from criminal judgments include:
- $184,457 from Rodolfo “Nick” Gutierrez, Jr., who paid his victims in full, with interest. Gutierrez was convicted of bank fraud in 2010. Collected from real property in Texas which he had transferred without paying his victims.
- $178,814 from Gene Klamert, which included full restitution and a $35,000 fine for defrauding the Bureau of Land Management.
- $100,000 from U.S. Minerals, Inc., which was convicted of negligent endangerment for exposing workers to arsenic at its former Anaconda plant.
- $91,556 from Aaron Grossman, which included full payment of his restitution and a $20,000 fine for false statements to a government agency.
- $66,050 from Anna Niles, who was convicted of wire fraud. Collected in part through turnover of Niles’s non-exempt retirement account.
- $41,482 from Melissa Horner, who was convicted of failing to pay IRS employment taxes.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $485,202 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Commemorates Black History MonthRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina held its annual program to commemorate Black History Month, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney King opened the program with welcome remarks and an introduction of this year’s keynote speaker, Dean Patricia Timmons-Goodson of North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) School of Law.
“For over a decade, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has observed Black History Month to celebrate the profound impact of Black heritage on our nation’s history, culture, and identity, and as a means of raising awareness about the notable contributions and achievements of African Americans in all aspects of our society,” said U.S. Attorney King, who is a graduate of NCCU’s School of Law. “As we gather each year to remember those sung and unsung African American heroes throughout history, it is equally important to recognize and honor individuals within our community, such as Dean Timmons-Goodson, who broke barriers and paved the way for others to follow. Dean Timmons-Goodson serves as an inspiration for all of us, and we are grateful for her willingness to share her memories, wisdom, and life’s journey.”
Dean Timmons-Goodson, who was selected to lead NCCU’s School of Law in 2023, has spent the entirety of her professional career in public service. Appointed to the Supreme Court of North Carolina by former Governor Michael Easley in January 2006, Dean Timmons-Goodson was the fourth woman and the first African American woman to sit on the state’s highest court. The citizens of North Carolina overwhelmingly affirmed her appointment by later electing her to the court. Her retirement from the Supreme Court in 2012, marked the conclusion of 28 years of service in the judiciary of North Carolina.
Two Iranian Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Provide Sanctioned Technology to the Government of IranRead the Press Release
An indictment was filed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Abolfazl Bazzazi and Mohammad Resa Bazzazi, father and son respectively, with conspiring to illegally export U.S. goods and technology to end users in Iran, including the Government of Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and with attempted smuggling of U.S. goods and technology to Iran. The defendants, who are citizens of Iran, remain at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Norfolk Field Office, announced the indictment.
“As alleged, the Bazzazis devised an intricate scheme to evade U.S. export laws in obtaining U.S. equipment and technology to be exported to Iran for the Government of Iran which has been designated by the United States government as a state sponsor of terrorism. The defendants allegedly attempted to obtain commercial and military aircraft items from multiple U.S. companies that supply the military, aerospace, and firefighting industries,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “These charges demonstrate the resolve of this Office and the Department of Justice to prosecute those who seek to aid the Government of Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions.”
“In its first year, the Disruptive Technology Strike Force has strengthened enforcement and disrupted numerous criminal schemes to smuggle highly-sensitive technology that foreign adversaries wield to advance their military and other malign agendas,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “The case announced today underscores the commitment of the Justice Department and our partners to disrupt illegal efforts to siphon off U.S. ingenuity and to safeguard American security and innovation.”
“Our foreign adversaries use many tactics to gain access to critical U.S. technologies and innovation. In this instance, it’s alleged that the Bazzazi’s illegally attempted to export U.S. goods and technology to the Iranian government. Any circumvention of U.S. export control law is simply unacceptable. The FBI will continue to work diligently with its partners across the globe to hold all accountable who jeopardize national security,” stated FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Dugan.
As set forth in the indictment, between January 2008 and August 2019, the Bazzazis and their co-conspirators sought to evade U.S. sanctions and export laws by working to procure goods and technology from U.S. companies for end users in Iran, including the Government of Iran, without obtaining required licenses or other authorization from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The defendants sought to obtain components that could be used for commercial and/or military aircraft. Additionally, they disguised the final destination of U.S. goods by attempting to forward them through intermediaries in Europe and elsewhere. The Bazzazis acted on behalf of an arm of the Government of Iran, which has been designated by the United States government as acting for or on behalf of terrorist organizations.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Jonathan P. Lax, Nomi D. Berenson, and Adam Amir, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Adam Small of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Defendants:
ABOLFAZI BAZZAZI
Age: 79
IranMOHAMMAD RESA BAZZAZI
Age: 43
IranE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 24-CR-60 (DG)
Travelers Rest Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Michael Earl Mashburn, 49, of Travelers Rest, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in the early morning hours of July 2, 2022, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate reports of a suspicious person at a residence in Travelers Rest. Greenville County deputies responded and found Mashburn sleeping in his car in the homeowner’s driveway. Mashburn woke up and told the deputies he did not know how he arrived at that location. As Mashburn stepped out of the vehicle, deputies observed the handle of a gun protruding from his pocket. Deputies recovered a loaded .38 caliber handgun as well as small amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and placed Mashburn under arrest. At the time of his arrest, Mashburn had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, pointing-and-presenting a firearm, possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a violent crime, failure to stop for blue lights and multiple instances of burglary, larceny, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of various drugs.
United States District Judge Henry M. Herlong sentenced Mashburn to 92 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Three Individuals Sentenced for $3.5M COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Three defendants were sentenced yesterday for fraudulently obtaining and misusing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that were issued by a Boise financial institution and that were guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. The defendants’ conduct was part of larger COVID-19 fraud ring.
Khadijah X. Chapman, 59, of Atlanta, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison; Daniel C. Labrum, 42, of South Jordan, Utah, was sentenced to two years in prison; and Eric J. O’Neil, 58, of Bethel, Connecticut, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Chapman, Labrum, and O’Neil fraudulently obtained PPP loans for fictitious businesses in 2020 and 2021. The defendants worked with co‑conspirators to falsify information and submitted fraudulent documents to financial institutions in Boise and elsewhere to collectively obtain approximately $3.5 million in relief funding intended for small businesses struggling with the economic impact of COVID-19.
Chapman was convicted after a jury trial in November 2023 of bank fraud. Labrum and O’Neil pleaded guilty in 2023 to bank fraud.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) New York, Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Matthew Miraglia of the FBI Buffalo Field Office, Inspector General Gail S. Ennis of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Sharon B. MacDermott of SSA-OIG, and Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Boston Division joined U.S. Attorney Hurwit in making the announcement.
IRS:CI, the FBI, SSA-OIG, and USPIS investigated the cases.
Trial Attorneys Jennifer Bilinkas and Tamara Livshiz of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol for the District of Idaho prosecuted the cases.
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.
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Three Gang Members Charged in Connection with MurderRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury in Memphis, Tennessee, returned a superseding indictment yesterday bringing new charges against three alleged members of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL)– Ghost Mob, a criminal street gang, for causing the death of an individual through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The superseding indictment charges Edward Earl Allen Jr., also known as E-Money, 40, of San Bernardino, California; Vincent Grant, also known as V Slash, 40, of Memphis; and Deandre Rodgers, also known as Dre, 27, also of Memphis.
“The Unknown Vice Lords street gang engages in violent criminal activity in Memphis and throughout the Western District of Tennessee. Today, we announce charges against three defendants for allegedly committing murder in order to increase their status in the gang,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This prosecution is the first brought in Memphis as part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative — a collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to address gang-related violence. It will not be the last.”
“When we announced the Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis, we promised to double down on our commitment to ensure families can feel safe in their homes and children can play safely on our streets without the threat of gang violence,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “The crimes alleged in this indictment underscore the tireless effort our prosecutors and agents are putting into fulfilling that promise and targeting the drivers of violence in Memphis with every tool we have. We will continue to build cases like this and hold violent gang members accountable for their actions.”
According to court documents, the UVL–Ghost Mob is a subset of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation, which originated in Chicago and eventually spread to other parts of the United States. The UVL–Ghost Mob is a violent criminal street gang that operates throughout the Western District of Tennessee and elsewhere as an extensive criminal enterprise whose members engaged in racketeering activity, including acts involving murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. The indictment alleges that Allen, Grant, and Rodgers used and discharged a firearm during the premeditated killing of an individual for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their positions within the UVL–Ghost Mob.
“The criminal misuse of a firearm by convicted felons to commit a premediated homicide had a devastating impact on the Memphis community,” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “Identifying, arresting, and presenting the perpetrators of violent firearms crimes is at the core of the ATF mission of protecting the public. Yesterday’s indictment highlights ATF’s commitment to the Memphis community through vigorous enforcement of the federal firearms laws.
Each defendant is charged with causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a maximum sentence of life. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison, or the death penalty.
The ATF, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and Memphis Police Department investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
Trial Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy K. Cornejo for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
This case is brought as part of the Criminal Division’s Memphis Violent Crime Initiative, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in Memphis. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention, and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Gang Members Charged in Connection with MurderRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Memphis, Tennessee, returned a superseding indictment yesterday bringing new charges against three alleged members of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL)–Ghost Mob, a criminal street gang, for causing the death of an individual through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The superseding indictment charges Edward Earl Allen Jr., also known as E-Money, 40, of San Bernardino, California; Vincent Grant, also known as V Slash, 40, of Memphis; and Deandre Rodgers, also known as Dre, 27, also of Memphis.
“The Unknown Vice Lords street gang engages in violent criminal activity in Memphis and throughout the Western District of Tennessee. Today, we announce charges against three defendants for allegedly committing murder in order to increase their status in the gang,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This prosecution is the first brought in Memphis as part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative — a collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to address gang-related violence. It will not be the last.”
“When we announced the Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis, we promised to double down on our commitment to ensure families can feel safe in their homes and children can play safely on our streets without the threat of gang violence,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “The crimes alleged in this indictment underscore the tireless effort our prosecutors and agents are putting into fulfilling that promise and targeting the drivers of violence in Memphis with every tool we have. We will continue to build cases like this and hold violent gang members accountable for their actions.”
According to court documents, the UVL–Ghost Mob is a subset of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation, which originated in Chicago and eventually spread to other parts of the United States. The UVL–Ghost Mob is a violent criminal street gang that operates throughout the Western District of Tennessee and elsewhere as an extensive criminal enterprise whose members engaged in racketeering activity, including acts involving murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. The indictment alleges that Allen, Grant, and Rodgers used and discharged a firearm during the premeditated killing of an individual for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their positions within the UVL–Ghost Mob.
“The criminal misuse of a firearm by convicted felons to commit a premediated homicide had a devastating impact on the Memphis community,” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “Identifying, arresting, and presenting the perpetrators of violent firearms crimes is at the core of the ATF mission of protecting the public. Yesterday’s indictment highlights ATF’s commitment to the Memphis community through vigorous enforcement of the federal firearms laws.”
Each defendant is charged with causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison, or the death penalty.
The ATF, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and Memphis Police Department investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
Trial Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy K. Cornejo for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
This case is brought as part of the Criminal Division’s Memphis Violent Crime Initiative, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in Memphis. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention, and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas Man Who Sexually Abused a Sioux City Minor Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Brownsville, Texas man, who coerced a minor to engage in live streaming of sexually explicit conduct was sentenced February 6, 2024, to 20 years in federal prison. Isaac Herrera, age 22, from Brownsville, Texas, received the prison term after a May 10, 2023, guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a minor.
Evidence in the case revealed that Herrera met a child online in 2019 and eventually cultivated a sexual relationship with the child. Herrera coerced the child into live streaming sexually explicit conduct, where Herrera took screenshots during the stream. Several of the images were found on Herrera’s phone when he was arrested in June 2022 after walking into a local school and claiming to be the minor’s guardian. Herrera traveled from Texas to Iowa to engage in conduct with the victim. While Herrera was in jail, pending trial, he also admitted to contacting the victim in order to influence the victim’s potential testimony, resulting in a no contact order. Up until the evening before sentencing, however, Herrera made phone calls to the victim in an effort to continue communication and further influence testimony.
Herrera was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 240 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term, during which he will be prohibited from contacting three minor victims from this case. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Timothy Duax stated, “I am proud of the efforts of the FBI and Sioux City Police Department to capture a dangerous child molester, and see him sentenced to a lengthy prison term. The citizens of our community feel safer knowing that local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies work together seamlessly to protect children from dangerous predators like Mr. Herrera.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Herrera is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4060.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Texas Man Charged with Filing Tax Returns that Falsely Reported His Cryptocurrency GainsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury indicted a Texas man yesterday with filing false tax returns and structuring cash deposits to avoid currency transaction reporting requirements.
According to the indictment, between 2017 and 2019, Frank Richard Ahlgren III, of Austin, filed false tax returns that underreported or did not report the sale of $4 million worth of bitcoin in which he had substantial gains. All taxpayers are required to report any sale proceeds and gains or losses from the sale of cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, on a tax return. In 2017, Ahlgren allegedly used the proceeds from the sale of approximately $3.7 million worth of bitcoin to purchase a residence. Ahlgren allegedly filed a false 2017 tax return that inflated the price he originally paid for the bitcoin, thereby underreporting his capital gain from the sale. In 2018 and 2019, Ahlgren allegedly sold bitcoin for more than $650,000, and allegedly failed to report his sales of bitcoin on his 2018 and 2019 tax returns.
The indictment also charges that after selling some of his bitcoin to an individual in exchange for cash, Ahlgren made a series of bank deposits of the cash in amounts less than $10,000 each to avoid triggering currency transaction reporting requirements.
Ahlgren faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each structuring count and three years in prison for each false return count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Texas Office of Attorney General are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Mary Frances Richardson of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Harris for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 13+ Years in Prison for Violent Store RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who committed a robbery during which a clerk was shot to 13 years and 10 months in prison.
Monya Jones, now 23, and James Furlow, 20, of St. Ann, Missouri, robbed a Quick Mart in St. Louis County on Dec. 26, 2021. Furlow shot the store clerk in the mouth during the robbery, seriously injuring him.
Earlier that day, Furlow carjacked a 2017 Kia Sorrento SUV at gunpoint. He then tried to break into an ATM by shooting at it as Jones waited in the stolen Kia.
Four days later, Furlow stole a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan at gunpoint. After police spotted him, Furlow fled, first in the stolen SUV and later on foot, but was caught in a basement.
A dating app was used to set up both carjackings.
“Monya Jones was sentenced to 166 months in federal prison for taking part in a violent armed robbery that netted a hundred bucks after the store clerk was shot,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “This case demonstrates the commitment and effective partnerships between local and federal law enforcement to combat violent crime.”
Jones pleaded guilty in July to one robbery charge and one charge of possession, brandishing and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Furlow is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27 after pleading guilty last year to two counts of carjacking and one count each of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, robbery and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Ann Police Department, the Overland Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Brothers, Two Kansas Men Indicted for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Springfield, Mo., men and two Parsons, Kansas, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy after law enforcement officers seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a vehicle being transported from California, as well as several firearms found at a Springfield residence.
Dontrell Anthony Powell, 34, and his brother, Dreshawn Powell, 26, both of Springfield, and Willie Murry, Jr., 41, and Mark Monta Logan, 33, both of Parsons, were charged in a seven-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday Feb. 6. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against the defendants on Jan. 19, 2024, and contains additional charges.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, the Oklahoma State Highway Patrol searched the vehicles on a car hauler at a truck stop in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Jan. 17, 2024. Officers found approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of fake pills believed to contain fentanyl hidden in a subwoofer speaker box in the cargo area of one of the cars, a Dodge Magnum. The driver of the car hauler, whom the affidavit says was not involved in the drug shipment, agreed to deliver the Dodge Magnum to its destination at a parking lot in Springfield.
Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a controlled delivery later the same day. Dontrell and Dreshawn Powell arrived together and Dontrell Powell met with the driver of the car hauler. Murry and Logan arrived together soon afterward. Dontrell Powell attempted to start the Dodge Magnum, but it would not start. Murray and Logan helped him jump start the vehicle, which he then drove out of the parking lot as the other defendants followed in their vehicles. Agents followed the three vehicles to Dontrell Powell’s residence, where they were arrested.
Agents searched the residence and found, in addition to the controlled delivery from the Dodge Magnum, an AM-15 pistol, .223 ammunition, several high-capacity magazines with ammunition, more than $100,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. Agents also found a loaded Glock pistol in one of the vehicles, eight cell phones, two shards of crystal methamphetamine inside two large subwoofer boxes in the garage, four more large subwoofer boxes, and drug paraphernalia.
The federal indictment alleges that Dontrell and Dreshawn Powell, Murry, and Logan participated in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 15 to Jan. 18, 2024. In addition to the conspiracy, all four defendants are charged together in one count of attempting to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Dontrell Powell is also charged with one count of money laundering, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Powell allegedly possessed an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 multi-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on Jan. 18, 2024. Powell allegedly possessed another Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on June 12, 2022. Dontrell Powell has a prior felony conviction for possession of dangerous drugs for sale.
Murry and Logan are also charged together in one count of traveling across state lines from Kansas to Missouri with the intent to carry on or facilitate an unlawful activity (possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine).
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Oklahoma State Highway Patrol.
Six Defendants Charged with Defrauding Court-Appointed Criminal Defense AttorneysRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, two indictments were unsealed charging six defendants with defrauding court-appointed criminal defense attorneys. As alleged in the indictments, the defendants deposited stolen checks intended to reimburse the attorneys for their time and expenditures representing indigent defendants in federal court. Three defendants also allegedly stole the identity of an attorney and opened bank accounts using the attorney’s stolen identity. Five defendants are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. One defendant is still at large.
Today’s indictments are the first charges brought in the government’s ongoing criminal investigation into the widespread theft and depositing of checks issued to participants in the federal criminal justice system. The investigation has identified over $1 million in checks issued by the Department of the Treasury on behalf of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts that have been stolen and deposited into unauthorized accounts since 2021. The intended recipients of these checks include court-appointed criminal defense attorneys, paralegals, investigators, translators, court reporters, and jurors.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Daniel Brubaker, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS) and Tammy Whitcomb Hull, Inspector General, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) announced the charges.
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation for the New York City Police Department and United States Marshals Service for their assistance in this case.
Overview
The stolen checks charged in the two indictments were intended to pay private attorneys who serve on the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. When a criminal defendant cannot afford an attorney, the court often appoints a member of the CJA Panel to handle the representation. The Department of the Treasury issues checks to the CJA attorney on behalf of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, which is sent by mail to the CJA attorney’s address of record. In particularly complex criminal cases, reimbursement checks can exceed $100,000. When a reimbursement check is lost or stolen, issuance of a replacement check typically takes several months—a process that leaves the CJA attorneys uncompensated for a significant time as they await a new check.
United States v. Tyquan Robinson, Ada Tavarez, and Markel Washington
As alleged in the indictment and court documents, Ada Tavarez impersonated a CJA attorney and then opened bank accounts using that CJA attorney’s stolen identity. In or about June 2023, Tavarez presented fraudulent identification documents to a bank teller with the CJA attorney’s personal data, including a driver’s license with Tavarez’s photograph along with the CJA attorney’s name and birthdate. On the account opening paperwork, Tavarez listed a fraudulent email account containing the CJA attorney’s personal identifiers in the email account name.
After the bank opened the accounts in the name of the CJA attorney, Tavarez returned to the branch several days later. She then attempted to deposit a stolen $125,386.81 check containing a forged signature for the CJA attorney.
The defendants Markel Washington and Tyquan Robinson facilitated this scheme with Tavarez. Washington accessed the fraudulent bank accounts online. When the bank placed a hold on the check, Washington made several calls to the bank asking that the funds be released. Also, saved in Washington’s iCloud account were several versions of the same photograph of Tavarez printed on the fraudulent driver’s license with the CJA attorney’s name and personal data.
Robinson contributed to this scheme by accessing the fraudulent email account that had been created using the CJA attorney’s personal identifiers and submitted to the bank at account opening. Robinson also listed his telephone number as the fraudulent email account’s recovery telephone number. In addition, a note in Robinson’s iCloud account contained the CJA attorney’s personal data.
The defendants have been charged with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Tavarez has also been charged with one count of aggravated identity theft.
United States v. Nicholas Barton, et al.
As alleged in the indictment and court documents, between at least November 2020 and October 2022, the defendants Nicholas Barton, Richard Reid and a third co-defendant participated in a scheme to cash checks issued to third parties into accounts over which the defendants had access and control. One of the stolen checks they deposited was issued to a CJA attorney in the amount of $14,856. After the CJA attorney’s stolen check was cashed in Reid’s bank account, all three defendants benefited from its proceeds, by withdrawing cash from ATMs, making purchases at stores and restaurants, transmitting payments among each other and to others through cash transfer mobile applications, and booking flight tickets. Each defendant has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; wire fraud; and bank fraud.
The charges in the indictments are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorney James R. Simmons is in charge of the prosecutions, with assistance from EDNY Special Agents Anthony Cunder and Rebecca Sidhu.
The Defendants:
TYQUAN ROBINSON
Age: 29
East Orange, New JerseyADA TAVAREZ
Age: 58
Bronx, New YorkMARKEL WASHINGTON
Age: 28
Bronx, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-51 (AMD) (LB)
NICHOLAS BARTON
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkRICHARD REID
Age: 26
New York, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-49 (NRM)(RML)
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Shreveport Business Owner Found Guilty of Making False Statements to the Federal Aviation AdministrationRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – After a week-long trial and 15 hours of deliberating, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict late yesterday afternoon against Edward L. Angel, Sr., 70, of Shreveport, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. The jury found Angel guilty on three counts of making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). United States District Judge David C. Joseph presided over the trial.
In addition to the three counts of making false statements that Angel was convicted of, he was also charged with 76 counts of theft of government funds from the Department of Veteran Affairs and Social Security Administration. After their long deliberation, the jury was deadlocked, could not reach a verdict on those 76 counts, and Judge Joseph declared a mistrial regarding those counts. As a result, the government plans to request a new trial date for the pending 76 counts.
Testimony at trial regarding the false statement charges revealed that Angel failed to disclose to the FAA his service-related disability of Primary Lateral Sclerosis, a neurological disorder, on his Application for Airman Medical Certificate on three separate occasions. These false statements were made on documentation submitted in order for him to obtain a medical certificate to lawfully pilot his airplane.
Angel faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 on the three FAA counts. Sentencing on those counts has been set for April 26, 2024.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Earl M. Campbell.
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Sex Offender Sentenced to 78 Months in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact with a MinorRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Delvon Lashawn Redd, age 30, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, yesterday to 78 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for abusive sexual contact with a minor. Judge Boardman also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Redd must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Brian T. Platt of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, from April 17 to May 28, 2022, Redd, a U.S. Navy service member was staying at the Navy Lodge Hotel located at the U.S. Naval Air Station Patuxent River Base in Patuxent River, Maryland. On approximately May 6, 2022, Redd began communicating on a social media platform with an 11-year-old minor female who claimed she was 18 years old. Redd asked the victim to send him pictures of herself and the victim sent a short video of herself. In their online conversations that day, Redd commented on how young the victim looked. Despite that, later that evening Redd drove to the victim’s house in Lexington Park, Maryland, picked the victim up near her home and drove her back to the Navy Lodge, where security footage shows Redd and victim entering his room at approximately 9:44 p.m. Once inside the room, Redd had sexual intercourse with the victim. The following morning, Redd drove the victim back to her house.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the NCIS for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christoper Sarma, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Santa Fe Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Gilbert Michael Coriz was sentenced to 48 months in prison. Coriz pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on July 14, 2023.
A federal grand jury indicted Coriz on Dec. 8, 2021. According to publicly available court records, on January 1, 2021, at approximately 2:52 am, Santa Fe Police Department (SFPD) officers were dispatched to the scene of gunshots fired at Coriz’s residence. A neighbor captured the shooting incident on a surveillance recording and showed it to officers. The recording depicted a verbal altercation occurring at approximately 2:30 am among a group of people that resulted in at least two shooters firing gunshots at a vehicle as it fled from Coriz’s residence.
The SWAT team later arrived to extract the occupants from Coriz’s residence using an amplified audio system. Several hours later, three women and four children exited Coriz’s residence. SFPD officers later obtained a state search warrant for Coriz’s residence. The SWAT team cleared Coriz’s residence and located Coriz hiding inside the water heater closet of the garage. The SWAT team detained Coriz and removed him from the garage. At the time, the SWAT team observed a pistol, rifle, and sawed-off barrel shotgun in the garage.
Coriz was previously convicted of aggravated battery, felon in possession of a firearm, tampering with evidence, possession of a controlled substance and residential burglary. As a previously convicted felon, Coriz cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Upon his release from prison, Coriz will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case.
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Reynoldsville Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Narcotics and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. This prosecution is the result of a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Brenton Ryans, 36.
According to information presented to the Court, Ryans received parcels that were shipped from California containing a total of between five and 15 kilograms of methamphetamine. Investigators searched Ryans’ residence on August 31, 2021, pursuant to a federal search warrant and seized a small amount of methamphetamine and a firearm.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ryans. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
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.
Repeat Felon Sentenced to 30 Months on Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vernon Pernell Hedrick, a four-time convicted felon, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for carrying a Springfield Armory model 1911 semi-automatic handgun, one of the most powerful handguns on the market, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hedrick, 33, pleaded guilty April 6, 2023, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. In addition to the 30 month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Hendrick to serve 36 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, Hedrick was on active supervised release when police attempted to question him on October 15, 2022, at a supermarket parking lot on the 1500 block of Alabama Ave., Southeast. Officers noticed an L-shaped protrusion from an object tucked in Hendrick’s black satchel. Hedrick became wide-eyed, wiped sweat from his forehead, then tore off in a sprint. Police chased after Hendrick on foot and caught him in 20 seconds. Inside the satchel was the semi-automatic military-grade handgun loaded with nine rounds. Also in the satchel were two additional magazines with another 13 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Hedrick told officers he kept the gun for “protection.”
On Oct. 17, 2022, Hedrick was indicted on a charge of felon in possession. On April 6, 2023, Hedrick pleaded guilty to the sole count in the indictment.
Hedrick’s record includes two 2018 convictions in the District for assault with significant bodily injury; a 2012 conviction in Maryland for conspiracy to commit carjacking, and a 2011 District conviction for robbery. A Superior Court jury acquitted Hendrick in 2018 on a first degree murder charge.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared English, Emory V. Cole, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Connor Mullin.
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Putnam County Felon and Sex Offender Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Explosive DeviceRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Paul Bryan McCorkle (55, Interlachen) to 27 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of an explosive. The court also ordered McCorkle to forfeit an improvised explosive device. McCorkle entered a guilty plea on October 25, 2023.
According to court documents, McCorkle had been convicted of online enticement of a child in 2003 and was required to register as a sex offender. In 2007, and again in 2013, McCorkle failed to update his sex offender registration as required and was convicted of these felony offenses. As a convicted felon, McCorkle was prohibited from possessing explosives.
On February 22, 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) responded to a mobile home fire in Putnam County. Once there, several witnesses reported that McCorkle had been manufacturing homemade explosives in the mobile home. McCorkle, who was at the scene, informed officers that he had at least two “M80”-type devices in a drawer in his room in the mobile home, as well as components to make the devices. McCorkle voluntarily surrendered to ATF a similar device he was storing at a separate residence. Examination of the device revealed it was approximately 15 inches long and contained more than half a pound of Pyrodex powder, which is an explosive under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Bureau of Fire Arson and Explosives Investigation, and the Putnam County Fire Rescue Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
Pontotoc County Resident Sentenced for Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Zakary Keegan Reynolds, age 39, of Stonewall, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 66 months imprisonment on three separate counts of Bank Robbery, with each count running concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office, the Ardmore Police Department, the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Dallas Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On September 6, 2022, Reynolds pleaded guilty to three separate counts of Bank Robbery. According to investigators, Reynolds robbed three separate banks of over $30,000 in a crime spree spanning three months and two states. On September 28, 2021, Reynolds robbed a Wells Fargo Bank in Dallas, Texas. Six weeks later, on November 12, 2021, Reynolds robbed an American Nation Bank in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Two weeks later, on November 24, 2021, Reynolds robbed a Capital One Bank in Dallas, Texas. Reynolds was apprehended December 6, 2021, in Pontotoc County, after a standoff with law enforcement officers.
The Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the sentencing hearings in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Reynolds will remain in the 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 T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Pojoaque Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Kyle Joseph Harney-Chee was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Chee, 31, of Pojoaque, and an enrolled member of the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, pleaded guilty in federal court to involuntary manslaughter on Aug. 15, 2023.
According to publicly available court records, on January 16, 2021, Chee was traveling down US Highway 84/285 after consuming marijuana and alcohol. While driving, Chee became distracted by his phone and looked away from the road. While he was looking down at his phone, Chee struck a motorcycle from the rear, killing the driver. Chee immediately stopped on the side of US Highway 84/285 and called 911. Chee informed responders that he had consumed alcohol and smoked marijuana prior to operating the vehicle and complied with the follow-up investigation by following directives and assisting officers. Officers found several pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes, one cigarette half-burned, several grams of marijuana, a pipe with a burned substance, as well as several empty and half empty bottles of liquor in Chee’s vehicle.
Upon his release from prison, Chee will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McGinley and Mark A. Probasco are prosecuting the case.
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Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter and Child Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Devin Warren Sizemore, age 29, of Krebs, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 180 months for one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, and 180 months imprisonment for one count of Child Abuse in Indian Country. The sentences will be served concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Krebs Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On April 7, 2023, a federal jury found Sizemore guilty of one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, and one count of Child Abuse in Indian Country. According to investigators, on July 14, 2016, law enforcement officers located Sizemore in a pond next to an unresponsive child. The child, who died from drowning, had sustained multiple injuries, and was later pronounced dead at an area hospital. The crimes occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Sizemore will remain in the 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.
Pharmacy Owner and Administrator Admit Roles in Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – The co-owner and the administrator of a Union City, New Jersey, pharmacy today admitted their roles in conspiracies to defraud pharmacy benefit managers and health care benefit providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, of more than $65 million and to pay kickbacks and bribes to health care professionals and their staffs in exchange for referrals of prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Samuel “Sam” Khaimov, 52, and his wife, Yana Shtindler, 48, both of Glen Head, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court. Khaimov pleaded guilty to two counts of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiring to commit health care fraud and conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statute. Shtindler pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud. Khaimov and Shtindler’s codefendants, Ruben Sevumyants of Marlboro, New Jersey, and Alex Fleyshmakher of Morganville, New Jersey, have already pleaded guilty to counts in the superseding indictment and are awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“These defendants admitted taking part in an elaborate and years-long scheme to use their specialty pharmacy to rip off Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers. They paid bribes, kickbacks, set up phony jobs in doctors’ offices. They took reimbursements for medications that never dispensed and falsified records, defrauding insurers via pharmacy benefits managers of more than $65 million. Protecting the integrity of our healthcare system at all levels is a top priority for this office. We will continue to work relentlessly with our enforcement partners to ensure those who commit healthcare fraud or undermine the integrity of medical decision-making through bribes and kickbacks face justice, like the defendants in this case.”
“The impacts of health care fraud are far-reaching,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “These schemes not only put a tremendous amount of strain on our resources, but also have significant impacts on insurance costs and chip away at the foundation of trust we have in our health care providers. Bottom line, the conspirators in this case put personal greed above quality patient care. While we are happy to see Khaimov, Shtindler and their crew face justice, we will remain at work for the American public and continue seeking out and shutting down these scams.”
“The defendants’ role in the conspiracies to defraud pharmacy benefit managers, health care benefit providers, and taxpayers via Medicare and Medicaid of more than $65 million is deplorable,” Tammy Tomlins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, said. “IRS - Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who knowingly violate the law and undermine the integrity of our federal healthcare system.”
“The additional pleas in this investigation demonstrate that HHS-OIG will continue to hold accountable individuals who exploit federal health care programs for their own greed,” Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), said. “Pharmacy employees who submit fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid and bribe medical providers to induce prescriptions put health care benefits for vulnerable populations at risk.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Prime Aid Pharmacies – now closed – operated as “specialty pharmacies” out of locations in Union City and the Bronx, New York. As specialty pharmacies, they processed expensive medications used to treat various conditions, including Hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Khaimov was a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City and the lead pharmacist of Prime Aid Bronx. Shtindler was Prime Aid Union City’s administrator. Sevumyants was Prime Aid Union City’s operations manager. Alex Fleyshmakher worked at Prime Aid Union City and was an on-paper owner of Prime Aid Bronx. His father, Igor Fleyshmakher, a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City, pleaded guilty to separate federal charges.
Initially, the Prime Aid Pharmacies obtained retail network agreements with several pharmacy benefits managers (PBM), which allowed them to receive reimbursement payments for prescription medications, including specialty medications. PBMs acted as intermediaries on behalf of Medicare, Medicaid, and other health benefit providers, so when one of the Prime Aid Pharmacies received a prescription, the pharmacy would typically submit a claim for reimbursement to the PBM that represented the beneficiary’s drug plan.
Starting in 2009, to obtain a higher volume of prescriptions, Khaimov, Sevumyants, Alex Fleyshmakher, and other Prime Aid employees paid bribes to doctors and doctors’ employees to induce the doctors and their staffs to steer prescriptions to the Prime Aid Pharmacies. The bribes included payments by cash, check, and wire transfers, as well as expensive meals and other things of value. Another method of bribery involved paying an employee to work inside a doctor’s office.
Prime Aid Union City – at the direction of Sevumyants, Shtindler, and Khaimov – also engaged in the pervasive and fraudulent practice of billing health benefit providers and PBMs for medications that were never provided to patients. While Prime Aid generally provided medications for initial prescriptions it received, it systematically billed for refills for those same medications without ever dispensing them to patients. According to the superseding indictment, from 2013 through 2017, Prime Aid Union City received at least $65 million in reimbursement payments from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health benefit providers for medications that Prime Aid Union City not only failed to give patients, but that Prime Aid Union City also never even ordered or had in stock at the pharmacy.
Over time, PBMs conducted routine audits of Prime Aid Union City and discovered its practice of billing but not dispensing medications. In response to these audits, Shtindler instructed Prime Aid employees to falsify records submitted to the PMBs. In addition, Sevumyants, with Shtindler’s knowledge and approval, forged shipping records of a private commercial shipping company to make it appear as if medications were shipped to the patients when, in fact, they were not.
The conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud count is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. The conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. Both counts are also punishable by a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; special agents of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; the N.J. Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, Medicaid Fraud Unit, under the direction of Interim Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Al Garcia, and the N.J. Office of the State Comptroller, under the direction of Acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martha K. Nye of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton and Jordann R. Conaboy and Aaron L. Webman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
kahimov.sindictment.pdfPennsylvania Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Trafficking Stolen Medical Products from Battle Creek VA Medical CenterRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Steven William Anderson, Jr., 45, of Selinsgrove, PA, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in a multi-year conspiracy to traffic stolen diabetic test strips from the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. During Anderson’s sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou emphasized the harm to the VA, veterans who rely on VA services, and the taxpayers.
“Anderson trafficked stolen goods while pocketing thousands of dollars in ill-gotten gain,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Not only did Anderson steal from the government, but he diverted medical products intended for veterans who faithfully served our nation. Today’s sentence brings a measure of justice for taxpayers and those who serve the United States in uniform.”
In June 2023, a jury found Anderson guilty of all twelve charges against him following a three-day trial. In total, Anderson trafficked over 7,900 boxes of stolen diabetic test strips worth over $427,795. Anderson’s co-conspirators, Jennifer Robertson, 53, of Battle Creek, MI, and Michelle McAllister, 57, of Jerome, MI, pled guilty and were sentenced to prison last year.
The United States expects to receive a total recovery from Anderson of more than $1.6 million. He agreed to pay over $1.2 million to resolve the government’s civil claims arising from his misconduct. He was ordered to pay the full value of the stolen diabetic test strips he trafficked, $427,795.23, as part of his criminal judgment.
Robertson was employed at the Battle Creek VA Pharmacy, where she was responsible for ordering supplies for veterans in need of medical care. Beginning in June 2017, Robertson stole diabetic test strips from pharmacy inventory and arranged to meet McAllister and sell them for cash. McAllister in turn sold and shipped them to Anderson in Pennsylvania. Their scheme unraveled when Robertson was caught stealing in November 2019.
“Stolen medical products can present a health risk to those who buy and use them,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronne G. Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office. “FDA will continue to protect the public by investigating and bringing to justice those who compromise the nation’s healthcare programs.”
“These crimes are especially troubling because they violated the integrity of the healthcare system that serves our nation’s veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley, Central Field Office, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the VA OIG’s commitment to holding accountable those who illegally enrich themselves at taxpayer expense.”
All three co-conspirators were convicted and agreed to civil penalty settlements under the Strengthening and Focusing Enforcement to Deter Organized Stealing and Enhance Safety Act (the “SAFE DOSES Act”), 18 U.S.C. § 670. Congress passed the SAFE DOSES Act in 2012 to combat the theft of medical products to protect the health and safety of patients. The law includes enhancements for members of the supply chain who knowingly traffic in stolen medical products. Because of his role as a distributor of medical products, Chief Judge Jarbou applied an enhancement to Anderson for his role in the conspiracy.
This investigation was led by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the VA Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Battle Creek VA Police. The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Castle and Andrew Hull. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Cobb represented the United States in the civil settlement.
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Penn State Health Agrees to Pay More Than Eleven Million Dollars Following Its Voluntary Disclosure of Improper Billings Related to Medicare Annual Wellness Visit ServicesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG, PA —The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Penn State Health (PSH), a multi-hospital health system, has agreed to pay $11,712,336 to resolve allegations of civil liability for submitting claims to Medicare for Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) services that violated Medicare rules and regulations.
According to the U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Penn State Health voluntarily disclosed that, between December 2015 and November 2022, PSH submitted claims to Medicare for Annual Wellness Visit services that were not supported by the medical record. After PSH discovered the problems, PSH took prompt corrective action and disclosed the matter to the United States Attorney’s Office.
This matter was handled by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Counsel to the Inspector General (OCIG), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Haken of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
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Penn Hills Resident Pleads Guilty to Narcotics ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on February 6, 2024, to one count of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Jose Santiago Hernandez, 32, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Hernandez pleaded guilty before United States Senior District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on June 28, 2021, Hernandez attempted to take possession of two U.S. postal parcels containing powder cocaine, a controlled substance under federal law. Combined, the parcels contained a collective weight of over five kilograms of cocaine.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for June 6, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Hernandez.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics and Weapon OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jahroy Elijah Sackey (44, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Sackey faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is not yet scheduled.
on December 7, 2018, Sackey drove his car to an Orlando gas station and sold 30 grams of heroin to “Individual 1.” On March 5, 2019, Sackey drove his car to the same gas station, and this time sold over 250 grams of heroin to “Individual 1.” Sackey was arrested shortly thereafter. A search of Sackey’s car revealed an FN Herstal pistol with 24 rounds of armor-piercing ammunition, as well as 156 grams of cocaine. Law enforcement searched Sackey’s house and recovered a Glock 30 pistol, ammunition, and more heroin.
At the time, Sackey had a previous felony conviction and had served time in federal prison for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it. As a convicted felon, Sackey is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Winter Park Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo.
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.
Natick Man Found Guilty of Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Natick man was convicted yesterday following a six-day jury trial in connection with fentanyl trafficking. During a search of the defendant’s apartment the body of a missing 24-year-old woman who had died of a drug overdose was discovered.
Rafael Ashworth, 29, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2024. Ashworth was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2019 and subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in February 2021. He has remained in custody since his arrest in November 2019.
“The overwhelming overdose numbers associated with the opioid epidemic can blur the human devastation that is involved in every life cut short. This prosecution provided a vivid reminder of how deadly fentanyl is and the trail of broken hearts that are intertwined with overdose deaths,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This defendant will now be held accountable for his role in pumping deadly narcotics onto our streets.”
“Massachusetts is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, as deaths from fentanyl soar. The DEA will continue to use every resource available to find drug traffickers, like Mr. Ashworth, who are contributing to the crisis,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “DEA’s top priority is combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes this poison. Illegal drug distribution ravages the foundations of our communities so every time we take fentanyl off the streets, lives are saved.”
Police found a deceased woman in Ashworth’s apartment after receiving a report of an overdose death. Approximately 100 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin, counterfeit Xanax pills containing etizolam, an illegal benzodiazepine, a large metal press used for pressing counterfeit narcotic pills, kilograms of pill-making material and other paraphernalia associated with drug packaging and distribution were also located in the apartment.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Natick Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah Foley and Stephen Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.