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21 March 2024
California man sentenced to federal prison for defrauding local business out of $10 millionRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A California man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 51 months in prison for embezzling more than $10.2 million from his employer and violating orders of the Court in a related civil lawsuit against him.
Brinson Caleb Silver, 43, of Culver City, California, used his position as a high-level executive to create a scheme involving shell companies, inflated contracts and a stolen identity.
Silver pleaded guilty in November 2023 to one count each of wire fraud and contempt of court. As part of his sentence, Silver is ordered to pay more than $10.2 million in restitution.
According to court documents, Silver was the Chief Marketing Officer of Root, Inc., an online car insurance company based in Columbus. From November 2021 through November 2022, Silver entered into contracts with four vendors for marketing services. Silver directed the vendors to send a portion of their contract proceeds to bank accounts in the names of businesses that Silver owned and controlled. Those diverted payments totaled more than $10.2 million.
Silver used the millions he embezzled to buy a $1.4 million dollar yacht, a Mercedes-Benz G550 for nearly $165,000, an amphibious plane, luxury watches and other items.
As a result of his fraud scheme, in February 2023, Root sued Silver. As the civil case progressed, Silver violated multiple court orders. For example, he flouted an order entered by the Court in his civil suit that limited him to financial transactions no greater than $5,000. In addition, Silver failed to appear in court for a hearing related to his civil suit and instead spent lavishly while traveling the globe.
His expenditures in February and March 2023 violated the Court’s orders and include $20,000 on plastic surgery, nearly $25,000 at Indonesian businesses (including $8,000 at a luxury resort in Bali) and in withdrawals made in Indonesia, and more than $88,000 through PayPal to individuals. Silver also withheld from the Court information about a $1.8 million house he owned in California. Before the civil or criminal cases were filed, Silver also made two phone calls to an “international relocation” company and asked for citizenship within a country that would not extradite him to the United States, and a foreign bank account that the United States could not freeze.
Silver was charged criminally and arrested in June 2023. A grand jury indicted him in October 2023, and, in November 2023, a superseding information was filed to which he pleaded guilty.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Cheryl Mimura, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and David J. Twombly are representing the United States in this case.
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Browning man admits strangling dating partner on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man accused of strangling his dating partner on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Alphonse Trevon Bird IV, 19, pleaded guilty to assault of a dating partner by strangulation and suffocation. Bird faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
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. Sentencing was set for July 31. Bird was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that Bird and the victim, Jane Doe, were in a dating relationship. On Dec. 27, 2023, Bird, Doe and two others were in a vehicle when Bird and Doe got into an argument and pulled over to the side of the road. Doe got out of the vehicle and Bird tried to pull her back. Doe tried to run away, but Bird chased her down, got on top of her stomach and put her in a chokehold. Bird assaulted and strangled Doe. At the time of the assault, Bird had been ordered by a court to have no contact with Doe.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case.
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Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Strongarm Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Brooklyn man was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for his role in for conspiring with others in a week-long strongarm extortion scheme in 2019, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.
Endrit Kllogjeri, 30, of Brooklyn, New York, was previously convicted of one count each of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion and attempt to commit Hobbs Act extortion following a one-week jury trial in June 2023 before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi. Judge Quraishi imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court. Kllogjeri’s codefendant, Francis Garzon previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 121 months in prison by Judge Quraishi in January 2024.
According to documents filed in this case, statements made in court, and the evidence at trial:
From Dec. 1, 2019, through Dec. 9, 2019, Kllogjeri and Garzon conspired and attempted to extort a resident of Monmouth County, New Jersey and the resident’s son, who lived in Brooklyn, New York. The victim was allegedly threatened with physical harm if the victim did not recover a bag containing property allegedly valued at $100,000 from the victim’s son. Garzon and Kllogjeri further demanded an additional payment of $100,000 as “interest” for the son’s possession of the bag. Over the ensuing week, Garzon and Kllogjeri communicated regularly with the victim’s telephone, continuing to threaten the victim and the victim’s family. Garzon and Kllogjeri were arrested together in a vehicle on Dec. 9, 2019 in Brooklyn. Moments before the arrest, Garzon had attempted to send the victim a text message confirming the victim’s plan to pay the demand.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Kllogjeri to three years of supervised release following Kllogjeri’s release from prison.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction. He also credited the Marlboro Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter Pezzullo; and the New York City Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Bronx Daycare Provider Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of A Child and Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SILFREDO CASTILLO MARTINEZ pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer to a Superseding Information charging him with sexual exploitation of a child and production of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Silfredo Castillo Martinez exploited the trust placed in him as a daycare provider by sexually abusing one of the minor children under his care and by forcing that child to perform sex acts on him. Additionally, Castillo Martinez had nearly 10,000 images depicting child pornography in his possession, all the while caring for children on a daily basis. Castillo Martinez’s conduct is reprehensible, and he now faces more than a decade in prison for his crimes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information and the Complaint filed on March 10, 2023:
From in or about July 2015 through in or about at least May 3, 2022, CASTILLO MARTINEZ operated a licensed daycare facility for children at his residence in the Bronx, New York (the “Daycare Facility”).
From at least in or about May 2018 through at least in or about July 2018, CASTILLO MARTINEZ induced an 11-year-old minor (“Minor Victim-1”) who attended the Daycare Facility to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him at the Daycare Facility while CASTILLO MARTINEZ recorded that conduct on his cellphone and camera.
On or about May 3, 2022, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at CASTILLO MARTINEZ’s residence and seized several electronic devices belonging to CASTILLO MARTINEZ. Those devices contained, among other things, several images and a video containing child pornography depicting Minor Victim-1 and approximately 9,800 other images depicting child pornography.
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CASTILLO MARTINEZ, 34, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of production of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. CASTILLO MARTINEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Engelmayer on June 25, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Secret Service’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackie Delligatti is in charge of the prosecution.
Broker for Colombian Money Laundering Organization Sentenced to More Than Three Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a sophisticated money laundering organization that laundered approximately $1 million in proceeds from drug trafficking through United States banks.
Luis Fernando Galindo Ramos, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 38 months in prison. In December 2023, Galindo Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, seven counts of laundering of monetary instruments and eight counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. Galindo Ramos was arrested in Cali, Colombia in November 2021 and extradited to the United States in June 2023.
In or about August 2016, Galindo Ramos was identified as a member of a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Cali, Colombia that laundered approximately $1 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States – including banks in Massachusetts – by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE).
As a money broker for the organization, Galindo Ramos arranged the domestic transfer of substantial amounts of bulk cash within the United States. He maintained the security of those funds during the transfers through the exchange of passcodes. The funds were subsequently integrated into bank accounts located in the United States and held in the names of businesses and individuals in order to repay drug suppliers in Colombia. By using the BMPE, Galindo Ramos conspired to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement. Approximately $550,000 in laundered bulk currency was seized during the investigation.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Galindo Ramos. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Boston Man Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a money laundering conspiracy.
Mark Anthony Figueroa, 50, a/k/a Angel Figueroa, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Figueroa was also ordered to pay a fine of $30,000 and forfeiture of more than $700,000. In March 2023, Figueroa was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Figueroa used clandestine deliveries of cash to currency couriers to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking on behalf of Mexican drug cartels. Between February 2019 and May 2020, Figueroa conducted or attempted to conduct six money laundering transactions totaling more than $580,000 in cash. Once the couriers received the laundered cash from Figueroa, the organization Figueroa was working with transferred the funds via the U.S. banking system to Mexican accounts and exchanged it for pesos which could be used by cartels to pay for narcotics sold in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Foley and Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Three Armed Commercial RobberiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Gary Leon Holloway, Jr., age 46, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to committing an armed robbery and to using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department, and Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, in January 2020, Holloway and his co-conspirators planned and committed armed robberies of three businesses. Specifically, on January 4, January 15, and January 22, Holloway and at least one of his co-defendants robbed cellphone stores in Ellicott City, Glen Burnie, and Dundalk, Maryland, respectively. Holloway brandished a gun in each robbery and he and his co-defendant stole cellphones and other electronic devices. In the first robbery, Holloway and his co-defendant also stole the wallets of two employees and in the third robbery, they forced the employees to open and empty the safe and stole cash in addition to the cellphones and electronic devices.
After the third robbery on January 22, 2020, Holloway and two co-defendants (the other robber and the get-away driver) were arrested. Detectives later learned that Holloway was related to two of his co-defendants.
Holloway and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Holloway will be sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson has scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, the Howard County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr. who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Related to Soliciting Sexually Explicit Images of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Eugene Edward Golden, age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child and to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child in order to produce and transmit a visual depiction of the sexually explicit conduct.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police (“MSP”); Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department; and Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, beginning in at least 2019, Golden located several females, specifically six co-defendants, using dating or prostitution websites, and communicated with each of them individually using texts, messaging applications and social media. Golden requested that each of the women produce sexually explicit videos and images of children, citing his a fetish, and then to send those files to Golden in exchange for financial compensation.
Golden’s co-defendants agreed to his requests and produced and distributed sexually explicit images and videos of at least 12 minor victims, using their cellphones. The victims ranged in age from approximately one year old to 13 years old. Images and videos documenting the sexual abuse were found in Golden’s online accounts. Golden produced and received well over 100 images and videos documenting the sexual abuse of children at his request.
Golden faces a maximum sentence of 90 years in federal prison—a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each of the three counts. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox has not set a date for sentencing.
As detailed in Golden’s plea agreement, upon his release from prison, Golden will be required 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”).
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 HSI, the MSP-led Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn, who is prosecuting the federal 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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Bakersfield Man Charged with Laser Strikes of Police HelicopterRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Jesse Torres-Alonso, 35, of Bakersfield, charging him with aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 28, 2023, Torres struck a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter (Air One) 12 times with a dangerously bright green laser beam. The laser strikes interfered with the pilot’s ability to see and avoid other aircraft and effectively monitor the aircraft instrument panel. Law enforcement officers were able to locate and seize the laser device, which bore a prominent warning label, stating, “DANGER,” and warned against shining the light in the eyes.
The Federal Aviation Administration received 13,304 reports of laser strikes from pilots last year, marking a 41% increase over the 9,457 reported during 2022 and setting a record for the growing hazard.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Torres faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Arizona Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A southern Illinois district judge sentenced a man from Arizona to spend 20 years in federal prison after he admitted to distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Benjamin D. Rumbo, 46, of Benson, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
“We know child predators use the internet to exchange CSAM, which is why it’s critical for law enforcement officials to work in undercover capacities to detect and identify individuals scheming to abuse minors,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I’m grateful for our partnership with the FBI to apprehend and prosecute these criminals to improve public safety.”
According to court documents, an undercover agent working for the FBI created a social media account purporting to be the parent of a sexually active 10-year-old child. Rumbo had sexually explicit conversations with the undercover agent from January through April 2021 and sent several videos of CSAM.
Once law enforcement identified Rumbo as the account holder, agents obtained a search warrant on the contents of his account and uncovered 17 images and videos of child pornography.
“Protecting children is a priority for the FBI," said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. "This substantial sentence not only holds the subject accountable, but also serves as a deterrent to others."
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
The FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Bloodworth and David Sanders prosecuted the case.
20 March 2024
Winston-Salem man sentenced to more than 7 years for distribution of child pornographyRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Winston-Salem man, KIERRE ANTHONY CUTLER, 19, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
According to court records, in October 2022, the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) executed a search warrant on CUTLER’s personal devices where they discovered more than 700 images of child pornography. In April 2023, acting on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, WSPD executed a search warrant on a Discord account associated with CUTLER and found it had been used to upload and distribute an image depicting sexual exploitation of an infant under one year of age.
United States District Court Judge Loretta C. Biggs sentenced CUTLER to an 87-month term of imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release. In addition, CUTLER was ordered to pay restitution to victims totaling $13,000.00 and special assessments totaling $1,100.00. He pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography on October 5, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K. P. Kennedy Gates.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
A copy of this press release will be posted on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 1:23CR261-1.Waterbury Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal OffensesRead the Press Release
EZRA ALVES, also known as “EJ” and “Ezzy,” 23, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses stemming from his participation in the 960 gang, a violent Waterbury street gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang. On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Alves and 15 other alleged 960 gang members with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses.
Alves pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, three counts of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, two counts of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances.
Alves specifically admitted that he and other 960 members were engaged in drug trafficking and violent activity, and conspired to shoot and murder members of rival gangs, including:
- On September 21, 2018, in retaliation for the murder of an associate, Alves and other 960 members participated in a drive-by shooting of an occupied residence on Scott Road in Waterbury.
- On October 6, 2018, in a drive-by shooting, Alves and other gang members attempted to murder individuals believed to be members of a rival gang, which resulted in gunshot wounds to an individual.
- On November 18, 2018, Alves and other gang members participated in a drive-by shooting of rival gang members, which resulted in gunshot wounds to two individuals.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2024, at which time Alves faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 17 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Alves has been detained since November 15, 2019.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, ATF, and Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo of the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office, who have been cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Washington man admits unlawfully killing eagles on Flathead Indian Reservation to sell on black marketRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Washington man today admitted to conspiring to hunt and kill bald and golden eagles on the Flathead Indian Reservation and then selling them on the black market across the United States and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Travis John Branson, 48, of Cusick, Washington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, two counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate trade in wildlife that has been taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of federal or state law. The Lacey Act also prohibits any person from making or submitting any false record, account, label for or identification of wildlife that has been or was intended to be transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
In court documents, the government alleged that from about January 2015 until about March 2021, Branson and others hunted and killed eagles on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Branson then sold the eagles on the black market across the United States and elsewhere. Brandon traveled from Washington to the Flathead Reservation, where he met co-defendant, Simon Paul, and they would then shoot, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future black-market sales. Co-defendant Paul remains a fugitive.
The government further alleged that on March 1, 2021, a purchaser asked if Branson had any eagle feathers for sale. Branson responded by sending two pictures of golden eagle tail feathers.
The purchaser sent Branson $650 via PayPal. Branson sent a package to the purchaser that contained the eagle feathers, and the purchaser confirmed receipt of the package by text message.
On March 13, 2021, Branson shot and killed a golden eagle near Polson. Law enforcement stopped Branson and recovered from Branson’s vehicle the feet and feathers of the golden eagle.
Later, law enforcement recovered the remainder of the golden eagle carcass in a field.
During the stop, law enforcement also seized multiple phones. After obtaining a federal search warrant for the phones, law enforcement recovered numerous photos and text messages identifying the shooting, killing and ultimate selling of bald and golden eagles throughout the United States. Branson knew killing and selling eagles was illegal and that he did not have a permit for any of the activities. When negotiating a purchase price for eagle feathers with a potential buyer, Branson said:
“I don’t get em for free though ..out hear committing felonies”
Branson told another potential buyer he would obtain other eagle tails by “[g]oing on a killing spree.”
Further, Branson acknowledged that international shipping was illegal:
“International is still illegal ..I just get em for 99 cents ..price of a bullet..lol”
Branson faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the conspiracy and Lacey Act charges. Branson also faces a maximum of one year in prison, a $5,000 fine and one year of supervised release for the first conviction of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles, a misdemeanor. Branson faces an enhanced felony provision, which applies to the second or subsequent convictions of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles, of a maximum of two years in prison, a $10,000 fine and one year of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for July 31 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Branson’s release was continued pending further proceedings.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan G. Weldon and Randy Tanner are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Flathead Tribal Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
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Valparaiso Woman Sentenced to 10 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Randi Scannell, 66 years old, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
Scannell was sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $460,182.69 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, Scannell was the owner of Custom Drying Solutions, a company that built and refurbished drum dryers. In 2015, Custom Drying Solutions started managing Company A’s production facility in exchange for a fixed amount of money each week. Company A also agreed to reimburse Custom Drying Solutions for labor and payroll. Between September 2015 and August 2020, Scannell sent scores of fraudulent invoices to Company A for reimbursement of payroll expenses incurred by Custom Drying Solutions. These invoices concealed weekly paychecks that Scannell directed a third-party payroll service to issue to herself and her family members. By paying the invoices, Company A unwittingly funded unearned paychecks totaling $460,182.69 for Scannell and her family members.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven J. Lupa.
USTP Protects Vulnerable Consumer Debtors by Obtaining Injunctions and Monetary Relief Against Two Bankruptcy Petition PreparersRead the Press Release
Two bankruptcy petition preparers that lacked legal credentials yet provided legal advice and disregarded disclosure requirements were barred from providing bankruptcy-related services, thanks to enforcement actions by the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).
On January 18, the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland entered an order permanently enjoining CA Enterprises, doing business as Premier Services and Premier Legal Services, from operating in the district. The order resolved a complaint filed by the U.S. Trustee’s office in Greenbelt, Maryland, and required Premier to refund $2,000 to the debtor in the case.
And on January 26, the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia permanently enjoined Malynda Perez-Combs from operating in that jurisdiction. Perez-Combs – who did not defend against a complaint filed by the U.S. Trustee’s office in Norfolk, Virginia – was also fined $15,000, ordered to return $300 in fees and pay $2,000 in statutory damages to the debtor.
“Unscrupulous bankruptcy petition preparers prey on vulnerable debtors,” said Director Tara Twomey of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “To protect consumer debtors, the Program stands firm in its commitment to keep fraudsters and scammers out of the bankruptcy system.”
The Bankruptcy Code strictly regulates the services of bankruptcy petition preparers, commonly known as BPPs. BPPs are not attorneys, cannot give legal advice or practice law and generally are limited to typing information provided by debtors into bankruptcy forms for the debtors to file. The Code requires BPPs to disclose information about their fees and their services to the debtors and to the bankruptcy court.
In the Maryland case, the debtor retained Premier and provided financial documents, believing the company would help her apply for a loan modification or other loan workout to stop a foreclosure on her home. Instead of working with the debtor’s mortgage lender, Premier emailed the debtor a completed chapter 13 bankruptcy petition and Social Security verification form and instructed her to file them with the bankruptcy court.
The debtor in the Virginia case hired Perez-Combs to prepare her bankruptcy documents. Perez-Combs recommended filing a case under chapter 7 and repeatedly provided other impermissible legal advice and engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. For example, Perez-Combs determined how the debtor’s assets and liabilities should be characterized on the bankruptcy schedules and selected exemptions that were legally inapplicable. Perez-Combs, who has repeatedly engaged in similar conduct in other cases in other jurisdictions, did not respond to or otherwise defend against the U.S. Trustee’s complaint.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders – debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the Program at www.justice.gov/ust.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Meets with Faith Leaders to Promote the United Against Hate InitiativeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced that as part of the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate initiative to better counter hate crimes and hate incidents in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, he has met and will continue to meet with religious leaders to discuss their concerns about extremism and threats to their places of worship and their members.
In December 2023, U.S Attorney Karam hosted two separate meetings in Scranton and in Harrisburg with local Jewish leaders to discuss their concerns about the recent uprise in antisemitic speech and incidents of hate. At those meetings, subject matter experts from the United States Attorney’s Office; Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigations; Pennsylvania State Police; Dauphin, Cumberland, Lackawanna, and York County District Attorney’s Offices; Harrisburg, Scranton, and York Police Departments; and York Human Relations Commission attended and listened to the leaders’ safety concerns and encouraged them to report all hate incidents and crimes. In February and March 2024, U.S. Attorney Karam had similar meetings with local Muslim, Islamic, and Arab Christian leaders to discuss the equally troubling uprise in threats to their members.
“We continue to strengthen our partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement in conjunction with our stakeholders in the religious communities by holding these conversations to serve them better, said U.S. Attorney Karam. “Hate-fueled violence and incidents will not be tolerated in our district, and we will continue to unite our stakeholders with the shared goal of reporting, preventing, disrupting, and prosecuting these crimes.”
The United Against Hate initiative seeks to strengthen collaborative relationships of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents.
Those who believe they are subject to hate crimes or incidents should contact local law enforcement and the FBI. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Anyone in the Middle District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania by calling 717-614-4911 or emailing [email protected].
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Launches Operation Safe Cities to Coordinate Regional Law Enforcement Response to the Most Violent Offenders Involved in Commercial Robberies and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal and local law enforcement officials today announced the launch of Operation Safe Cities, an initiative that includes new protocols, enhanced partnerships and a renewed emphasis on violent crime designed to increase federal prosecutions of the region’s most violent criminals, particularly those involved in commercial robberies, kidnappings, extortions and gun offenses.
Combatting violent crime is one of the Justice Department’s top priorities, and this United States Attorney’s Office is strengthening existing partnerships and creating new connections between federal and local law enforcement to take the most violent and repeat offenders off the streets.
Operation Safe Cities builds on long-standing connections between local authorities, federal agents and federal prosecutors. These relationships have yielded numerous significant and impactful cases over the years, and federal authorities now are strengthening these partnerships by conducting outreach to the officers and detectives who typically have the best knowledge of the most dangerous criminals and by streamlining the process to present cases to federal prosecutors.
The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will bring federal resources to investigations, which will be particularly helpful when, for example, robbery crews operate across jurisdictional lines or when sophisticated investigative tools are needed to develop leads, process evidence or track firearms. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office are part of the initiative, and other local agencies are expected to join in the near future.
Defendants charged in United States District Court with violent and gun-related offenses face significant sentences in federal prison, where there is no parole. For example, commercial robbery offenses charged under the Hobbs Act each carry up to 20 years in federal prison, and these sentences can be significantly increased if the perpetrator used – or simply possessed – a firearm. Under federal law, armed career criminals with three prior convictions for violent offenses face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm.
“Both individual victims and entire communities are being traumatized by the epidemic of gun violence, and the Justice Department is committed to saving lives and improving public safety by using every possible tool to target offenders,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We are increasing our collaboration among law enforcement agencies to lock up offenders who are a demonstrated threat. Violent crime threatens everyone’s sense of security, which is why we are fully committed to improving and expanding our response to the most dangerous criminals.”
“Violent criminals that inflict harm in our communities and threaten public safety need to be held accountable with the full weight of the justice system,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. “Our coordinated efforts with local, state, and federal partners will safeguard our communities and keep dangerous, career criminal off the streets.”
“Violent crime has no place in any of our communities,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “Together, we are more effective, stopping gun and violent crime throughout the region. I am proud of our partnership with the U.S. Attorney, other Federal partners, as well as regional partners as we work towards safer communities collaboratively.”
“We are excited about strengthening an already solid relationship with our federal partners,” said Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff. “Having the full weight of the federal government behind our efforts to keep our communities safe from violent crime is not only important, it’s crucial. I appreciate the ongoing partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office as well as our alliance with other federal and local law enforcement agencies.”
Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. The United States Attorney’s Office has established protocols for the intake of cases that will go beyond the traditional federal-state task force model that has long been in place. Federal prosecutors will train state law enforcement partners on identifying and supporting federal prosecutions in these areas. A team of federal prosecutors will also be assigned to identify investigations and cases appropriate for prosecution. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments.
“We have limited enforcement resources, but we can multiply our efforts by collaborating with our colleagues at local police agencies to have the most significant impact on violent crime,” U.S. Attorney Estrada stated. “Operation Safe Cities will allow us to identify and use the best available intelligence and information to assess the violent crime problem and the offenders who drive that violence.”
“The FBI and our partners in local law enforcement work together on task forces throughout the United States to investigate a range of violent and gun-related offenses targeting innocent victims,” said Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “We look forward to the enhanced resources provided by the United States Attorney’s Office through the Safe Cities initiative in order to further pursue federal charges for crimes harming our communities.”
“Last year the ATF’s Los Angeles Field Division initiated almost 500 cases with 93% of those cases being firearms-related investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bombardiere of ATF Los Angeles Field Division. “ATF reduces violent crime by partnering with the federal, state and local law enforcement as a force multiplier. By enhancing our existing partnership and providing federal investigate tools we aim to create safer cities throughout the Los Angeles area. ATF will continue to work tirelessly with its partners to target violent criminals, as well as identify, investigate and arrest those who illegally supply firearms to prohibited individuals.”
The United States Attorney’s Office has worked with its law enforcement partners for years to address gun-related crime and recently has increased the number of federal cases against violent criminals engaged in Hobbs Act violations, including commercial robberies and extortions. Already this year, the office has obtained four indictments naming a total of nine defendants who allegedly participated in commercial robberies, with three of those cases involving firearms and one alleging a “smash and grab” robbery at a jewelry store.
In 2023, grand juries indicted 16 Hobbs Act robbery cases (two of which involved carjackings), eight bank robbery cases, a stand-alone carjacking case, a Hobbs Act extortion and a kidnap for ransom case.
In 2022, federal prosecutors secured indictments in 18 Hobbs Act robbery cases, three bank robbery cases and three postal robberies, one of which involved a postal carrier robbed at gunpoint. These 24 cases charged a total of 40 defendants.
Since the beginning of 2022, the United States Attorney’s Office has charged nearly 600 defendants with illegal gun possession offenses, and nearly 30% of these cases involved “ghost guns.” Approximately 450 of the defendants in these firearms cases were allegedly felons in possession of firearms or ammunition. Dozens of other defendants were charged with possessing machine guns and other illegal firearms, including short-barreled rifles and silencers.
Some of the recent cases handled by the office and involving partners in Operation Safe Cities include:
- A robbery crew dubbed the “all-armed bandits”
Federal prosecutors this week charged two additional defendants who allegedly were part of a 2023 string of armed robberies of pharmacies, restaurants and marijuana dispensaries – a total of 19 robberies that spanned Los Angeles County. Even after authorities arrested three of the alleged robbers in late October, members of the robbery crew continued committing crimes. On November 24, following the robbery of a CVS store, Inglewood police responded and, following a high-speed pursuit that ended with a vehicle collision, arrested two adults and a minor. A federal criminal complaint filed Tuesday charges the two adults – Adrian Timothy Bedran, 23, of Rosemead, and Kevin Antwan Gadley, 19, of San Fernando – meaning that six defendants have now been charged in federal court. Bedran and Gadley, who are currently in state custody, each are charged in the complaint with Hobbs Act robbery and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. They are expected to be arraigned sometime next week. A federal grand last year returned a 26-count indictment that charged the three original defendants and fourth who allegedly participated in the robberies. A trial for these four defendants is currently scheduled for June 18. If convicted at trial, the ringleaders of the “all-armed bandits” would face mandatory minimum sentences of more than 40 years in federal prison, and potentially life imprisonment. The FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are the lead investigating agencies on this matter, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Butler and Jena MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
- Massage parlor robberies
Two Los Angeles County men were indicted earlier this month for allegedly conducting a series of armed robberies of massage parlors earlier this year in Orange County and Torrance. Andy Cuellar, 28, of Hawthorne, and Arturo Morales, 27, of Downey, were arrested one month ago today. The 12-count indictment specifically charges the two defendants with robbing five massage parlors – two on January 22 – and using a firearm in all the incidents. Cuellar and Morales are also charged with being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition, with the indictment alleging that Cuellar has prior convictions for burglary and a scheme to import methamphetamine and that Morales was previously found guilty of conspiracy and threaten with intent to terrorize. Both men are being held without bond and are currently scheduled to be tried on April 30. If they were to be convicted, Cuellar and Morales each would face potential sentences of more than 100 years in federal prison. The ATF, several Orange County police agencies and the LAPD are investigating this matter. AUSAs MacCabe and Butler are prosecuting this case.
- Felon in possession cases
In a case filed Tuesday, Rodolfo Hernandez Jr., 28, of Oxnard, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, specifically a .38-caliber revolver and several types of ammunition. Hernandez, who is currently in Ventura County Jail, was arrested February 28 after Oxnard Police officers stopped him in relation to a robbery investigation. When police searched his vehicle, they also recovered a Mac-11 machine gun. According to the federal criminal complaint, Hernandez has five prior felony convictions, including for assault with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a controlled substance while armed. The FBI and the Oxnard Police Department under the auspices of the Ventura County Violent Gang Task Force, which includes the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, is conducting the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph DeLeon filed the federal charges in this case.
An Inland Empire man – Frank Escobar Jr., 35, of San Bernardino – was sentenced in February to 15 years in federal prison for possession of ammunition, receiving the mandatory minimum sentence for being an armed career criminal. On May 13, 2023, Escobar threatened family members at their residence with a loaded firearm and discharged the gun multiple times. In a sentencing memo that recounts how Escobar fired the gun at the feet of the victims and into a wall of the residence, prosecutors argued that this “[d]efendant’s criminal history is marked by a pattern of extreme and repeated acts of violence.” Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey A. Stimson of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this matter, which was investigated by the ATF.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Butler and Jena MacCabe, both of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and Ian Yanniello and Ben Balding, both supervisors in the General Crimes Section, have been designated as Violent Crime Coordinators to implement the initiative, conduct further outreach and training to local police agencies, and oversee the prosecution of cases under Operation Safe Cities.
Two from McKees Rocks Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Two residents of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Vincent Pappaterra, 49, and Amber Bond, 37, as defendants.
According to the Indictment, from on or about August 24, 2023, until on or about August 26, 2023, Pappaterra and Bond, through the use of communications involving cellular telephones, persuaded, coerced, and enticed a minor to engage in sexual activity.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Mitchell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security and Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Men Charged with Robbing U.S. Postal Carriers at Knife PointRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Two men from the New York City metro area were charged with burglarizing two Maine post offices and robbing, at knife point, two U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers.
A federal grand jury charged Winston McLeod, 30, and Lance Funderburk, 30, in a five-count indictment on March 20, 2024, charging each with two robberies, two burglaries, and participating in the overall conspiracy.
According to the indictment and other court records, during a one-week period in January 2024, McLeod and Funderburk broke into the Paris and North Monmouth post offices and stole money order printers, mail, computers, post office box keys, and other items. The two men are then alleged to have robbed two Lewiston postal carriers in quick succession on January 20, 2024, threatening to stab each of them with a knife unless they turned over their postal keys.
If convicted, the men face up to 25 years imprisonment on each of the two robbery counts, up to five years imprisonment on each of the two burglary counts, and up to five years on the conspiracy count. They also face up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count of conviction.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with the assistance of FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Rumford, Lewiston, Paris and Monmouth police departments.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Toledo Area Man Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Covid FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Terrence L. Pounds, 47, of Holland, Ohio was sentenced to 94 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela Barker after earlier pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. He was also ordered to pay $4,239,940.43 to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and serve 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, from March 2020 through December 2020, Pounds and his co-defendants devised a scheme to obtain SBA-financed loans from the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under false pretenses.
Pounds, who was the leader of the conspiracy, arranged for others to provide him with their personal identifying information, which he then used to apply for EIDL loans in their names.
While Pounds listed those individuals as the business owner or applicant in most applications, he repeatedly made the same false statements in numerous applications submitted both for himself and for others. He claimed, for example, that each applicant operated a non-profit organization that was a “Faith-Based Organization” or a “Church” with, among other traits, $1,000,000 in revenue and 15 employees. Based on this false information, the SBA approved many of these loan applications. Pounds often received a share of the loan proceeds as payment for obtaining the loan.
Pounds used some of the money he made from this scheme—from both loans he received directly and payments received from others—to purchase a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe, a 2021 Kia Telluride, a 2020 Hyundai Elantra and a 2020 BMW X4. Investigators seized those vehicles, and Pounds agreed to forfeit them.
Pounds submitted dozens of fraudulent EIDL loan applications collectively seeking more than $9.5 million in EIDL funds, with each application generally seeking approximately $150,000. The SBA approved and paid approximately $3.7 million in EIDL loans based on those applications. Pounds and his co-conspirators also submitted numerous fraudulent PPP loan applications, many of which were approved, raising the total of funds obtained by fraud to more than $4.2 million.
This investigation was conducted by the Cleveland FBI – Canton Resident Agency and the IRS – Criminal Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Morrison and Edward Brydle.
The public is encouraged to submit any allegations of COVID-19 fraud to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Three More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men from Detroit, Michigan, and a Nitro, West Virginia, man pleaded guilty yesterday to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Vernard Antonio Brown, also known as “Bam,” 32, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Paul Anthony Rucker, 46, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Trevon Eaarle Godfrey, also known as “Trey,” 27, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to use of a communications facility in committing, causing, and facilitating a felony controlled substance offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Brown and searched his Huntington residence. Brown admitted that he and others used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Teck .22-caliber pistol, and various rounds of ammunition during the search. Brown admitted that he and other individuals possessed the firearms and intended to sell the controlled substances in exchange for money.
Brown further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023. As part of that participation, Brown admitted to roles in multiple drug transactions within the Southern District of West Virginia. On May 17, 2023, Brown and a co-defendant distributed approximately 446 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On July 13, 2023, Brown arranged for another individual to distribute approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant. On August 15, 2023, Brown distributed approximately 27.7 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant
Officers also arrested Rucker on November 15, 2023, and searched his Nitro residence. Rucker admitted that he and others used the residence to distribute controlled substances. Officers seized 64.45 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 41 grams of fentanyl, 11 firearms, and ammunition during the search. Rucker admitted that he and another individual possessed the firearms and ammunition and intended to distribute the controlled substances found during the search.
Rucker further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least February 2023 through November 2023. As part of that participation, Rucker admitted that he distributed fentanyl to a confidential informant at his Nitro residence on May 19, 2023, and to transporting quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Huntington to Nitro in a vehicle with co-defendant Mark Lawrence Lowe on September 9, 2023. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and seized approximately 149 grams of fentanyl and 222.6 grams of methamphetamine. Rucker admitted that he and Lowe intended to distribute the controlled substances.
On September 4, 2023, Godfrey received a call from another individual who asked Godfrey to conduct a drug transaction with a specific customer. The individual told Godfrey to distribute 10 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of methamphetamine to the customer, who would be bringing $500 for the controlled substances. Godfrey admitted that he met the customer at a location in Huntington pre-arranged by the individual and conducted the transaction. Godfrey further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023.
Brown and Rucker are scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2024, and Godfrey is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024. Brown faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. Rucker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Godfrey faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Brown, Rucker, Godfrey and Lowe are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Brown, Rucker and Godfrey are among 11 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. Another of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against Lowe and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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Talladega Man Indicted and Arrested for Submitting False Loan Application to a BankRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted a Talladega man for making false statements to a bank on a commercial loan application that resulted in a loss to the bank of over $550,000, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Bermun Deamon McGhee, 44, of Talladega, with making false statements to obtain a bank loan.
According to the indictment, in December 2021, McGhee provided fraudulent information on a loan application to Peoples Bank of Alabama. McGhee fraudulently claimed, among other things, that he possessed $965,000 “Cash on Hand and in Banks” in various checking accounts and savings accounts.
FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rummage is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
St. Petersburg Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Kavon Jackasal (35, St. Petersburg) to 40 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and a concurrent 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A jury found Jackasal guilty on December 11, 2023.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jackasal sold fentanyl and other drugs to users in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties. On May 25, 2021, Jackasal sold fentanyl to a woman who overdosed and died. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to the victim’s residence and investigated the death. They located a small amount of fentanyl in the victim’s bedroom. They reviewed the victim’s message history and determined that Jackasal was likely the person who had delivered the fentanyl to the victim. A detective texted Jackasal from the victim’s phone and asked for the “same from yesterday.” After responding to the message and agreeing to another delivery, Jackasal arrived at the residence. Detectives arrested Jackasal and found a plastic bag containing fentanyl in his car.
Jackasal has previously been convicted of selling controlled substances and sentenced to prison. He was arrested for possession with intent to sell or deliver fentanyl on March 31, 2021, but was released on bond the next day. While that case was pending trial in state court, Jackasal continued to sell fentanyl, ultimately resulting in the overdose death of the victim.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sinacore and Samantha Newman.
St. Gabriel Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ConvictionsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Charles J. Alexander, Jr., age 39, of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, to 180 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court further sentenced Alexander to serve three years of supervised release and ordered the firearms involved be forfeited.
On November 15, 2023, after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson, the jury unanimously convicted Alexander of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In 2021, DEA agents and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into cocaine distribution by Alexander in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. On April 1, 2021, three search warrants were executed at properties tied to Alexander. Agents located Alexander at one of the properties and recovered cocaine cooking paraphernalia, over 200 grams of cocaine, and a total of four firearms. After the presentation of the case at trial by the United States, Alexander did not return from a lunch recess and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The jury deliberated in his absence and convicted him. Alexander was ultimately apprehended in Illinois by the United States Marshals Service on December 6, 2023, and was detained pending sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the offense and promotes respect for the law. It is a just punishment for the facts exhibited at trial which warranted this sentence.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshal’s Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William Morris and Benjamin Wallace.
St. Augustine Convicted Child Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Producing A Video of Sexually Abusing A MinorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher Lee Smith (42, St. Augustine) has pleaded guilty to using a child to produce a video of Smith as he sexually abused the child. Smith faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 25, up to 50 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Smith was arrested on September 2, 2021, and has been detained since that time. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Smith is a registered child sex offender, having been convicted of traveling to meet a child to commit a sex offense on January 10, 2012.
According to court documents, on June 28, 2021, Smith engaged in online conversation using a social media application (app) with an undercover FBI agent who was posing as the parent of a minor child. Smith advised the undercover agent that he (Smith) wanted to have sex with the “child” and discussed in detail the sexual acts that he wished to perform on the child. On August 30, 2021, Smith and the undercover agent engaged in another online conversation on the app during which Smith advised he had previously sexually abused a particular child, and he (Smith) sent a video to the undercover agent that depicted this child being sexually abused by an adult male. Through further investigation, FBI agents were able to identify both Smith and the child.
On September 2, 2021, FBI agents arrested Smith and seized his cellphone. A search of the phone revealed that Smith had been engaging in sexually explicit online conversations with this same child for several months. On July 31, 2021, Smith drove to meet the child at a retail store in St. Johns County and took the child back to his residence. While at the residence, Smith used the child to produce a video showing Smith sexually abusing the child. Later, Smith sent several clips of this sexual abuse video to the child by text message.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another 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.justice.gov/psc.
South Florida Resident Charged with Receiving Millions from Filing Fraudulent COVID-19 Testing Reimbursement ClaimsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Willie F. Murray, Jr. (55, West Park, FL) with six counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Murray faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count followed by a consecutive two years of imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count. The indictment also notifies Murray that the United States intends to forfeit $5,671,611.74 in U.S. currency, $1,578,925.56 from a bank account, and seven real properties located in Punta Gorda, Fort Lauderdale, Belle Glade, Hollywood, and South Bay, Florida, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, Murray was the registered agent and manager of Lab Tess, LLC, a Florida company that purportedly provided its customers COVID-19 testing services. In fact, Lab Tess provided no such services. Murray used Lab Tess to submit fraudulent claims for reimbursement to the Health Resources and Services Administration for COVID-19 testing services supposedly provided to uninsured individuals. To complete the illegal scheme, Murray used personal identifying information of individuals incarcerated by the Florida Department of Corrections, individuals falsely reported as having been tested at homeless shelters and electrical substations, and deceased individuals. Murray submitted more than 126,000 fraudulent claims and received reimbursement in the approximate amount of $5.6 million, which he used, in part, to purchase real properties in South Florida.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice 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.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Pizzo and Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Six Defendants Added in Catalytic Converter Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A superseding indictment has been unsealed today, charging six additional individuals to the case first brought in November 2022, with conspiracy to transport stolen catalytic converters from California to New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, thieves steal catalytic converters from vehicles for the precious metals the core contains, including palladium, platinum, and rhodium, some of which are more valuable per ounce than gold. The black-market price for certain catalytic converters from California can be above $1,000 each. Three California defendants and six New Jersey defendants were charged in the original indictment, including brothers Navin Khanna and Tinu Khanna of New Jersey. The Khanna brothers operated DG Auto and purchased stolen catalytic converters from California for over $38 million. After the Khanna brothers were arrested, their mother Anita Khanna, 63, of Holmdel, New Jersey; their father Nirmal Khanna, 73, of Holmdel, New Jersey; and their older brother Michael Khanna, 42, of Eatontown, New Jersey, continued DG Auto’s business of purchasing stolen catalytic converters.
The Khannas and other DG Auto employees sold the precious metal powders extracted from the stolen catalytic converters to employees at a New Jersey metal refinery, including Alfredo Mejia, 40, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, and Vishnu Chintaman, aka Vasheem, 54, of Levittown, Pennsylvania. These metal refinery employees knew they were receiving powder extracted from stolen catalytic converters. The metal refiner paid DG Auto over $621 Million. The Khannas used a third party, Ricky Vega, 39, of Hopewell, New Jersey, to broker the transactions between DG Auto and the metal refinery.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, the Davis Police Department, the Auburn Police Department, the Livermore Police Department, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
If convicted, the newly added defendants in the superseding indictment face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine up to $78 million. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Saskatchewan Man Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Saskatchewan, Canada, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on March 15, 2024.
Benjamin Martin Moore, 52, was sentenced to four years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Moore will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Moore was indicted for Possession of Child Pornography and Transporting Illegal Aliens by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on December 13, 2023.
On August 9, 2022, Moore illegally entered the United States with his significant other and her two minor children. It was believed Moore fled Canada likely to escape potential prosecution and removal of the children from their custody. Moore had entered the United States by cutting a barbed wire fence near Turner, Montana. An Amber Alert was issued, and it was reported that Moore had been working as a security guard at a campground in Meade County, South Dakota. Agents responded to the campground and were able to locate Moore attempting to flee with his significant other and her minor children. Agents were able to stop Moore and upon his arrest located a cell phone and SIM card in his possession. A forensic examination of the phone revealed he was in possession of images and videos of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Meade County Sheriff’s Office, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Havre Sector Border Patrol, and the Canadian Child Protective Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Moore was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
San Ramon Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for A Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Rashad Shambray-Jones was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and 19 rounds of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., United States District Judge.
Shambray-Jones, 30, of San Ramon, pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), on October 6, 2021. He was charged by Information on September 15, 2021.
As court documents state, Shambray-Jones crashed a vehicle into a fence on federal property on January 31, 2021, and, when police responded to the scene to render assistance, they observed a firearm and nineteen rounds of ammunition on the front floorboard of the driver’s side of the vehicle. Shambray-Jones was arrested for unlawfully possessing the firearm and ammunition, due to his prohibited status as a convicted felon.After pleading guilty to the charged offense, Shambray-Jones was referred to the Northern District of California’s Conviction Alternatives Program (“CAP”), a court-administered program entails intensive supervision of participants prior to sentencing. The program offers the potential of a reduced or non-custodial sentence for participants who successfully complete it. Court documents show that, while participating in CAP, Shambray-Jones was captured on surveillance video firing approximately seven rounds from a firearm in a shooting incident that occurred on May 5, 2023, in the Bayview District of San Francisco. Shambray-Jones was arrested by San Francisco Police Department officers in connection with the May 5 incident after he went to San Francisco General Hospital on September 1, 2023, seeking treatment for a gunshot wound soon after another shooting incident in the same area where the shooting incident occurred on May 5, 2023.
“Alternative justice programs are an important part of our criminal justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “They often help defendants overcome serious root, personal problems, such as addiction, that motivate their criminal conduct. But, when defendants masquerade through these programs while in fact continuing to terrorize our streets with gun violence, we will ask for sentences that appropriately address their deception and violent conduct. Let today’s sentence serve as a warning: the resulting prison time will be serious.”
“Being in possession of a firearm while being a prohibited person is a crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. “The defendant in this case was afforded an opportunity to choose a different course of behavior and made the decision not to. The defendant endangered the safety of the public by conducting violent behavior. This violent conduct will not be tolerated and those who chose to put the public in danger will be prosecuted.”
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gilliam ordered Shambray-Jones to serve three years of supervised release once his prison term is completed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Buszin prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Helen Yee. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF.
San Antonio Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing, Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 300 months in prison for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Stephen Aaron Potts, 35, used Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing software to distribute 194 files, representing 2.63 TBs of materials, containing CSAM to an undercover law enforcement computer between Nov. 17, 2021, and Jan. 19, 2022.
On May 4, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a federal search warrant at Potts’ residence, seizing numerous electronic devices, including 22 external hard drives, two computers, one laptop, four flash drives, three smartphones, and five micro-SD cards. Forensic analysis of one 2.5 TB device contained 9,085 video files and 31,861 image files of CSAM.
Potts was arrested May 4, 2022 and has remained in federal custody. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 25, 2022 to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In an interview with federal agents, Potts stated that he would leave his computer on and enable the P2P software to download CSAM 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
“Crimes involving the possession of child pornography, or child sexual abuse material, are never victimless,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “By constantly downloading and sharing child sexual abuse material, this defendant inflicted immense damage on many vulnerable children. Thanks to our partners at HSI and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, we have put an end to this predator’s heinous acts and, hopefully, given those victims some of the relief they are due.”
“Today’s sentence serves as a reminder to all predators. We will not allow crimes against children to go unpunished,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alejandro M. Amaro for HSI San Antonio. “While this significant sentence cannot repair the damage done to the children exploited by these images, it is a warning to those who engage in this behavior: HSI and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in our pursuit of online predators.”
HSI and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bettina Richardson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sabine Parish Man Sentenced for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Sergio Valdez, 28, of Zwolle, Louisiana, has been sentenced for distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Valdez to 87 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On March 22, 2023, federal and state law enforcement agents conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Valdez in Sabine Parish, Louisiana. Agents were able to obtain information that Valdez sold an individual the methamphetamine outside of his home. The drugs which were sold by Valdez were sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Southeast Laboratory for testing and found to have a net weight of 54.4 grams of pure methamphetamine.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment on June 28, 2023, charging Valdez with one count of distribution of methamphetamine and he pleaded guilty to the charge on November 7, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William C. Gaskins.
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Repeat Felon on Community Corrections Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison for Selling Firearms via FacebookRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Deshawn Washington, 22, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal possession of firearms by a felon.
According to court documents, on June 6, 2023, detectives with the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF) conducted a search of Deshawn Washington’s residence on the far East side of Indianapolis in relation to the illegal sale of firearms. At the time, Washington was on Marion County Community Corrections and GPS monitoring for a 2022 conviction for carrying a handgun without a license. Washington had been released from the Indiana Department of Correction custody on May 12, 2023, following felony convictions for possession of a machine gun and dealing in marijuana.
Detectives previously found Facebook messages in which Washington, under the alias “Dondre Willis,” arranged to sell an AR-style pistol and provided a photograph of the firearm. Washington was selling the firearms out of his registered community corrections address.
Officers arrested Washington at his home just 25 days after his release from jail and located a Glock 43, 9mm semiautomatic handgun in his front right pocket. The firearm had a live 9mm cartridge in the chamber and 6 additional live 9mm cartridges in the magazine. In the living room, officers located a 5.56 AR-variant pistol with a high-capacity magazine and a live .223 round in the chamber, as well as 24 additional rounds in the magazine. This firearm appeared identical to the firearm Washington was offering to sell on Facebook.
At the time of his arrest, Washington had been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including possession of a machinegun and two counts of carrying a handgun without a license. These felony convictions prohibit Washington from ever again legally possessing a firearm.
“Again and again, this felon has been convicted for crimes involving illegal firearms possession. Nevertheless, he continued to illegally possess and even traffic in guns,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Armed felons and illegal gun trafficking fuel the gun violence that kills and injures far to many in our communities. Our partnership with the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force and ATF is designed to identify and track the most dangerous repeat offenders and get them off the street before they can put more deadly weapons in the hands of individuals banned from having them.”
“The continued illegal possession of firearms clearly shows the defendant’s disregard for the law and public safety,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “Even after being convicted of firearms crimes and serving prison time, he is back out in the community possessing and attempting to sell firearms. This is exactly the kind of case that ATF and the ICGTF investigate, and we will continue to work to remove the trigger pullers and those supplying them from the street.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Indiana Crime Guns Task Force investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Washington be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Pamela S. Domash, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF). ICGTF is a partnership of law enforcement officers and analysts from several central Indiana law enforcement agencies in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson, and Shelby counties. In cooperation with state, local, and federal partners, ICGTF collaborates to address violent crime through a comprehensive strategy including innovative approaches to locating suspects and evidence related to violent crimes and illegal possession of firearms.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Overdose Death of Portland TeenagerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a Portland teenager.
Tanner Welsh, 21, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on November 10, 2022, officers from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) responded to a fatal overdose of a 17-year-old teenager. Investigating officers located several small blue pills near the teenager’s body they believed were counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. An autopsy later confirmed the teenager died from fentanyl poisoning.
Further investigation revealed that the teenager had exchanged several text messages with Welsh shortly before overdosing in response to an online ad Welsh posted offering the sale of controlled substances. Investigators also learned that Welsh had personally traveled to the teenager’s house to deliver the fentanyl pills.
On January 24, 2023, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) located and arrested Welsh who admitted selling fentanyl and Xanax pills to the deceased teenager.
On February 8, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Welsh on one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. On December 13, 2023, Welsh pleaded guilty to a one-count superseding criminal information charging him with distributing fentanyl to a person under the age of twenty-one.
This case was investigated by PPB and HSI and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Ponchatoula Woman Indicted for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on March 14, 2024, ANGELA C. MITCHELL, age 48, of Ponchatoula, La. was indicted for access device fraud, in connection with her embezzlement from a Covington. La. company where she worked from October 2016 to June 2018.
According to the indictment, MITCHELL is alleged to have diverted to herself approximately $116,998.70 from Company A by, among other things, fraudulently transferring funds from Company A’s bank accounts via electronic transfers and by drafting unauthorized checks to herself. MITCHELL committed the fraud during her employment, and continued illegally accessing Company A’s accounts after she was terminated in June 2018.
If convicted, MITCHELL faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000.00 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss, up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely an accusation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Field Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne, of the Financial Crimes Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Philadelphia Pharmacy Criminal Pleas and Civil Resolutions Result in Multiple Criminal Convictions and over $4 Million RecoveredRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that two former pharmacy employees pled guilty, were sentenced, and settled civil allegations as to Philadelphia-based Spivack, Inc., previously operating under the name Verree Pharmacy (“Verree”). These two employees’ criminal and civil resolutions bring to an end the years-long investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners as to opioid and fraud-related issues at Verree by its owner, Mitchell Spivack, and his employees. In addition to criminal convictions resulting in imprisonment, the settlements resulted in over $4.1 million recovered and permanently ban the employees from ever dispensing controlled substances in the future.
Most recently, two former employees, Todd Goodman and Eric Pestrack, pled guilty to charges that they knowingly dispensed oxycodone without a valid prescription. The district court sentenced Goodman and Pestrack to four months and three months in prison, respectively. In addition to the criminal convictions, Goodman and Pestrack separately agreed to resolve civil allegations that they engaged in a years-long practice of illegally dispensing and distributing opioids and other controlled substances as well as systematic health care fraud by billing for drugs the pharmacy did not actually dispense to patients. In addition to paying the United States to resolve their exposure, the two also committed to never dispense controlled substances in the future.
Goodman and Pestrack’s convictions come after owner-pharmacist Mitchell Spivack pled guilty and was sentenced to 42 months in prison for his role at Verree. Spivack pled guilty to having conspired with others to engage in health care fraud and illegally dispense the controlled substance oxycodone at Verree. Spivack also resolved the civil allegations against him through a court-approved consent judgment. Spivack and his business agreed to pay over $4.1 million to resolve their civil liability under the Controlled Substances Act, False Claims Act, and forfeiture. The judgment also permanently banned them from ever dispensing controlled substances in the future and imposed a 22-year exclusion on the pharmacy and Spivack from Medicare and Medicaid.
The culmination of a multi-year federal-state investigation, the previously filed civil complaint alleged that Verree, its owner Spivack, and employees of Verree had a responsibility to dispense opioids and other controlled substances only when appropriate. Instead, the United States alleged that Verree and Spivack dispensed the drugs, even when faced with numerous red flags suggestive of diversion, such as opioids in extreme doses, dangerous combinations of opioids and other “cocktail” drugs preferred by those addicted, excessive cash payments for the drugs, blatantly forged prescriptions, and other signs that the pills were being diverted for illegal purposes. The complaint alleged that Verree—which was the top retail pharmacy purchasing oxycodone in Pennsylvania—has been a nationwide and regional outlier in its deviant purchasing, dispensing, and billing of controlled substances. To avoid scrutiny from the drug distributors that sold them the pills, Verree through Spivack allegedly made false statements to maintain the façade of legitimacy and keep the pharmacy stocked with these pills critical to their profits. Behind that façade, the complaint alleged that Spivack drew millions of dollars from the pharmacy while the public suffered the consequences.
The United States’ complaint alleged that Verree and Spivack were also engaged in an expansive health care fraud scheme involving fraudulent billings for drugs not actually dispensed. The alleged cornerstone of the scheme was a code used by the pharmacy employees in their internal computer system: “BBDF” or Bill But Don’t Fill. Verree, Spivack, and their co-conspirators allegedly used BBDF as a means to cover their losses on other drugs and further line their pockets with illicit profits by falsely claiming to insurers, including Medicare, that they had dispensed a drug to a patient, when in fact they had not. According to the complaint, this sophisticated fraud—which one of the employees allegedly admitted to investigators—resulted in significant damages to Medicare and other federal programs.
“Pharmacies and pharmacists who engage in illegal dispensing of opioids devastate their communities and worsen our country’s opioid epidemic” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Providers who abuse Medicare and other federal health care programs by taking money with false billings also steal precious resources from programs critical to the health of our seniors and other citizens. This Office is committed to investigating and holding accountable those providers who violate their controlled substance and health care billing obligations. Our Office deeply appreciates our partnership with the DEA, HHS-OIG, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in pursuing these cases.”
“In a city that has been so adversely and disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic, Verree Pharmacy was the top retail pharmacy purchasing oxycodone in the entire state of Pennsylvania,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Spivack and the other employees at Verree routinely demonstrated total disregard for their professional and ethical obligations and improperly dispensed powerful painkillers when numerous warning signs were present.”
“The Medicare and Medicaid Programs provide vital prescription drug services to their beneficiaries,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Pharmacies are required to only bill for prescriptions and products they actually provide to their patients. HHS-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the DEA to investigate allegations of fraudulent insurance billings.”
“We are proud collaborators in efforts leading to these recent convictions, along with the millions of settlement dollars from this deceptive, predatory pharmacy practice. Our communities continue to rebuild and recover from opioid-related devastation, so our efforts to assist in that recovery cannot and will not stop,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “My office has shown a commitment, through this and other actions, to hold accountable the pharmacists and businesses that exploited a nationwide addiction crisis to line their pockets.”
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Field Division of the DEA, the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation, HHS-OIG, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, with additional assistance from the HHS-OIG Office of Audit Services, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, the Defense Health Agency, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The criminal charges were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys M. Beth Leahy, Joan Burnes, and Eileen Geiger, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Smulktis and Linda Montag from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. The civil investigation and litigation were handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony D. Scicchitano and Sarah L. Grieb and auditors Dawn Wiggins and George Niedzwicki.
Except for what has been admitted in the criminal proceedings, the complaints in the civil litigation contain allegations only.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving over 100 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine as part of a drug-trafficking organization operating in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Iran Soler, 44, Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Soler and his conspirators traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on commercial flights from Philadelphia International Airport on numerous occasions between March 2019 and August 2020. They purchased multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from wholesale drug suppliers based in the San Juan area in exchange for cash payments. Soler and the conspirators then shipped the kilograms of cocaine by overnight delivery from U.S. Post Offices in San Juan to various addresses in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, where a conspirator, Jose Gonzalez, resold the cocaine to other drug dealers in the Philadelphia area for a profit. Soler and the other conspirators purchased and shipped over 100 kilograms of cocaine to Philadelphia and southern New Jersey between March 2019 and August 2020.
In addition to the prison term, Judge O’Hearn sentenced Soler to five years of supervised release.
Gonzalez previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced April 29, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; agents of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs in Philadelphia; troopers assigned to the New Jersey State Police Strategic Investigations Unit South, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers and detectives of the Philadelphia Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Pawtucket Man to Serve Six Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Pawtucket man described in court documents as being a “seasoned drug dealer” who previously served eight different jail sentences for selling drugs was sentenced today to six years in federal prison, having been convicted most recently of selling thousands of fentanyl pills, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Gary Doran, a/k/a “G-Baby,” 36, pleaded guilty on October 5, 2023, to a charge of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, three months after being released from jail in 2021, members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force developed information that Doran was active in drug dealing. During the course of a later FBI investigation, Doran sold a cooperating witness thousands of fentanyl pills, for a total of $9,250 over a period of less than two months.
Doran was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
According to court records, prior to his arrest in this matter, Doran was previously convicted eight times in state courts for selling drugs, serving eight different sentences ranging from six months to two years of incarceration.
This most recent case was prosecuted in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine D. Lowell.
The matter was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Pawtucket Police Department.
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PRC Citizen Sentenced for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens to GuamRead the Press Release
Saipan – Shawn Anderson, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces that on March 15, 2024, Kun Gao, age 43, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was sentenced in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens, in violation of 8 U.S.C, §§ 1324 (a)(1)(A)(ii) and (v)(I). The Court ordered 30 days in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee. Gao was also ordered to promptly return to the PRC after serving his sentence.
In July 2023, Gao and nine other PRC nationals conspired with four Saipan residents to transport them from Saipan to Guam using a small, motorized boat. Most of the PRC nationals had no lawful status to be in the CNMI, and none of them were authorized to go to Guam. Their boat ran out of fuel near the island of Rota, which required a dangerous sea rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona agreed with the government’s argument that this type of crime needs additional deterrence. The term of imprisonment imposed was therefore longer than those for past cases.
“Unlawful travel by foreign nationals from the CNMI to Guam is a recurring problem,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “It is an abuse of CNMI parole provisions within our federal immigration system. It also endangers the lives of those involved, in addition to government personnel who must frequently conduct rescues in adverse weather. Our sentencing recommendations will continue to emphasize deterrence and public safety.”
"We are committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the integrity of our borders. Today's sentencing sends a clear message that individuals who conspire to circumvent immigration laws will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from United States Coast Guard Sector Guam.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. O’Malley from the District of the Northern Mariana Islands prosecuted the case.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Emmanuel Zakaria, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced March 20, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogue. United State District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Zakaria to 48 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Zakaria is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On June 14, 2022, investigators conducted a controlled purchase operation, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 300 fentanyl pills. On June 28, 2022, investigators arrested Zakaria and conducted a post-Miranda interview with Zakaria, who admitted to the involvement of distributing fentanyl pills.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department.
Oklahoma Man Convicted of Murder-For-Hire of St. Louis SchoolteacherRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on March 19, 2024, found Phillip J. Cutler of Muskogee, Oklahoma guilty of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and the murder-for-hire of St. Louis Public School teacher Jocelyn Peters, and her unborn child, Micah Leigh, in 2016.
Prosecutors proved to jurors that Cutler was enlisted by his longtime friend, Cornelius M. Green, to commit the murders.
Green, 42, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2024 to the same charges. He admitted as part of his plea hiring his longtime friend, Cutler, to kill Peters. Peters was 31 weeks pregnant with Green’s child. Green was also involved in sexual relationships with several other women.
Green admitted during his plea that he used cash stolen from Carr Lane Middle School, where he was principal, to pay Cutler. On Feb. 28, 2016, Green texted Cutler and asked him to come to St. Louis during the week of March 20, 2016. Cutler asked if Green would be sending “the package,” and on March 7, Green sent Cutler a UPS package containing $2,500 cash.
On March 21, Cutler arrived in St. Louis via Greyhound bus, staying with Green’s sister. Green took a train trip to Chicago to establish his alibi for the murder, giving Cutler the keys to his Kia Optima and Peters’ apartment.
On March 24, Cutler drove Green’s car to Peters’ apartment in the 4200 block of West Pine in St. Louis, let himself in using Green’s keys, and shot Peters in the eye using a potato as a silencer. During his testimony, Cutler admitted seeing the 1992 film South Central, during which a character similarly used a potato as a silencer. Peters was working on baby shower invitations at the time she was killed.
At 6:14 a.m. the morning following the murder, Cutler confirmed to Green that Jocelyn and the baby had been killed. Following their conversation, Green bought his return train ticket, and Cutler then went to North Riverfront Park to dispose of evidence.
Upon arriving back in St. Louis, Green retrieved his car from Cutler and went directly to Peters’ apartment and called 911 to report her death. He repeatedly made false statements to law enforcement and others attempting to evade responsibility for his ordering of the murders and pretending he had no knowledge of the circumstances leading to the deaths. Cutler was detained for questioning that same night after attempting to retrieve the Kia Optima from the crime scene. When told he was being detained, Cutler ate two pieces of paper from a notebook in his pocket.
Green is scheduled to be sentenced June 5 and faces a sentence of life in prison. As part of the plea, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office has agreed to dismiss their case against Green for the murders if he is sentenced to life in federal prison.
Cutler is scheduled to be sentenced June 18. He faces life in prison on each charge.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) and the FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted in cooperation with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Becker and Zachary Bluestone are prosecuting the case. Former SLMPD Detective Mark Biondolino was the case agent.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to ArsonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TERRENCE COE, age 45, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on March 19, 2024 to arson, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 844(i).
According to court documents, on December 24, 2022, COE set fire to merchandise inside of Walmart located in Hammond, La. On December 27, 2022, COE turned himself into the Hammond Police Department and admitted that he started the fire while trying to open a package that he wanted to steal, with a lighter.
At sentencing, COE faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five (5) years up to a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –GERARD TURNER, age 21, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty as charged to a four-count indictment on March 19, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter.
Specifically, TURNER pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8); possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2); possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at TURNER’s residence in July, 2023. TURNER possessed distributable quantities of marijuana; a loaded Romarm/Cugir Model Mini Draco, 7.62x39 millimeter semi-automatic pistol; rounds of various calibers of ammunition, including a loaded pistol magazine and loaded drum magazine; and a machinegun conversion device, that turns a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machinegun. TURNER has prior felony convictions for simple burglary, illegal use of weapons, and illegal possession of stolen things.
For his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, TURNER faces up to 15 years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. For his conviction for possession of a machinegun, he faces up to 10 years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. For his conviction for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, he faces up to 5 years in prison and a minimum of two years of supervised release. For his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, he faces a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries up to a $250,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Britain Man Involved in Cocaine Trafficking Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NERICK DIAZ-QUESADA, 25, of New Britain, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents, on November 10, 2022, members of the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and New Britain Police Department executed a court-authorized search warrant at an apartment located on LaSalle Street in New Britain suspected of being used as a location to store, process, and package narcotics for distribution. Diaz-Quesada was apprehended after he attempted to flee from investigators when they entered the apartment. A search of bedroom that Diaz-Quesada used revealed more than two kilograms of cocaine, a loaded Glock 9mm handgun, narcotics packaging materials, and a large amount of cash.
Diaz-Quesada has been detained since his arrest. On January 26, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
This investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Mt. Pleasant Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Role in One of the Largest Medicare Fraud Schemes in HistoryRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Andrew Chmiel, 48, of Mt. Pleasant, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison yesterday for his role in a nearly $100 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) orders.
Chmiel’s charges were brought in 2019 as part of Operation Brace Yourself, an investigation that originated in South Carolina. Operation Brace Yourself, which was prosecuted in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division Fraud Section, was a multi-jurisdictional investigation that involved the execution of more than 80 search warrants in 17 federal districts.
As for Chmiel’s criminal conduct, evidence presented to the court showed that Chmiel controlled and operated at least 10 DME companies, which were located throughout the United States. These DME companies were used by Chmiel and his coconspirators to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for braces that were not medically necessary and/or were obtained through the payment of kickbacks and bribes.
To effectuate the scheme, these DME companies entered into agreements with an offshore call center to purchase completed doctors’ orders so the DME companies could bill Medicare. This offshore call center was advertising through television and internet advertisements. Once a Medicare beneficiary called a 1-800 number that was on the advertisements, that Medicare beneficiary would be screened for eligibility and then convinced that he or she needed a brace, and oftentimes upsold on other braces. The call center would then contact a telemedicine company whose physician and/or or nurse practitioner would issue a prescription without regard to the medical necessity. Throughout the investigation the evidence revealed that beneficiaries were prescribed braces without ever being examined by, seeing, or, in some instances, even speaking to a medical professional. Evidence presented showed that Chmiel was attempting to hide that he was purchasing completed doctors’ orders by creating fraudulent and false invoices for alleged marketing and business processing services.
Throughout the health care fraud scheme, Chmiel’s companies, which included 10 DME companies, two dropship companies, and two additional companies that were used to facilitate the fraud – D.O. Delivery and Pain Center – billed Medicare in excess of $200 million and Medicare paid Chmiel’s companies in excess of $95 million.
Chmiel was also held accountable at sentencing for an obstruction of justice enhancement pursuant to the United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines. Based on evidence presented by the Government during the sentencing, the court held that when Chmiel testified as a government witness in a trial in the Eastern District of New York against a coconspirator, he knowingly gave false testimony on matters material to the health care fraud scheme, violating the terms of his plea agreement.
“Chmiel’s scheme preyed upon honest citizens seeking medical help and this sentence brings an end to that exploitation,“ said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We will continue to pursue and dismantle health care fraud schemes in South Carolina, especially those that permeate throughout the country.”
“Fraudulent schemes, such as this, undermine the trust and confidence of the American people in our healthcare programs,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “This ruling should serve as a reminder that healthcare fraud remains a top priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners and we remain committed to the vigilance and accountability in preserving healthcare integrity.”
"This outcome underscores our unwavering commitment to combat health care fraud and pursue those who exploit Medicare beneficiaries and defraud taxpayers for personal gain,” stated Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG takes pride in collaborating with our partners to ensure accountability for those seeking to illegitimately profit from federal health care programs.”
“Crimes against our health care system equates to billions of dollars in losses and degrades a system designed to help those in need,” said Donald "Trey" Eakins, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “We will continue to stand with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who attempt to enrich themselves by fraudulent means, and to help end health care fraud."
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson sentenced Chmiel to 108 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court also ordered that Chmiel pay $98,935,533.00 in restitution.
In addition to Chmiel’s sentence, two corporations were also sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson on Tuesday. D.O. Delivery, LLC and Pain Center, LLC, two entities that Chmiel owned and operated that were used to facilitate the health care fraud scheme. Each entity was sentenced to 12-months’ probation and ordered to pay $98,935,533.00 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, and IRS-Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower prosecuted the case.
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Morris County Man Charged with Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud More Than 50 Small Businesses by Offering Phony Debt Relief ServicesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man was charged today in a scheme that defrauded victims of over $3.4 million dollars, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Mark Csantaveri, 51, of Morristown, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Csantaveri and his conspirators operated businesses that purported to provide small businesses with debt relief services. Csantaveri induced victims to make regular payments to one of Csantaveri’s businesses by falsely claiming that he would hold their money while negotiating favorable settlements with the victims’ creditors. Instead of using victim funds as promised, Csantaveri and his conspirators misappropriated the victims’ money for their personal use, including over $1 million in gambling expenses. Csantaveri’s scheme ultimately defrauded more than 50 victims of more than $3.4 million dollars.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss involved in the offense, whichever is greatest.
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 charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman of the of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
csantaveri.complaint.pdfMember of Violent Gang Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Racketeering and Robbery OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man was sentenced today for his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.
Michael Nguyen, also known as “Asian,” 23, was sentenced today by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2023, Nguyen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, also referred to as RICO conspiracy, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence. Nguyen is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case.
Nguyen was identified as a member of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston. According to court documents, Cameron Street members use violence, including murder and attempted murder, to preserve, protect and expand its territory. They allegedly use social media to promote Cameron Street, celebrate murders and other violent crimes, and denigrate rival gangs. They also allegedly possess, carry and use firearms; distribute controlled substances; commit armed robberies; and engage in human trafficking in part to generate income.
As part of his role in the Cameron Street enterprise, Nguyen often infiltrated rival gang territory to conduct surveillance for other Cameron Street members. In July 2018, Nguyen along with fellow Cameron Street members Brendon Amado and Deronde Bethea broke into the home of two victims – entering through the back door wearing masks and dark hoodies and carrying firearms. One victim ran out and called 911. A second victim was brought into the living room, punched in the head, had a gun put to their head and a pillow put in front of their face as Nguyen, Amado and Bethea ransacked the house, demanding, “where’s the stuff, where’s the money, where’s your boyfriend?” Nguyen, Amado and Bethea later fled the house in a silver pickup trick after stealing $2,000 in cash and a safe.
Nguyen and others were later observed driving away from the house. Officers pursued the truck until it abruptly stopped in Stoughton – colliding with the police cruiser before fleeing the scene. Nguyen was identified via phone records and a shoe he left behind during the chase. Amado and Bethea were identified on convenience store surveillance footage shortly before the robbery took place.
Both Amado and Bethea have since pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2024 and May 16, 2024, respectively.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening and Harassing Interracial Couple and Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today to threatening an interracial couple via Facebook Messenger in January 2021, and with attempting to prevent the couple from reporting the threats and harassment to law enforcement.
Stephen M. DeBerardinis, 46, of Boston and Dedham, pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting in interstate commerce threats to injure a person; one count of tampering with a witness and victim by intimidation, threats, and corrupt persuasion; and one count of tampering with a witness and victim by harassment. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2024. DeBerardinis was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2021.
“This case demonstrates that you cannot cowardly hide behind a keyboard and spread bigotry, intimidation and fear. The spike we have all witnessed in hate-motivated threats of violence will not be tolerated, and our office remains steadfast in our commitment to aggressively pursue threats and acts of hate that are motivated by racism or bigotry,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Everyone deserves to live free from persecution and threats simply for who they are. Full stop.”
“You can’t just threaten people online with racially motivated, violent physical harm and not face repercussions,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “What Stephen DeBerardinis put this couple through is despicable. The FBI takes all threats to life seriously and so should anyone thinking about making one. We will investigate, identify you, and ensure you’re held accountable for your actions.”
“This is another example of the value of bringing together the collective resources and expertise of the Boston Police Department with our State and Federal partners to keep our residents safe,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox.
In late December 2020, the victims, a white woman and a Black man, announced their engagement on Facebook which included photographs of the couple. DeBerardinis, who did not know the couple personally, could view the photographs because he was a friend of one or more of the victims’ Facebook friends. On or about Jan. 6, 2021, DeBerardinis used Facebook Messenger to send the couple a series of threatening and harassing messages concerning the couple’s interracial relationship. For example, DeBerardinis wrote, “EWWWWWWWW YOUR A N***** F***** F****** DIRTY A** WHITE TRASH,” and continued with similar messages. When the couple messaged DeBerardinis that they were reporting him to law enforcement, he sent them a message that said, “SNITCHES GET STITCHES” with a picture of brass knuckles. DeBerardinis also threatened, “Read up more on me lol… you will see how me and my crew burn n*****s alive,” and “And white whores like you well [sic]…. get rape and killed THAN [sic] we cut off body parts and mail them to your family lol.” The victims reported the incident to local police, who contacted federal law enforcement.
The charge of transmitting in interstate commerce threats to injure a person provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. The charge of tampering with a witness and victim by intimidation, threats and corrupt persuasion provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of tampering with a witness and victim by harassment provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; and Commissioner Cox made the announcement today. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings and Nadine Pellegrini of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Lynn Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced on March 18, 2024 in federal court in Boston for distributing, receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Ever Edilberto Zuniga Ramirez, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 62 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2023, Zuniga Ramirez pleaded guilty to distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.
Beginning in July 2020 and continuing through March 2022, Zuniga Ramirez distributed and received CSAM over the internet, including images of children under 12-years-old. More than 280 images depicting CSAM were found on Zuniga Ramirez’s phone.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Tolkoff and John Reynolds of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Live Oak Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Steven Lee Carty (55, Live Oak) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for possession of child sex abuse images after previously being convicted of possessing, receiving, and distributing child sex abuse images. The court also ordered Carty to pay $19,000 in restitution to the victims of his offense. Carty entered a guilty plea on October 19, 2023.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Carty in relation to a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that had been provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The CyberTip indicated that child exploitation material had been uploaded to an account with an electronic service provider. Law enforcement reviewed the material and determined it contained child sex abuse material (CSAM). Account information was provided for the user, which was connected to Carty. Internet Protocol (IP) history for the account that had uploaded the material was traced to Carty. FDLE obtained a state search warrant for that account, and it was determined to contain the file of CSAM from the CyberTip, along with additional files containing CSAM.
HSI learned that there were additional CyberTips connected to Carty, which HSI obtained and reviewed. Those CyberTips indicated that accounts associated with Carty had uploaded CSAM, including within a chat conversation with another user for one of the Cybertips.
During their investigation, law enforcement learned that Carty was listed as an offender on FDLE’s Sexual Offenders and Predators registry because of federal convictions for receiving, distributing, and possessing CSAM in 2005.
On August 24, 2023, a federal search warrant was executed at Carty’s residence by HSI and FDLE, with assistance from the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office. During an interview with law enforcement, Carty admitted to viewing, obtaining, and sharing CSAM. He also admitted to being obsessed with CSAM and possessing hundreds of files of CSAM on his cellphone. A preliminary examination of Carty’s cellphone during the execution of the search warrant revealed at least one file containing CSAM.
“Computers and mobile devices provide an instant, all-access pass for predators to distribute life-long records of the darkest moments of a child’s short life,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “The Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force partnership is 1,000 percent committed to be a light in the dark world that chooses to victimize children rather than nurture them.”
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case that 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.justice.gov/psc.
Liberian Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Stealing $2.6M in SNAP Benefits from NeedyRead the Press Release
A Liberian man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for stealing $2.6 million in SNAP benefits from needy and disabled beneficiaries, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
James Peabody, 34, pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, who called the crime “one of the most disturbing schemes” he’d seen during his time on the bench.
“The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is often the only way low-income Americans can afford to feed their families. I can only imagine the devastation these victims felt at the cash register when they attempted to pay for their groceries and discovered their accounts had been emptied,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “These defendants callously preyed on the needy, disabled, and elderly. My heart breaks for them.”
“The defendant and their co-conspirators exploited a program designed to aid low-income families. They stole directly from thousands of victims that needed those funds to purchase food and other necessary household items,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “The FBI and our partners worked together to hold these individuals accountable for stealing millions of dollars from the most vulnerable citizens in our community. We will not tolerate anyone that uses a federal program to enrich themselves at the expense of families who truly need and depend on the benefits.”
According to plea papers, the defendant admitted to defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as food stamps).
In furtherance of the scheme, Mr. Peabody and two coconspirators, Saybah Keihn, 48, and Margretta Jabbeh, 43, opened several African food stores. They applied for, and received, SNAP merchant privileges.
They then used EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards programmed with stolen SNAP account information – illegally obtained by placing so-called “skimming” devices on point-of-sale terminals in stores throughout the United States – and used them to “purchase” groceries from their own stores.
With each swipe of the card, the defendants falsely represented to the USDA that actual SNAP beneficiaries were using benefits to purchase approved grocery items. In reality, the beneficiaries were not present in the stores at the time of the transaction and no groceries were actually purchased.
As a result of the scheme, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (which administrates SNAP) deposited more than $2.6 million in bank accounts associated with their stores. When the beneficiaries whose accounts had been stolen attempted to use their SNAP benefits to purchase food, they learned there was no money in their accounts.
For Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, several victims submitted statements revealing that that they were forced to rely on food banks, while one stated she resorted to eating “out of dumpsters.”
Another victim thanked the FBI “for investigating my case when no one else seemed to care.”
Mr. Keihn and Ms. Jabbeh both previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced to 108 and 129 months in federal prison, respectively.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Fort Worth Resident Agency and the USDA Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with help from the Bedford Police Department, the Blue Mound Police Department, the Euless Police Department, and the North Richland Hills Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson prosecuted the case.