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Wednesday 31 January 2024
Mexican National Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 120 months in prison for illegal re-entry into the United States.
According to court documents, Gabriel Aguado-Contreras, 42, of Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Brackettville in January 2019. During processing at the Brackettville Border Patrol Station, he was identified as having been previously deported multiple times since 2006. Additionally, Aguado-Contreras had previously been convicted of multiple felonies.
Aguado-Contreras was arrested Jan. 18, 2019 and has remained in federal custody since. His 10-year prison sentence includes credit for time served since his arrest.
“This defendant was not only a repeat offender on the illegal re-entry charge but carried with him numerous other felonies,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “The lengthy sentence is certainly reflective of the charge, and I appreciate the work of our partners at the Border Patrol in helping us keep our communities and citizens safe.”
USBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Banister prosecuted the case.
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Mexican National Sentenced for Trafficking Cocaine into U.S. from MexicoRead the Press Release
PECOS, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Pecos to 41 months in prison for cocaine trafficking.
According to court documents, Ana Cristina Alarcon Rios, 24, of Chihuahua, was stopped for speeding along Highway 90 in Alpine by a Brewster County Sheriff’s Deputy. A canine search of her vehicle revealed 10 bundles containing 11.1 kilograms of cocaine destined for Denver, Colorado. Rios pleaded guilty on Aug. 25, 2023 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
“This sentence serves as a warning to anyone who would consider trafficking illicit drugs into the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to our partners at the local and federal levels, these offenders run a high risk of being apprehended and prosecuted for their crimes.”
HSI and the Brewster County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Greenbaum and Dustin Farahnak prosecuted the case.
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Meth, fentanyl trafficking in Havre and Billings send Minnesota man to prison for eight yearsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Minnesota man convicted by a federal jury for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in Havre and Billings in 2021 was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
After a 2 ½ day trial in September 2023, a jury found Rembrandt Carlos Kemp, 33, of Fridley, Minnesota, guilty of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, as charged in an indictment.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government presented evidence at trial showing that in January 2021, law enforcement began investigating fentanyl distribution in Havre by two individuals identified as Kemp and co-defendant Chantel Azure. Investigators conducted a controlled buy of fentanyl pills from Azure. During the sale, law enforcement observed Azure arrive in a vehicle with two male passengers inside. Agents saw Azure get out of her car, get into another vehicle where the sale occurred, and return to her vehicle with the two men still inside.
Law enforcement then initiated a traffic stop of Azure and her two occupants. Kemp was located in the front passenger seat and his co-defendant, Martaveon Scott, was in the back seat. Azure and Kemp were arrested on warrants and Scott was arrested for providing a false name. Kemp was found with 4.32 grams of actual methamphetamine and a digital scale. Scott was found with 28.43 grams of actual methamphetamine and 100 pills of fentanyl. An additional 2.9 grams of actual meth was found in the trunk of the vehicle along with a .22 caliber AR-15 style rifle. Additionally, $1,378 was found with Kemp and Scott in the car, including the $800 cash used for the controlled buy.
Azure was sentenced to 28 months in prison for her conviction in the case. Scott is pending sentencing for his conviction in the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Tri-Agency Task Force, Havre Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Memphis Man Sentenced in Conspiracy to Sell Patient Information to Third PartiesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has been sentenced in federal court for stealing patient information as part of a scheme to sell private information for personal gain. Roderick Harvey, 42, has been sentenced to five years of probation for his role in a conspiracy to violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA. United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker also ordered Harvey to serve one year of the probationary period in home detention and to pay a $50,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.
In April 2023, Harvey pled guilty to conspiring with five former Methodist Hospital employees to unlawfully disclose patient information in violation of HIPAA.
According to information presented in court, between November 2017, and December 2020, Harvey paid Kirby Dandridge, Sylvia Taylor, Kara Thompson, Melanie Russell, and Adrianna Taber to provide him with names and phone numbers of patients who had been involved in motor vehicle accidents. Harvey then sold the information to third persons including personal injury attorneys and chiropractors.
HIPAA was enacted by Congress in 1996 to create national standards to protect sensitive patient information from being disclosed without a patient’s knowledge or consent. HIPAA’s provisions make it a crime to disclose patient information, or to obtain patient information with the intent to sell, transfer or use such information for personal gain.
Dandridge, Taylor, Taber, Thompson, and Russell were sentenced after pleading guilty in 2023 to disclosing patient information to Harvey. Dandridge was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine. Thompson was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $3,000. Taylor was sentenced to two years of probation. Taber was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Russell was sentenced to time served and placed on supervised release for six months.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Massachusetts Resident Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Capital Region to Meet Minor for SexRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Martin Connearney, age 34, of Lenox, Massachusetts, pled guilty today to traveling across state lines to the Capital Region with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Connearney admitted that between April 6, 2022 and May 5, 2022, he communicated with an individual to discuss and plan Connearney’s sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl in the Capital Region. Connearney and the individual ultimately devised a plan for Connearney to travel from Lenox to the Capital Region so Connearney could engage in sexual contact with the 10-year-old. On the morning of May 5, 2022, Connearney drove from Lenox to a location in Columbia County, New York, where he was encountered by law enforcement officials at a prearranged location and arrested.
Connearney is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci on May 30, 2024. He faces a maximum term of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Connearney also agreed to forfeit the phone he used to commit the offense.
The FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force investigated this case. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Secrecy Act Charges in $1B SchemeRead the Press Release
A New York man pleaded guilty today to failure to maintain an anti-money laundering program in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act as part of a scheme to bring lucrative and high-risk international financial business to a small, unsophisticated credit union.
According to court documents, from 2014 to 2016, Gyanendra Asre, 56, of New York, was a member of the supervisory board of the New York State Employees Federal Credit Union (NYSEFCU), a financial institution that was required to have an anti-money laundering program. Through the NYSEFCU and other entities, Asre participated in a scheme that brought over $1 billion in high-risk transactions, including millions of dollars of bulk cash transactions from a foreign bank, to the NYSEFCU.
In addition, Asre was a certified anti-money laundering specialist who was experienced in international banking and trained in anti-money laundering compliance and procedures, and represented to the NYSEFCU that he and his businesses would conduct appropriate anti-money laundering oversight as required by the Bank Secrecy Act. Based on Asre’s representations, the NYSEFCU, a small credit union with a volunteer board that primarily served New York state public employees, allowed Asre and his entities to conduct high-risk transactions through the NYSEFCU. Contrary to his representations, Asre willfully failed to implement and maintain an anti-money laundering program at the NYSEFCU. This failure caused the NYSEFCU to process the high-risk transactions without appropriate oversight and without ever filing a single Suspicious Activity Report, as required by law.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case.
Acting Chief Margaret Moeser of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan C. Harris and Francisco J. Navarro for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
MLARS’ Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
Man Convicted of Illegally Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition Used in an Alexander City ShootingRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On January 30, 2024, a federal jury in Montgomery, Alabama, convicted 57-year-old Vincent Darrell Bias, from Alexander City, Alabama, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross.
According to court records and evidence presented during Bias’s trial, on September 8, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to reports of a shooting at an Alexander City residence. Officers soon arrived at the scene and located the shooting victim. Statements taken from the victim and other witnesses indicated that Bias and the victim had an argument the day before, and that Bias returned to the residence the following day with a shotgun. According to witnesses, Bias shot the victim when the victim came outside. Bias then left the scene. The victim’s injuries were non-life threatening. Law enforcement officers then located Bias at his Alexander City residence. Investigators searched vehicles located on Bias’s property and found a shotgun matching the description of the firearm used in the shooting, along with ammunition.
Bias had multiple previous felony convictions and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Following this conviction, Bias faces a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison with no parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for Bias in the coming months. At that hearing, a federal district court judge will determine Bias’s sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. If the judge determines that the Armed Career Criminal Act of 1984 qualifies in Bias’s case, his potential sentence range could be increased to 15 years to life in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Alexander City Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Eric M. Counts and Christopher P. Moore prosecuted.
Man Charged with Arson Related to Fires at Clovis Lowe’s and WalmartRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Jeffrey C. Boshek II, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced that Jimmy Roberts Guillen appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with attempted arson and arson. Guillen, 59, will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing.
According to the indictment, on Sept. 3, 2023, Guillen attempted to damage and destroy the Lowe’s store located on North Prince Street in Clovis, New Mexico, by means of fire. Also, on Sept. 3, 2023, Guillen damaged and destroyed the Walmart store located on North Prince Street in Clovis, New Mexico, by means of fire.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Guillen faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Clovis Police Department, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s Office, Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office and Criminal Investigators at the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Curry County Sheriff’s Office, and Portales Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case.
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Long Island MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 520 Months in Prison for Participating in Two Murders, an Attempted Murder and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Jonathan Hernandez, also known as “Kraken” and “Travieso,” a member of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 520 months’ imprisonment. Hernandez pleaded guilty in May 2022 to racketeering charges in connection with his participation in the January 28, 2016 murder of Michael Johnson, the April 29, 2016 murder of Oscar Acosta, an attempted murder on August 10, 2016, and a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Robert Waring, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence is the result of choices the defendant made to commit serious crimes on behalf of the Sailors clique of the MS-13, including the brutal premeditated murders of two young men, assaults with dangerous weapons, attempted murders, and the distribution of drugs,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The substantial period of incarceration imposed today will protect the public from more crimes committed by the defendant and it is my hope, deter young men from joining this depraved gang.”
“The significant sentence handed down today hopefully provides a sense of justice and closure for the families of the victims murdered by Jonathan Hernandez. The FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, along with our law enforcement partners, will remain relentless in our efforts to eliminate the threat posed by MS-13’s barbaric violence,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
“The actions of this murderer were barbaric, lack humanity and robbed families of a loved one,” stated SCPD Acting Police Commissioner Waring said. “This sentence ensures Hernandez will never have an opportunity to brutalize another person again. We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to disband this criminal enterprise and prioritize the safety of our community.”
According to court filings and statements made during Hernandez’s sentencing and guilty plea proceedings, Hernandez is a member of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 – one of the more powerful, violent, and well-established cliques on the East Coast of the United States – and committed the following crimes in order to maintain or increase his status in the gang:
The January 28, 2016 Murder of Michael JohnsonOn January 28, 2016, the local leader of the Sailors clique and other MS-13 members and associates were at the Jocorena Deli in Brentwood, where they saw 29-year-old Michael Johnson, and claimed to recognize him as a member of the rival Bloods street gang. At that point, Johnson was marked as their “food” – a reference to their intention to kill him.
After receiving the requisite approval from the New York leader of the Sailors clique to commit this murder, Hernandez and several other MS-13 members were contacted by the local clique leader, informed of the plan to kill Johnson and instructed to bring weapons, including a machete and a baseball bat, to a wooded area in Brentwood. Johnson was then lured to that secluded meeting location by the local clique leader under the guise of smoking marijuana. The MS-13 members and associates, including Hernandez, ambushed him from behind – striking Johnson with the baseball bat, stabbing him with a knife, and taking turns hacking him with the machete. They fled after hearing police sirens in the area. Subsequently, Hernandez and other MS-13 associates were promoted in rank for their participation in this murder.
Johnson was reported missing by family members. Less than one week after his murder, on February 2, 2016, members of the SCPD responded to a 911 call about a body found in the woods by a passerby, and recovered Johnson’s body. An autopsy determined Johnson’s cause of death to be sharp and blunt force injuries.
The April 29, 2016 Murder of Oscar AcostaIn early 2016, Hernandez and his fellow Sailors clique members decided to “green light” 19-year-old Oscar Acosta for murder because they suspected that he was associating with the rival 18th Street gang after previously aligning himself with the MS-13. The New York Sailors clique leader assigned roles as to which members would take the lead in planning and carrying out the murder.
On April 29, 2016, a number of MS-13 members met Acosta in a wooded area near an elementary school in Brentwood where he had been lured under the guise of smoking marijuana. They brutally beat Acosta with tree limbs, knocking him unconscious. They bound Acosta’s hands and feet, wrapped an article of clothing around his mouth to prevent him from making noise, and summoned other MS-13 members, including the local Sailors clique leader and Hernandez, who arrived together. The MS-13 members loaded Acosta into the trunk of a car and drove to a more secluded area in Brentwood near the abandoned Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital. They removed Acosta, who was still alive, from the car trunk and carried him into the woods where they took turns hacking him to death with a machete. The murder was supervised by the local Sailors clique leaders. The MS-13 members then buried Acosta’s body in a shallow grave.
Acosta’s body was discovered by law enforcement nearly five months later, on September 16, 2016, during a search for another MS-13 victim. His cause of death was homicidal violence, including sharp and blunt force injuries to his head and torso.
The August 10, 2016 Attempted Murder of Rival Gang MembersIn 2016, members of the MS-13 were engaged in a series of disputes with members of the Goon Squad, a rival gang in Brentwood. On August 10, 2016, two armed MS-13 members, including the local leader of the Sailors clique, drove through the neighborhood around Lukens Avenue in Brentwood, and spotted several men who they believed were members of the Goon Squad, outside of a house. The MS-13 members then rallied other members of the Sailors clique, including Hernandez, to kill the rivals.
The MS-13 members divided into two vehicles, and drove towards the house where the suspected Goon Squad members had been spotted. Hernandez and another MS-13 member, armed with a .40 caliber and .45 caliber handgun, exited the car and approached the group of suspected rivals. Both fired numerous shots in their direction. No one was hit, although a stray bullet entered a neighbor’s house and struck the headboard of a bed in which the neighbor was sleeping.
Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and MarijuanaFor a year and a half, from approximately April 2016 through October 2017, in order to finance the illegal operations of the Sailors clique, Hernandez and his fellow MS-13 members and associates regularly sold street-level quantities of cocaine and marijuana in Brentwood and its surrounding areas, which they obtained from clique leaders. After the sales, the profits were turned over to the clique leaders, for use in, among other things, purchasing firearms for use by clique members, wiring money to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador and buying additional narcotics for further distribution. A conservative estimate of the amount of marijuana distributed attributable to Hernandez and his clique during this time period is between five and 10 kilograms.
Hernandez was previously sentenced in March 2018 by then-United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco to 51 months’ imprisonment in connection with his earlier guilty plea to assault with dangerous weapons in aid of racketeering. That conviction related to assaults that Hernandez and several other MS-13 members and associates carried out at athletic fields adjacent to the Brentwood East Elementary and Brentwood East Middle Schools in October 2015. Hernandez and his fellow MS-13 gang members confronted a group of individuals who they suspected of being members of a rival gang, and when that group attempted to leave the area, Hernandez and several other MS-13 members surrounded them and began viciously attacking the group with baseball bats and pipes. Today’s sentence credited Hernandez for the time he spent in custody on the previously-imposed 51-month sentence toward the 520 months’.
Today’s sentence is the latest achievement in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 65 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:JONATHAN HERNANDEZ (also known as “Kraken” and “Travieso”)
Age: 26
Brentwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-403 (GRB)
Little Rock Man Sentenced to Maximum 20 Years in Prison for ArsonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for arson. United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky sentenced Trent Tyrone Smith, age 50, late Monday to the maximum sentence allowable under the federal statute based upon both his crimes in this case and his history of violence. Smith was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
“A maximum sentence was sought in this case because both the victim and the public deserve to be safe from this defendant for as long as the law would allow,” said Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Given this defendant’s depraved crimes in the present case and his violent criminal history, we are grateful that the Court agreed with our request for the maximum sentence and sentenced this defendant to 20 years in federal prison. Protecting victims and the public from violent criminals is our office’s number one priority, and so our office will not hesitate to continue to seek maximum prison sentences against criminals who use violence to destroy lives, businesses, and our fundamental right to safety.”
On March 3, 2022, the Little Rock Fire Department (“LRFD”) responded to several calls for service at two separate locations of The Grind Coffee Bistro: Pleasant Ridge Town Center, Cantrell Road, and East 21st Street, both in Little Rock, Arkansas. At the Pleasant Ridge Town Center location, the LRFD responded to a water flow alarm but were unable to locate the source. A water flow alarm is indicative a fire suppression sprinkler system is activated. Shortly thereafter, a fire was reported at the intersection of East 21st and Commerce Streets. Upon arrival of the LRFD, they found the front door locked but observed The Grind Coffee Bistro on fire and smoke in the windows of the business.
The LRFD responded a second time to The Grind Coffee Bistro’s location in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center later in the evening. Upon arrival, they could see smoke emitting from the business. The firefighters were able to enter through the unlocked front door of the business and observed two fires in the kitchen and one in the storage room. While extinguishing the fire, they located an overturned can of gas in the bathroom, which was similar to the two 2-gallon Scepter-brand gas cans Smith purchased from Walmart’s East McCain Boulevard location.
An investigation revealed that the owner (victim) of The Grind Coffee Bistro had recently ended her relationship with Smith. On February 26, 2022, Smith physically assaulted the victim. The following day, the victim changed the locks and Smith removed his personal belongings from the residence. On the same day as the fires, Smith attempted to contact the victim several times in the afternoon, and later that day, the juvenile son of the victim called his mother to advise her that their residence had been shot at, although it was later determined that an unknown object was used to strike the window. The victim returned to her residence at that time.
Through the investigation, it was learned that spare keys to the business were missing. It was also learned that Smith, who is on parole, drove a gold Buick Lacrosse that is registered to his mother. In a review of surveillance footage from the business’s Cantrell location, Smith is observed at the location from 9:21 p.m. until 9:43 p.m. and approximately one minute later, the LRFD was notified of a water flow activation alarm. The Fire Department was dispatched to a fire at the East 21st Street location, approximately 19 minutes after Smith departed the Cantrell location.
Smith has a substantial and violent criminal history. He was convicted in 2016 in Saline County for aggravated assault on a family or household member and terroristic threatening in the first degree after he attacked a victim, threatened to kill her, and drove a car into the residence attempting to strike her. Smith fled to Kentucky where he fled from law enforcement at speeds of 110 miles per hour and ultimately almost struck multiple officers with his vehicle, for which he was convicted of first-degree wanton endangerment. Smith also had prior convictions for aggravated assault and second-degree battery for an incident where multiple officers were injured, battery in the third degree involving domestic violence, and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
During the sentencing, the victim told the Court how hard she worked to build these businesses as a single mother and spoke about the violence inflicted by Smith against her. The victim indicated that she hoped to protect others from Smith by coming forward to speak.
Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 5, 2022, in a two-count indictment charging him with use of a fire/explosive to damage or destroy property with injury to persons. He pleaded guilty to one count on July 25, 2023, and the remaining count was dismissed.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Latin King gang member sentenced to 380 months in prison for sex trafficking, obstruction and use of interstate facilities in aid of racketeeringRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, a Latin King gang member was sentenced to 380 months in prison by Chief District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga after having been convicted at trial of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement, and use of interstate facilities in aid of racketeering.
Jason Wagner, aka “King Ace,” of Miami, Florida, forced several women to engage in commercial sex since as early as 2003. To make his adult and underaged victims engage in commercial sex, Wagner locked them in his apartments, took their personal identification documents, subjected them to violence and threats of violence, and provided them with drugs. Wagner initially came to the attention of law enforcement after a woman alerted a good Samaritan that she was being held hostage in Wagner’s home. After Wagner’s arrest in this case, he repeatedly asked the woman to drop the charges and refuse to testify in court.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the sentence.
HSI Miami, in partnership with MDPD’s Human Trafficking Squad and the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lacee Elizabeth Monk and Jessica Kahn Obenauf prosecuted it.
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. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate better, 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.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline, visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20124.
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Last member of car theft ring sentencedRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Dennis L. Jones, 33, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, who was convicted of bank fraud, was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge David L. Larimer. Jones is the final defendant in a series of “smash and grab” car robberies to be sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between December 2021, and March 2022, Jones and three others drove up the East Coast from Florida to Rochester, NY, for the purpose of stealing purses from unoccupied vehicles in gym parking lots, retail parking lots, hiking trails and residential neighborhoods. The defendants used stolen driver’s licenses to cash stolen checks totaling $55,310 at local banks. Over 20 victims were identified in the Rochester Area, as well as additional victims along the East Coast.
In addition, defendant Liza J. Freiman, 33, of Boston, MA, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison; defendant Allen Clark, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, was sentenced to 84 months in prison; and defendant Ja’Cari Robinson, 22, also of Fort Lauderdale, FL, was sentenced to six months in prison.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
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Las Vegas Resident Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Relief Loan Scheme Committed While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to two years and six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for devising a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $42,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan applications that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents, in June 2020, Shavonte Hill (36) — while serving a term of federal supervised release for a 2017 felony conviction — devised a scheme to defraud the SBA. As part of the scheme, Hill submitted on behalf of businesses that did not exist loan applications that contained false information, including false revenue amounts for non-existent companies and false certifications that Hill would spend the loan money on business expenses, such as payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. He also provided fraudulent documentation in support of his loan applications. The loss caused by Hill’s scheme was about $42,082.
In November 2023, Hill pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. In addition to imprisonment, Hill was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $42,082.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI; Special Agent in Charge Jon W. Ellwanger for the Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-CFPB OIG); Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King for the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG); and IRS CI Phoenix Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick for the IRS Criminal Investigation made the announcement.
The FBI, FRB-CFPB OIG, SBA OIG, IRS CI, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Frayn and Jessica Oliva prosecuted the case.
In May 2021 the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Kentucky Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Keondre Bradley, 28 years old, of Lexington, Kentucky, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Bradley was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on or about March 7, 2022, Bradley possessed 400 grams or more of Fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Indiana State Police and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
Jury Convicts Federal Prisoner of Assaulting His Cellmate Causing Serious Bodily HarmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Walter Lamar Jackson (43, Georgia) guilty of assault within the special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the United States resulting in serious bodily harm. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 20, 2024, before Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II. A grand jury returned an indictment against Jackson on August 16, 2022.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Jackson was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex Coleman in Sumter County. On July 15, 2021, he was housed in a special housing unit cell with another inmate. At approximately 5:50 p.m., correctional officers responded to an emergency alarm and discovered Jackson’s cellmate lying on the floor unconscious. Jackson was standing over his cellmate’s body, slamming his cellmate’s head into the concrete, which resulted in severe injuries. The officers immediately stopped the assault and placed Jackson in handcuffs. Jackson stated to medical personnel that he had attacked his cellmate after giving him three warnings to be quiet.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and William S. Hamilton.
Jackson Man Sentenced to over Ten Years in Federal Prison for Carjacking and Brandishing a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for carjacking and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Russell Emmett Gibbs, 46, carjacked a male victim at gunpoint on Edgewood Terrace in Jackson, Mississippi in November 2020. Gibbs was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 6, 2023, and entered a guilty plea on October 26, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Jackson Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Indiana Man Charged with Obstructing Gambling InvestigationRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Indiana man has been charged with obstructing a federal grand jury investigation in the Northern District of Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A one-count information filed earlier today in United States District Court charges Bert Eugene Neff, 49, of Indianapolis, Indiana, with one count of obstruction of justice. The charge arose from a scheme to impede an investigation into suspicious gambling activity surrounding a National Collegiate Athletic Association baseball game.
According to the Information, Neff engaged in a multi-month obstruction scheme that began in May 2023 and continued until January 2024. During the course of the scheme, Neff destroyed his cell phone, encouraged witnesses to destroy their cell phones and delete encrypted messaging applications, and provided false statements to federal investigators. The scheme culminated in October 2023 when Neff participated in a one-hour twenty-one-minute telephone call concerning topics related to the investigation with two witnesses the day before they were scheduled to testify before a grand jury in the Northern District of Alabama. All of this activity was designed to interfere with ongoing grand jury investigation.
According to the plea agreement, also filed today, Neff has agreed to plead guilty to the charge, The Court will set a date for Neff to enter his guilty plea.
The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice is ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Canter and Lloyd C. Peeples are prosecuting the case.
An information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Honduran National Previously Deported Three Times Admits to Illegal Reentry, Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Honduran national who repeatedly entered the United States illegally and was removed in 2007, 2018, and October 2019, admitted to a federal judge today in Providence that he had entered the United States illegally for a fourth time prior to his most recent arrest in Providence in January 2023, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
At the time of his arrest in Providence, Belfran Joel Najera-Chirinos, 42, was employed by a local shipbuilder, working under the name of and using the Social Security of another individual. When arrested, Najera-Chirinos provided law enforcement with yet a different name, and produced a Puerto Rican driver’s license in the name of that person.
Najera-Chirinos today pleaded guilty to charges of illegal reentry after deportation and Social Security fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2024. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations.
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Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Allan Gomez-Zelaya (43, Honduras) has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Gomez-Zelaya faces a minimum mandatory penalty of two years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, E-Verify is a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. E-Verify is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The SSA and USCIS check the submitted information against the records of actual persons who are authorized to work in the United States. E-Verify is a voluntary program for employers and requires documents such as a Social Security number and photo identification of a prospective employee.
From at least 2018 through October 2022, Gomez-Zelaya used another person’s means of identification in order to defeat the E-Verify system and to commit the felony offenses of misuse of a Social Security number and false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
Hawaii Man Indicted on Multiple Civil Rights Charges Including Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
A federal judge in the District of Hawaii unsealed a 20-count indictment charging a Hawaii man with five counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; one count of sex trafficking of a minor; three counts of obstructing and interfering with a sex trafficking investigation; 11 counts of interstate travel and transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises and one count of interstate transportation of the purposes of prostitution. The indictment also charges a co-defendant with three counts of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
According to the indictment, Isaiah McCoy, 37, used force, fraud and coercion to cause four adult women and one minor to engage in commercial sex acts in Hawaii between May 2019 and May 2023. The indictment also alleges that co-defendant Anwar Al-Rasul, 60, used cell phones and the internet to discuss booking commercial sex acts and collected payments from commercial sex acts between October 2019 and November 2019.
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, a maximum penalty of life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Restitution is also mandatory upon any conviction for sex trafficking. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence upon any conviction after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Honolulu Field Office made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the Honolulu Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Maryam Zhuravitsky and Meghan Tokash of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
HSI is asking anyone with information about McCoy and Al Rasul to contact the HSI Honolulu Field Office at 808-529-1900 and Press “2” for the duty agent. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Greenville man sentenced for possessing a machinegunRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Greenville man was sentenced today to 2 1/2 years in prison for illegal possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents, Johnny Watkins a/k/a Lil Munk, 19, committed a string of violent crimes in the Greenville-area leading to the execution of a search warrant at his residence. Watkin’s social media account showed that Watkins bragged about gang activity, posed with numerous firearms and illicit narcotics, and threatened rival gang members. Based on the pictures posted on social media and the recent string of crimes committed by Watkins, law enforcement officials obtained authorization to search Watkin’s residence. During the search of his residence, law enforcement recovered a Glock 10mm pistol with a 23-round magazine. Attached to the Glock pistol was a machinegun conversion device (“MCD”) commonly referred to as a “switch.” In addition to possession of a machinegun, the district court considered Watkins use of firearms in other related crimes including the shooting of a Greenville Police Department officer’s residence.
Following a sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Watkins to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
“The proliferation of these devices presents a clear and present danger to Mississippians,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We hope that this sentence sends a clear message that those who engage in criminal activity will be held accountable for their illegal acts and for their use and possession of automatic weapons.”
“The illegal possession of machinegun conversion devices, that readily convert firearms into machineguns, are a significant threat to our communities and remain a top priority for ATF,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that the law enforcement community will hold offenders accountable, and ATF will remain focused on reducing violent gun crime while disrupting access to these illegal machineguns by the criminal element.”
“The Greenville Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety of the community,” said Greenville Police Chief Marcus Turner. “We will continue our efforts to rid out countless acts of violence, specifically done by altered weapons. We are actively out daily fighting to reduce crime and gun violence.”
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives as well as the Greenville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow prosecuted the case.
Grand Jury Returns Five IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Inmate Charged with Assaulting Prison Employee
Gregory Brown, 41, Pekin, Illinois, is charged with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with an employee at the Federal Correctional Institution in Oxford, Wisconsin. The indictment alleges that that conduct occurred on October 12, 2023. If convicted, Brown faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The charge against Brown was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington is handling the case.
Two Charged with Firearms Offenses
Damion L. Haynie, 40, La Crosse, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. The indictment alleges that Haynie possessed a Taurus PT 738 .380 caliber handgun and Aguila .380 caliber ammunition on November 30, 2023. If convicted, Haynie faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The charge against Haynie is the result of an investigation by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon is handling the case.
Jaison L. Coleman, 41, Marshfield, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon. The indictment alleges that Coleman possessed a Springfield Arms 9mm handgun, a Ruger 9mm handgun, and 9mm ammunition on or about April 20, 2023. If convicted, Coleman faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
The charge against Coleman is the result of an investigation by the Marshfield Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Marathon County Sheriff's Office, Portage County Sheriff's Office, Everest Metro Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson is handling the case.
The cases against Haynie and Coleman were bought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Two Charged with Illegally Reentering the Unites States Following Deportation
Minervo Vences Cardoso, 44, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported and removed. The indictment alleges that Vences Cardoso was found in the United States on October 16, 2022. If convicted, Vences Cardoso faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
The charge against Vences Cardoso was the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner is handling the case.
Alonso Garcia-Jimenez, 35, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported and removed. The indictment alleges that Garcia-Jimenez was found in the United States on January 16, 2024. If convicted, Garcia-Jimenez faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
The charge against Garcia-Jimenez was the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus is handling the case.
Glastonbury Psychologist Admits Defrauding Medicaid of More Than $1.6 MillionRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that MICHAEL B. PINES, 75, of Avon, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pines is a psychologist who owned and operated Michael B. Pines, Ph.D., P.C., located in Glastonbury. Pines provided psychotherapy to young children, adolescents, adults, and he was enrolled individually as a Behavioral Health Clinician provider in the Connecticut Medicaid Program (“Medicaid”).
Between January 2017 and October 2023, Pines submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were purportedly provided to his Medicaid clients. Specifically, Pines submitted claims for dates of service when no services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims, including when he was traveling, on vacation, recovering from surgery, or otherwise not working. He also submitted claims when an appointment had been canceled, when the claimed client was in the hospital, when he had stopped treating the claimed client, and when the claimed client had never been his client. In addition, when Pines treated multiple Medicaid clients in the same family at the same time, he billed Medicaid for the group visit as multiple individual claims, a practice that he knew was not permitted by Medicaid.
Through this scheme, Pines defrauded Medicaid of $1,617,679. As part of his plea, Pines has agreed to pay full restitution. He also has agreed to forfeit several jewelry items that were seized during the investigation.
Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for May 6, at which time Pines faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Pines is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Georgia Precious Metals Dealer Convicted of Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Atlanta today convicted Saleem Hakim, 54, of tax evasion and failing to file tax returns.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, from 2011 through 2013, Hakim brokered the sale of precious metals to his clients. Hakim earned more than $1 million in commissions from the sales, which enabled him to fund a lavish lifestyle that included purchases of high-end watches, jewelry, designer accessories and furs. Despite earning substantial income, he did not file income tax returns for tax years 2011 through 2013.
The evidence introduced at trial also showed that from 2020 through 2022, Hakim and his wife worked for businesses in Atlanta that bought and sold jewelry and luxury handbags. The Hakims earned a combined income of more than $260,000 for those years yet did not file tax returns. The evidence established that Hakim attempted to hide his and his wife’s income from the IRS by diverting his income into a trust that he established after being initially charged with tax crimes for tax years 2011 through 2013.
In addition, Hakim attempted to obstruct the investigation into his tax misconduct for 2020 through 2022. A witness testified that after he received a grand jury subpoena for records relating to income that the witness paid to Hakim and his wife, Hakim drafted a letter for the witness falsely stating he did not have any business records in his possession relating to the Hakims and asked the witness to send the letter. The witness sent the letter to federal prosecutors and IRS agents.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 30. Hakim faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each tax evasion charge and one year in prison on each failure to file charge. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Colleen McCarthy of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case. Paralegal Robert Resto of the Tax Division assisted at trial. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for the substantial assistance they provided in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
Four indicted in university athletic billing scheme and COVID-19 billing schemeRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – Four individuals, including two physicians, have been indicted in the Eastern District of Texas charged with federal violations involving a university athletic billing scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Mouzon Bass, III, also known as Muzzy Bass, 58, of Highland Park; Lance West Wilson, 54, of Allen; and Robert Brent Scott, 59, of La Quinta, CA; were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024 and charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiring to commit healthcare fraud, and conspiring to commit money laundering.
In a separate indictment returned in October 2023, Kyle Kelly Carter, 61, of Keller, was charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud. The defendants have all made initial appearances in federal court this month.
According to the indictments, from approximately 2014 through 2023, the defendants are alleged to have been involved in a university-centered athletic department billing scheme. Bass and Wilson used their company, Vivature, to submit false claims to private insurance carriers representing that physicians, like Scott and Carter, were providing medical services for injured student-athletes at universities across the country. In reality, these physicians did not see or treat these student-athletes, and in many instances, were physically hundreds of miles away from where the student-athletes were receiving treatment. The services were actually performed by athletic trainers employed by the universities’ athletic departments—who, most times, were specifically excluded from insurance companies’ reimbursement policies. At the direction of Bass and Wilson, Vivature submitted thousands of false claims to the insurance companies, named Scott, Carter, and other physicians as the servicing providers, and used their NPI numbers on the claims’ paperwork. In exchange for allowing the fraudulent use of their NPI and credentials, Vivature made regular payments to Scott, Carter, and other physicians.
A separate conspiracy involved only defendants Bass, Wilson, and Scott, who executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) government funds earmarked for COVID-19 testing provided to uninsured Americans. The defendants partnered with international resorts hosting American travelers abroad, offering to manage the billing and claims process for COVID-19 testing provided to these American travelers. Then, the defendants submitted thousands of reimbursement claims to HRSA for such travelers, even though such travelers were privately insured and ineligible under the HRSA program.
In total, the defendants are alleged to have collectively obtained over $70 million from the two schemes. With these funds, they paid themselves millions of dollars; purchased real property including a multi-million dollar home, lakehouse, and international residence; and bought a multi-million dollar yacht.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys in Plano.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Four Additional Defendants Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging in Michigan Asphalt IndustryRead the Press Release
Two Michigan companies and two individuals have pleaded guilty for their roles in conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in the State of Michigan. According to court documents and proceedings, four defendants — Asphalt Specialists LLC, its former Vice-president, Bruce F. Israel, Al’s Asphalt Paving Company Inc. (Al’s Asphalt) and its president, Edward D. Swanson — conspired with each other and other co-conspirators to rig bids in each other’s favor from March 2013 through November 2018.
Asphalt Specialists and Israel also participated in a separate conspiracy with F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied) and its employees from July 2017 through May 2021. Al’s Asphalt and Swanson participated in a separate conspiracy of their own with Allied and its employees from June 2013 through June 2019. Allied and two of its executives previously pleaded guilty in August 2023 for their participation in the conspiracies with Asphalt Specialists LLC and Al’s Asphalt.
Each conspiracy operated in much the same way: the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators had already decided among themselves who would win the contracts.
“Asphalt paving is a key component of our transportation infrastructure,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The division and our law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute corporations and individuals who undermine the competition that is crucial to responsible taxpayer spending and providing transportation services throughout Michigan.”
“Through these guilty pleas, the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG) holds accountable two executives and two Michigan companies that engaged in this bid rigging scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge Andrea M. Kropf of the DOT OIG, Midwestern Region. “We will continue to partner with our law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues to pursue and prosecute those who attempt to stifle competition by violating federal antitrust laws.”
“The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, along with our other federal law enforcement partners, secured a victory today in our fight against bid-rigging and collusion,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). “The USPS OIG will vigorously investigate those who would engage in harmful anticompetitive practices and hold accountable those companies that subvert the competitive process for personal gain and corporate greed.”
The defendants each pleaded guilty to two counts of violating Section One of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office, DOT OIG and USPS OIG investigated the case, as part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced to 21 Years for Armed Robbery of Multiple PharmaciesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Visiting United States District Judge Larry A. Burns from the Southern District of California has sentenced Jesse Rance Moore (46, Bell) to 21 years in federal prison for four counts pertaining to Hobbs Act robberies and three counts for brandishing a firearm during the robberies. The court also ordered Moore to forfeit his firearm, which was used to commit the offenses. A jury had found Moore guilty on November 2, 2023.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the FBI first learned of a masked man robbing a string of pharmacies in the Columbia County area after the North Florida Pharmacy of Fort White was robbed at gun point on January 13, 2022. This masked individual was captured on surveillance cameras walking into the pharmacy with a black handgun, and demanding controlled substances, specifically, oxycodone, OxyContin, and Percocet.
After holding up multiple store employees and taking the controlled substances, the masked man exited the pharmacy and drove southbound on US Highway 27. Unbeknownst to the robber, a good Samaritan in the pharmacy’s drive-thru followed the getaway vehicle and captured the license plate number, which led back to Moore. The FBI also later discovered that the vehicles used in previous three robberies (North Florida Pharmacy of Fort White on August 2, 2021; North Florida Pharmacy of Chiefland on November 20, 2021; and the Baya West Pharmacy in Lake City on December 29, 2021) either matched the description of a white Ford F-350 registered to Moore or matched the vehicles Moore’s wife rented just days prior to the robberies.
According to trial testimony and evidence, law enforcement seized articles of clothing, multiple masks, the firearm, handwritten notes, and brown boots associated with the robberies. In addition, and despite Moore’s many disguises, witnesses testified to the robber’s physical appearance, clothing, interactions, and demeanor during the robberies.
During trial, evidence seized from Moore’s cellphone was presented to demonstrate that he had Googled medications stolen from the pharmacies, store hours of pharmacies, and a variety of key word searches, including the question “do drug stores get robbed in florida,” which he Googled just weeks prior to the first robbery.
According to court documents, Moore was employed as a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper from January 13, 2003, to February 27, 2017. Moore had several disciplinary issues during his term of employment, where he was twice terminated, but later reached settlement agreements to convert his dismissals to suspensions.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake City Police Department, the Chiefland Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.
Former Federal Agent Sentenced for Making False Statements in Connection with a Sexual Relationship with a Victim WitnessRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Melissa Saurwein, 45, of Martinez, was sentenced today to two months in prison for making a false statement in connection with a sexual relationship she had with a victim witness in a separate federal criminal case, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Saurwein was formerly a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations in Northern California. While working in that capacity in a separate human trafficking case, Saurwein developed a romantic sexual relationship with a victim witness. In preparation for Saurwein’s testimony at trial, prosecutors asked Saurwein if she had a personal relationship with any witness or victim in the case. Saurwein lied in response to the questioning in order to conceal her sexual relationship with the victim witness. The human trafficking case went to trial and both Saurwein and the victim witness testified. The relationship between Saurwein and the victim witness did not come to light until after the trial and sentencing of the defendant in the human trafficking case were complete.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility. The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District was recused from this case, which is proceeding in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Special Attorney to the Attorney General Audrey B. Hemesath prosecuted the case.
Former Employee of Eye for Change Youth and Family Services Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulent Medicaid Billing PracticesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Eric King, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker, U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko announced today. King was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, $1,800 in special assessments, and restitution of $483,165.38.
King, a former employee of Eye For Change Youth and Family Services, Inc., a non-profit corporation in Cleveland, was previously found guilty after a jury trial of 13 counts of health care fraud, one count of false statement relating to health care matters, and five counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, trial testimony, and today’s sentencing hearing, from June 2018 through May 2021, King defrauded Medicaid by causing Medicaid to be billed for services not actually performed or for services that were not actually performed for the amount of time the billing codes reflected; for falsifying progress notes into Medicaid beneficiary electronic records; for creating false progress notes; and for using the identities of clients without authorization to bill Medicaid. As a result of King’s conduct, Medicaid paid over $483,000 for fraudulent billings.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Cleveland Division of the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services -- Office of the Inspector General and the Ohio Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Section. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward D. Brydle and Brian M. McDonough, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Metzler.
Former D.C. Metro Transit Police Officer Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation in Beating of Unarmed Transit RiderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andra Vance, 49, a former Metro Transit Police (MTPD) officer, was sentenced yesterday to one year and one day in prison for unlawfully beating an unarmed transit rider with a metal baton on Feb. 16, 2018.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and MTPD Chief Michael Anzallo.
“This violent, brutal beating of a citizen by someone cloaked in police powers deserves significant punishment and condemnation,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The vast majority of officers in the District execute their duties in an exemplary manner. Their jobs only get harder when officers like this one betray their position and damage the trust the community should have in these public servants.”
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Vance to serve 12 months of supervised release.
“This sentencing should make clear that officers who abuse their authority will be held accountable, regardless of whether their actions occur on public streets or inside public transit systems,” said Assistant Attorney General Clark. “The department will continue to aggressively prosecute law enforcement officers who willfully violate the civil rights of our community members.”
The Metro Transit Police Department conducted a routine review of Vance’s use of force within hours of the incident. Based on the review, the department immediately suspended Vance’s police powers, launched an internal investigation, and notified federal authorities.
“MTPD strongly condemns the actions of any officer who abuses their authority in the use of excessive force. This case is an aberration against the good MTPD officers who keep the system safe for our customers and employees every day,” said MTPD Chief Anzallo. “What happened is disgraceful, which is why we immediately relieved the former officer of his duties and investigated. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney in the District and investigators with the Office of Professional Responsibility and Inspections for their part in bringing justice for this criminal act. No law enforcement officer is above the law.”
According to the government’s evidence, the victim -- identified as D.C. -- attempted to use an invalid Metro card to board a train at the Anacostia Metro station. The card was confiscated by Metro Transit personnel and D.C. became angry. D.C. complained to Vance and briefly walked away from the fare gate. When D.C. returned to the fare gate, Vance used his metal baton to hit D.C. in the head without legal justification. When D.C. fled, Vance chased him and continued to swing the baton at D.C.’s head and neck.
A fellow officer who witnessed the assault and who helped handcuff D.C. testified that D.C. was not a threat to Vance or anyone else at the station at the time that Vance struck D.C. in the head. D.C. was taken to Howard University Hospital where he was treated for head injuries.
The Metro Transit Authority investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gauri Gopal and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Maura White.
Former D.C. Metro Transit Police Officer Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation in Beating of Unarmed Transit RiderRead the Press Release
Former Washington, D.C., Metro Transit Police (MTPD) Officer Andra Vance was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison and one year of supervised release for unlawfully beating an unarmed transit rider with a metal baton on Feb. 16, 2018.
“This sentencing should make clear that officers who abuse their authority will be held accountable, regardless of whether their actions occur on public streets or inside public transit systems,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to aggressively prosecute law enforcement officers who willfully violate the civil rights of our community members.”
“This violent, brutal beating of a citizen by someone cloaked in police powers deserves significant punishment and condemnation,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The vast majority of officers in the District execute their duties in an exemplary manner. Their jobs only get harder when officers like this one betray their position and damage the trust the community should have in these public servants.”
“MTPD strongly condemns the actions of any officer who abuses their authority in the use of excessive force. This case is an aberration against the good MTPD officers who keep the system safe for our customers and employees every day,” said MTPD Chief Michael Anzallo. “What happened is disgraceful, which is why we immediately relieved the former officer of his duties and investigated. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney in the District and investigators with the Office of Professional Responsibility and Inspections for their part in bringing justice for this criminal act. No law enforcement officer is above the law.”
During Vance’s trial in November 2022, evidence showed that the victim, identified as D.C., attempted to use an invalid Metro card to board a train at the Anacostia Metro station. When the card was confiscated by Metro Transit personnel, D.C. became angry. D.C. complained to Vance and briefly walked away from the fare gate. When D.C. returned to the fare gate, Vance used his metal baton to hit D.C. in the head without legal justification. When D.C. fled from the fare gate, Vance chased him and continued to swing the baton at D.C.’s head and neck.
A fellow officer who witnessed the assault and who helped handcuff D.C. testified that D.C. was not a threat to Vance or anyone else at the Anacostia Metro Station at the time that Vance struck D.C. in the head. D.C. was taken to Howard University Hospital where he was treated for injuries to his head.
The Metro Transit Authority investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Maura White of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gauri Gopal for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Former Board Member of Failed Washington Federal Bank in Chicago Sentenced to Prison for Falsifying Records and Obstructing RegulatorsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former board member of the failed Washington Federal Bank for Savings in Chicago was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for conspiring to falsify bank records to deceive the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and for filing false tax returns.
WILLIAM M. MAHON, 57, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy and tax charges. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall ordered Mahon to pay a fine of $75,000.
Washington Federal, which was based in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, was shut down in 2017 after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determined that the bank was insolvent and had at least $66 million in nonperforming loans. When the OCC was evaluating Washington Federal’s loan portfolio prior to its failure, Mahon and other board members made and caused to be made false entries in bank records and provided them to the OCC with the intent to deceive the agency and obstruct its examination. They also falsified records to make it appear that Washington Federal was operating in compliance with banking rules and internal policies and controls.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Vincent R. Zehme, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General; Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General in Chicago; Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago; Catherine Huber, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Andrea Peacock, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General; Deborah Witzburg, City of Chicago Inspector General; and Kathryn B. Richards, Chicago Housing Authority Inspector General. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Petersen, Kristin Pinkston, and Jeffrey Snell, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Netols.
The federal criminal investigation into the bank’s collapse led to criminal charges against 16 defendants, including the bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and other high-ranking employees, for conspiring to embezzle at least $31 million in bank funds. Four defendants were convicted after jury trials, while ten defendants pleaded guilty and two entered into deferred prosecution agreements.
Much of the money was transferred to Chicago attorney ROBERT M. KOWALSKI and real estate developers MIROSLAW KREJZA and MAREK MATCZUK without all of the required documentation and often without any documentation whatsoever. Juries last year convicted Robert Kowalski, Krejza, and Matczuk on embezzlement and fraud charges. They are awaiting sentencing. Robert Kowalski’s sister, JAN R. KOWALSKI, also an attorney, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2023 to more than three years in prison for fraudulently enabling her brother to conceal more than $357,000 from creditors and the trustee in his bankruptcy case.
Chicago attorney PATRICK D. THOMPSON was convicted by a jury in 2022 of making false statements to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. regarding the amount of money he received from Washington Federal via a purported loan and other unsecured payments. He was also convicted of filing tax returns in which he falsely deducted interest that he had not actually paid to Washington Federal. Daley was sentenced to four months in federal prison.
Former Blackfeet Tribal operations manager admits stealing tribal COVID-19 relief fundingRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — The former operations manager for the Blackfeet Tribe today admitted to stealing more than $78,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funding the tribe received by fraudulently submitting requests for repayments to the tribe after falsely claiming to buy COVID-19 supplies, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
James Cameron McNeely, 43, pleaded guilty to theft from an Indian tribal government receiving federal funding. McNeely 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 June 6. McNeely’s release was continued pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that from about October 2021 until October 2022, McNeely, while employed as the Blackfeet Tribe’s operations manager, submitted requests for repayment to the tribe, and received such payments, after falsely claiming to purchase COVID-19 supplies on behalf of the tribe from Amazon. In reality, McNeely never purchased the supplies, and he was not entitled to the money he claimed and received, which totaled approximately $78,415. The tribe reimbursed McNeely with checks issued from the bank account containing American Rescue Plan Act funds, which were allocated to the tribe following a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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Former Army Reservist Sentenced for Theft of Government Funds ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Former United States Army reservist DERRICK BRANCH was sentenced on January 25, 2024, after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of federal funds, to 2 years of probation, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Pursuant to the Mandatory Victim Restitution Act, Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown ordered payment of $15,469.30 in restitution.
According to court records, BRANCH stole $15,469.30 from the United States Department of the Army by claiming reimbursement for the performance of military funeral honors ceremonies that never occurred.
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2000 authorizes military funeral honors for active-duty soldiers, retirees, and veterans. At a family’s request, eligible persons can receive military funeral honors, including the folding and presenting of the United States flag and the playing of “Taps.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, including Special Agents Dustin Stevens, John Hiniker, Jeffrey Riedeman, and Denny Richter. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Five Colorado Assistant U.S. Attorneys among those Honored by Attorney General Merrick B. GarlandRead the Press Release
DENVER -- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that five Assistant United States Attorneys from Colorado were among those honored by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland this afternoon during the 70th and 71st Annual Attorney General’s award ceremony.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Licht, Katherine Ross, Nicholas Deuschle, David Moskowitz, and Andrew Soler received the John Marshall Award for Alternative Dispute Resolution for their work concerning the 416 Fire, which burned on public and private lands near Durango in 2018. The resolution of that dispute recovered $20 million to compensate the United States for damages caused by the fire. The terms of the proposed resolution also allowed the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to continue to operate, under specific conditions designed to reduce the risk of future fires. More information about that resolution can be found here.
The Attorney General’s award ceremony celebrated numerous other public servants from the Department of Justice and its partners for their extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nations laws.
“Each of today’s recipients has served with distinction, and in so doing, they have enabled the Justice Department to advance its work on behalf of the American people,” said Attorney General Garland. “Their exceptional leadership, heroism, and dedication have benefited people and communities across the country."
“Exceptional public servants work at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan, who was on hand for today’s event. “Coloradans have every right to be proud of the work that this office accomplishes every day in the pursuit of justice.”
More details about the award ceremony can be found here.
Final Member of Cargo Theft Ring Convicted of Stealing 19,000 Pounds of Perry Ellis Perfume Worth over $230,000Read the Press Release
MIAMI – On Jan. 19, a jury found Eligio Bacallao, 69, of Miami, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit cargo theft and one count of cargo theft.
The evidence at trial revealed that Bacallao and his co-conspirators stole over $230,000 of Perry Ellis perfume, weighing in at over 19,000 pounds, from the inside of a steel-sealed, GPS-monitored tractor trailer in April 2016. The shipment was destined for Laredo, Texas, but 22 of the 24 pallets of perfume never left Hialeah, Florida because of the theft.
Two of Bacallao’s co-conspirators were previously found guilty for their roles in the theft, in July 2017.
U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard is scheduled to sentence Bacallao on April 10, 2024. The defendant is facing a total statutory maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the convictions.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stefan Diaz Espinosa and Alexandra D. Comolli are prosecuting this case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 16-cr- 20965.
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Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger today sentenced Ernesto Hidalgo (30, Orlando) to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Hidalgo entered a guilty plea on September 21, 2023.
According to court documents, over the course of several months in 2023, Hidalgo engaged in a series of drug sales to a source cooperating with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Hidalgo sold the source an ounce of cocaine for $1,000 on January 10, 2023; an ounce of fentanyl for $2,000 on January 17, 2023; another ounce of fentanyl for $1,900 on March 2, 2023; 50 fake fentanyl pills (pills that are pressed to look like pharmaceutical controlled substances but actually contain fentanyl) for $1,000 on March 27, 2023; and another three ounces of cocaine for $2,700 on March 31, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Felon Sentenced to an Additional 16 Months in Federal Prison for Escape from Residential Reentry FacilityRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Jaylen Brancheau, 23, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to an additional 16 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to escape from federal custody. This sentence will be served consecutively to Brancheau’s remaining state sentence.
According to court documents, on October 22, 2020, Brancheau was sentenced to 60 months and 1 day imprisonment after being convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
On October 4, 2022, Brancheau was transferred to the Volunteers of America (“VOA”) in Indianapolis, Indiana, to complete his sentence. The Bureau of Prisons contracts with residential reentry centers, also known as halfway houses, to aid inmates who are nearing release as they transition back into the community. Inmates serving a portion of their sentence at a residential reentry center are only authorized to leave through sign-out procedures for approved activities.
Brancheau was to remain in, and abide by the rules of, the facility for six months until his projected release date in April 2023.
U.S. Marshals received notice from the Bureau of Prisons that Brancheau was granted a church pass and did not return. USMS attempted to contact Brancheau multiple times with no success. In July of 2023, Brancheau was located and arrested in Blackford County on a state warrant for Resisting Law Enforcement and Reckless Driving.
U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Brancheau be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Barry D. Glickman, who prosecuted this case.
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Federal Drug Charges Unsealed against Six Individuals in Colorado Springs and PuebloRead the Press Release
DENVER - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces federal drug charges against six individuals in Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
According to Court records unsealed today, from January 30, 2023, to October 2023, investigators from multiple federal and state agencies conducted 9 separate undercover narcotics transactions, which resulted in seizing various amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine. On January 30, 2024, search warrants were executed for multiple locations, including a residence in Pueblo, Colorado. During the search, investigators located more than 4 kilograms of heroin.
Federal charges were unsealed today against five individuals for their alleged role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Three of these individuals made their initial appearance in federal court today and were identified as follows:
- Alex LNU a/k/a Miguel Angel Gonzalez (formally identified as Alonso Quinonez-Velazquez),
- Fidel LNU (formally identified as Roberto Gutierrez), and
- Francisco LNU (formally identified as Luis Saucedo-Bonilla)
In addition, Adan Trevizo was charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 1 kilogram or more of a mixture of substance containing a detectable amount of heroin.
“Together with our law enforcement partners, we are removing dangerous drugs from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We are grateful for the continued dedication and hard work of our law enforcement partners who are protecting our communities from drug trafficking.”
“Yesterday’s enforcement actions involved over 150 members from Southern Colorado law enforcement agencies,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky. “Fentanyl is continuing to gravely impact Southern Colorado. Collectively, Colorado law enforcement agencies are prioritizing investigative efforts to decrease the fentanyl supply and prevent fentanyl poisonings in our communities.”
“Yesterday’s operation truly shows how cooperation between partners at all levels, using pooled resources, is a force multiplier,” said HSI Denver Deputy Special Agent in Charge Jeff Brannigan. “I would especially like to highlight the relationship between our agents and those of the DEA in southern Colorado, without whom we wouldn’t have been able to execute this wide ranging and far-reaching operation.”
“My Office will work with our federal partners to protect the citizens of El Paso County. The efforts of all involved with preventing illicit drugs from hitting our streets is nothing short of incredible,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal.
“This is just another great example of our local law enforcement working with our federal partners to combat illicit drugs in our community. The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office is proud to have two task force detectives assigned to the DEA. Even though this unit is not highly publicized, they are having a positive impact on this community in reducing the distribution of illegal drugs,” said Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero.
Two other individuals charged by indictment are fugitives.
This investigation is conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security Enforcement & Removal Operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S Marshals Service, the Colorado Springs Police Department, the Pueblo Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado State Patrol.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The charges in the indictment and complaint are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Case Numbers: 24-cr-32, 24-mj-18
Federal Court Orders Baldwin Pharmacy to Stop Dispensing Controlled Substances and to Comply with Controlled Substance LawsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Chief U.S. District Court Judge Hala Y. Jarbou entered a consent decree ordering Baldwin Pattie Drug Store, LLC (Pattie Drug), to discontinue dispensing controlled substances. The consent decree resolves allegations in a complaint filed by the United States against defendants Pattie Drug, a pharmacy located in Baldwin, MI, and its owner, Matthew Krawczak, for violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
“Lake County is one of Michigan’s most vulnerable communities in the ongoing opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “The alleged misconduct in this case violates the core tenets of responsible dispensing of opioids by a pharmacy and its pharmacists. My office remains committed to using all the tools at our disposal to protect communities from this crisis.”
In its complaint, the United States alleged that the defendants stocked and dispensed a particular brand of hydrocodone, sometimes referred to as “Yellow Norcos,” that are commonly sought out by individuals for their purported abuse potential. The defendants allegedly ordered these yellow opioid pills to maintain a competitive advantage over other pharmacies and then dispensed these controlled substances to patients they believed were abusing drugs. The United States also alleged that the defendants failed to meet multiple recordkeeping obligations, including keeping accurate dispensing records. The complaint notes that when Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators inspected the pharmacy, an audit revealed thousands of unaccounted-for opioids, including hydrocodone pills. It also alleges that the DEA discovered that the defendants failed to submit annual certifications to DEA that pharmacy employees had been trained on CSA and DEA laws involving the sale of products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine directly to customers.
In the consent decree, Chief Judge Jarbou ordered the defendants to immediately comply with federal laws regarding dispensing of controlled substances and DEA recordkeeping. Within a set period, the consent decree permanently prevents Pattie Drug from dispensing controlled substances and orders it to surrender its DEA registration. The consent decree also prevents Krawczak from dispensing controlled substances in a pharmacy setting for ten years unless he is working under the supervision of another pharmacist in charge. Finally, the consent decree orders the defendants to pay a civil penalty between $10,000 to $30,000, negotiated based on the defendants’ inability to pay a larger settlement amount.
“The unlawful dispensing of controlled substances by a few healthcare practitioners throughout the country has caused immense harm to communities over the years,” stated DEA Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Schumacher. “If the requirements of a proper prescription and adherence to procedure are not met, the men and women of DEA Diversion Control stand ready to hold these pharmacists accountable.”
The resolution obtained in this case was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Hull prosecuted this case.
The complaint and consent decree in this case can be found on the Court’s online docket under United States v. Baldwin Pattie Drug Store, LLC, et al., No. 1:24-cv-70 (W.D. Mich.).
The claims resolved by the consent decree are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Former Wayne County Employee Sentenced to 1½ Years in Prison for Defrauding County Out of over $2.3 Million in Taxpayer FundsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Former Wayne County Roads Division employee John Gibson was sentenced to 1½ years in prison today for conspiring to defraud the county out of over $2.3 million, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced.
Ison and Worthy were joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington.
Gibson, 55, of Detroit, pleaded guilty in July 2023. He and fellow Wayne County employee Kevin Gunn engaged in a scheme to use taxpayer dollars to make unauthorized purchases of generators and other power equipment from retailers in southeast Michigan which they sold for hundreds of thousands in personal profit. Gunn also pleaded guilty as part of the scheme and was sentenced to nearly 3 years in prison on November 8, 2023.
According to court documents, in March of 2021, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department began an investigation into the potential misuse of taxpayer dollars. The Sheriff’s Department requested the assistance of the FBI to investigate the criminal actions of Gunn, Gibson, other employees of the Wayne County Roads Division, and vendors to Wayne County. At the beginning of the investigation, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office secured a search warrant which broke open the case and exposed the embezzlement scheme. Investigators with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office have played an ongoing and important role in the investigation.
As part of the scheme to defraud, between January 2019 and August 2021, Gunn solicited Wayne County vendors to provide generators and other power equipment the vendors were not authorized to provide under their contracts with the county. To conceal the scheme to defraud, Gunn instructed the vendors to list on their invoices different items which they were authorized to sell as part of their Wayne County contracts. Roads Division employees approved and paid each vendor’s invoice with taxpayer funds. After these fraudulent purchases were verified and approved by Roads Division employees, Gibson took possession of the equipment, paid Gunn for the items, and resold the generators and other items to members of the public.
A review of invoices from Wayne County vendors revealed that between January 16, 2019, and August 3, 2021, Wayne County vendors sold to Wayne County 596 unauthorized generators, and a variety of other power equipment including lawnmowers, chainsaws, and backpack blowers. The purchase of these items was not authorized under any vendor contract with Wayne County nor were the items ever provided to or used by Wayne County. The total value of equipment obtained as part of the scheme was over $2.3 million.
United States Attorney Dawn Ison said, “Today’s sentence represents our commitment to ensuring that the citizens of the Eastern District of Michigan are served by public officials who elevate the needs of the public over their own self-interest.”
“This sentence should serve as a deterrent to prevent any future employees from stealing from Wayne County. If you do, there will be life changing criminal consequences,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Worthy.
"The alleged misconduct by Mr. Gibson was a betrayal of his fellow government employees and is not representative of the honest and hard work they perform on a daily basis," stated Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "The defendant was entrusted with taxpayer money, which was intended to be used for a specific purpose, not his personal profit. I would like to commend Prosecutor Kym Worthy and the Wayne County investigators for their assistance during this case. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to take strong action against individuals who seek to corrupt the integrity and fair administration of government programs."
“The alleged actions of these individuals are nothing short of disgraceful,” said Sheriff Raphael Washington. “To brazenly steal from hardworking taxpayers and fraudulently line their own pockets while holding positions of public trust make these crimes all the more deplorable. Today’s sentencing is another example of our strong commitment to working together.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Detroit Area Corruption Task Force. In addition, Wayne County Executive Evans and his administration have been assisting and cooperating with the investigation since they first learned of fraudulent activity within their organization. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.
FBI agent indicted for theftRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 36-year-old federal agent from Houston has been charged with theft of personal and government property and providing false statements, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Authorities have arrested Nicholas Anthony Williams. He is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan at 2 p.m.
According to the indictment, returned Jan. 31, Williams has been an FBI special agent in the Houston Field Office since 2019. He allegedly served in both the criminal violent gang and counterterrorism squads.
The charges allege that from March 2022 to July 2023, Williams took money or property from multiple residences while executing search warrants as an FBI special agent and then allegedly converted the money or property to his personal use.
Williams also stole multiple cell phones which were FBI property and provided false statements with regard to several fraudulent charges on his government-issued credit card, according to the indictment.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General is conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia and Sarina DiPiazza prosecuted the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Eastern Oregon Drug Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An eastern Oregon drug dealer identified by law enforcement as part of an investigation into a fatal overdose on the Umatilla Indian Reservation was sentenced to federal prison today, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Ulises Echevarria-Molina, 40, of Pendleton, Oregon, was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 15, 2021, officers from the Umatilla Tribal Police Department responded to a suspected fatal drug overdose at the Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton and located several counterfeit Oxycodone pills believed to contain fentanyl near the deceased victim. Toxicology reports later confirmed the victim had consumed fentanyl and cocaine prior to their death.
Further investigation revealed that the overdose victim likely obtained the fentanyl pills from a family member’s supply and the family member had recently purchased fentanyl from a local dealer. Investigators soon identified Echevarria-Molina as a third-level drug distributor to the deceased victim’s family member and, on May 18, 2021, arrested him without incident.
At the time of his arrest Echevarria-Molina possessed approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills and $9,000 in cash on his person. A search of Echevarria-Molina’s Pendleton home returned approximately 24 pounds of methamphetamine, two pounds of cocaine, and 1,500 additional fentanyl pills. Investigators also located and seized $18,000 in cash, digital scales, and various drug packaging materials from Echevarria-Molina’s residence.
On May 21, 2021, Echevarria-Molina was charged by criminal complaint with distribution or possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Later, on May 19, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Echevarria-Molina with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Because of the combination of controlled substances in the toxicology results, Echevarria-Molina was not charged with the overdose death.
On September 5, 2023, Echevarria-Molina pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team (BENT), FBI and the Umatilla Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted Cassady Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
BENT is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force that includes detectives from the Pendleton Police Department, Hermiston Police Department, Boardman Police Department, Oregon State Police, Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Milton-Freewater Police Department, and Umatilla Tribal Police Department.
Driving Instructor Who Allegedly Bribed RMV Road Test Examiner for Driver's Licenses Agrees to Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A driving instructor has been charged, and has agreed to plead guilty, to allegedly conspiring to defraud the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) into issuing driver’s licenses to applicants who did not pass the road test.
Ngan Dinh, 48, of Boston, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging document, Dinh allegedly paid a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent to the RMV that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when in fact they had not. According to court documents, some of the applicants did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants.
The charge of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Employee Receives the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished ServiceRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the recipients of the 70th and 71st Attorney General’s Awards, honoring Justice Department employees and others for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws. Recipients from both 2022 and 2023 were selected from a group of more than 800 nominees and included litigation teams that have made outstanding contributions in law enforcement.
Among the award recipients was Joshua Ellen, Information Technology Specialist for the Western District of North Carolina. Mr. Ellen was part of a team of Department of Justice employees recognized with The John Marshall Award, the Department’s highest award presented to recipients for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance.
“Each of today’s recipients has served with distinction, and in so doing, they have enabled the Justice Department to advance its work on behalf of the American people,” said Attorney General Garland. “Their exceptional leadership, heroism, and dedication have benefited people and communities across the country.”
“Today, Joshua Ellen was recognized for his contribution to the Department of Justice’s mission,” said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “This award symbolizes Joshua’s skills and dedication as a public servant and his work exemplifies our ongoing commitment to deliver justice and uphold the rule of law.”
Mr. Ellen joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina in 2018, as Litigation Support Team Lead. From 2009 to 2018, Mr. Ellen served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia as Litigation Technology Specialist and later as Supervisory Litigation Support Specialist. From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Ellen worked as a Management Analyst with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General’s Office of Investigations. Most recently, Mr. Ellen was detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia to serve in the Discovery Unit of the Capitol Siege Section.
Mr. Ellen received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology from the University of Maryland.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King congratulated Mr. Ellen for his award and commended him for his lengthy career in public service.
Denver man sentenced for conspiracy to distribute fentanylRead the Press Release
Traquevis Dewayne Hardy, age 46, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in Wyoming. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jan. 30.
Hardy was indicted by a federal grand jury and pleaded not guilty in May 2023. Hardy was tried and convicted by a federal jury in October 2023. According to trial evidence, between July and December 2022, Hardy supplied at least 5,600 fentanyl pills to several individuals who then sold this fentanyl in the Cheyenne area.
This crime was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy J. Forwood and Paige Hammer.
Case No. 23-CR-00053
Delta Passenger Accused of Being Unruly and Abusive During Flight Faces Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
UPDATE
Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release below against Darnel Silver Collins, in this case was dismissed on June 12, 2024.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City, Utah, returned an indictment today charging a Netherlands national, living in Arizona, with multiple federal charges, including interference with a flight crew.
According to court documents, Darnel Silver Collins, 19, of Surprise, Arizona, was a passenger onboard a Delta Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Salt Lake City, who allegedly engaged in unruly and abusive behavior one hour after takeoff. Collins continued to cause problems and had to be consistently monitored for the remaining nine hours of the flight.
According to witnesses, Collins was loud, disruptive, threatening and abusive to other passengers and crew members. Throughout the flight, Collins’ behavior escalated and he eventually had to be restrained. As alleged in the complaint, during the flight, Collins began following and touching multiple passengers. At one point, Collins approached a female passenger as she was exiting the restroom. Collins grabbed onto the female passenger’s arm and did not release her until another passenger and flight crew member intervened. Approximately eight passengers were moved from the area around Collins seat to avoid further problems. Eventually, Collins was moved to the very back row of the aircraft. Collins spit on a passenger striking at least two other people with his saliva and he continued to touch passengers as they walked by. Due to his continued unwanted touching of other passengers, Collins was physically restrained in flexicuffs by the flight crew. He was taken into custody upon arrival at Salt Lake City International Airport. Collins is in the United States on a P1 Visa (National/International athletes and performers). Collins is a minor league baseball player and is sponsored by the Kansas City Baseball Corporation. He travels between the U.S. and the Netherlands during the baseball off-season.
Collins is charged with interference with a flight crew and assault by striking, beating, and wounding in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
An FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department is investigating the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Kennedy of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Attachments:
order_granting_leave_to_dismiss_the_indictment._darnel_silver_collins.pdf motion_for_leave_to_dismiss_indictment._darnel_silver_collins.pdf darnelcollins_indictment.pdf darnelsilvercollins.complaint.pdfDavenport Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, to 33 months in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
According to public court documents, Gabriel Anjel Trujillo, 20, was identified by law enforcement in January 2023 during routine surveillance. Trujillo is a known and admitted member of the Lowrider street gang. A traffic stop and vehicle block were conducted on the vehicle in which Trujillo was a passenger. Trujillo fled on foot from law enforcement and a handgun was later found in the vehicle where Trujillo was sitting. At the time of his arrest, Trujillo was on state supervision for assault while displaying a dangerous weapon.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Trujillo will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Past prosecution of other Lowrider members can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdia/pr/fifteen-defendants-charged-37-count-racketeering-indictment-against-lowrider-criminal
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Cranston Man Admits to Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Cranston man admitted to a federal judge today that he produced and possessed images and videos of child pornography, including some that he produced involving a girl who was under ten years old, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Gregory Phillips, 42, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2024. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Philips admitted to the court that in late 2021 and early 2022, he produced sexually explicit images and videos involving a minor female, and that he stored those and other images and videos of child sexual abuse on a storage cloud that he controlled.
Philips first came to the attention of law enforcement when members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force reviewed a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating that an individual in Rhode Island possessed and transferred child pornography. Further investigation by the ICAC Task Force and a Cranston Police Detective determined that the images and videos were being transferred from an account linked to Philips’s phone number.
A forensic review of images and videos located on cellphones seized from Philips by law enforcement resulted in the discovery of a total of 109 images and 15 videos of child pornography, some containing images of Philips and various household items and locations within Philips’s residence.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by the ICAC Task Force and Cranston Police, with the assistance of Homeland Security. United States Attorney Cunha extends his thanks to the Cranston Police Department for its support and assistance in this matter.
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Connoquenessing Resident Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for $1.67 Million Embezzlement and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Connoquenessing, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on January 30, 2024, to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release on her convictions for wire fraud and making false statements on her tax returns, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Constance Stobert, 58.
According to information presented to the court, Stobert worked as a controller for a company called Mechanical Operations Company (MOC) from 1994 until July 2021. Between January 2014 and July 2018, Stobert stole at least $1,678,893 in MOC’s assets to pay for her personal expenses. Among other things, Stobert wrote checks from MOC’s business banking accounts to make personal credit card payments and used MOC’s credit cards to withdraw cash at ATMs in casinos located in Pittsburgh and Las Vegas. Stobert also admitted that, during the tax years 2016 through and including 2019, she willfully and knowingly filed false tax returns, in which she failed to report the money she embezzled from MOC, resulting in a tax loss to the government of $545,990.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Schwab stated that Stobert caused substantial financial hardship to MOC and its owners and noted that Stobert’s crimes were intentional, serious, and occurred over a substantial period of time. Judge Schwab also stressed that efforts to portray the defendant as the victim were not convincing and that, given the seriousness of the offenses, defense counsel’s request for a sentence of home incarceration “is a bridge too far.”
“The victim entrusted Ms. Stobert with unfettered access to corporate funds, and, for years, she betrayed that trust by stealing more than $1.5 million and taking deliberate steps to cover up her theft,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “This type of deception will not be tolerated, and bringing the perpetrators of such financial crimes to justice will continue to be an important part of the work of this office and our partners in law enforcement.”
“Ms. Stobert used her position to fund her lavish lifestyle and while doing so not only defrauded her employer, but honest hardworking Americans who pay their tax obligations every year,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “This sentencing should serve as reminder to anyone willing to take advantage of their employment to steal funds - the FBI will ensure you are held accountable in the criminal justice system.”
“No matter the source of the income, all income is taxable, and accurate tax returns must be filed,” said Philadelphia Field Office Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Constance Stobert embezzled from her employer for years and failed to report the stolen funds on her personal income tax returns. The prosecution of individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes is always a priority for IRS-CI.”
Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Stobert.