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Monday 29 January 2024
Federal Charges Filed After International Parcel Leads to the Seizure of 16 Different Drugs and 42 Firearms from a Gresham ResidenceRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man is facing federal charges today after authorities intercepted an international parcel he had ordered containing MDMA and quantities of at least 16 different drugs and 42 firearms were found in and seized from his Gresham, Oregon home.
Riley James Hinds, 38, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on January 9, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Los Angeles International Airport seized an inbound package from the Netherlands containing approximately 2.5 pounds of MDMA. The package, addressed to “James Settler,” an alias used by Hinds to open a mailing box at a UPS Store in Gresham, was handed over to special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Portland for further investigation.
On January 26, 2024, investigators arrested Hinds and executed a federal search warrant on his residence. Investigators located and seized quantities of at least 16 different narcotics in Hinds’ residence including MDMA, Adderall, counterfeit Oxycodone, cocaine, ketamine, marijuana, psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, opium, morphine, DMT, mescaline, peyote, GHB, 5-MeO-DMT, and a mixture of unidentified pills. They also located and seized various drug processing tools and packaging materials, 42 firearms, four firearm suppressors, two unfinished ghost guns, and six sets of body armor.
Hinds made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Portland Police Bureau Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit (PPB-NOC), and the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT) with assistance from CBP. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Egyptian Citizen Extradited to United States on Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A citizen of Egypt who was extradited to the United States on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges had his initial appearance in New Jersey federal court today, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Hatem Ghouneim, 35, is charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Ghouneim was arrested in Spain on July 16, 2023, and extradited on Jan. 25, 2024, at the request of the United States. He had his initial appearance today, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court, pleaded not guilty, and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January through December 2019, Ghouneim engaged in a scheme to defraud a technology company that operates a rideshare service. By creating fraudulent accounts and using stolen identities, Ghouneim induced the company to pay him referral fees for each new fraudulently created account. Ghouneim defrauded the company of hundreds of thousands of dollars in referral fees.
The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and the aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison. Any term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft charge must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed on the other counts. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the indictment. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI Attaché’s Office in Spain for their assistance, as well as the government of Spain for their substantial assistance arresting and extraditing Ghouneim to the United States.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
ghouneim.indictment.pdfEastern District of New York U.S. Attorney's Office Joins in Collections of Nearly $1.8 Billion in Criminal and Civil Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Breon Peace announced today that the Eastern District of New York collected a total of $1,787,750,466.06 in criminal and civil actions filed in the Eastern District of New York and in cases in which the Office worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $273,839,971.81 was collected in criminal actions and $1,513,910,494.25 was collected in civil actions.
“I take great pride in the Eastern District’s substantial recoveries in Fiscal Year 2023, which is the result of our team’s strong commitment to justice and holding wrongdoers accountable for their crimes and misconduct,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Providing restitution to victims of crime is also an important step in remedying the harm they have suffered and reaching some closure.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
FY 2023 Collections Highlight
In August 2023, UBS AG and several of its U.S.-based affiliates agreed to pay $1.435 billion in penalties to settle a civil action filed in November 2018 that alleged misconduct related to UBS’ underwriting and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) issued in 2006 and 2007. UBS paid the United States $1,435,000,000 in civil penalties in exchange for dismissal of the complaint filed in the action. The settlement resolved the last case brought by a Department of Justice Working Group dedicated to investigating the conduct of banks and other entities for their roles in creating and issuing RMBS leading up to the 2008 financial crisis.
FY 2023 Forfeiture
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected over $722,000,000 in asset forfeiture actions last year. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
East St. Louis Convenience Store Armed Robbery Suspect IndictedRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A man is facing federal charges in southern Illinois for allegedly using a firearm to rob an East St. Louis convenience store.
Vernelle E. Hines, 30, arrested in Houston, Texas, is facing one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of carry and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
“Store employees should be able to show up for work and not fear for their lives due to weapons and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Our partners in the Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group work tirelessly to bring justice to victims of crime and to protect businesses in the community.”
Court documents allege Hines brandished and discharged a firearm and took items and U.S. currency by force from the Mega Supermarket in East St. Louis on Oct. 31, 2023.
“This indictment does not happen without ISP’s commitment to bringing violent criminals to justice,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP Public Safety Enforcement Group special agents are dedicated to conducting extensive investigations in order to track down violent criminals and make communities safer."
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
If convicted, Hines could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the robbery charge and a minimum of 10 years up to life imprisonment for the use of a firearm.
ISP’s Public Safety Enforcement Group led the investigation with assistance in apprehending the suspect from the U.S. Marshals Service in the Southern District of Illinois and Homeland Security Investigations in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns is prosecuting the case.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 22, 2024.
Philip Lamar Nordvold, age 45, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Nordvold was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 2, 2023.
In 2015, Nordvold was convicted in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. Within three months prior to May 16, 2022, near Eagle Butte, Nordvold unlawfully possessed another firearm, a Heritage Manufacturing Incorporated brand revolver with an obliterated serial number.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Nordvold was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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.
Nordvold was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 135 Months Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Shaylene Doris Valentine, age 29, from Guam, was sentenced to 135 months imprisonment. Valentine was charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1). The Court also ordered 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On February 24, 2023, GPD officers stopped Valentine for a traffic violation. Officers noticed that she appeared to be nervous and kept looking down at her feet. Valentine consented to a search of the vehicle. Officers then located a glass jar and a cooler, both of which contained suspected methamphetamine. Forensic testing indicated a net weight of 362 grams with a purity level of 99%. Officers also found a handgun, 16 rounds of ammunition, and an empty magazine beneath the driver’s seat. Valentine is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. A search of Valentine’s cellular phone revealed that she sold methamphetamine. The phone also contained videos of her discharging firearms on prior occasions. A subsequent search of Valentine’s residence revealed two additional firearms and ammunition.
“Drugs and firearms are a dangerous combination,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “This case demonstrates the threats faced by law enforcement during seemingly routine traffic stops. I applaud the efforts of GPD and our federal partners in combating this illegal activity.”
“This sentencing sends a message that drug traffickers will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon. “Any time we can remove large amounts of debilitating drugs such as methamphetamine, it is a big win. HSI remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners to keep our communities safe. HSI commends the outstanding work of all the agencies who participated in this investigation.”
This case was a joint investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), and the Guam Police Department (GPD).
The case was prosecuted by Rosetta L. San Nicolas, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
Drug Dealer Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine SalesRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Aaron Matthew Pangelinan, age 50, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment by the U.S. District Court of Guam. Pangelinan was convicted of Distribution of More than Five Grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered four years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
From December 2, 2019, to October 7, 2020, Pangelinan distributed methamphetamine hydrochloride from his Ordot, Chalan Pago residence. On four occasions, law enforcement conducted undercover purchases of methamphetamine from Pangelinan at an outdoor patio of his residence. The drug purity levels ranged from 93% to 99% pure methamphetamine based upon laboratory testing. Pangelinan was previously convicted of a drug trafficking offense in Kitsap County Superior Court in the State of Washington on June 5, 2009. He served 14 months in a state prison for that offense.
“Unfortunately, this defendant’s first conviction was not a deterrence from additional criminal conduct,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Repeat offenders are subject to substantial penalties in federal court, as demonstrated here. The sentence imposed by the Court will help promote respect for the law and protection for our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Los Angeles Field Division-Guam Resident Office and prosecuted by Marivic P. David, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
Doctor Agrees to Pay $95,000 to Settle Allegations of Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Spokane, WA – Physician Daniel Case has agreed to pay $95,000 to resolve allegations that he participated in a kick-back scheme and ordered medically unnecessary durable medical equipment that Case caused to be billed to Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs, announced Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Between October 2018 and April 2019, Case worked with RediDoc LLC (Redidoc). RediDoc employed telemarketing companies to call federal health care program beneficiaries, including Medicare beneficiaries, and speak with them about obtaining durable medical equipment at no cost. Portions of these calls were recorded and provided to physicians, like Dr. Case, along with pre-filled prescriptions for durable medical equipment. The physicians would review the recordings and sign orders for durable medical equipment, which were then billed to federal health care programs, including Medicare. The physicians, including Dr. Case, were paid for each order they signed prescribing durable medical equipment.
The owners of RediDoc were charged with various federal offenses in September 2020, including conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute, based upon the fact that the payments to physicians were remuneration intended to induce the physician to sign durable medical equipment orders, including orders that were not medically necessary. The owners of RediDoc both pled guilty to this conspiracy, admitting that RediDoc provided kickbacks to physicians, such as Dr. Case, to induce them to sign durable medical equipment orders.
While employed with RediDoc, Dr. Case expressed in a November 14, 2018, email his “concern” regarding the “legitimacy of what I am doing.” Nevertheless Dr. Case continued to work with RediDoc and signed durable medical equipment orders for patients until April 2019. During his time working with RediDoc, Dr. Case signed numerous orders that were not medically necessary. For example, Dr. Case signed an order on January 18, 2019, prescribing right and left knee braces to a woman who had and above-the-knee amputation of her right leg. As another example, Dr. Case signed three durable medical equipment orders on January 9, 2019, for a patient who had died on January 7, 2019. While working with RediDoc, Case signed orders that resulted in Medicare payments of $3,358,221.57. During the same time, RediDoc paid Case approximately $66,727.00 for orders he signed.
“Kickback schemes incentivize physicians to place financial gain over patient care,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “RediDoc relied upon the willing participation of doctors around the country to sign orders prescribing equipment or medication for payment. These schemes compromise the medical decision making of physicians, resulting in the payment of public money for services that are not medically necessary for the patients, such as the braces Dr. Case ordered for patients here. This settlement is a signal to physicians that they will be held accountable for engaging in kickback schemes, and that they stand to lose more in the long run than will be gained in the short term by participating in an unlawful practice.”
“Doctors that participate in telemedicine kickback schemes for personal financial gain corrupt the provider-patient relationship and undermine the integrity of taxpayer-funded health care programs” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement demonstrates HHS-OIG’s ongoing commitment to protecting federal health care programs and ensuring that providers focus on providing medically necessary care."
The settlement can be found at the link below.
Case SettlementThe settlement was the result of a investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Seattle Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Kelley of the Eastern District of Washington handled this matter on behalf of the United States.
District Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Felon in Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Michael Wilcox, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a Ruger Archangel rifle and a .32 caliber pistol when his SUV was stopped by police near Nationals Park, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor of the United States Park Police.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Wilcox to serve three years of supervised release.
Wilcox pleaded guilty September 26, 2023, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
According to the government’s evidence, when Wilcox was stopped by U.S. Park Police officers on July 12, 2022, he was operating a black SUV with an illegally covered Florida dealer tag. As officers approached the vehicle, he held a military identification card out of the driver’s side window that did not belong to him. While interacting with Wilcox, an officer observed a clear plastic bag containing multiple-colored zip lock bags partially bulging from the defendant’s front shorts pocket. The officer directed Wilcox out of the vehicle and toward the rear of the car. Wilcox was forcibly placed in handcuffs following his initial refusal to comply.
Officers recovered 19 small plastic bags which each contained fentanyl. Officers also recovered a clear plastic bag containing cocaine base. Officers then removed a female passenger and child from the vehicle. Police searched the SUV and discovered a .32 caliber pistol in the glove compartment with three rounds. They found a Ruger Archangel, 5.56 caliber rifle with the serial number obliterated, located in the trunk.
During the search, Wilcox stated multiple times that everything in the car belonged to him. Federal law prohibits Wilcox from possessing a firearm because he has multiple convictions from the Commonwealth of Virginia for which he was sentenced to terms of imprisonment exceeding one year.
On May 17, 2023, following his indictment by a federal grand jury, Wilcox was arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He has remained in custody ever since.
This case was investigated by the United States Park Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Kelley and Alexander Schneider and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.
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District Man Pleads Guilty to Firing 14 Rounds at MPD OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Saeve Edward Evans, 37, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to firing 14 rounds at a Metropolitan Police Department officer. The shooting, in the early morning of August 1, 2023, occurred on the 1700 block of Benning Road, Northeast. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The officer was not injured. Evans pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to assault on a police officer while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term of over one year.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton set a sentencing date for May 22, 2024.
“Every day, our officers risk their own well-being to fight crime in our city,” said Chief Smith. “In firing those 14 rounds, Mr. Evans displayed a reprehensible disregard for the safety of both our officer and our community. I’m relieved that no one was hurt, and I’m pleased that Mr. Evans has taken some accountability for his actions by pleading guilty.”
According to court documents, on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at about 5:25 a.m., Evans was walking a dog outside on the 1700 block of Benning Road, Northeast. When an unknown individual walked in front of the building, Evans pulled out a gun, pointed the gun towards the sky, and fired three times in the air. The unknown individual ran away.
At 5:28 a.m., an MPD officer was dispatched to the location to investigate the gunfire. The officer, who was wearing a full police uniform and driving a marked MPD cruiser, spotted Evans on the sidewalk adjacent to a three-story apartment building. Evans aimed at the officer, fired the gun three times, then moved towards the apartment entrance. Moving up a ramp, Evans pointed his gun at the officer again and fired nine more live rounds. The officer returned fire before taking cover behind his police cruiser. Inside the building, Evans climbed the stairs to the third-floor landing and fired two more shots at the officer through large windows. In total, Evans fired 14 rounds at the officer.
Additional MPD officers from the Fifth District responded to assist and entered the building on Benning Road. Officers located Evans on the third-floor landing of the apartment building. Before officers placed Evans under arrest, Evans said, “Ain’t no gun, I took it off me.” Officers recovered the firearm on the third floor landing. DNA evidence further linked the firearm -- a black Springfield XD 9x19 pistol with an empty 16 round magazine -- to Evans. DNA evidence linked Evans to the gun, which was stolen on March 9, 2023, from the state of Texas.
Evans faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison on the charge of assault on a police officer while armed. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Cloherty and Justin Song, the Records Department of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and MPD Detectives.
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Del Rio Drug Traffickers Sentenced for Year-Long ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – Two defendants convicted of drug trafficking were sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to a combined 25 years in prison for participating in a year-long conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, a coconspirator identified Roberto Tovar, 47, as one of several individuals to whom she provided methamphetamine for the purpose of distribution within the Del Rio area. Between June 2019 and June 2020, Tovar was involved in two transactions with undercover law enforcement agents. Melissa Villarreal, 36, was also named by another codefendant. Between June 2019 and June 2020, indicted co-conspirator Melissa Villarreal was involved in six undercover transactions. On five occasions, Villarreal sold a total of 253.7 grams of a substance which tested positive for methamphetamine. On the sixth transaction, she sold another 259.1 grams of methamphetamine.
Tovar pleaded guilty on June 24, 2021. He was sentenced to 168 months in prison. Villarreal pleaded guilty March 28, 2022. She was sentenced to 135 months. Codefendants Rose Vasquez Baker, Ray Nathan Garcia, Bryan Alexander Gomez, and Ruben Reyes remain in federal custody as they await their sentence hearings.
“In addition to the destruction that narcotics trafficking brings to our communities, the human cost on families, their children, and all individuals struggling from addiction to illegal drugs is immeasurable,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “By proactively investigating this prolific narcotic trafficking organization operating in and around Del Rio, our partners with Homeland Security Investigations has helped to disrupt and dismantle their dangerous drug trafficking activities.”
HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
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Corona Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison in Case Concerning 10 Armed Robberies in Orange County over Two DaysRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 144 months in federal prison for the armed robbery of a convenience store in Orange County – his tenth such robbery committed during a two-day crime spree in late 2022.
George Arizon, 28, of Corona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who also ordered him to pay $3,658 in restitution.
Arizon pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
On November 8, 2022, Arizon robbed a 7-Eleven store in Westminster. During the robbery, he brandished a semi-automatic handgun and used it to threaten a store employee. In fear for his safety, the employee handed Arizon $80 in cash and two packs of cigarettes. This was the tenth robbery Arizon committed during a two-day spree.
In his plea agreement, Arizon admitted to committing nine other armed robberies of businesses – eight restaurants and one hair salon – in Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Westminster over a span of two days. In each of those robberies, Arizon brandished a firearm to threaten and intimidate the businesses’ employees.
Police officers responding to calls about the Westminster robberies later recovered and retained a black sweatshirt, black hat, and mask that Arizon wore during the crimes, according to court documents. Officers also recovered the black semi-automatic handgun, with a gold-colored barrel, which had been discarded nearby. Security camera footage showed Arizon wearing this apparel, court documents state.
Arizon stole a total of $3,658 during his crime spree.
“[Arizon] repeatedly pointed a ghost gun at victims to force them to hand over the stores’ money,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “When investigators arrested him and searched his house, they found another firearm, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, spent shell casings, and drugs.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Orange County Violent Crime Task Force investigated this matter, and received assistance from the Santa Ana Police Department, the Garden Grove Police Department, and the Westminster Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Ciudadano estadounidense aprehendido por viajar a Haití con la intención de abusar sexualmente de menoresRead the Press Release
La semana pasada, un ciudadano estadounidense compareció inicialmente en Colorado para responder a un cargo de viajar a Haití con la intención de participar en conducta sexual ilícita con una persona menor de 18 años.
Según los documentos del tribunal e información revelada en la audiencia pública, se alega que entre 2006 y 2010, Michael Geilenfeld, 71, oriundo de Iowa, viajó múltiples veces del Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami a Haití a fin de participar en actos sexuales con menores de edad. Mientras estaba en Haití, Geilenfeld operaba el hogar de niños St. Joseph's Home for Boys [Maison Saint-Joseph], una residencia que prestaba servicios a niños económicamente desventajados en y alrededor de la ciudad capital de Puerto Príncipe. Varias personas que vivían en el St. Joseph's Home for Boys informaron que Geilenfeld abusó sexualmente de ellos cuando eran menores de 18 años.
El 20 de enero, Geilenfeld fue aprehendido en Colorado. Se le imputa un cargo de viajar con la intención de participar en conducta sexual ilícita. De ser declarado culpable, enfrenta una pena máxima de 30 años en prisión.
La audiencia de detención de Geilenfeld está programada para reanudar el 1 de febrero.
La Fiscal General Auxiliar en Funciones Nicole M. Argentieri de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia, el Fiscal de los EE. UU. Markenzy Lapointe del Distrito Sur de Florida, el Agente Especial a Cargo Anthony Salisbury de la oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) de Miami y el Agente Especial a Cargo Jeffrey B. Veltri de la oficina de campo del FBI en Miami hicieron el anuncio.
HSI y el FBI investigan el caso.
Los abogados litigantes Jessica Urban y Eduardo Palomo de la Sección de Explotación Infantil y Obscenidad de la División Penal y la Fiscal Auxiliar de los EE. UU. Lacee Monk del Distrito Sur de Florida procesan el caso.
Este caso fue entablado como parte del Proyecto Niñez Segura, una iniciativa nacional para combatir la epidemia de explotación y abuso sexual de menores, iniciada en mayo de 2006 por el Departamento de Justicia. Encabezado por las fiscalías de los EE. UU. y la Sección de Explotación Infantil y Obscenidad, el Proyecto Niñez Segura potencia los recursos federales, estatales y locales para ubicar, aprehender y procesar de mejor manera a las personas que explotan a menores por internet, así como para identificar y rescatar a las víctimas. Para obtener más información sobre el Proyecto Niñez Segura, visite www.justice.gov/psc.
Cualquiera que tenga información relacionada o pueda haber sido víctima o testigo debe comunicarse con HSI al 877-4-HSI TIP (877-447-4847).
Foto de Geilenfeld en 2024.
Una acusación formal es meramente una alegación. Se presume que todos los acusados son inocentes hasta tanto se pruebe su culpabilidad más allá de una duda razonable en un tribunal de ley.
Charlotte Business Owner and Disaster Relief Loan “Consultant ” Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for $1.2 Million COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Glynn Paul Hubbard, Jr., 46, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering charges for obtaining more than $1.2 million in fraudulent COVID-19 relief funds for himself and his customers, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed plea documents, from March 31, 2020, to August 1, 2020, Hubbard, Jr. submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Relief Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and SBA-approved lenders, seeking to obtain relief funds for himself and for other businesses, which Hubbard, Jr. referred to as “customers.” To obtain the relief funds for himself and his customers, Hubbard, Jr. falsified the loan applications and supporting documentation by including false financial information, fake employment data, and fraudulent tax returns. Of the $1.2 million in relief funds disbursed as a result of the scheme, Hubbard, Jr. received more than $570,000 for himself, and over $660,000 was disbursed to his customers.
According to court records, Hubbard, Jr. promoted the fraudulent scheme through personal referrals and in social media posts where he advertised that he was a PPP loan/EIDL consultant. Hubbard, Jr. received improper loan preparer fees for his consulting services totaling more than $150,000. To avoid detection, Hubbard, Jr. required customers to pay his fees in cash, via cashier’s checks, or wire transfers.
Following the plea hearing, Hubbard, Jr. was released on bond. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. The maximum statutory penalty for the money laundering offense is 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked IRS-CI for their investigative work in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Cassye Cole with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecution.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, among other methods, 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 at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Canadian National Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Trafficking Hundreds of Pounds of Cocaine Out of Alhambra Stash HousesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Canadian man was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for distributing hundreds of pounds of cocaine out of stash houses in the San Gabriel Valley community of Alhambra.
Sam Nang Bou, 41, of Edmonton, Canada, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson.
Bou pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of distribution of cocaine.
In June 2022, Bou operated two stash houses in Alhambra in which he used to store and prepare bulk quantities of narcotics for distribution and eventual importation into Canada. On June 28, 2022, Bou knowingly and intentionally transported approximately 104.6 kilograms (230.6 pounds) of cocaine from one of the Alhambra stash houses to a location in Hesperia.
While in Hesperia, Bou handed over four boxes containing the cocaine to a truck driver for exportation into Canada.
Bou engaged in eight other similar distributions of cocaine and methamphetamine from September 2021 to September 2022. In total, for these eight additional distributions, Bou distributed approximately 341 kilograms (752 pounds) of cocaine and approximately 729.7 kilograms (1,608.7 pounds) of methamphetamine.
In September 2022, Bou operated and controlled a Dodge Caravan with two hidden trap compartments that he used to store bulk quantities of drugs. He also controlled a storage unit in Alhambra, which he rented using an alias. On September 1, 2022, Bou drove the vehicle into the storage unit and locked the unit with the vehicle inside of it.
Inside of the Dodge Caravan’s two hidden trap compartments, Bou possessed approximately 47.3 kilograms (104.3 pounds) of cocaine and 325 grams of methamphetamine.
At one of the Alhambra stash houses, Bou possessed storage tubs, dozens of rolls of tape, numerous duffle bags and boxes, vacuum sealed bags, heat sealers, boxes of dryer sheets, scales, and a money counter. He also had industrial-size containers of various chemicals used to clean the drugs, coveralls, various sets of gloves, numerous bowls and containers, several masks, and a respirator.
The FBI and the Los Angeles HIDTA Task Force investigated this case. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Los Angeles Violent Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Barstow Police Department, the Mohave Area General Narcotics Enforcement Team, and the Kern County Sheriff's Office provided substantial assistance in this matter.
The case against Bou 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Brittney M. Harris of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case.
California Man Sentenced for Defrauding Three Business in Connection with His Fake Experimental Truck CompanyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A California man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for wire fraud charges, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Jesse Hernandez, a/k/a Kevin Zarbalas, 61, previously of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced by senior U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro to 30 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Hernandez was also ordered to pay restitution to three separate victims in the amount of $88,815.29.
“Not only did Hernandez victimize three companies in three states, but he continued this financial scheme while he was facing charges here in New Hampshire,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “The sentence imposed today ensures that he will be prevented from harming business owners during his incarceration. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims, which is always a priority of this office.”
“Jesse Hernandez’s clients thought he was a man of his word. Little did they know he would take full advantage of that trust, using tens of thousands of dollars of their money as his own,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI is fighting every day to shut down financial fraudsters like this, find justice for their victims, and protect the public. With today’s sentence, Mr. Hernandez has finally been held accountable.”
In May of 2019, Hernandez executed a scheme to illegally obtain funds from a New Hampshire business (TH) in connection with a customized ice cream truck for an experimental marketing event in California. TH sought a specialty-branded truck that was wrapped in the product’s marketing art and contained multiple specifications. TH found the defendant’s company, Mobie Experiential Trucks (Mobie), to be knowledgeable about the experiential vehicle industry and that his pricing was competitive. Hernandez provided a 22-slide presentation to TH personnel and discussed the presentation over the phone. The images in the presentation were later determined to display products done by other companies and pictures taken from the internet by Hernandez to misrepresent his experience and work. Ultimately, the ice cream truck was never delivered, and the defendant used the funds from TH for other purposes.
On December 1, 2021, Hernandez pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud in connection with the above. After noticing a press release announcing the guilty plea, a Minnesota based company (AA) contacted authorities to report that it too had recently been defrauded by Hernandez under similar circumstances. Later, in 2022, Hernandez attempted to defraud a New York based company in connection with another marketing truck, this time utilizing an alias of “Kevin Zarbalas.” Hernandez’s bail was subsequently revoked, and he has been in custody since his arrest in California in March 2023.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau prosecuted the case.
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Bridgeport Man Previously Convicted of Murder Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing GunRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ORTEXIS RAMOS, 34, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 16, 2022, Bridgeport Police encountered Ramos, who was a passenger in an unregistered car that was stopped at the intersection of Ridge Avenue and Walnut Street in Bridgeport. When officers ordered Ramos to exit the vehicle, he attempted to flee. Ramos was apprehended a short distance away, and a search of his person revealed a Taurus G2C 9mm semiautomatic handgun with a high-capacity magazine that was loaded with 9mm ammunition.
In 2005, Ramos was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment, and he was on state parole at the time of his arrest in September 2022.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Ramos has been detained since his arrest. On November 1, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Karen L. Peck through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Bowling Green Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Bowling Green, Kentucky, man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, aiding and abetting possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and the illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Director Tommy Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force made the announcement.
According to court documents, Steven Phelps, 41, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, aiding and abetting possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and the illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On August 3, 2022, in Warren County, Kentucky, Steven Phelps possessed with the intent to distribute 2,433 grams of methamphetamine and provided 8.734 grams of methamphetamine to another person for resale. On that same day Phelps also possessed a nine-millimeter handgun. Phelps was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On April 24, 2015, in Edmonson Circuit Court, Phelps was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense.
On August 15, 2011, in Edmonson Circuit Court, Phelps was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine, first offense.
On November 15, 2004, in Warren Circuit Court, Phelps was convicted of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, 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.
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Agricultural Equipment Manufacturer to Pay Civil Penalties and Stop Marketing Imported Parts as Made in USARead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced that Kubota North America Corp. (Kubota) has agreed to a settlement that requires it to pay a civil penalty and cease making misleading claims about the origins of its products.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, the government alleges that Kubota violated the FTC Act and the Made in USA Rule by falsely marketing foreign-manufactured replacement parts as made in the United States. These false labels affected thousands of replacement parts.
The stipulated order will enjoin Kubota from making country-of-origin claims about any of their products unless the claims satisfy certain requirements, and from making any unsubstantiated representations about their products. The consent decree imposes a $2 million civil penalty.
“The Justice Department is committed to stopping companies from making misleading and fraudulent claims to market their products,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to enforce the FTC Act against those using unfair and deceptive marketing to sell products as purportedly made in the United States, when, in fact, those products are made elsewhere.”
“Today’s settlement includes the largest civil penalty assessed for violating the Made in USA Labeling Rule,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC will continue cracking down on deceptive Made in USA claims that cheat consumers and honest businesses.”
This matter is being handled by Trial Attorney Sean Saper and Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, along with Julia Ensor of the FTC’s Division of Enforcement. The branch thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its assistance in the matter.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov.
*This release has been updated to reflect the correct headline.
Ada Residents Sentenced for Robbery in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Bronson Kent Dalton Gore, age 34, and Richard Dakota Gore, age 29, both of Ada, Oklahoma, were sentenced to 72 months and 77 months imprisonment, respectively, for committing Robbery in Indian country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ada Police Department, and the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office.
In November 2021, Bronson Gore and Richard Gore each pleaded guilty to one count of Robbery in Indian Country. According to investigators, on January 2, 2021, the Gores accosted the victim in the Love’s parking lot in Ada, Oklahoma, restraining the victim and threatening him with a firearm in order to rob the victim of his wallet and cash. The crime occurred in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, within the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Judge Charles B. Goodwin, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the sentencing hearings in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The defendants will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending transportation to designated United States Bureau of Prisons facilities where they will serve their non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Friday 26 January 2024
Wyoming man sentenced to 12 years in prison for meth trafficking in Miles City areaRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Wyoming man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the Miles City area was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Elmer Richard Petersen, 45, of Gillette, Wyoming, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in October 2021, law enforcement stopped Petersen in Miles City upon information that he was trafficking drugs. He was released from the scene and his car was seized. Officers executed a state search warrant on the car and recovered a 9mm pistol, approximately three pounds of meth and $10,000 cash. In December 2021, police received a tip that Petersen was back in Miles City. Officers located Petersen at a local hotel and attempted to arrest him on a warrant from Wyoming. Petersen fled but was arrested after a short foot chase. The arresting officer located a .380-caliber pistol in Petersen’s pocket. Petersen was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction in Wyoming.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Montana Highway Patrol and Miles City Police Department 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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Winter Haven Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Floyd Hintteon Green, Jr. (62, Winter Haven) to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Green was found guilty on September 6, 2023, following a bench trial.
According to court documents, on December 28, 2022, detectives with the Winter Haven Police Department pulled over Green’s vehicle for a window tint violation. During a consensual search of the vehicle, detectives found a black toiletry bag containing 442 grams of high-purity methamphetamine. Green admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and that he sold it for about $2,600 per pound.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Winter Haven Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha J. Newman.
Westville Resident Sentenced for Robbery and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Mitchell Dale Thompson, age 26, of Westville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for one count of Robbery in Indian Country and 51 months in prison for one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. The sentences will run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office.
On April 17, 2023, Thompson pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on July 19, 2021, Thompson demanded car keys from the victim at gunpoint, then drove off in the victim’s car. On April 8, 2022, while incarcerated at the Adair County Detention Center on separate charges, Thompson beat a fellow inmate, causing multiple skull fractures.
The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Thompson will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Urbana Man Sentenced to Three Decades in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited a child was sentenced January 25, 2024, to 30 years in federal prison.
Michael Heinitz, age 20, of Urbana, received the sentence after an August 4, 2023, guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. At the plea hearing, Heinitz admitted that, between August and September 2022, he recorded sexually explicit videos of a four-year-old girl. Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing showed that Heinitz distributed, received, and possessed child pornography.
Heinitz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Heinitz was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $21,000 in restitution to seven victims depicted in child pornography he possessed. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term, and he must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Dupuich and Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Urbana Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 23-33.
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United States and State of Washington File False Claims Act Complaint Against MultiCare for Knowingly Endangering Patients and Fraudulently Billing for Spinal Surgery ProceduresRead the Press Release
Spokane, WA – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that the United States and State of Washington filed a Complaint in federal district court against MultiCare Health System, a Tacoma-based hospital and healthcare system that owns and operates MultiCare Deaconess Hospital (Deaconess) and MultiCare Rockwood Clinic in Spokane, alleging that MultiCare knowingly endangered patient safety and falsely and fraudulently billed Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs for spinal surgery procedures performed at Deaconess between 2019 and 2021 by Jason Dreyer, a former neurosurgeon.
Between 2013 and 2019, Dr. Dreyer practiced at Providence St. Mary’s Medical Center in Walla Walla, Washington, a hospital owned and operated by Providence Health & Services (Providence). In 2019, amidst allegations that he was performing medically-unnecessary surgeries, harming patients, and falsifying diagnoses, Providence permitted Dr. Dreyer to resign.
The Complaint against MultiCare announced today alleges that, following Dr. Dreyer’s resignation from Providence, MultiCare hired him to perform neurosurgery services at Deaconess. The Complaint alleges that during MultiCare’s hiring process, it became aware of concerns and “red flags” about Dr. Dreyer and his surgical judgment from his time at Providence, but, recognizing that he was a “workhorse”, made the decision to hire him and allow him to begin seeing patients and performing surgery at Deaconess Hospital in July 2019. The Complaint further alleges that in October 2019, MultiCare recognized that Dr. Dreyer was performing a high volume of surgeries and generating significant revenue for MultiCare, and so placed Dr. Dreyer on an incentive compensation structure, meaning that the greater volume and complexity of surgeries performed by Dr. Dreyer, the more money he would make.
The Complaint also alleges that in February 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office specifically informed MultiCare that it was investigating concerns that Dr. Dreyer was harming patients, falsifying diagnoses, and performing medically-unnecessary surgeries. According to the Complaint, despite receiving this information, as well as multiple internal complaints and concerns that Dr. Dreyer was performing medically unnecessary surgeries at MultiCare and endangering patients, MultiCare made the decision to allow Dr. Dreyer to continue seeing patients and performing surgery until the Washington Department of Health summarily suspended Dr. Dreyer’s ability to perform surgery in March 2021.
The Complaint alleges that MultiCare not only endangered patients through its conduct, but falsely and fraudulently claimed and received reimbursement for millions of dollars from federal health care programs between July 2019 and March 2021. The federal health care programs are: (1) Medicare, which provides health coverage to elderly and disabled Americans; (2) Washington State Medicaid, which is jointly administered and funded by the United States and the State of Washington, and which provides health coverage to low-income Washingtonians; (3) the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care program, which provides health insurance coverage for veterans for certain specialized services that cannot be performed at VA facilities; (4) the TRICARE program, which provides health insurance coverage for active duty and retired military servicemembers, reserves, and their families; and (5) the Federal Employee Health Benefits program, which provides health insurance coverage to federal civilian employees.
“As alleged in the Complaint, MultiCare was aware of serious concerns that Dr. Dreyer was putting patients in danger,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “The Complaint alleges that MultiCare nonetheless made the decision to allow him to treat and operate on patients, even after it became aware of the federal investigation. This is an egregious breach of the public trust.”
In April 2022, Providence agreed to pay approximately $22.7 Million and implement a standard of care corporate integrity agreement to resolve its liability concerning surgical procedures performed by Dr. Dreyer and another neurosurgeon that Providence billed to federal health care programs. In April 2023, Dr. Dreyer agreed to pay approximately $1.2 Million to resolve his individual liability under the False Claims Act.
“Health care providers that perform medically unnecessary procedures undermine the public’s trust in the health care system and exploit taxpayer-funded programs,” stated Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to protecting patients and the integrity of federal health care programs.”
“VA’s Community Care programs provide veterans and their families the ability to obtain critical healthcare services from providers within their own communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Root of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “This enforcement action underscores the VA OIG’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of VA’s healthcare programs and operations and preserving taxpayer funds."
“The filed complaint is a constructive step forward in holding MultiCare accountable for putting profit ahead of patient care and safety by willfully ignoring the dubious practices of one of its doctors,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Department of Defense (DoD), Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working with its partners to identify and eliminate fraudulent schemes that endanger patient safety and corrupt the integrity of the DoD’s health care program.”
“I’m grateful for the close collaboration we have had with our partners at the Washington Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General,” continued U.S. Attorney Waldref. “It was that close collaboration and teamwork throughout these investigations that made the Providence and Dr. Dreyer results possible. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect patient safety and to hold accountable those who put profits ahead of patient safety.”
According to court documents, while the United States’ and State of Washington’s investigation of Providence began in February 2020, in April 2022, a former patient of Dr. Dreyer’s at MultiCare filed a qui tam complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. When a whistleblower, or “relator,” files a qui tam complaint, the False Claims Act requires the United States to investigate the allegations and elect whether to intervene and take over the action or to decline to intervene and allow the relator to go forward with the litigation on behalf of the United States. The relator is generally able to then share in any recovery. Over the past decade, recoveries in the Eastern District of Washington in False Claims Act cases have exceeded $400 million.
The filed complaint can found below
us_and_wa_complaint_in_intervention.pdfThe joint investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Seattle Field Office; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Spokane Resident Office; the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General, Seattle Field Office; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Seattle Field Office; and the State of Washington Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene of the Eastern District of Washington are handling this matter on behalf of the United States.
Case No: 2:22-cv-00068-SAB (E.D. Wash.)
Un ciudadano extranjero se declara culpable de haber secuestrado y agredido a soldados del ejército de EE. UU. en ColombiaRead the Press Release
Un ciudadano colombiano se declaró culpable hoy de haber secuestrado y agredido a dos soldados del ejército de EE. UU. quienes estaban rindiendo su servicio temporal en Bogotá, Colombia.
Según indican los documentos del tribunal, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, 36, y sus coconspiradores identificaron como objetivo, incapacitaron y secuestraron a dos soldados de EE. UU. en Bogotá. Durante la tarde del 5 de marzo de 2020, las dos víctimas estaban en un distrito de entretenimiento en Bogotá. Ellos visitaron un bar, donde Arango y sus coconspiradores incapacitaron a las dos víctimas poniendo drogas, incluso benzodiacepinas, en sus bebidas. Ellos entonces secuestraron a las víctimas y les quitaron sus carteras, tarjetas de débito, tarjetas de crédito y teléfonos celulares. Arango y sus coconspiradores utilizaron la tarjeta de crédito de una de las víctimas y la tarjeta de débito de la otra víctima para hacer compras y retirar dinero. Las dos víctimas perdieron el conocimiento hasta el siguiente día, momento en el cual ya habían sido separadas.
Arango se declaró culpable de secuestrar a una persona protegida internacionalmente, concierto para secuestrar a una persona protegida internacionalmente, agredir a una persona protegida internacionalmente y concierto para agredir a una persona protegida internacionalmente. Aún no se ha establecido una fecha de imposición de sentencia. Un juez del tribunal de distrito federal determinará cualquier sentencia después de considerar las Directrices de Imposición de Sentencias de EE. UU. y otros factores reglamentarios.
En mayo de 2023, Arango fue extraditado de Colombia a Estados Unidos de conformidad con una solicitud de extradición de EE. UU. La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales de la Oficina del Departamento de Justicia, la Oficina del Agregado Judicial de la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas de la División Penal en Bogotá y el Servicio de Alguaciles de EE. UU. colaboraron con las autoridades del orden público de Colombia para asegurar el arresto y la extradición de Arango.
La fiscal general adjunta en funciones Nicole M. Argentieri de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia, el fiscal de EE. UU. Markenzy Lapointe del Distrito Sur de Florida y el agente especial a cargo, Jeffrey B. Veltri de la Oficina de Campo del FBI en Miami hicieron el anuncio.
Los abogados litigantes Clayton O’Connor y Elizabeth Nielsen de la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesamientos Especiales de la División Penal y la fiscal auxiliar de EE. UU. Bertila L. Fernández para el Distrito Sur de Florida están procesando el caso.
U.S. Attorney's Office Highlights January as National Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. To commemorate the month, U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell renewed the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to bringing traffickers to justice, assisting trafficked victims, and enhancing public awareness through community outreach.
Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion that is physical and/or psychological. The exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion is used by the trafficker.
“Human trafficking does not adhere to social or educational boundaries—it can happen to anyone,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsdell. “That’s why my office is committed to working alongside our partners in law enforcement to prevent human trafficking and to bring offenders to justice.”
To enhance awareness and educate the community about human trafficking, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has released a public service announcement, available here, about how to identify potential trafficking situations and where to report suspected trafficking activity.
Recent Human Trafficking Prosecutions
In the last year alone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s anti-trafficking efforts resulted in notable prosecutions that have led to federal charges, convictions, and prison sentences against individual traffickers:
United States v. Daniel Kubica: On March 23, 2023, Daniel Kubica, 39, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged with multiple federal offenses relating to sex trafficking of women in the Black Hills and elsewhere. Kubica is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; benefitting from sex trafficking; and using a facility of interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise. Between August 31, 2022, and September 29, 2022, Kubica facilitated an illegal commercial sex operation, through which at least three females in the Black Hills area, and other women in the United States, engaged in commercial sexual activity through Kubica’s use of force, threats, and coercion. Kubica is currently scheduled for a federal jury trial on March 26, 2024.
United States v. Gordon Weston: On January 10, 2024, a federal jury in Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted Gordon Weston, 57, of Oglala, South Dakota, of Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Commercial Sex Trafficking. Weston was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2021. Weston was employed as the Activities Coordinator at the Emergency Youth Shelter in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, from 2009 to 2021. Weston commonly requested juvenile females who stayed at the shelter to be “friends” with him on Facebook after they had left the shelter. Weston contacted at least one juvenile female and offered her money and transportation in exchange for sexual encounters with him. Weston is awaiting sentencing.
United States v. John Ray Heath: In March of 2023, John Ray Heath, 52, of Rapid City, South Dakota, was indicted for using the internet to attempt to sexually exploit a minor. The charge related to Heath attempting to meet an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old female for sex. The individual was actually an undercover law enforcement officer engaged in proactive policing of sex offenders. During the investigation, the law enforcement officer discovered that Heath was sex trafficking a minor and sexually exploiting multiple other females in the Rapid City area. Heath was thereafter indicted for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sexual exploitation of a minor; enticement of a minor using the internet, and other federal sex offenses. Heath pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor and is scheduled for sentencing on March 1, 2024.
United States v. Odarie Massiah: On August 2, 2023, Odarie Massiah, 33, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was charged with Commercial Sex Trafficking of an adult female by force, threats of force, fraud and coercion between July 1, 2020, and August 8, 2022. The defendant is alleged to have benefited financially from the commercial sex acts in which he caused his adult victim to engage. He is scheduled for trial on February 20, 2024.
United States v. Richard Alan Kucera & Ivy Rose Heron: On November 1, 2023, Richard Alan Kucera, 65, and Ivy Rose Heron, 35, both of Winner, South Dakota, were charged with three counts of Sex Trafficking of Minors between April 3, 2019, and July 31, 2021. Kucera was also charged with three additional counts of Producing Child Pornography. Both defendants are scheduled for trial on March 19, 2024.
United States v. Sheyenne Rodriguez: On August 17, 2023, Sheyenne Rodriguez, 41, of Wakpala, South Dakota, was indicted for sex trafficking of a child and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. In March of 2021, Rodriguez is alleged to have recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, and provided a minor to engage in a commercial sex act in the District of South Dakota and elsewhere. Rodriguez is currently scheduled for a federal jury trial on June 4, 2024.
United States v. Zeng Quiang Yang: On May 3, 2022, Zeng Quiang Yang, 46, of Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, was charged with Unlawful Employment of Aliens. He pleaded guilty to the charge. Between January of 2019 and May of 2020, Yang was the manager of a restaurant in Huron, South Dakota. During that time frame, Yang knowingly employed unauthorized aliens. On December 11, 2023, he was sentenced to one year of probation.
United States v. William Godoy: On December 6, 2022, a superseding indictment was filed, charging William Godoy, 33, of Guatemala, with Illegal Reentry After Deportation; two counts of Trafficking with Respect to Slavery; two counts of Harboring/Concealing Illegal Aliens; and two counts of Encouraging or Inducing an Alien to come to, enter, or reside in the US. Godoy is scheduled for trial on February 13, 2024.
Online Sex Trafficking Operations: In collaboration with several law enforcement partners, there were two joint online sex-trafficking operations in 2023, as part of Project Safe Childhood. The undercover sex trafficking operations target internet predators and illustrate proactive efforts by law enforcement to apprehend would-be exploiters. Via electronic devices and social apps, the perpetrators typically negotiate a time and place to meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When they arrive at the pre-determined location to meet the minor, they are instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.
The first operation ran from March 3, 2023, through March 8, 2023, and resulted in the arrest and indictment of six men from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. All six men were charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The second sting operation ran August 4, 2023, through August 10, 2023, during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. As a result of this operation, four Rapid City, South Dakota, men and one Box Elder, South Dakota, man were arrested. Four were charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and one was charged with Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
If you believe you are the victim of human trafficking or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or send a text to 233733. You can also submit a tip online, through the FBI Field Office at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or through your local law enforcement agency.
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U.S. Attorney Karam Holds United Against Hate Program at Central York High SchoolRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office held an event at the Central York High School to promote the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate initiative. The event, which included federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, focused on educating students on how to identify, report, and prevent hate crimes.
In its auditorium and broadcasted to all of their classrooms, the Central York High School hosted subject matter experts from the United States Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the City of York, York City Human Relations, the York County District Attorney’s Office, and other local law enforcement. Presenters highlighted differences between hate crimes versus hate incidents and provided options for responding to hate incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime. Presenters also distinguished unlawful conduct from protected First Amendment activity, including identifying protected speech versus speech that advocates violence or encourages people to commit hate crimes.
U.S. Attorney Karam previously hosted meetings in November 2022, in the Harrisburg area with an audience of various law enforcement agencies and community leaders from across the mid-state, March 2023, at Scranton High School for students and community leaders, and December 2023 in Harrisburg and Scranton with Jewish leaders. The United Against Hate initiative seeks to strengthen collaborative relationships of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents.
“As our country has seen increased incidents of hate since October 7, 2023, the importance of identifying, reporting, and preventing hate crimes continues to be a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “As we strengthen our partnerships with state and local law enforcement and community partners, we also include our district’s high school students, our future leaders in that partnership. By reaching out to students, we provide them the tools to prevent further hate incidents that violate the fundamental principal of democracy.”
As part of its United Against Hate programming, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to partner with communities across the Middle District of Pennsylvania to expand connections with those communities, further hate crimes prevention efforts, and encourage more people to report hate crimes and hate incidents. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently scheduling events at other district high schools and will soon meet with Islamic leaders.
Those who believe they are subject to hate crimes or incidents should contact local law enforcement and the FBI. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Anyone in the Middle District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania by calling 717-614-4911 or emailing [email protected].
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U.S. Attorney Charges NYPD Officer with Sexual Exploitation of A Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Erin Keegan, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that ANGAD BEHARRY, an NYPD officer, and GISAINET CRISTINA CHIRINOS VILORIA were arrested yesterday and each charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child. BEHARRY was also charged with an additional count of possession of child pornography.
The Complaint charges that from at least on or about August 31, 2022, through at least on or about September 3, 2022, the defendants conspired to induce a female minor (the “Victim”) to engage in sexually explicit conduct, to take sexually explicit photographs and videos of the Victim, and to transmit them over the Internet to BEHARRY. In addition, the Complaint charges that from at least in or about April 23, 2022, to June 20, 2023, BEHARRY knowingly possessed sexually explicit video and images of minors, including prepubescent minors and minors under the age of 12. BEHARRY was presented yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy and detained without bail. VILORIA was also presented yesterday in the Southern District of Indiana, where she was arrested, and detained without bail.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The alleged actions of Angad Beharry and Gisainet Cristina Chirinos Viloria are unconscionable and despicable. Moreover, Beharry, as New York City Police officer, is trusted in this community to protect us and stand up for what is right, but he now stands accused of victimizing a child to satisfy his own alleged repulsive desires. We encourage anyone with additional information pertaining to this case to contact HSI at 1-866-DHS-2423.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan said: “Angad Beharry took an oath to protect the people of this great city. As alleged, he betrayed his duty, chose to serve his vile desires, and, in turn, is accused of the same heinous crimes he once swore to combat. Whether here or elsewhere around the world, HSI New York and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety of all individuals, especially those victims who are too young or vulnerable to do so themselves.”
As alleged in the Criminal Complaint:[1]
Between on or about August 31, 2022, and September 3, 2022, BEHARRY — using the alias “Gad” — asked VILORIA to take sexually explicit photographs of a nine-year-old child with whom VILORIA appeared to be acquainted, which VILORIA did and then transmitted the photographs to BEHARRY via WhatsApp. BEHARRY asked VILORIA the price “for everything” — and stated that he transmitted money to her.
In or about October 2022, members of the Colombian National Police rescued a one-year-old female from Medellin, Colombia, whose mother took sexually explicit photographs of her and distributed them via social media. The mother was arrested and reported to Colombian law enforcement that she had communicated with BEHARRY via Facebook, and that BEHARRY had asked her for sexually explicit material depicting sexual acts between the mother’s infant and the mother, among other requests. The mother also told law enforcement that she had a friend in Venezuela — i.e., VILORIA — who she believed was also in communication with BEHARRY.
In addition, between on or about April 23, 2022, and June 20, 2023, BEHARRY possessed multiple photographs and videos containing child sexual abuse imagery, including material depicting males engaged in sexual acts with young female children.
* * *
ANGAD BEHARRY, 46, of, Yonkers, New York, and GISAINET CRISTINA CHIRINOS VILORIA, 23, a citizen of Venezuela residing in Goshen, Indiana, are each charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. BEHARRY is additionally charged with one count of possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors or minors under the age of 12, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI’s New York Child Exploitation Investigations Team, HSI’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit, the Colombian National Police, and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau.
Mr. Williams stated that the investigation is ongoing and requests that any individuals with information concerning ANGAD BEHARRY and GISAINET CRISTINA CHIRINOS VILORIA and any individuals who may have encountered someone using the WhatsApp name “Gad,” please contact HSI through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2423 or [email protected] and reference this case. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing-impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Ly and Kathryn Wheelock are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein are only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Paterson Residents Charged in Conspiracies to Distribute OpioidsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Paterson, New Jersey, residents were charged separately for conspiring with a doctor to distribute opioids without a legitimate medical reason, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jasmine McGregor, 32, and Jhanelle Lewis, 35, both of Paterson, were each charged by separate complaint with one count of knowingly and intentionally conspiring and agreeing with others, including Dr. Lisa Ferraro, of Hillsdale, New Jersey, to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. McGregor and Lewis made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and were each released on $100,000 unsecured bond. Ferraro was charged with the same offense and arrested on Oct. 3, 2023.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 11, 2021, to Oct. 3, 2023, in the case of McGregor, and from May 11, 2021, to Oct. 3, 2023, in the case of Lewis, McGregor and Lewis each participated with Ferraro in a conspiracy to prescribe oxycodone, an opioid pain medication, to individuals who were not actually Ferraro’s patients and whom Ferraro never physically examined or questioned about symptoms to determine whether there was a legitimate medical need for oxycodone. Among the patients were social acquaintances of McGregor, whose personal information was shared with Ferraro without their knowledge. Lewis also provided personal identifier information to Ferraro, including the information of her romantic partner, who was incarcerated while Ferraro was prescribing oxycodone in their name.
Over the course of the conspiracy with McGregor, Ferraro wrote prescriptions for 630 20mg oxycodone pills and 12,040 30mg oxycodone pills. Over the course of the conspiracy with Lewis, Ferraro wrote prescriptions for 19,088 30mg oxycodone pills.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray A. Mateo and Aaron L. Webman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations against the defendants and Ferraro are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
mcgregor.complaint.pdf
lewis.complaint.pdfTwo Floyd County Men Indicted for Illegally Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky.- Two local men, Wayne Tackett, 64, of Harold, Ky., and Carlos Hall, 72, of Prestonsburg, Ky., were indicted on Thursday, by a federal grand jury sitting in London, for illegally selling firearms.
Specifically, the indictment alleges that Tackett and Hall, who were not licensed firearms dealers, aided and abetted each another to engage in the business of dealing firearms. Separately, the indictment charges Tackett with six counts of knowingly selling firearms to a convicted felon and one count of trafficking in firearms. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of more than 80 firearms.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the indictment.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ATF. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Trimble.
A date for Tackett and Hall to appear in court has not yet been determined. They each face a maximum of five years in prison for the engaging in the business with firearms without a license. Tackett also faces a maximum of 15 years for each additional charge. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
This case is being prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Tulsa Man Sentenced for Second Degree Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Daijon Marque Welch, 27, of Tulsa for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Welch was sentenced to 156 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
“This deadly act of violence at the hands of Daijon Welch changed the family of Cameron Wilson forever and seriously injured another man,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office will continue to pursue violent crime whether in Tulsa or in rural Oklahoma. There are no higher priorities than keeping our communities safe and fighting for victims of violent crime.”
According to court documents, Welch plead guilty to intentionally shooting Cameron Wilson several times. On April 22, 2020, Tulsa Police Department responded to a 911 call of a shooting at 8201 E. Skelly Drive. Witnesses reported that they heard several gun shots and witnessed Welch fleeing the area. One victim was shot in the face, forearm, and abdomen. The second victim, Cameron Wilson was pronounced deceased at the scene. Officers canvased the area, found Welch and the semi-automatic black pistol he attempted to hide.
Welch is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Bish 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Tucker County man admits to federal firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeffrey D. Hebb, age 53, of Thomas, West Virginia, has admitted to possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to court documents, officers were called to a home in Tucker County on reports of shots fired and threats. Hebb was found at the home with an unregistered short-barreled shotgun. During the investigation, two unregistered explosive devices were found in Hebb’s home.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the West Virginia State Police; and the Tucker County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
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Three Former Department of Homeland Security Employees Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three former federal employees were sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to steal proprietary software and sensitive law-enforcement databases from the U.S. government for use in a commercial venture.
The sentencings were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG); and Inspector General Tammy Hull of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG).
Murali Y. Venkata, 58, of Aldie, Va., is a former Acting Branch Chief of the Information Technology Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG). Venkata was convicted on Apr. 11, 2023, for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, theft of government property, wire fraud, and obstruction. Venkata was sentenced to four months in prison today by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss, who also ordered Venkata to serve two years of supervised release with eight months of home incarceration, and to serve 60 hours of community service.
Charles K. Edwards, 63, of Sandy Spring, Md, was the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG). In January 2022, Edwards pleaded guilty to theft of government property, and conspiracy to commit theft of government property and to defraud the United States. Edwards was sentenced by Judge Moss today to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
Sonal Patel, 49, of Sterling, Va., had been employed in DHS-OIG’s information technology department. Patel was sentenced by Judge Moss today to two years probation with one year of home incarceration, and a fine of $40,000. In April 2019, Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government property.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Venkata, Edwards, and Patel were all previously employed at the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). The trio conspired to steal proprietary U.S. software and databases containing sensitive law-enforcement information and the personally identifying information (PII) of over 200,000 federal employees from DHS-OIG and USPS OIG. They planned to use the stolen software and databases to create a commercial software product to be offered for sale to government agencies. As part of the scheme, the co-conspirators disclosed the stolen software and databases containing PII to software developers located in India. After Venkata learned of the investigation, he deleted incriminating text messages and other communications in an effort to obstruct the investigation.
DHS-OIG and USPS OIG investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Celia Choy of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey for the District of Columbia. Significant assistance was provided by former PIN Senior Litigation Counsel Victor Salgado, former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kent, and Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart.
Tennessee Man Sentenced for Possessing Machinegun on Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras DayRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEATON MANGHANE, age 24, a resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced on January 23, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance, after previously pleading guilty to possessing a machinegun in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2) to 20 months imprisonment, to run consecutively to any sentence ultimately imposed on his unrelated pending charges in Tennessee. This term of imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, MANGHANE was carrying a loaded handgun equipped with a Glock auto-sear in his pocket, while walking on Bourbon Street around 2:00 a.m. on February 21, 2023, Mardi Gras Day. The auto-sear device turned the semi-automatic firearm into a fully-automatic machinegun. After MANGHANE’s arrest, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives tested the firearm and confirmed that it functioned as a machinegun.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Possession and Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert Jones IV, a/k/a “Klout,” (24, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to deliver. Jones faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each distribution count and up to 40 years in federal prison for the possession with intent to distribute count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in February and March 2023, Jones sold methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. During each of the transactions, Jones hid the methamphetamine inside the gas cap of his vehicle. He then drove to a pre-determined meeting location in St. Petersburg, where the drugs were retrieved as Jones remained inside his vehicle.
During a search of Jones’s residence, law enforcement officers recovered assorted drug paraphernalia including a digital scale, plastic resealable bags, a heat seal, and distribution quantities of methamphetamine. Jones later admitted to selling drugs from his home and took ownership of the methamphetamine found in the residence.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael Kenneth.
Stowaway on Los Angeles-Bound Flight from Denmark Found GuiltyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Russian man was found guilty by a jury today of a federal crime for boarding a flight from Denmark to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) without a ticket, passport or visa last November.
Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava, 46, who held both Russian and Israeli passports, was found guilty of one count of being a stowaway on an aircraft, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, on November 3, 2023, Ochigava tailgated an unsuspecting passenger through a security turnstile at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark so that he could enter one of the airport’s terminals without a boarding pass. The next day, he passed through the boarding gate undetected and stowed away aboard a Scandinavian Airlines flight to Los Angeles. During the flight, the cabin crew noticed Ochigava because he moved between multiple unassigned seats.
When the flight landed in Los Angeles on the afternoon of November 4, Ochigava encountered Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the immigration checkpoint at LAX. CBP officers were unable to find any record of Ochigava and discovered that he was not listed as a passenger on that particular Scandinavian Airlines flight or any other incoming international flight. Ochigava was unable to produce a passport, a visa, or other travel document to enter the United States.
In response to CBP officers’ questions, Ochigava gave false and misleading information about his travel to the United States, including telling CBP that he left his passport on the airplane.
Ochigava has been in federal custody since his arrest at LAX on November 4, 2023.
United States District Judge George H. Wu scheduled a February 5 sentencing hearing for Ochigava.
The FBI and CBP investigated this matter. The United States received additional assistance from the Copenhagen Airport Police.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jason A. Gorn and Brandon E. Martinez-Jones of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison in Connection with Fentanyl DeathRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday found a fentanyl dealer responsible for the overdose death of a 17-year-old in 2021 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
Keith Edward “Kesso” Matthews, 24, of St. Louis County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September to four felonies: conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and three counts of distribution of a controlled substance. Matthews admitted selling pills that resembled the painkiller Percocet to his co-defendants, Katlyn Mae Brewer and / or Cameron Luke Houston, up to three times a week. On those occasions Brewer and/or Houston would buy 20 to 40 pills at $10 to $20 per pill.
The investigation began with the fentanyl overdose death of a teen, identified in court documents as “J.G.,” on Feb. 3, 2021. Investigators learned that J.G. had been purchasing “M-30” Percocet pills from Brewer and Houston. On February 3, J.G. was attending an outpatient treatment facility and contacted Houston and Brewer via Snapchat to buy “Percocet pills.” Matthews disputed that he provided the fatal drugs that Brewer delivered to J.G., but Judge Ross on Friday found that he did, based on a preponderance of the evidence.
After J.G.’s death, and during the investigation, confidential informants purchased pills containing fentanyl from Matthews three times between March 31, 2022 and April 12, 2022. Each time they paid $2,000 for just under 200 tablets. Matthews admitted selling between 400 grams and 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl to Houston, Brewer and others over at least a year’s time.
“Once again, someone lost their life because this man sold an illegal product that he knew could kill,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, lead of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in eastern Missouri. “Fentanyl doesn’t just take the lives of those who use illegal drugs. Their families and friends are left seeking justice, and today justice was served.”
Both Brewer, now 26, and Houston, 22, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and are scheduled to be sentenced February 21.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis County Police Department.
St. Francis Man Sentenced for Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender. The sentencing took place on January 22, 2024.
Edward Wilson, a/k/a Eddie Wilson, age 41, was sentenced to three years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Wilson was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He was convicted of Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender on October 5, 2023, after a three-day jury trial.
On May 29, 2023, shortly after 8:00 am, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services responded to St. Francis after the victim called 911 reporting an assault. The victim reported to officers that Wilson had assaulted her the night prior, punching her in the face and kicking her in the body numerous times. The responding officers noticed marks on the victim’s face and body consistent with her statement. Wilson has previously been convicted of domestic assault on two separate occasions in U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Wilson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 10 years in Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – David Jackson, 45, of Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced on January 24, 2024, to an aggregate sentence of 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons for distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Jackson will also be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release following that sentence of imprisonment.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Jackson prepared, packaged, and sold heroin while in possession of a firearm. Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid found that Jackson qualified as a career offender based on certain prior convictions.
Jackson remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service, where he has been since his federal arrest on June 8, 2022. The defendant pleaded guilty on July 5, 2023, before Judge Shadid.
The statutory penalties for distribution of heroin are up to 20 years’ imprisonment and up to a $1,000,000 fine. The statutory penalties for possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime require a minimum sentence of 60 months’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence in the case.
The Springfield Police Department’s Pro-Active Crime Unit investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Jackson is part of a committed effort to combat gun violence in Sangamon County, Illinois, by law enforcement including the Springfield Police Department, Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office, the ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The firearms case against Washington 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.
Springfield Man Indicted for Possessing Fentanyl and Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield for a drug offense involving fentanyl and cocaine.
Christian Caballero, 30, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
According to the indictment, on July 31, 2023, Caballero allegedly possessed fentanyl and cocaine with the intent to distribute.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Chicopee Police Chief Patrick J. Major made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Shiprock Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Tyrell Jordan Benally appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Benally, 25, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending trial.
According to the indictment, on January 1, 2024, Benally assaulted Jane Doe and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Benally faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jena Ritchey is prosecuting the case.
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Sequoyah Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gregory Allen Talley, age 53, of Muldrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for possessing a firearm after a domestic violence conviction.
The charges arose from investigations by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On February 9, 2023, Talley pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of a Firearm After Conviction of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence. According to court documents, Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant on the Talley’s residence on October 24, 2022, and discovered Talley to be in possession of a 12-gauge pump-action shot gun. In 2021, Talley was convicted by an Oklahoma district court on two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Talley will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.
Second KDY Crew Member Pleads Guilty to Violent Crime Spree of Multiple Carjackings and Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Azriel Ethan Echavarria, 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to committing a string of armed carjackings and violent armed robberies with two co-defendants in the District and Suburban Maryland during 2022.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police (MPD); ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Washington Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and Chief Marcus G. Jones, of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department.
Echavarria pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce, also known as a Hobbs Act robbery; conspiracy to commit carjacking; and armed robbery.
According to the plea paperwork, Echavarria admitted to personally participating in the armed robberies of six individuals, five businesses and/or their employees, and two armed carjackings.
The Honorable Beryl A. Howell scheduled Echavarria’s sentencing for May 10, 2024.
One of Echavarria’s co-conspirators, Tyrell Jordan Stewart, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison on January 12, 2024, after pleading guilty in the same spree of carjackings and violent armed robberies.
Had the case gone to trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Echavarria conspired his two charged co-defendants to commit a spree of robberies and carjackings of individuals and businesses in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Specifically, Echavarria and his two co-defendants committed five commercial robberies, two armed carjackings, and at least 12 armed robberies over the course of their conspiracy.
According to the government’s evidence, Echavarria and his co-defendants are members of the Kennedy Street Crew or KDY, a violent street gang that operates in the Kennedy Street neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. KDY is among the largest crews in the District based on both territory and its vast membership.
The trio’s violent spree occurred during the first three months of 2022. The men typically planned their robberies the night before and executed early in the morning. To avoid detection from law enforcement, the trio typically began a day’s robberies by stealing a vehicle to use in their subsequent robberies. If the vehicle was occupied or if the owner was close by, the men used firearms, force, and intimidation to carjack it. After the sprees, the men sold the vehicles for added profit. A hallmark of the defendants’ robberies was the use of force and/or violence against their victims.
On February 8, 2022, for instance, Echavarria and his co-defendants traveled from Northeast Washington to Chevy Chase, Md., to steal a Toyota Rav4. After stealing the SUV, the trio traveled to a convenience store on the 8100 block of Fenton St., in Silver Spring.
At the store, Echavarria approached a delivery man making a scheduled drop off while armed with a handgun. As a co-defendant waited in the Rav4 as the getaway driver, Echavarria and his other co-defendant punched the delivery man and then pistol whipped them with his weapon. A co-defendant then took the delivery man’s wallet and cases of product from the delivery truck. After completing the robbery, the trio fled the scene.
On February 20, 2022, Echavarria and his co-defendants stole a Honda Ridgeline truck in Silver Spring, Md., shortly before 6 a.m. Less than an hour later, police received multiple reports of suspects in a black Ridgeline truck who were attempting to break into other vehicles. That same morning, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) officers responded to a convenience store on the 3500 block of University Boulevard West, in Kensington, Md. Victims reported that three armed men had entered the store and robbed the cashier of currency and a cell phone. While a co-defendant robbed the register, Echavarria placed a customer in a chokehold. When the customer resisted, the co-defendant fired a round to intimidate the customer into complying with their demands.
On the way out, Echavarria stopped another customer, held a pistol to the customer’s right temple, then grabbed the customer’s car keys from his left pants pocket. The three armed men fled in the customer’s Lexus SUV.
That same morning, MCPD officers separately responded to an armed robbery of a mini market on the 4800 block of Boiling Brook Parkway, in Rockville, Md. Again, a co-defendant discharged his firearm to intimidate the cashier into complying with his demands. All three armed men fled the store in what appeared to be the same stolen Ridgeline used earlier.
At 7:25 a.m., an MCPD officer spotted the stolen Ridgeline and stolen Lexus SUV and pursued the vehicles southbound on 16th Street towards the District at speeds topping 100 m.p.h. The MCPD officer ultimately lost sight of both vehicles. That same morning, Echavarria and his co-defendants committed an armed robbery of someone waiting at a bus stop in the 7700 block of Georgia Avenue NW, one block from the D.C./Maryland line. One of the armed men placed the victim in a chokehold. The other pistol-whipped the victim in the face. The two stole the victim’s wallet and fled.
Additional carjackings and violent robberies followed. Early on the morning of March 2, Echavarria and his co-conspirators drove a black Dodge Charger with stolen plates from Northeast Washington to Maryland. On the 6000 block of 64th Ave., Riverdale, the conspirators spotted a driver inside of a black Audi A6 sedan in a commercial parking lot and boxed the Audi in with the Charger. Two of the gunmen exited the Charger with firearms pointed at the driver. The driver handed over their keys and their wallet. The gunmen fled in the stolen Audi back towards the District.
Soon thereafter, Echavarria and his co-defendants entered a convenience store on the 11000 block of Georgia Ave., in Silver Spring, and robbed the counter clerk at gunpoint of $500 and lottery tickets.
Echavarria was arrested February 6, 2023, in Washington D.C.
The prosecution of Echavarria, along with his two codefendants, are part of an ongoing coordinated law enforcement investigation into the Kennedy Street Crew, also known as “KDY.” The multi-year investigation reflects the efforts of nearly every federal law enforcement agency in the District of Columbia, along with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division.
The above efforts are 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 case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department and the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and ATF’s Washington Field Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was also provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lynch.
Second Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Michigan in Murder-For-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
FLINT — Reginald L. Hunter, 27, of Mobile, Alabama pleaded guilty before U. S. District Court Judge Kay F. Behm for his role in traveling to Michigan in a murder-for-hire scheme, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Detroit Field Division, and Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office.
According to court documents, on February 7, 2022, an individual identified as Person-1 solicited Hunter and his co-defendant Julius K. Jordan to travel from Alabama to Flint, Michigan, to murder someone in exchange for money. That individual sent money to Hunter and Jordan to travel to Michigan. Once Jordan and Hunter arrived in Michigan, they met with Person-1 who provided Jordan and Hunter with assault rifles. They later began looking for the individual who they were hired to kill.
On the evening of February 15, 2022, as Jordan and Hunter drove through a neighborhood looking for their intended victim, Jordan failed to stop at a stop sign. Michigan State Police troopers saw Jordan commit the traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, the troopers saw the assault rifles in the car. The troopers seized a short barrel, semi-automatic rifle with a collapsible stock from the floorboard near Jordan’s feet. They also seized another semi-automatic rifle from the front passenger floorboard near Hunter’s feet. Both rifles were loaded with chambered rounds and high-capacity magazines.
Jordan previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison. Hunter is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2024. The investigation of Person-1 remains ongoing.
“These defendants were hired guns who agreed to end someone’s life for money, but the outstanding work of the Michigan State Police undoubtedly saved a life,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will continue to focus our efforts on those driving violence in our community, including those near and those who elect to enter our community to commit violent acts.”
“This case represents a tale as old as time - choices have consequences. Hunter pleaded guilty to a choice he made to come up to Michigan from Alabama to murder someone. Now, he will have many years to reflect about his life choices behind bars. The message is simple - if you commit gun crime in Michigan, expect to pack your bags for prison,” said Special Agent in Charge Deir.
"The thwarted murder-for-hire plot in this case underscores the significance of collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of the citizens in our community," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Had it not been for the combined efforts of the ATF, Michigan State Police, and Flint Police Department working together as part of the Genesee County Safe Streets Task Force, the consequences could have been far more catastrophic. The FBI is committed to investigating violent crimes such as this and we remain steadfast in our goal of making Michigan's streets safer for everyone."
This investigation was conducted by troopers of the Michigan State Police and special agents of the ATF’s Flint Field Office and the FBI’s Flint Resident Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jules M. DePorre and Anthony P. Vance.
School Instructional Assistant Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Tyler Edward Perkins, age 30, of Huntingtown, Maryland, today to seven years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. The statement of facts also established that Perkins distributed child sexual abuse material to others and Judge Chuang took that into account in imposing today’s sentence. Judge Chuang also ordered that Perkins must pay restitution of $12,000 and upon his release from prison, Perkins will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey.
According to his guilty plea agreement, Perkins was an instructional assistant at a school for children requiring special education services. On June 1, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perkins’s residence after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received CyberTips from the instant messaging platform Kik, that accounts associated with usernames, which investigation determined were controlled by Perkins, had uploaded files containing child pornography to Kik. Kik also determined that many of the uploaded files were distributed to other users in private chats.
Law enforcement investigating the CyberTips were able to identify Perkins’s residence as being associated with the distribution of child pornography. During the search of his residence, law enforcement seized several electronic devices. A digital forensic examination of the devices revealed that they contained at least 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including videos, documenting the sexual abuse of minors, including prepubescent minors. Further, some of the material portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct. The investigation did not reveal any evidence of Perkins committing any sexual assault or having illegal contact with any child.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit and Maryland State Apprehension Team, and the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Sarma and Timothy F. Hagan, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Retired School Teacher Sentenced to Federal Prison for Traveling to Engage in Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Leroy Lawrence Bolger, Jr., 75, of Kingsland, Georgia, was sentenced to more than three years in federal court after pleading guilty to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in early March 2022, members of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), including Homeland Security Investigations, conducted an undercover investigation targeting online sexual offenders. As part of this investigation, an officer created an undercover online persona of an adult male seeking individuals to have sex with his 13-year-old daughter residing in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Bolger responded to the undercover officer’s internet ad and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the undercover officer. In their conversations, Bolger discussed his desire to engage in various sex acts with the undercover officer’s purported 13-year-old daughter, including sexual intercourse. Bolger also agreed to pay $50 to have sex with the child.
On March 1, 2022, Bolger drove from Kingsland, Georgia to a predetermined location in Beaufort, South Carolina to meet the purported father and 13-year-old daughter, and to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the girl. When Bolger arrived, he encountered law enforcement officers instead and was placed under arrest. Bolger admitted that he had planned to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the girl. He also stated that he was a retired teacher and athletics coach who had worked in schools in North Carolina and Florida during his 38-year career.
United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Bolger to 46 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), including Homeland Security Investigations, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Beaufort Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and other law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor is prosecuting the case.
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Port Charlotte Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Doron Markowitz (50, Port Charlotte) to 20 years in federal prison for producing images depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Markowitz to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Markowitz had pleaded guilty on August 16, 2023.
According to court documents, between August 23 and September 2, 2022, Markowitz produced images of a minor being sexually abused. In September 2022, the mother of a 13-year-old minor learned of the sexual abuse and contacted law enforcement to report Markowitz. The minor described an incident in which the minor believed that Markowitz had used his cellphone to take a photo of the minor being sexually abused. Shortly thereafter, Markowitz was located in Port Charlotte and his cellphone was seized by law enforcement.
On September 6, 2022, during an interview with law enforcement, Markowitz admitted that he had sexually abused the minor at least 10 times. The following day, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Markowitz’s cellphone. A subsequent forensic analysis of his cellphone revealed four images depicting the sexual abuse of the minor. The images had been taken on August 23 and September 2, 2022.
This case was investigated the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced for Possession of Machine GunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – On January 25, 2024, a Pittsburgh resident was sentenced in federal court to 15 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release in connection with his possession of a machine gun, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Dontrel Bentley, age 34.
According to information presented to the court, during a traffic stop on October 24, 2022, an officer with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police recovered a loaded AR-15 style rifle next to the driver, Dontrel Bentley. A search of Bentley’s person revealed that he had in his pocket a .223 caliber round and an auto sear device, which, when installed within the trigger group of a semiautomatic rifle, renders the rifle fully automatic. Bentley admitted that he personally modified the rifle at his home and that the auto sear device belonged to him. The investigation revealed that the seized rifle fired as a fully automatic weapon. Federal law prohibits the possession of machine guns.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bentley.
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.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on January 25, 2024, to charges of robbery and firearms violations, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Richard James, 33, pleaded guilty to six counts before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in April and May of 2021, James committed a series of armed robberies of cellular telephone stores in the Pittsburgh area. The Court was also informed that the defendant was found in illegal possession of a firearm in August 2021. As a convicted felon, under federal law, James is not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition.
Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that the defendant remain detained.Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of James, in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Swissvale Police Department.