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7 March 2024
Previously convicted felon sentenced for possession of firearmsRead the Press Release
James Vickers, 45, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Mar. 5, in Casper, Wyoming.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge on Nov. 28, 2023. According to court documents, on Sep. 9, 2023, Rock Springs Police Department (RSPD) responded to Santa Fe Southwest Grill, to a report of shots being fired inside the restaurant. RSPD officers contacted Vickers in the parking lot and took him into custody. Officers searched Vickers and located a magazine loaded with ammunition as well as one loose round of ammunition in his pocket. Vickers admitted to tossing two guns when officer arrived. At the time of the gunshots, approximately 25-30 people were inside the restaurant, all of whom were evacuated. Vickers could not sit still during the interview and told officers he was coming down from methamphetamine. He also explained that he thought people were after him. Vickers, a previously convicted felon, possessed the firearms illegally.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the RSPD. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christyne M. Martens.
Case No. 23-CR-00142
Postal Service Letter Carrier Pleads Guilty to Stealing MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TIMOTHY MCMILLAN, JR., age 43, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024 to Theft of Mail by a Postal Service employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709.
According to court documents, the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”) received complaints regarding opened parcels that were delivered by the New Orleans Main Office Delivery Unit. On October 11, 2023, USPS-OIG Special Agents placed a greeting card containing $100 in mail to be processed and delivered by MCMILLAN while on his route. The card was addressed to a fictitious person and address from another fictitious person and address. While on his route, MCMILLAN opened the package. Shortly after, USPS-OIG Special Agents stopped his vehicle and observed the opened card in the rear of his vehicle. The marked bills were found on his person.
MCMILLAN faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. United States Chief District Judge Greg G. Guidry has set sentencing for June 11, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Possession of Machine Guns Results in Federal Prison Sentences for Shreveport MenRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – LaDarrell C. Washington, Jr., 24, and Stacy Deshane Borner, 22, both of Shreveport, have been sentenced for illegally possessing machine guns, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Borner to 51 months in prison, and Washington to 55 months in prison. Each will serve an additional 3 years of supervised release following their release from prison.
The charges in this case stem from an incident on March 28, 2022, when officers with the Shreveport Violent Crime Abatement Team (VCAT) received information of the whereabouts of Washington and Borner, who were fugitives out of Desoto Parish. Law enforcement officers with the VCAT arrived at the residence in Shreveport where Washington and Borner were suspected to be, and approached the front door. The door was open, but the burglar bar door was shut, and officers heard what sounded like several people running throughout the house. Officers gave commands for the occupants to come out of the house. Eventually several occupants exited the home, including two females who leased the residence. Borner eventually made his way out of the residence.
A search warrant was obtained for the residence and officers made entry into the house. Inside the residence officers found Washington hiding in a bedroom closet. During the continued search of the house, officers found numerous firearms in the bedroom where Washington was hiding. The firearms seized were a Glock Model 17Gen4 9x19mm firearm equipped with a Glock switch (a conversion device attached to the firearm making it a machine gun), a Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 5.56 mm rifle with a drop-in auto sear (a conversion device attached to the firearm making it a machine gun), a SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol, and a Century Arms AK47 rifle.
Washington, Borner, and the other occupants were taken to the police station and interviewed. The two females advised officers that none of the firearms belonged to them and that the males inside the residence, including Washington and Borner, arrived that morning, each carrying at least one firearm. Through their further investigation, agents found videos from Borner’s social media of multiple individuals shooting machine guns out of car windows. Agents also obtained a rap video of Borner and a juvenile taking turns holding a Glock gun with a Glock switch, including one of the guns seized from the residence.
The seized firearms with conversion devices installed were tested by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and confirmed to be machine guns. Washington was convicted in 2019 of illegal possession of a stolen firearm and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Borner pleaded guilty to illegal possession of machine guns and Washington pleaded guilty to possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Philadelphia Man Charged with Cocaine-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Edgardo Pueyo-Malave, age 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for conspiring to distribute cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between December 2020 and December 2021, Pueyo-Malave conspired to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
The total maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is imprisonment for life, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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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Orlando Man Indicted for Distributing and Possessing FentanylRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Luis Miguel Plaza (33, Orlando) with distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted on all counts, Plaza faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, beginning on or about August 25, 2023, through February 8, 2024, Plaza distributed and possessed distribution amounts of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and an analogue of fentanyl. The amounts ranged from 40 to 400 grams.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
Oregon Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Defacing SynagogueRead the Press Release
An Oregon man has been charged with hate crimes for intentionally defacing a synagogue in Eugene, Oregon, several times over the course of five months.
Adam Edward Braun, 34, of Eugene, has been charged by criminal complaint with intentionally defacing a synagogue because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people.
According to court documents, on four separate occasions between August 2023 and January 2024, Braun is alleged to have intentionally defaced Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Eugene, by repeatedly targeting the synagogue with graffiti, some of which used antisemitic symbols and phrases. Court documents describe how Braun’s pattern of behavior culminated in the early morning hours of Jan. 14, when Braun traveled to Temple Beth Israel with a hammer and prepared to swing at the glass doors of the synagogue. Braun stopped when he saw that he was being recorded by surveillance camera, and he then moved to a different area of the property and used spray paint to write “White Power” in large letters on the building’s exterior.
On Jan. 31, officers from the Eugene Police Department, with assistance from the FBI, executed a state search warrant on Braun’s Eugene residence and located multiple pieces of evidence connecting Braun to the attacks on Temple Beth Israel. Investigators also found several items and writings belonging to Braun that were consistent with antisemitic beliefs and biases.
Braun was arrested today without incident by the FBI and made his first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon and Acting Special Agent in Charge Aubree Schwartz of the FBI Portland Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Portland Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Eugene Police Department.
Trial Attorney Cameron A. Bell of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin W. Bruce for the District of Oregon are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Oregon Man Charged with Federal Hate Crime for Defacing SynagogueRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—An Oregon man has been charged with a federal hate crime for intentionally defacing a Eugene synagogue several times over a five-month period.
Adam Edward Braun, 34, a resident of Eugene, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with intentionally defacing a synagogue because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people.
According to court documents, on four separate occasions between August 2023 and January 2024, Braun is alleged to have intentionally defaced Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Eugene, by repeatedly targeting the synagogue with graffiti, some of which used antisemitic symbols and phrases. Braun’s pattern of behavior culminated in the early morning hours of January 14, 2024, when he traveled to Temple Beth Israel with a hammer and prepared to swing at the glass doors of the synagogue. Braun stopped when he saw he was being recorded by a surveillance camera, and then moved to a different area of the property and used spray paint to write “White Power” in large letters on the building’s exterior.
On January 31, 2024, officers from the Eugene Police Department, with assistance from the FBI, executed a state search warrant on Braun’s Eugene residence and located multiple pieces of evidence connecting Braun to the attacks on Temple Beth Israel. Investigators also found several items and writings belonging to Braun that were consistent with antisemitic beliefs and biases.
Braun was arrested today without incident by the FBI and made his first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Cameron A. Bell, Trial Attorney for the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nicole Leigh Fierbaugh, 44, of Charleston, was sentenced today to one year and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Fierbaugh admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2022 and March 22, 2023, Fierbaugh conspired with other individuals to sell quantities of methamphetamine. Fierbaugh admitted to collecting money from customers and using that money to purchase methamphetamine from a co-defendant. Fierbaugh further admitted to delivering methamphetamine to the customers while usually keeping some of the methamphetamine she purchased with their money for her personal use.
On January 30, 2023, Fierbaugh arranged by phone to purchase methamphetamine from a co-defendant, who directed her to a woman who lived at his Charleston residence. Fierbaugh admitted to providing the woman with $160 in exchange for approximately 10.5 grams of methamphetamine.
Fierbaugh is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Fierbaugh is among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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Oneida County Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Carol Evans, age 56, of Sauquoit, New York, pled guilty today to multiple counts of wire fraud. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced.
As part of her guilty plea, Evans admitted that, while she was employed at Sullivan Contracting, Inc., she doctored invoices from vendors to reflect inflated charges. Unaware that the invoices were altered, Sullivan Contracting, Inc. then issued checks for the amount due in the doctored invoices and gave the checks to Evans to pay the invoices. Instead, Evans deposited the checks into her own bank account. Thereafter, Evans paid the vendors the amount due in the unaltered invoices or kept the entire payment herself. Altogether, Evans admitted to depositing approximately $1,800,000 in checks into her personal bank account from Sullivan Contracting, Inc.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2024, before United States District Judge David N. Hurd. Evans faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The FBI is investigating the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.
New York Acupuncturist Admits $9 Million Health Care Fraud Targeting AmtrakRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York acupuncturist today admitted participating in a $9 million health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Punson Figueroa, aka “Susie,” 57, of Long Island City, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
“This defendant has admitted to fleecing the health care system for millions of dollars in illicit claims,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Submitting fraudulent claims to steal money harms the public and the health care system. My office and our partners are committed to stopping health care scams and ensure that guilty participants are punished.”
“We remain fully committed to bringing justice to those who target Amtrak’s health care plans, including Amtrak employees who wrongly accept payments for the use of their insurance information to further such schemes,” said Amtrak’s Inspector General, Kevin H. Winters. “We hope this case serves as a deterrent for health care providers and Amtrak employees who may choose to engage in such schemes, and we ask anyone who suspects or observes such fraud to report it to our fraud, waste, and abuse hotline.”
“This investigation unveiled the mastermind behind a $9 million health care fraud scheme,” DEA – New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said. “I applaud our law enforcement partners whose diligent work put an end to this conspiracy and brought Punson Figueroa to justice to face the consequences of her illegal actions.”
“This case demonstrates Amtrak’s resolve to work alongside all our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the system,” Chief Sam Dotson said. “We are grateful for the collaborative law enforcement effort that led to this guilty plea, and we will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding Amtrak’s assets.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2019 through June 2022, Figueroa and her conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill the Amtrak health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that never were provided and were medically unnecessary. Figueroa recruited Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them cash in return for allowing her to use their personal and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims. Figueroa conspired with dozens of Amtrak employees and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to Amtrak employees over the course of the scheme.
On June 16, 2021, an undercover law enforcement agent posing as an Amtrak employee met with Figueroa at Figueroa’s office in New York. Figueroa instructed the undercover agent to sign his name about 30 times for services received and instructed the undercover agent not to date the signatures. Figueroa caused false claims to be submitted to Amtrak’s health care plan indicating that the undercover agent had visited providers at least seven times in May 2021, purportedly receiving acupuncture and physical therapy services.
The undercover agent visited Figueroa’s office on only one other occasion, on July 29, 2021. At this meeting, Figueroa handed the undercover agent an envelope filled with $1,000. Thereafter, Figueroa continued to use the undercover agent’s personal and insurance information to submit dozens of fraudulent claims to the Amtrak health care plan.
In total, Figueroa caused Amtrak to pay out over $9 million in false and fraudulent insurance claims.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, and the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano and Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
figueroa.information.pdfNew York Acupuncturist Admits $9 Million Health Care Fraud Targeting AmtrakRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York acupuncturist today admitted participating in a $9 million health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Punson Figueroa, aka “Susie,” 57, of Long Island City, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“This defendant has admitted to fleecing the health care system for millions of dollars in illicit claims. Submitting fraudulent claims to steal money harms the public and the health care system. My office and our partners are committed to stopping health care scams and ensure that guilty participants are punished.”
“We remain fully committed to bringing justice to those who target Amtrak’s health care plans, including Amtrak employees who wrongly accept payments for the use of their insurance information to further such schemes,” said Amtrak’s Inspector General, Kevin H. Winters. “We hope this case serves as a deterrent for health care providers and Amtrak employees who may choose to engage in such schemes, and we ask anyone who suspects or observes such fraud to report it to our fraud, waste, and abuse hotline.”
“This investigation unveiled the mastermind behind a $9 million health care fraud scheme,” DEA – New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said. “I applaud our law enforcement partners whose diligent work put an end to this conspiracy and brought Punson Figueroa to justice to face the consequences of her illegal actions.”
“This case demonstrates Amtrak’s resolve to work alongside all our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the system,” Chief Sam Dotson said. “We are grateful for the collaborative law enforcement effort that led to this guilty plea, and we will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding Amtrak’s assets.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2019 through June 2022, Figueroa and her conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill the Amtrak health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that never were provided and were medically unnecessary. Figueroa recruited Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them cash in return for allowing her to use their personal and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims. Figueroa conspired with dozens of Amtrak employees and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to Amtrak employees over the course of the scheme.
On June 16, 2021, an undercover law enforcement agent posing as an Amtrak employee met with Figueroa at Figueroa’s office in New York. Figueroa instructed the undercover agent to sign his name about 30 times for services received and instructed the undercover agent not to date the signatures. Figueroa caused false claims to be submitted to Amtrak’s health care plan indicating that the undercover agent had visited providers at least seven times in May 2021, purportedly receiving acupuncture and physical therapy services.
The undercover agent visited Figueroa’s office on only one other occasion, on July 29, 2021. At this meeting, Figueroa handed the undercover agent an envelope filled with $1,000. Thereafter, Figueroa continued to use the undercover agent’s personal and insurance information to submit dozens of fraudulent claims to the Amtrak health care plan.
In total, Figueroa caused Amtrak to pay out over $9 million in false and fraudulent insurance claims.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, and the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano and Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
figueroa.information.pdfNampa Man Pleads Guilty to Selling His Co-Worker Fentanyl Pills That Resulted in the Co-Worker’s DeathRead the Press Release
BOISE – Tanner Lee Goforth, 37, of Nampa, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl after selling a co-worker fentanyl that led to his overdose death, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit today.
According to court records, on May 17, 2022, Goforth met his friend and co-worker, the victim, at a local gas station where Goforth sold the victim 10 fentanyl pills. The victim went home, ingested the fentanyl intravenously, and died almost immediately. Nearly a half hour later, his girlfriend found him in their bathroom, called 911, and began performing CPR. Nampa Police Department officers and Nampa Fire Protection District arrived on scene and attempted life-saving measures including the administration of Narcan. Unfortunately, the victim was unable to be resuscitated.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford will sentence Goforth on May 30, 2024. Judge Brailsford will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigation by the Nampa Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Canyon County Coroner’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse is prosecuting this case.
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Mom Pleads Guilty to Providing Fentanyl That Killed Her Sons’ FatherRead the Press Release
An Albuquerque mother who concealed a deadly dose of fentanyl inside her children’s luggage pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Magdalena Silva Banuelos, 47, was indicted in November 2022. She pleaded guilty Wednesday to distribution of fentanyl before U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn.
In plea papers, she admitted she gave her sons’ father the fentanyl that killed him.
On May 31, 2022, Ms. Silva Banuelos put her sons, ages 8 and 10, onto a flight from Albuquerque to Dallas to visit her ex-husband, their father.
Surveillance video from Dallas / Love Field Airport shows that her ex-husband picked up the boys from the gate around 9:47 p.m., rifled through their luggage at around 10:17 p.m., and entered the airport restroom at around 10:26 p.m. A few minutes later, he overdosed and died in a restroom stall, just steps away from his sons. At 10:33 p.m., his sons exited the restroom, visibly distraught.
From inside the stall, investigators recovered a Clinique brand makeup container containing more than a gram of fentanyl. In plea papers, Ms. Silva Banuelos admitted she packed the fentanyl for her ex-husband’s use.
Text messages between him and Ms. Silva Banuelos confirmed that she knew he planned on ingesting the fentanyl and was aware of the risk it posed.
“Hey you need to be careful,” she wrote a few hours before he died.
“Yes ma’am. Very slow and easy,” he replied.
“Just one and then wait you’ll see,” she said. “Just one.”
“Ok cool. Thank you. Will do,” he said.“No passing out on the kitchen floor,” she responded. “Seriously you could od. No dying on the kitchen floor… It’s going to f**k you up!!!
At her January 2023 detention hearing, the prosecutor said Ms. Silva Banuelos “used her minor children to mule drugs.”
“This case is a double tragedy: A pair of young boys lost one parent to drugs, and the other to the criminal justice system,“ said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “This defendant allowed her two young sons to fly more than 500 miles cross-country with a highly lethal synthetic opioid stashed inside their suitcase, knowing full well how dangerous it was. These boys stood nearby as their father suffered a fatal overdose after ingesting it. The Justice Department will continue to fight until fentanyl is eradicated from our streets.”
“Fentanyl not only destroys individuals, it also destroys families. This tragic reality could not be more evident than when looking at the destruction caused by the actions of Ms. Silva Banuelos that terrible day,” said Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA will never stop working to remove this terrible drug and its even more terrible effects from our communities so tragic events like this can never happen again.”
Under the terms of her plea agreement, Ms. Silva Banuelos faces 12 years in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Office of the Medical Examiner, Southwest Institute of Forensic Science at Dallas, and Dallas Fire & Rescue. Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Coker is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Woman Admits $135,000 Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday and admitted fraudulently obtaining $135,622 in loans through a pandemic relief program.
Edna E. McGowan-Baker, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud and admitted engaging in a scheme between May 2020 and September 2021 to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The loans were intended to aid small businesses in paying and retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
McGowan-Baker applied for PPP loans for five different companies in her name. At the time, only two of the companies were actually in operation. On the loan applications, McGowan-Baker misrepresented the companies’ payroll, number of employees and annual income in order to inflate the amount of PPP loan money she could receive. She also submitted fraudulent tax forms to support these misrepresentations. Finally, she certified that she would use the loans for payroll and other authorized expenses but actually used the money for her own bills, personal purchases and in payments to others.
McGowan-Baker is scheduled to be sentenced June 5. The wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The bank fraud charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Minnewaukan, ND, Man Convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Brandishing of a Firearm in a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on March 6, 2024, Dantae Jerome Whitetail, age 21 of Minnewaukan, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 12 months for assault with a dangerous weapon, and a consecutive 48 months for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, for a total sentence of 60 months of imprisonment. He will be on three years of supervised release following his term of federal imprisonment and must pay $200 in special assessments. Whitetail pleaded guilty for his role in the May 21, 2022, assault while brandishing a firearm in St. Michael, ND.
For his part in the May 21, 2022, assault while brandishing a firearm, 21-year-old Nathaniel Azure was convicted in December 2023, after a 7-day jury trial of the same crimes, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Azure was also convicted at trial for his role in a non-fatal shooting in Fort Totten, ND, on January 6, 2021, and for his role in a second non-fatal shooting in St. Michael, ND, on May 22, 2022. Sentencing of Azure on the six counts of conviction is scheduled for June 17, 2024.
Michael Al-Jerome Denne, the 25-year-old brother of Azure, previously pleaded guilty to his participation in the January 6, 2021, shooting and has been sentenced. Skyla Kay Cavanaugh, age 23 of St. Michael, ND, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the May 22, 2022, shooting for being an accessory after the fact, making false statements, and retaliating against a witness, and has been sentenced.
“This sentence is a just result that will benefit public safety in Indian country,” Schneider said. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime in tribal communities.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Benson County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob T. Rodenbiker and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemestrud Puhl, District of North Dakota.
Previous press releases for this case: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nd/pr/st-michael-nd-woman-sentenced-three-years-federal-prison-accessory-after-fact-false
https://www.justice.gov/usao-nd/pr/st-michael-nd-man-convicted-multiple-counts-assault-dangerous-weapon-discharge-firearm
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Michigan Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nicole Christian Ball, 44, of Jackson, Michigan, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 12, 2021, Ball delivered methamphetamine, fentanyl and a cutting agent to mix with the fentanyl and increase the sellable amount to an individual in the Pea Ridge Road area of Oak Hill, West Virginia. Ball admitted that she was acting as a courier for co-defendant Darrell Lamar Holcomb. Ball further admitted she took what she believed to be $60,000 packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic from the individual after he unloaded the drugs and cutting agent from her vehicle and placed them in his vehicle. Law enforcement officers stopped Ball’s vehicle following the transaction and seized the money.
Holcomb, also known as “Smiley,” 32, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was sentenced on December 7, 2023, to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl and aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central West Virginia Task Force.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-216.
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Methuen Woman Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing Social Security benefits intended for her child.
Karen Silva-Brown, 58 was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Silva-Brown was also ordered to pay restitution of $60,810 to the Social Security Administration (SSA). In December 2023, Silva-Brown pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds.
From November 2014 through October 2018, Silva-Brown embezzled approximately $60,810 in Social Security benefits that were intended for her minor child. In March 2012, when Silva-Brown applied for and began receiving benefits on behalf of her child as a representative payee, SSA informed her of her obligation to notify SSA if her child left her custody. However, Silva-Brown did not notify SSA when she lost custody of her child in November 2014. Instead, Silva-Brown provided two fraudulent accountings to SSA in June and July 2016 where she claimed that her child still lived with her and that she spent all the Social Security benefits she received for her child’s care. In reality, Silva-Brown used the vast majority of the stolen funds to pay her own bills.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Counterfeit Airbags from ChinaRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A retired auto mechanic in Memphis pled guilty in federal court yesterday to trafficking counterfeit airbags and causing a dangerous good or forbidden explosive to be placed onto a commercial aircraft. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty plea today.
According to information presented in court, Mohammed Al-Abadi, 51, imported counterfeit motor vehicle airbag parts from China and assembled the parts to make counterfeit airbags. Al-Abadi then sold the fake airbags on eBay to unsuspecting automobile repair shops and individual customers for prices ranging from $100 to $725 each. On December 8, 2020, a shipment of counterfeit airbag parts ordered by Al-Abadi was intercepted by agents from the United States Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Further investigation determined that Al-Abadi sold approximately 533 counterfeit airbags. Additionally, Al-Abadi shipped at least one counterfeit airbag by airplane without proper hazardous material classifications, labeling, or packaging in violation of the Department of Transportation’s hazardous material regulations.
China has been identified as one of the largest exporters of counterfeit commodities, including counterfeit airbags. In this case, federal agents recovered more than 2,000 counterfeit airbags and parts from Al-Abadi’s residence and place of business.
Al-Abadi is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Mark S. Norris on June 11, 2024. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $2,000,000, and three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
Member of the Minneapolis Lows Gang Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Machine GunRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Brooklyn Center man has been sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in April 2023, law enforcement began investigating members of the Minneapolis Lows, a street gang that engages in drug trafficking, firearm possession, and acts of violence. On June 29, 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of a residence belonging to Marquez Demar Hill-Turnipseed, 21, a member of the Lows. As a result of the search, law enforcement recovered a loaded .45 Glock semi-automatic pistol with an attached auto-sear, also known as a switch; a conversion device that turns a handgun into a fully automatic machinegun. Law enforcement also recovered from the residence a loaded ghost gun.
On October 4, 2023, Hill-Turnipseed pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a machine gun. He was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
This case is the result of investigations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigations, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez prosecuted the case.
Maryland Woman Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Passing Fraudulent ChecksRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lucy Annette Alexander, age 37, of Maryland and Washington, DC, was sentenced yesterday to 46 months in prison to be followed by 60 months of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for bank fraud. Judge Wilson also ordered Alexander to pay restitution in the amount of $305,219.28.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Alexander previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on May 2, 2023. Alexander admitted that between August 2012 and 2021, she wrote hundreds of checks at retail store locations, including PetSmart, Sears, Dollar Tree, Weis Markets (or Weis Pharmacy), Food Lion, MOM’s Organic Market, Giant Food, Harris Teeter, The Home Depot, Sally Beauty, Advance Auto Parts, Costco, Barnes & Noble, Hobby Lobby, BJ’s Wholesale Club, CVS Pharmacy, Party City, SHOE SHOW, Bed Bath & Beyond, Roses Discount Store, and others. The bank accounts from which Alexander wrote these checks were already closed and therefore did not have adequate funds to cover purchases at the above retail stores. In total, Alexander wrote over $300,000 in fraudulent checks during this time period.
In May 2020, Alexander also wrote and used seven checks from a Chase Bank account for a total of over $17,000, knowing that her account had insufficient funds to cover these checks. These checks were used to purchase goods at Weis Markets, Giant Food, and Roses Discount Store locations in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.
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Maryland Woman Indicted on Federal Charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on March 5, 2024, charging Verena May Mathis, age 24, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, for sexual exploitation of a child and for child sex trafficking.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police (“MSP”); Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department; and Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to the two-count indictment, on approximately December 5, 2020, Mathis produced sexually explicit images of a minor victim and used the minor victim to engage in a commercial sex act, in reckless disregard of the fact that the victim was less than 14 years of age.
As detailed in court documents, the case arose when a video depicting the minor victim and an adult woman, subsequently identified as Mathis, were found during a search of the online accounts of Edward Golden, a defendant in a separate child exploitation case. On February 13, 2024, MSP released redacted photographs to the public depicting the distinctive tattoos of the woman in the video with the minor victim, with an offer of up to $14,000 in reward money for information leading to her identification. A public tip led to the arrest of Mathis.
If convicted, Mathis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child and a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison for child sex trafficking. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The defendant is expected to have an initial appearance on this indictment in U.S. District Court in Baltimore at a later date. She was previously charged by criminal complaint and has been detained since her arrest on February 15, 2024.
Eugene Edward Golden, age 38, of Baltimore, is charged in a 160-count second superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child, sexual exploitation of children, child sex trafficking, and receipt and possession of child pornography. The superseding indictment alleges that Golden communicated with women to arrange for the creation of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted, Golden faces up to life in federal prison. Golden is detained.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the MSP-led Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Mark Deakins Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Sexual Abuse of Children and Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Today, Mark Deakins, 64, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr., United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga, after many years of engaging in the sexual abuse of minors.
On May 11, 2023, Deakins was found guilty of criminal offenses in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2421, 2251(a), 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2), and 2260A, following a trial in U.S. District Court. According to evidence presented at trial, Deakins repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted numerous pre-teen and teen boys over a period from 1995 to 2018 in his various residences and other locations in the Chattanooga area. He also transported a victim across state lines to engage in illegal sexual exploitation and abuse. Deakins committed these crimes while already on the Sex Offender Registry for past convictions.
The evidence presented at trial demonstrated how egregious the defendant’s conduct was. He hunted for the most weak and vulnerable. He preyed on young boys desperate for male role models in a vacuum created by absentee fathers. He often lured the boys with promises that he would mentor them about construction and tools. For over 20 years, the defendant recorded himself grooming, sexually assaulting, and raping them. The videos and images he made himself numbered in the thousands, and the defendant also possessed thousands of images of other child sexual abuse material from across the world which law enforcement agents discovered when they executed search warrants on his home and computers. The trial featured testimony from victims spanning multiple generations of his crimes.
“For nearly three decades, Deakins, a repeat sex offender, committed unspeakable crimes against pre-teen and teen boys,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Thanks to the tireless work of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and our prosecutors, this defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to protecting our children through the prosecution of recidivist child predators to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Deakins’s offenses are heinous, leaving impacts on his victims that are immeasurable,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). “Unfortunately, exploitation of youth is a very real and growing issue in our country. The FBI will continue to do everything in its power to ensure children, who are the most vulnerable members of our community, are protected.”
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to the conviction of Mark Deakins included the FBI, United States Marshals Service, Red Bank Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Brooks and Steven S. Neff represented the United States.
This case was investigated as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, click on the link for “Publications & Resources.”
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Man indicted for gun shop burglaryRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a man with stealing firearms from a gun shop.
According to court documents, Patrick Montufar, 19, of Kansas City, Kansas, is charged with one count of burglary of a licensed firearms dealer. On October 24, 2023, Montufar allegedly stole nine pistols from Frontier Justice, a licensed gun dealer in Kansas City, Kansas.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Chloe Wade Gullotto, 23, of Leavenworth was indicted on one count of production of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and one count of receipt of child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick is prosecuting the case.
Timothy Vigil, 38, of Lemore, California, was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Man charged for $10M COVID-19 relief fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man made his initial appearance in Alexandria today to face charges for a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $10 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act loans.
According to court documents, Craig David Davis, 50, of Marina Del Rey, allegedly submitted fake tax documents and business records to three banks to obtain two Paycheck Protection Program loans and one Main Street Lending Program loan totaling $10,695,300.
Davis is charged with four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery Brian Miller, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
The Special Investigator for Pandemic Recovery and IRS-CI are investigating the case, with assistance from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, FBI, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Robeson for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney David A. Peters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Man Sentenced to More Than Ten Years in Prison for Trafficking Cocaine and Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than ten years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine in the Chicago area and obstructing justice by perjuring himself at trial.
JORGE DIAZ conspired in 2016 with two individuals in Mexico to traffic multiple kilograms of cocaine. Diaz gave money to couriers to purchase the drugs in California and deliver them to Diaz. In a Dec. 15, 2016, transaction arranged by the Mexican traffickers, Diaz received from a courier what he thought was 15 kilograms of cocaine. Unbeknownst to Diaz and the Mexican traffickers, the courier was cooperating with law enforcement agents, who had replaced the cocaine with sham narcotics. Law enforcement arrested Diaz following the courier’s delivery to him of the sham narcotics. A subsequent law enforcement search of Diaz’s residence turned up nearly $23,000 in cash, a money counter, a bag full of cell phones, suspected drug ledgers, and other items.
Diaz, 35, of Calumet City, Ill., was convicted last year of conspiracy and attempted possession of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman imposed a 124-month prison sentence on Feb. 29, 2024. Judge Coleman found that Diaz obstructed justice at his trial last year by falsely testifying about the narcotics trafficking for which he was charged. During his testimony, Diaz denied knowing that the courier was delivering drugs and claimed he only received the package as a favor to his brother.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the DEA. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
“The streets of Chicago are made immeasurably more dangerous because of the drug trade,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “In further aggravation, defendant perjured himself at trial, jeopardizing the integrity of the justice system and demonstrating a willingness to commit further crimes – lying under oath.”
Man Charged for $10M COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man made his initial appearance in Alexandria, Virginia, today to face charges for a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $10 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act loans.
According to court documents, Craig David Davis, 50, of Marina Del Rey, allegedly submitted fake tax documents and business records to three banks to obtain two Paycheck Protection Program loans and one Main Street Lending Program loan totaling $10,695,300.
Davis is charged with four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery Brian Miller, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
The Special Investigator for Pandemic Recovery and IRS-CI are investigating the case, with assistance from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, FBI, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Trial Attorney David A. Peters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Robeson for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Admits Armed Robbery of St. Louis 7-ElevenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An Illinois man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday and admitted robbing a St. Louis, Missouri 7-Eleven last year.
Payton Robert Yates, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of possession of and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Yates admitted robbing the 7-Eleven at 5350 Chippewa Street in St. Louis on June 30, 2023. Yates approached the cash register, placed a bag of Hot Fries on the counter and then pulled out a handgun before telling the cashier, “Empty the register.” Yates left with $134.77 and the Hot Fries.
Yates then got into a blue Toyota Tundra parked nearby. Yates’ father had reported the Tundra stolen a few days earlier. A handgun was inside. Yates pawned the gun two days later.
Yates, of Carterville, in Williamson County, Illinois, is scheduled to be sentenced June 4. Both sides are recommending nine years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie Schneider is prosecuting the case.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 84 Months’ Imprisonment for Committing Four Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Damen Drakeford, age 30, of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, was sentenced on March 7, 2024, by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to 84 months’ imprisonment for committing multiple bank robberies.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Drakeford previously entered a guilty plea and admitted to committing four bank robberies in July 2023: two in Pennsylvania and two New in Jersey.
Specifically, Drakeford admitted to robbing the following institutions:
- Fulton Bank, Netcong, New Jersey, on July 7, 2023;
- Provident Bank, Fair Lawn, New Jersey, on July 11, 2023;
- Fidelity Bank, Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, on July 11, 2023; and
- M&T Bank, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, on July 14, 2023.
A total of $32,988 was taken in the robberies. After the M&T Bank robbery in Stroudsburg, Drakeford was apprehended by members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, after he led the police on a high-speed vehicle chase, crashed his vehicle, and ran into the nearby woods where he was arrested by the police.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Members of the Fair Lawn and Netcong Police Departments in New Jersey, and the New Jersey State Police, also assisted with the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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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Los Angeles Man Sentenced to Nearly 3 Years in Prison for Running Unlicensed Firearms Business and Possessing a Machine GunRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A man from the Mid-City area of Los Angeles was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison for illegally selling more than two dozen firearms, including machine gun conversion devices – sometimes known as “switches” – and “ghost guns,” or firearms that lack serial numbers.
Ellourth Eladio Simon, 33, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu.
Simon pleaded guilty in May 2023 to one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and one count of possessing a machine gun.
From no later than September 2021 to January 2023, Simon repeatedly arranged illegal and unlicensed firearms deals. He admitted in his plea agreement to engaging in eight illegal gun transactions, several of which involved multiple firearms, including a November 10, 2021, sale for $8,400 in which Simon sold an ATF undercover agent four handguns and a “ghost gun” AR-type rifle. Simon also admitted to unlawfully possessing a machine gun in October 2021.
Simon’s primary firearms source, William Nirion Peña, 41, of the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, was convicted of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Peña is serving a 40-month prison sentence in this case.
From at least September 2021 until late February 2022, Peña provided Simon with information about the prices and nature of numerous firearms – frequently sending photographs of firearms that Simon could sell to Simon’s gun customers. Peña provided approximately 16 firearms and a substantial amount of ammunition that were sold by Simon to an undercover agent. The firearms included two silencers without serial numbers and a Glock switch. The government asserted that Simon also had other sources of the firearms that he sold to the undercover federal agent in the eight purchases.
“Peña and Simon frequently coordinated efforts to sell [guns to the undercover agent] by communication over the phone about the price and availability of firearms and firearms components, and arranging the logistics of specific sales to customers during evening transaction in supermarket parking lots and similar locations,” according to court documents. Evidence presented at trial indicated that Peña was obtaining firearms from sources in other states, primarily Arizona.
“[Simon’s] criminal conduct was dangerous, long-standing and serious,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Simon] not only illegally sold large quantities of powerful handguns and rifles, and ammunition, but he also sold firearms silencers, items whose harmfulness and illegality were obvious on their face.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this matter. This case is the result of an investigation by the Los Angeles Firearms Trafficking Strike Force, which is spearheaded by the ATF and the United States Attorney’s Office.
The Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Lodge Grass woman who ran multi-state drug trafficking ring that distributed meth across the state and to four Montana Indian reservations sentenced to 24 years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass woman convicted in a large-scale, multi-state methamphetamine trafficking operation she ran from her home on the Crow Indian Reservation to supply drugs across the state and to four Montana Indian reservations was sentenced today to 24 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Frederica Lefthand, 52, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to possession with intent to distribute meth and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
“As a top-level dealer in this broad conspiracy, Lefthand is responsible for spreading staggering quantities of poison not only in her own community on the Crow Indian Reservation, but across Montana, including on the Northern Cheyenne, Fort Belknap, and Rocky Boy’s reservations. Lefthand played a key role in obtaining meth from suppliers in Washington, recruited lower-level dealers, collected drug debts, and wired proceeds to an individual in Washington. She has earned this prison sentence and I am proud of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who have brought her to justice,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
“The Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement is devoted to removing dangerous drug dealers in Indian Country, including those that continually exploit and profit off the pain and tragic loss of their fellow community members, such as Lefthand. We value the partnerships with DEA, FBI, and other agencies that were involved in this case to fully realize the capabilities of cooperative law enforcement efforts that led to this sentence,” said Jerin Falcon, Deputy Associate Director of the BIA Division of Drug Enforcement.
“Montana, and specifically the Indian Reservation communities across the state, have not been immune from the impact of Mexican Cartels and their trafficking of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The sentencing today affirms that DEA and our partners will relentlessly pursue the cartels and their networks and hold them accountable for the harm they are causing our communities,” said Cesar Avila, Resident Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Lefthand essentially helped fuel a drug crisis among her own people and throughout the state,” said Shohini Sinha, Special Agent in Charge of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI and our partners aim to target criminal enterprises and cut off the supply of illegal narcotics at the highest levels, so they don’t make it into our neighborhoods.”
In court documents and statements in court, the government alleged that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, investigated a large-scale, multi-state narcotics trafficking operation that ran from January 2022 until March 2023 and was based on two properties on the Crow Indian Reservation, including Lefthand’s residence, which was known as Spear Siding. Lefthand was near the top of the conspiracy, only below a Washington source of supply and identified as co-defendant 1. The investigation into Spear Siding activities began in June 2022 and has led to federal charges against 25 other defendants, 12 of whom have been convicted and sentenced.
Lefthand supplied a significant portion of the meth sold across the Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy’s Indian reservations and had operations in every reservation town as well as in Billings and Havre. Lefthand was the ringleader of the operation, which involved “pounds and pounds and pounds” of meth, the government said. Lefthand worked directly with co-defendant 1 and managed the operation in Montana, dispensing drugs to lower-level dealers, collecting debts, organizing deals and recruiting others to help her make money. Spear Siding was a hub of drug activity, and sources reported that Spear Siding would “never run out” of meth.
While traveling to Washington state with co-defendant 1, Lefthand attempted to recruit more “great distributors.” In an intercepted text message, Lefthand said:
“we will be back in business when we get back so start thinking about of few of your other peeps who might want to purchase or be great distributors. We will only be working with a few but will be considering other locations if you know what I mean jellybean!!! Maybe seven and ten if need be.”
Law enforcement conducted two controlled purchases of meth from Lefthand in September 2022. On April 1, 2023, law enforcement arrested Lefthand in a stolen vehicle following a pursuit and found her to be in possession of meth and a handgun. In addition, Lefthand made several wire transfers of money from drug transactions to an individual in Washington.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI 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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Lebanon County Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Stephen Okamoto, age 35, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday on charges of distribution and possession of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on November 13, 2023, in Lebanon County, Okamoto distributed images and video of child pornography. The indictment further alleges that Okamoto possessed images of child pornography on February 8, 2024.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Derry Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is twenty years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Laplace Resident Sentenced Probation for Defrauding Cares Act Financial Assistance ProgramRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BASHIR SCHOFIELD (SCHOFIELD), age 24, a resident of LaPlace, La., was sentenced on March 5, 2024 by United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to 4 years’ probation, after previously pleading guilty to wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. SCHOFIELD participated in the preparation and filing of false applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). SCHOFIELD was also ordered to pay $282,650 in restitution, jointly and severally, with two relatives, Munira Schofield and Lynn Schofield (RELATIVES), who were charged separately and to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, BASHIR SCHOFIELD, and his RELATIVES, submitted applications to fraudulently obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans. SCHOFIELD and his RELATIVES submitted loan applications falsely representing that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from that business. The false representations included, overinflating the business’s gross receipts, and claiming the loan proceeds were for business purposes when, in fact, the proceeds were for the defendants’ personal purposes. Indeed, the entities either did not even exist or earned far less money than SCHOFIELD and his RELATIVES represented.
For example, on about April 14, 2021, SCHOFIELD completed and submitted a false PPP loan application in the name of an entity he claimed to control, “Vison Six, LLC.” SCHOFIELD falsely stated in the application that his gross income from Vison Six in 2019 was $100,000 and that the money would be used for business-related purposes. In fact, Vison Six was not incorporated until November 2020, performed no business, and had no gross receipts in 2019. As a result of the fraudulent application, SCHOFIELD received approximately $20,833. Additionally, SCHOFIELD and his RELATIVES collectively submitted false applications for several other entities, including “AfroTouch, Inc.,” “Afromerica Touch 360, LLC,” and “Just Jocin.”
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://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 https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.
Lancaster man pleads guilty to receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jacob V. Schmidbauer, 43, of Lancaster, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that on January 9, 2023, the Lancaster Police Department received a complaint that Schmidbauer had used a device to record a 13-year-old minor female (victim) while she was showering, and that the recordings were stored on an SD card possessed by Schmidbauer. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized a total of 22 electronic devices that belong to Schmidbauer as well as the SD card. A review of the SD card recovered 32 video clips, which included the sexually explicit video of the minor female victim.
The criminal plea is the result of an investigation by the Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of William Karn, Jr., and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Fraudulently Obtain Unemployment and COVID-19 BenefitsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joshua Lambert, 36, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to steal public money, property or records. Lambert admitted that he fraudulently obtained more than $10,616 in unemployment benefits, including COVID-19 supplementary funds, while in state and federal custody.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lambert had been receiving legitimate unemployment benefits from June 2020 until on or about September 28, 2020, when he was incarcerated on state and federal charges. Lambert admitted that he conspired with his mother to receive unemployment benefits fraudulently while he was incarcerated. From her residence in St. Albans, Lambert’s mother accessed the WorkForce West Virginia website for 32 consecutive weeks and falsely certified that Lambert was entitled to unemployment benefits. WorkForce West Virginia administers the unemployment compensation program for the State of West Virginia. Lambert admitted that he was not entitled to the benefits because he was incarcerated and unavailable to work.
Lambert was released from incarceration on or about April 8, 2024. Lambert admitted that he fraudulently applied for and received more than $10,616 in unemployment compensation benefits from at least September 2020 through at least May 2022. Lambert further admitted that the unemployment benefits he fraudulently obtained included supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Lambert is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Lambert also owes $10,616 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman is prosecuting the case.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided for a temporary emergency increase in unemployment compensation benefits, referred to as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC). Although these benefits were administered by the states, they were funded in part by the federal government.
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 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 https://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: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-39.
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Jury Finds Gaffney Woman Guilty in Mail Theft CaseRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. —Takera A. Degree, 37, of Gaffney, was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury of stealing mail.
Evidence presented to the jury during trial showed that in the spring of 2023, the Inspector General’s Office of the U.S. Postal Service received information about the possible theft of mail from the Gaffney post office. Approximately 100 postal customers reported mailing out greeting cards and other items from the Gaffney post office that were never received at their destinations. The period of these customer complaints, according to postal employees, coincided with Degree’s short tenure with the post office (approximately October 2022 to March 2023).
Multiple postal employees observed Degree engage in questionable behavior such as keeping her personal handbag on carts containing outgoing mail, taking lengthy periods of time to retrieve mail from the blue boxes in front of the post office, and becoming agitated if another employee entered Degree’s work area.On March 9, 2023, OIG special agents installed two covert cameras in the lookout gallery at the Gaffney post office. Agents reviewed video and saw that on March 11, 2023, Degree was taking greeting cards out of the mail stream and putting them inside a folded piece of white paper. About 10 minutes later, Degree was observed leaving Gaffney post office with a yellow plastic bag that appeared to have the envelopes inside. Agents again reviewed video from March 18, 2023, and observed Degree taking greeting cards out of the mail stream and putting them inside of a black backpack. About five minutes later, Degree was observed leaving Gaffney post office with the black backpack.
Based on the video, agents interviewed Degree. Degree admitted to taking U.S. Mail out of the Gaffney post office, opening the mail, and then discarding the envelopes. Degree chose to resign from her position at this time.
“Postal employees have a duty to safeguard mail that comes into their possession,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “My office is dedicated to prosecuting those who steal from the public, especially those in a position of public trust.”
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins presided over the trial and will sentence Degree after reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Degree faces a statutory maximum of five years.
This case was investigated by the Inspector General’s Office of U.S. Postal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Marosek and Bill Watkins prosecuted the case.
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Jury Finds Columbia Man Guilty of Gun and Drug Offenses After Advertising Drugs for Sale on Social MediaRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. —Booker Henley, 29, of Columbia, was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday for possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that on March 10, 2023, a deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Henley’s vehicle in the northeast area of Columbia near the intersection of Farrow Road and Hardscrabble Road. Henley fled and escaped from the deputy but crashed his vehicle moments later near the 2700 block of Clemson Rd. Members of the public reported the crash and multiple RCSD deputies responded to the crash site believing the vehicle was the same vehicle that had fled earlier. The vehicle smelled of marijuana and when deputies searched the vehicle they found a loaded firearm with an extended magazine, a bag containing 252 grams of marijuana, and a bill of sale for a separate vehicle in Henley’s name.
Prior to the crash, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), observed Henley’s social media accounts where he posted pictures of himself and advertised marijuana for sale. ATF obtained surveillance footage from the area which showed Henley running from the vehicle wearing unique clothing. Henley had previously posted pictures of himself wearing the same unique clothing on social media. Law enforcement also received a search warrant for his social media account which confirmed that he was using social media to advertise and sell drugs in the days before and after the crash. Notably, social media messages revealed that he had completed a drug sale in Columbia approximately 45 minutes before the chase with law enforcement. Additionally, they showed that he messaged someone four days after the crash admitting to wrecking his “skat” which is a term used to reference certain models of Dodge Chargers.
Lastly, Henley’s DNA was found on both the firearm and the extended magazine. Henley has prior convictions for pointing and presenting a firearm at a person, breaking into a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a stolen pistol, and failure to stop for blue lights.
Henley faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $750,000, restitution, and five years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie presided over the trial and will sentence Henley after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lamar J. Fyall and Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case.
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Joplin Man Sentenced for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for bank robbery.
Vincent Gepson, 64, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.
On June 29, 2023, Gepson pleaded guilty to bank robbery.
Gepson entered Great Southern Bank, 1232 S. Rangeline Road in Joplin, on May 9, 2022, and approached the teller counter. He told the teller he had a gun and demanded cash. The teller placed $1,000 in a plastic bag and Gepson left the bank. The Joplin Police Department posted surveillance photos on the department’s social media pages and requested the public’s assistance to identify the bank robber. Several members of the public identified Gepson.
Gepson was arrested on May 20, 2022, by the Acadia Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Joplin, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Jefferson County Woman Sentenced for Selling Fentanyl on College CampusRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hannah Marie Behm, age 54, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for the distribution of fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a protected location.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Behm was selling fentanyl pills on and around the campus of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. During a traffic stop, officers found Behm with 133 capsules containing a mixture that included fentanyl.
Behm will be required to report for supervised release for six years following her prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Salem prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
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Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Downloading Videos and Photos of Children Being Sexually AbusedRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that Octavio Adalberto Robledo (54, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using the internet to download and receive videos and photos of young children being sexually abused. At sentencing, Robledo faces a minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential lifetime of supervision. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. Robledo was arrested on July 5, 2023, at the Miami International Airport and has been detained since that date. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, a detective with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, who was also an FBI task force officer, was investigating individuals located in Florida who were actively receiving child sexual abuse material over the internet using a particular online file-sharing network. The detective downloaded a video and six photos depicting children being sexually abused from a particular internet protocol (IP) address that traced to an apartment in Jacksonville where Robledo was living.
On April 18, 2017, two FBI agents went to Robledo’s apartment to interview him. During the interview, Robledo provided consent for the FBI to take custody of his desktop computer and search it. Robledo admitted that he used online file-sharing programs to seek out child sexual abuse material and had done so just two days before. He further stated that he kept these materials locked in a secure program to avoid detection.
A subsequent examination of Robledo’s desktop computer revealed that its internal hard disk drive contained at least 655 photos and two videos depicting prepubescent children engaging in the lewd display of their genitalia or sexual intercourse. Robledo had downloaded this child sexual abuse material during the period from February 19, 2016, through April 16, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Jacksonville and Miami), with assistance from the State Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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."
Independence Man Sentenced for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute and illegally possessing a firearm.
Sigal Wesley Hughes, Jr., 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 12 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.
On Sept. 13, 2023, Hughes pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Independence police officers conducted a traffic stop on April 15, 2023, when they saw Hughes driving a 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe with a stolen license plate. Hughes returned to turn the vehicle off as commanded so one of the officers deployed stop sticks in front of the rear passenger tire while another officer opened the driver’s door. Once the door opened, Hughes rapidly accelerated, and a pursuit was initiated. The Tahoe eventually traveled off the road into Blue Valley Park and became disabled. Hughes fled on foot and was taken into custody.
During the pursuit, officers saw Hughes discard a black bag from his vehicle that contained a loaded Cobra .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun and an ammunition magazine. The bag also contained 17.4 grams of methamphetamine. Officers found drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.
Hughes told officers he’d been selling methamphetamine for the past three months and using methamphetamine every day.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Hughes has four prior felony convictions for tampering, three prior felony convictions for receiving stolen property, three prior felony convictions for driving while suspended/revoked, theft, stealing a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting arrest.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Illinois Man Sentenced in $150,000 Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge in Memphis sentenced Danville, Illinois native Joseph Willis, 44, to more than two years in prison for bank fraud. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Willis was living in Memphis when he and several co-conspirators executed a scheme to deposit and cash stolen United States Treasury checks. Between April and August 2018, Willis and others deposited or attempted to deposit no fewer than six stolen checks, totaling $150,657.26. The United States Postal Inspection Service began investigating Willis and found his fingerprints on multiple stolen U.S. Treasury checks. Investigators also obtained camera footage from several local banks that showed him depositing the stolen checks.
Willis pled guilty to bank fraud on October 20, 2023. On March 1, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Willis to 25 months in federal prison for his role in the crime to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney William Bateman, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
Illegal Drug User Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced March 6, 2024, to 18 months in federal prison.
Andrew Mitchell age 36, from Spirit Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 25, 2023, guilty plea to a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
In a plea agreement, Mitchell admitted that on August 8, 2023, he was stopped by law enforcement for riding his bike on the wrong side of the road in Spencer, Iowa. Once stopped, Mitchell was recognized and identified by the stopping officer. However, Mitchell provided a false name. Other officers arrived and attempted to handcuff Mitchell while his proper identity was determined. Mitchell resisted being handcuffed and was placed under arrest. During a search of Mitchell, law enforcement located a suspected THC vape pen, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a scale with methamphetamine residue, and a loaded 9mm firearm with an obliterated serial number strapped to his chest. Mitchell admitted to being a user of controlled substances which prohibited him from possessing firearms.
Mitchell was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mitchell was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, fined $100, and he must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Mitchell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Greenwood and Jack Lammers and investigated by the Spencer, Iowa Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 23-4060.
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Hilo Man with “Life of Crime” Sentenced to 155 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Robert Kinoshita, 59, of Hilo, Hawaii, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Helen Gillmor to 155 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Kinoshita pleaded guilty on October 27, 2023, and had been detained since his arrest in August 2023. The court ordered Kinoshita’s prison sentence to run consecutive to a State of Hawaii sentence for prior state convictions in 2021 involving unlawful imprisonment of a minor and promoting a dangerous drug.
According to information produced to the court, the federal offense occurred in August 2023, while Kinoshita was on state probation. He was caught by the Hawaii Police Department dealing methamphetamine to a confidential informant from his car in Hilo. A search warrant of his vehicle recovered over 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine as well as more than $6,600 in cash and other drug distribution paraphernalia.
Information regarding the State proceedings produced to the court during the federal proceedings recounted Kinoshita’s May 2020 arrest in his vehicle in Hilo, after he was found with methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and an unconscious minor who had no pants and displayed physical indications of sexual assault. At that time, Kinoshita was out on bail for two state felony cases.
In sentencing Kinoshita, Judge Gillmor noted Kinoshita’s State of Hawaii felony and misdemeanor convictions, which include assault, criminal contempt, abuse of a family member, terroristic threatening, theft, driving under the influence and vehicular offenses, receiving proceeds of a felony, and drug crimes. The Court then stated that Kinoshita “has lived a life of crime for forty-one years” and that “protecting the community is an important value.”
“Today, Robert Kinoshita was finally stopped in his tracks and held accountable for decades of drug dealing offenses and crimes that caused significant harm to others,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “Justice is best achieved when we collaborate with our state and local partners, as we did in this case and will continue to do every day to protect our community.”
Homeland Security Investigations and the Hawaii Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Perlmutter handled the prosecution.Grove City man sentenced to 9 years in prison for firearms, narcotics & fraud crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A large-scale narcotics trafficker was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 108 months in prison for drug and gun crimes and wire fraud.
Dylan D. Polk, 31, of Grove City, was charged federally in October 2022.
Polk, who is also known as “Dunk,” pleaded guilty the evening before his jury trial was scheduled to begin in October 2023.
According to court documents, in October 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at a property associated with Polk. During the search, they discovered more than a kilogram of fentanyl and a bulk amount of cocaine. Investigators also discovered five firearms, including a converted Glock-pistol fully automatic weapon and an AR style rifle.
As a previously convicted felon, Polk was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Additionally, Polk committed fraud related to employment assistance and pandemic relief assistance. He fraudulently collected public employment assistance funds although he was not working. Specifically, Polk reported income from Our Lady of America Farms in 2020; however, records indicate that company was dissolved in 2018. Polk also claimed to be a barber for three years and, in 2020, received more than $12,000 in pandemic unemployment assistance. Polk was incarcerated from 2016 until 2020 and not employed.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Prichard and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.
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Fort McCoy Man Indicted for Possession of Unregistered Machinegun and SilencersRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Robert Edward Smith (59, Fort McCoy) with possession of unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons—a machinegun and two silencers. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, special agents searched Smith’s Marion County residence on February 15, 2024, pursuant to a federal search warrant. Inside Smith’s bedroom, agents located a Sten machinegun and two silencers. None of the items were registered to Smith in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Crockett.
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.
Former Stoughton Water Department Employee Arrested for Tampering with Drinking WaterRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Stoughton Water Department employee was arrested today on charges that he tampered with the drinking water supply and made false statements to federal investigators.
Robert J. Bullock, Sr., 58, of Brockton, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on two counts of making false statements and one count of tampering with a water system. Bullock was released on conditions following his initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon.
According to the charging documents, Bullock is a former employee of the Water Department in Stoughton. It is alleged that, on the evening of Nov. 29, 2022, Bullock went into one of the Water Department’s pumping stations and turned off the pump that introduces chlorine into drinking water. As a result, insufficiently disinfected water was introduced into the drinking water system. It is further alleged that Bullock made false statements when asked by federal investigators about whether he was involved in tampering with the water system.
The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, two years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of tampering with a water system each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; and Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Stoughton and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Oklahoma Police Officer Convicted of Sexually Assaulting a Woman During a Traffic Stop and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A federal jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday finding that former Savanna Oklahoma Police Officer (SPD), Jeffrey Scott Smith, 35, sexually assaulted a woman during a traffic stop and obstructed justice by turning off his body-worn camera and dash camera in an effort to avoid recording the assault. This case represents the first sexual assault conviction under the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act that added enhanced penalties for civil rights offenses involving sexual misconduct.
“Today the Department of Justice sends an unequivocal warning: we will hold accountable those who abuse their authority by engaging in sexual assault,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “That’s exactly why we advocated so strongly for reauthorization of VAWA two years ago. This may be the first time we have used the new enhanced penalties for civil rights violations involving sexual assault but it will not be the last. We will work tirelessly to seek Justice for survivors of sexual assault.”
“This case is historic because this is the first defendant to be found guilty and subject to the enhanced penalties in the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual assaults perpetrated by police officers are heinous crimes and a disgraceful breach of the public trust in law enforcement. We acknowledge the victim’s courage in coming forward and immediately reporting this abuse, and for her strength as she testified in trial. The Justice Department will hold law enforcement officers accountable when they abuse their authority by engaging in sexual misconduct, and we will seek justice for all victims of these crimes.”
“Law enforcement officers are sworn to protect and serve,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “When an officer uses his position of authority to victimize another, justice demands accountability.”
“It’s impossible to comprehend why the defendant felt entitled to treat an innocent woman this way,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “Instead of ensuring a safe environment for the victim, Smith abused his authority for his own sick gratification. When an officer violates the rights of any citizen, they put the public’s trust in law enforcement at risk. The FBI will not stand for this egregious behavior.”
Evidence presented at trial established that on Nov. 2, 2022, Smith, working his first solo shift for SPD, conducted a traffic stop of the victim, K.H., and her then-boyfriend, J.G. After running their licenses, Smith realized that J.G.’s license had recently expired. He had J.G. and K.H. get out of J.G.’s car to switch who was driving. Smith issued J.G. a speeding ticket, and then began asking personal questions, including how long they had been in their relationship. At this point, while still speaking to J.G. and K.H., Smith manually deactivated his SPD body worn camera (BWC).
Smith then asked K.H. what she did for work. K.H. reluctantly admitted that she danced at a gentlemen’s club. Upon hearing K.H.’s answer, Smith asked to search J.G.’s car. During the search, Smith looked in K.H.’s purse and found a pre-rolled promotional marijuana cigarette from K.H.’s work. Rather than arrest her, or issue her a ticket, Smith walked back to his patrol car and manually deactivated his dashboard camera. Once the defendant had K.H. in his vehicle he sexually assaulted her.
Smith faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison on the civil rights count. He also faces 20 years in prison on each of the obstruction of justice counts, one count for deactivating his body-worn camera, and one count for deactivating his dashboard camera. Smith was detained pending sentencing and a sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Oklahoma City FBI Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clay Compton and Nicole Paladino for the Eastern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.
Former Nicholas County Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jarrod Steven Bennett, 38, of Mt. Nebo, a former Nicholas County deputy sheriff, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about March 2, 2023, while employed as a deputy with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department, Bennett recorded two videos using his cell phone of a minor female sleeping on a couch. Bennett admitted that he knew the girl to be under the age of 12 when he recorded the videos. In both videos, the girl is face down on the couch with a blanket covering her torso and her bare legs exposed. In the first video, Bennett filmed the girl as he walked toward her and zoomed the camera to focus on her buttocks. Bennett admitted that he continued to walk toward her as he recorded the second video and filmed his exposed penis and him masturbating near the sleeping girl.
Bennett further admitted to saving the videos to his Snapchat account, transmitting them over the internet in the process. Bennett has since been terminated as a deputy.
Bennett is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bennett must also register as a sex offender.
“The defendant exploited a minor child under his care and betrayed her and the community he swore to serve and protect with his deplorable actions,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.
“This was a terrible crime, and that it was committed by someone we considered a brother-in-arms makes it so much worse,” said Nicholas County Sheriff William F. Nunley. “We will never turn a blind eye to anyone sworn to uphold the law in this great State or Country.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-144.
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Former Navy Civilian Employee and Former Executive Indicted in Bribery Scheme Involving over $100 Million in Government ContractsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 7, 2024
SAN DIEGO – A former civilian employee of San Diego-based Naval Information Warfare Center and a former executive with a South Carolina defense contractor were charged in an indictment unsealed today with participating in a bribery scheme to trade expensive meals, jobs and a ticket to a premiere sporting event for help obtaining more than $100 million in government contracts.
According to the indictment, James Soriano, of Las Vegas, Nevada, worked for the Naval Information Warfare Center, which provided contract administration services for the Navy. From 2006 to 2019, Soriano was an engineer, project leader and certified “Contracting Officer Representative” with technological expertise to help manage Department of Defense contracts. Soriano was supposed to act as liaison between the government and the contractor, including keeping contractor bid, proposal and selection information confidential, and protecting the integrity of the acquisition process by maintaining fairness in the government’s treatment of all bidders.
According to the indictment, Soriano instead used his considerable influence to steer lucrative contracts to Russell Thurston of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, who was an executive vice president of a company vying for defense contracts with locations in Arlington, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina. The company provided technical and consulting services in the information technology field.
The indictment said Thurston, and others working under him, gave Soriano various things of value including jobs for a family member and friends, free meals at various restaurants, as well as a ticket to the 2018 MLB All Star Game held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. One of the friends who was given a job at Soriano’s request gave Soriano half her salary every month—approximately $2,000 per month—in cash. The indictment indicates the friend was not actually performing the duties for which she was being paid.
In return, Soriano took official action to benefit the company, including allowing Thurston and other employees to draft procurement documents for various contracting efforts, even where the company was competing for the contract against other bidders. As a result of Soriano’s efforts, the company won a task order with a more than $300 million ceiling. Soriano then approved numerous projects on this task order, ultimately causing the government to obligate more than $100 million to the company.
To conceal their activities, Thurston, Soriano, and other employees at the company would intentionally delete document properties on procurement documents drafted by employees. Soriano also failed to disclose the gifts on his yearly required OGE Form 450.
“This indictment reveals callous greed at the cost of taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This office will vigorously investigate and prosecute fraud that threatens public trust in our institutions.”
“The indictment of James Soriano and Russell Thurston should be a deterrent for individuals and companies contemplating or attempting to misuse positions of public trust in order to enrich themselves financially or ensure future lucrative contracts,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “The alleged actions subvert the integrity of the government’s acquisition process, waste taxpayers’ money, and ultimately degrade the readiness of America’s warfighters.”
“The DoD contracting process ensures our taxpayer dollars are spent appropriately to equip our warfighters with the tools necessary to fight and win in an ever-increasingly complex environment. Attempts to undermine that process ultimately put our warfighters at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation. “This most recent indictment against Mr. Soriano and Mr. Thurston is demonstrative of IRS Criminal Investigation’s relentless commitment to supporting national security through partnering on corruption investigations while continuing to pursue those who intentionally evade paying their fair share in taxes, whether their income is legally or illegally obtained.”
“Using a position of public trust as a means to fraudulently grant access to federal programs for personal gain will not be tolerated,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
Soriano is also charged with three counts of filing false tax returns as result of failing to declare the cash that he was receiving from his friend as income.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 24cr0341-TWR
James Soriano Age: 63 Las Vegas, NV
Russell Thurston Age: 51 Mt. Pleasant, SC
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; $250,000 fine
Bribery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 201
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison; $250,000 fine for an individual or $500,000 for an organization, or three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value, whichever is greater.
Fraud and False Statement in Tax Return – Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7206(1)
Maximum penalty: Three years in prison; $100,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General
IRS Criminal Investigation
Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098.
Former Chief-Of-Staff to Senator Dean Tran Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former chief of staff to former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for filing false and fraudulent tax returns between 2016 and 2020.
Christianne Mylott-Coleman, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 30 days in prison and one year of supervised release, with the first 90 days to be served in home detention. Mylott-Coleman was also ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $269,209. In November 2022, Mylott-Coleman pleaded guilty to five counts of filing a false and fraudulent tax return.
Between 2016 and 2020, Mylott-Coleman earned income from a variety of employers, including companies involved in providing healthcare services, in addition to earning wages working for Senator Tran between 2018 and 2020. When filing her federal income tax returns for tax years 2016 through 2020, Mylott-Coleman failed to report approximately $740,000 in income generated from a home healthcare business she operated. The home health care business provided services like meal preparation and medication management for elderly people in their homes. Employees of the business were typically paid by Mylott-Coleman in cash. As a result of the tax fraud, Mylott-Coleman failed to report and pay to the IRS $269,209 in income taxes.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and John T. Mulcahy of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.